A stepladder’s revenge!

We’ve had beautiful weather the last few days, I mean seriously gorgeous weather, nice and warm, like 25-26 degrees C in the shade.

So you know the whole nation of Norway (OK, maybe just the people on the south-west coast), is out and about, rather than sitting cooped up inside.

It makes perfect sense to me to use these warm days getting stuff done in the respective gardens, and yesterday it was my stepmoms allotment that was being worked. B (being the nice guy he is) handled the cutting of the grass, while I was working my fingers to the bone, cutting a large hedge, with an electric hedge trimmer.

It was all going pretty well, I was down to the last few yards, when suddenly the stepladder I was on, decided it had had enough of it all.

I had gotten up on top of it and was leaning in with my hands on my hedge trimmer to start working on the top of the hedge, when the ladder decided to just take off with me on top. It fell outwards and I had no choice but to follow (as I did have my feet firmly planted on the top step).

And I crashed… hard! Mostly on top of the darn thing! And let me tell you, that stepladder have some sharp edges 😦 All I remember is hitting the ground hard on my right shoulder, enough that I needed to catch my breath (a few minutes), before I managed to scrape myself off the ground.

I decided to call it a night, there was no way I was going to tempt fate getting back up and finish that hedge. That particular decision might have had something to do with the fact I was bleeding all over the place, from scrapes on my leg and shoulder, and I needed to clean that stuff off.

I’m not one to run of to the doctors prematurely, but it didn’t take me long to realise that my shoulder needed to be checked out, as I could no longer lift my arm. So off to the emergency room we went. 4 hours, x-rays, one tetanus shot and 3 doctors later, I was declared OK. No broken bones 🙂 Just a severely internally bruised shoulder (leg, hip and neck).

I’ve been told it might take up to 3 weeks before it’s healed 😦

Which is quite a bummer, as friends from abroad came in this morning and we had been planning to go on hikes in the area (which demands a bit of climbing.. read: use my shoulder). I have garden plans, like clearing up plants and painting the garden brick wall. And not to forget I have my little scanning project.

I know that computer work is going to be out of the question the next few days (one hand typing), so guess what! Yepp, you are right, there won’t be a lot of ~~sensible~~ stuff out on this blog for a little while. I might post a picture or two, depending on what my friends and I are up to.. but actual words! Probably not… much 😉

Yepp… that would be me!

Pretty, ain’t it?

Epson XP-860 – My new printer/scanner!

I got my hands on a printer/scanner a few days ago, and I’ve have checked it out some… so far it seems to do what I want.

I have a pretty good photo printer from before, so for me to go out and buy a new “printer”, this product had to tick a few boxes.

It had to do duplex scans – for my paper monster project
It had to do good quality photo prints – for when I create photo albums
It had to be Wi-Fi – for me to be able to print from pc/Ipad/phone
It would be nice if it did duplex prints – I have info that needs to be printed on a regular basis
It would be nice if it would scan wirelessly to my computer – saves me from having to use cable
It would be nice if I could print on CD/DVD’s – don’t use this feature much anymore, but…

I looked long and hard, and it turns out it’s not that easy to find a small home product that will do automatic duplex scans, and have a document feeder that can take several documents in one go. They do a lot of office related machines, but they are often bigger, more expensive, and don’t do really good photo prints (which was a big thing for me.. as I do print a few photos now and then).

I found that for home use it seems like HP, Epson and Canon have a couple of products (that will do both duplex and decent photo prints). I’ve always used Canon before, but I find the newer models not as sleek as they used to be (they need more flat space for placement), and I decided on Epson this time around.

I bought the Epson Expression Photo XP-860, which covers all the items on my wish list, and Epson are supposed to be good on photo printing and it gets pretty good reviews, so it’s worth a try…

If I’m not happy? Not a problem, as I can return it! They have brilliant return policies on a lot of electronic shops here in Norway 🙂

And if I’m happy? Then it’s a keeper, and my old one will be an item “out-the-door” – given away to a printer needing person 🙂

So, guess there is no excuse anymore! I have a scanner, now I just need to get going with my sorting, shredding, scanning and archiving 🙂

Stay tuned.. you know I’ll keep you updated 😉

The streets of Stavanger – my home town!

