One song (if you can call it a song) that is getting better and better for every year that passes is Baz Luhrmanns “Wear Sunscreen” with alot, ALOT, of true statements about life. Basically a list of things you wish you knew when you were a kid. One line in particular:
Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.
And as so much in that song, it’s so true. Today I heard that an old collegue, I’d even call him a friend, has suddenly passed away. Just like that, totally unexpected. Shocked.
Well that was a boring midsummer’s eve! Midsummer’s eve is a pretty big thing in sweden, classic holiday with a very holida-specific cuisine and ofcourse, a shot or two of vodka or something equally strong. But for the first time since I was a teenager I was totally sober all through the weekend. But I’m very cautios when it comes to medication so I don’t wanna mix prescribed painkillers with alcohol. But that certainly didn’t stop me from enjoying the weekend out in the country with my family. And just sitting on out on the porch, not doing anything and just relaxing is something I’ve only now started to enjoy. I certainly didn’t appeciate it enough when I lived there, but I do now.
Some higher power must’ve heard me ’cause 8 hours after I wrote yesterday’s update I got the F1 tickets, the tooth is pulled, headache gone (thanks to 600mg Brufen) and I got $500 more in my last pay check than I thought I would. Now if through some miracle my body could bounce back from the shock of the tooth removal operation in just one day that’d be awesome, otherwise I’m looking at a very lame midsummer’s eve
Today I’m having my second wisdom tooth pulled. Or cracked is more like it. I’m hoping that will help atleast a little bit with the headaches! The worst part of it is that it’s gonna set me back some $200, just when I need it the most as I’m heading to Silverstone in 2 weeks. That is if we ever get the tickets. They’re supposed to be on the way but I’m sitting here expecting the worst. It also means I have to go on painkillers for a few days. I dunno why but I’ve never liked taking medication, atleast not for a long time. I don’t wanna get hooked on anything (’cause let’s face it, you do feel good after some heavy prescription Brufen) and pain is always the indicator something’s wrong and I can’t just take a pill and let it go away and think everything is fine.
Don’t you love a good biased blame-game? I’m ofcourse talking about the F1 race yesterday. A year ago two cars on Michelin tyres had accidents at high speeds in the F1 race at Indianapolis. And then in Belgium they also had some trouble and Jenson crashed out att 300+ KPH. And this year it’s been pretty obvious that Michelin tyres have been closer to the edge than Bridgestone and where told to watch it a few weeks ago. And this weekend started with two Michelin tyre failures and Michelin put out a press release saying they couldn’t guarantee the safety of the drivers running on their tyres if certain steps weren’t taken. Something I guess you have to do when you’re in the states and people suing each other left and right. And that’s where facts stops and the blaming game begins. Everyone is blaming everyone, but the most surprising statement was from Ove Andersson, a guy with decades of motorracing experience. He laid the blame at Ferrari’s feet since they opposed the idea of building a chicane to adapt the circuit to the failing tyres, something which really wasn’t up to them to decide in the first place. And it’s not really their fault Michelin didn’t have the right rubber or spares. So that’s why it surprised me. But oh, and he works for Toyota, the team that had two crashes so that explains it. Then the FIA is blaming Michelin for not supplying appropriate tyres. And Michelin is blaming FIA for not being flexible and allowing a change of tyres or building the chicane. And the racers just wanna race and the fans just wanna see a race. So in that sense it’s surprising to see the teambosses, FIA reps and all other people involved in this mega-million sport behaving like kids blaming each other and trying to out-do eachother resulting in all Michelin cars coming into the pits expecting the race to be stopped and the FIA to bend the rules in 11th hour. But nope. So I quote David Coulthard – “reality is mature adults couldn’t find a solution that would let us go racing”. Here, here…
Boy am I having one of the laziest weekends ever! I even sat a new record for laziest maneuver ever today – as I was refilling my coca cola glass I dropped the cap. Instead of bending down to pick it up, I took the cap from an empty bottle right beside me. Just how lazy is that? And I’m writing this sitting out on my balcony, blazing sun, cold cola and a computer in my lap. Nice!
But I guess I better get a move on since I’m suppose to be at O’Learys in a few hours to watch the Indy F1 race. If there is gonna be a race that is.
Maybe I should clarify what I said about work yesterday. As computer tech jobs go this is one of the best jobs to have (short of the one I had at the state department) and it’s definitely the best place to work at. But somehow it’s gone from the “yippi, another day at Vinge, admiring all the gorgeous women and occasionally answer the phone and help someone with some lame computer problem”-attitude I had when I worked here for over a year back in 2002 and 2003 to “oh do I have to?”. But I’m still admiring the women. And answering the phone 🙂
After I donated blood about three weeks ago I didn’t get a single headache (except for June 3rd, for obvious reasons) but during the weekend it came back 🙁 And now I don’t know just how much of this is psychological or physical! Because during these 2 weeks I was fine, didn’t get headaches, social, updated this blog, online chatting with friends and stuff, but now after it’s back I’m getting this depression again when I get up, go to work, work enough not to get fired and can’t wait to get home and when I do I just crash in my couch and can’t motivate myself to do anything more than I really have to. So it could all be me going through a depression right now – only problem is I don’t know what I have to be depressed about. Except this headache that just won’t quit. Next week I’m having a wisdom tooth removed to eliminate it from the equation and if that doesn’t help I’m off to see a neurologist. But I’m still hoping the Doc is right and it’s just something temporary that should go away by itself since all tests show that I’m as healthy as I should be.
Am I the only one who’s so sick and tired of this Brad & Angelina BS? You can’t do a quick newsscan without reading something about them somewhere, are they or aren’t they. Who gives a crap?! Nobody that I wanna know cares either way or wanna read it so shut up. And that includes me!
First real day of summer in Stockholm today! I was walking my normal route from work to the train station and it warm, sunny, alot of people outside, a real party atmosphere on “Plattan” and truckloads of newly graduated students really made me feel all good and warm, and ofcourse saying “those were the days” in the back of my head…
Perhaps I was a bit too harsh the other day because when I tried thinking about something more appropriate to celebrate as our national day I came up blank. We’ve never been occupied or conquered, have we? And we haven’t had any good revolution (let’s not mix “bloodbath” with “revolution”) here either. So there really isn’t anything more swedish to celebrate than Gustav Vasa I guess, which makes me sad ’cause it makes sweden sound dull. We weren’t even in any of the WW…
For the first time our national day, June 6th, is a national holiday which means everyone got another day off from work/school to celebrate… ??.. Gustav Vasa’s ascension to the throne in 1523. Yeap, that feels very relevant today, doesn’t it? I mean, other countrie’s national days are for something huge, usually some independance day, revolution or the founding of the country in question. And most of them are atleast in modern times, but we have our’s for a thing that happened 500 years ago! Maybe it’s just me and my total lack of interest in swedish royalty history (I always say something crazy at those Trivial Pursuit questions asking which king did what), but I think we should have some national day on a date that actually means something to me today. But I’m all for any chance to have a full day off from work!
I’m SO not 20 anymore! When my 30th birthday approached I was thinking about what kinda party I should throw, if any. The problem was that my main partying is gonna be at Silverstone in a month and that’s setting me back financially. So I didn’t wanna spring for a huge party like my house warming party, and we have already done that finnish cruise thing for my 25th. So this time I just told people “I’ll be at Dubliners (a pub one block away from work) from 6, swing by if you can”. And they sure did! I think we counted 16 overall, gaming-buddies, old school friends, former and current collegues and family. Overall a really good night out and nice way to spend my 30th birthday! But the main event is in a month 🙂 But when I woke up this morning I had the worst headache ever and considering the past 6 months have been full of headaches, that’s saying quite alot!
This will be my last update as a 20-something guy. In 6 hours I’ll be a 30-something guy. So let us recap the past 10 years:
After 1 academically failed year at the University in Växjö, I moved back home, got a job I liked at great company. Got new friends, co-started a Trekker organization, started my home theater system, got an interest for Formula 1, got to go to Greece, got a promotion, got to go to Kenya. Moved to my own place (blasting housewarming party!). Got another promotion to the best job I’ve ever had (developing our e-commerce site), took a few trips on the party-boats over to Finland (another blasting party on my 25th birthday). Company went broke, got a drivers license, re-educated myself to pc techie, started working a little off and on at a lawfirm. Celebrated one sister’s 30th birthday in scotland, lost my best friend, got a job at the state department, travelled around the world, celebrated the other sister’s 30th birthday, visited Africa while suffering from salmonella and then got to go to Italy. Helped organize the first Star Trek Convention in sweden (ever) and spend a few days in the company of Tim Russ. Had a few lazy months as a consultant inbetween jobs. Finally got the boot and a headache that won’t go away and got a steady job at the lawfirm and bought the last piece for a home theater (projector)… and that brings us up to date.
Overall a good 10-year run I think. And to start my 30’s I’m gonna have a good get together tonight at The Dubliner tomorrow night (everyone’s invited) and then off to see the F1 race at Silverstone!