Back in 2014 a group of people decided to make a video from my hometown, with the help of a drone.

Today I was reminded of this video through a “memory” on facebook, and I thought I would share this quick peak of Stavanger, with you.

The footage is taken early in the morning (sun is coming up) which is why the streets are really empty.

Here it is – the video of “Stavangergatene”!

Enjoy 🙂

My paper pile from hell!

I told you yesterday I was going to find ALL the paper in my house and pull it together in a pile or two!

Well I did… and here it is! My paper pile from hell!

Yeah, I should probably have heaped it all into a big hazardous pile. I’m sure that would have looked way more impressive 🙂 But, I’m just to organized, what can I say?

It might not look to bad, but I’m telling you.. there are still about 54 inches of paper… 😦

You wouldn’t by any chance be struggle with papers, just like me, now would you? Why not join me in culling it all down!

Taxes – and the paper monster!

April is tax time here in Norway. You get all your information drizzling in over a couple of months and by April 30th you better have your taxes done and delivered or hell breaks loose… or does it?

Actually no, it doesn’t, any longer…

You see, Norway started with e-filing quite a few years ago, where you pretty much just had to check, correct and press a button to file your tax return, and you were done. Nice right?

Well, now we have gone even further. Now we don’t have to do anything, absolutely zilch, nada, nope…

You see, the rule is that if you don’t press that button to “file and approve” your tax return, they just assume that you “approve” the numbers the tax authorities have concluded with, and it’s being automatically filed for you… Great yeah? Well, yes it is, IF they have your numbers correct in the system.

And that’s a big IF! Regardless of how automated taxes are becoming, I would always recommend to take an hour or two and check it properly. Check that they have the correct amounts on your pay and deductibles, that they have not forgotten anything or added something that should not be there. They might not know about all the little things about you, make sure you add them. It can pay off, as every little amount can help reduce the final amount of taxes.

So, every year, end of April, I sit down to do my taxes, and at the same time, I start to go through the rest of my paper monster 😉

My taxes don’t yield a lot of paper any more, as most everything is online. And truth be told, the rest of the year don’t yield a lot either. But even though most of my stuff is now online at different institutions, I still seem to manage to hold on to a significant amount of papers anyway. And this year that stops!

I have decided that this is the year to digitize my entire paper pile! Everything that I want/need to keep, that is in paper form, will be scanned over the next few months. And it all starts, today, people. It all starts today 🙂

So what kind of papers have I been holding on to and collected?

Tax papers
Insurance papers
Birth certificates
Medical papers
Pension information
Warranty receipts
Work papers
Some bills
Old letters and postcards
Random cut outs from magazines
Scraps of papers with all kinds of scribbles on (yes, that would be my scribbles)
+++

As you can see from the list, I’m holding on to a lot of paper related stuff (I have a few shelves and boxes full) so you can see how this might take me a while to go through.

My game plan:

Tomorrow I’m going to collect all and I mean ALL the paper I have in my house and put it in a pile or two or ten 🙂 I think there will be a few piles as I’m sure I have way more paper stashed around than I realise.

And thats when the real works starts! I’m going to have to go through everything, and decide what to toss, what to shred, what to scan and what to keep as physical paper.

But… before I can get to the scanning part… I need to get my hands on a half decent two-sided paper scanner, so guess that’s also on my list of things to do.

Stay tuned…. I’ll be posting all about that terrible pile…. yes, soon!! 😉

Houston, One bag only – how did I do?

You might remember that due to a loss of luggage on my US trip in 2014, I decided to go carry-on only this time around (at least on my way to the US 😉 ).

I got all my ~~shit~~, sorry stuff, all tucked into one carry-on + a handbag, and onwards to Houston I went.

How did I do with the stuff I packed? To much? To little? Just enough?

I have this dream to one day travel with so little that it will all go into a small bag/backpack. I dream of being able to just saunter over to catch that bus/train/flight, having people wonder where my luggage is, because it couldn’t possible be just that small backpack I’m carrying…

With this ~~unrealistic~~ goal in mind, I was sure I had packed way too much. Well! Guess, what.. I’m obviously so far away from that goal, that it’s not even funny, as I used almost everything I had packed!

So why don’t we just get to it, the good, the bad and the… 😉

Never used – the grey stuff !
Turns out the weather was a bit colder than I had anticipated, and I never really got to use the summer clothing that I thought I would live in 😦 That left my thin long sleeved shirt and tank tops firmly tucked away.

For some reason or another, I ever opened my book or used my packable shopping bag.

Will I keep them on my list for future trips? Well, yeah, duh… I live in tank-tops and thin shirts when the temperature is right. Book(s)… off course, I can’t travel without a book or two.. that is just not done 😉 And that tiny packable shopping bag, will come in handy someday, I’m sure! (I use it all the time when I’m at home! )

The used stuff – The rest of the list I used, but there are room for adjustments! this is when I need to explain the yellow stuff!

1 nice top – used once – not because I needed to, but because I wanted to, since I had packed it after all. Could have done without, as I had a nice t-shirt I could have used instead.

Shorts – used once – really too cold, could have just as easily stayed in jeans that day – but will off course, always be part of my summer list of things to bring.

Swimwear – I brought a pair of swim shorts in addition to my bikini, I did use it for three minutes the one day I was hanging around a friends pool, but I could have very well done without it. Will I bring it in the future? I think it depends where I’m going, for how long and how much I’ll be in the water.

Fleece – used only once or twice – turns out I used my “nice fleece” most of the time, and my “nice fleece” would probably have been enough – even though it was great not having to worry about my clothing when I was climbing a tree at Brazos bend 😉

Rain jacket – never used – but I could have needed it, on my trip to the beach, if I would only have remembered to toss it in the car – it was freaking freezing 😦

Thin outer jacket – only used on my travel days, to and from Houston – could probably have managed without, as I could have used my super thin rain jacket instead.

Shoes – I brought 2 pairs, one pair of Eccos that I’m testing to see if I can use, as my one pair only, for travel + I brought a pair of light runnings shoes, as I thought I would be doing a lot of walking due to me not having a car. Turns out, my Eccos would have been enough, which was great to find out, as this has been my ultimate goal. One pair of shoes + sandals/flip flops will be my staple going forward.

Sunglasses – I alway bring two pairs, one for light sun, one for heavy sun – I think I really should consider getting a pair that adjust according to light, as it’s a pain carrying two, especially since I only used one of the pairs 😉

A note regarding Ipad/Laptop – I know a few of you wondered about me bringing both laptop and Ipad on my trip, and I want to clarify! Most of the time I bring only my Ipad and Iphone, but this time around I had intentions on spending time on my blog and some other computer stuff.

Yes, but still.. (you might say) – you can do a lot of blog stuff on the Ipad! And to that I say, yes, I agree.. but as my ipad is a mini and it’s nice to have a proper screen for serious work, you can see why I choose to bring my super thin and light laptop that weighs only 2,5lbs. 🙂

Laundry
You’re wondering if I needed to do a lot of laundry to get by? Not really, I had my t-shirts washed once and had a couple of washes on undies and socks. The rest of the stuff lasted until I got home.

Coming home
So how did I do on my return trip? Did I manage to squeeze it all into my carry-on only? Well… no, I did not. Mostly because I had bought a few things on this trip. Some stuff for me (things I had ordered online, that was waiting for me at my friends place) and stuff for my friends. So returning from Houston I checked my small carry-on suitcase and a extra bag + carried a small backpack as my carry-on.

The stuff I bought?

Some jeans and t-shirts, margarita mix for me and my friends, beef jerky, Moleskine journals and some craft items (for a future project), some “flip flops/sandals” and bags for use on future travels (I will tell you all about these items shortly).. hm what else.. nope I think that was it 🙂

Future trips
I realise I still have ways to go, to get down to my backpack only luggage. I’m sure I will reduce my list as I move along, and I’ll most likely start moving into carrying less while washing more, somewhere along the line.

I know I will get there in the end, and can’t wait to test this out even more, on my next trips. A long weekend to Copenhagen in June and one to Italy in July.

And guess what, you’ll continue to be in my loop, as I whittle down my packing list 🙂

Any suggestions on what not to bring (beside PC) on my next trip?

21 day challenge update!

You’ve been wondering how I did with my 21 day challenge?

Guess it’s about time I give you an update 🙂

I did really well.. in the beginning! But then my Houston trip caught up with me.

I guess I should have known better! Doing a 21 day challenge at the same time as I was in Houston… Talk about setting myself up!

Even though, this time around, I didn’t make a lot of plans for my trip.

I didn’t make a lot of appointments up front.

I didn’t fill my schedule like crazy like I normally do.

But even so… all I needed to do was show up in town, and the next thing I knew, was that my calendar was filled with lunches, movies, dinners and trips down the coast.. You name it, it got on my calendar 😎 and I loved it!

I love hanging out with my friends, who wouldn’t? I’ve got great friends.

So there we have it! My 21 day challenge pretty much went down the drain, in favour of me hanging out with my friends 😘.

And here you have it… how I really did:

One bag only!

On my last trip to US in 2014, my luggage was lost for all of 4 days. This time around I decided that there was no way I was letting that happen to me again! And I could think of only one way to achieve this for sure… yepp, you guessed it.. carry-on only.

So before I left for my trip, I pulled out my little green carry-on (4 wheel version), and did my best to fit it all in. And guess what? Packing for two weeks, including extra stuff for a friend.. I did it! It all fit in my green friend + a handbag (for the stuff I needed on the plane, like pc, ipad, toothbrush, book ++). Talk about getting down to “basics” 🙂

So what did I bring? Well, too much if you ask me.. but for some reason it was as good as I managed at that time!

Here we have it… my list of items:

More than enough stuff, wouldn’t you say?

I writing this 6 days into my trip, and I’m curious to see, how much of this I’ll actually use throughout my trip. I’ll keep track and write a follow up, when I get home. I’m hoping I can tweak the list going forward..

You see, I have this dream/wish/hope that I one day will manage to withle my list of things I pack for a trip, down to something that will fit in a small backpack (yes, something way smaller than my regular carry-on) 🙂

Will I succeed? Well… I guess, only time will show…

Minimalist packers out there? Any ideas about reducing the list? Yes, yes please… I need all the help I can get 😉

Leaving on a jetplane!

Off to Houston I go…

Flying my bony little butt over to a bit of sun, warm weather and… the frozen margaritas off course 🙂

Can’t wait to hang out with my friends, some of them I haven’t seen for at least 18 months. It will be nice to catch up.

While I’m on the plane, I’ll be working my fingers to the bone writing my next blog post. Which means I’m still going strong on my 21 day challenge.. in case you were wondering 😉

Well I’m off.. plane is leaving in a few minutes, see you soon!

PS. For anyone out there roaming the net looking… If you’re thinking my home is alone, think again! It’s got people 🙂

PSS. Oh.. guess what I found on youtube… good old “Leaving on a jetplane” by John Denver, enjoy…

While we’re waiting on spring!

We are getting awfully close to Easter, and spring seems to be nowhere in sight 😦

Even though everything green is waiting on warmer weather, we have had a few beautiful days. Days where you wake up to that thin layer of frost in the morning, but then the sun comes out, and the day turns into a perfect outdoor, lounging in the sun kinda day 🙂

So guess what… perfect time to start the garden season. And what better way to do that, than to do a bit of spring cleaning! So out came the pressure cleaner, wellies and work clothes 🙂

I have raised flowerbeds with ~~supposed to be~~ white(ish) edges, that was in desperate need for a clean! Not only did the edge need a clean, it also needs a lick of paint… but I have to wait on warmer weather for that particular task.

To spruce up the place a little, I splurged on a tiny, tiny bit of yellow 🙂 and I got my begonia tubers (bulbs) into some soil, for them to sprout inside first. Oh yes, and before I forget.. guess what I found? This years first ladybug!

Maybe, it is almost spring after all…