The Bear and the Hare

With Russia behaving like a hoodlum screaming for respect, Europe must speed up diversifying it's energy network. The EU should make gas and oil supplies flow more easily between EU-countries and so get less dependent on Russia's mood swings. If one member state should get it's supplies from Russia cut, they should be able to get the stuff from another EU-country, at the press of a button.

And why's Germany so soft with the Russians? I'm not expecting anything less from Berlusconi's Italy but Germany should be more muscular. And if they were, others would maybe follow. The EU needs to get tougher with Russia. This is no time to be vague and queasy.

Leaning Birch

Why do I have such a weakness for this photo?

No space

Well, my myspace period was very, very short. There's a limit to a man's time. But now that I suddenly remembered my English blog, I might occasionally write a line or two here.

It's dark outside, as dark as my chocolate, but the light of the Christmas candles make it cosy and comforting inside. A helicopter is taking off outside my office and Rolling Stones is playing on the web radio. Five minutes left of my working day....

my other space

Things change, habits change, everything changes. I used to take great pleasure in writing here, but I found myself writing less and less frequent, until I stopped. I did other things instead. But if you want to read me on a regular basis these days, please visit www.myspace.com/fredrikzi, where I write a blog, every other day. I wonder for how long I'll keep it up.

Apartment Hunting and Book Reading

Long ago I promised I'd write about my thoughts on The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. I have now begun reading it, and I'm currently at page 180 or something, halfway through. It isn't all that gripping I'm sorry to say, so I have taken a break. But I will finish it, just not just yet.

I'm also on the prowl for a new apartment, something smaller and cheaper than the one I got. There seems to be a lot of apartments out there which appeals to me, I just hope I will appeal to the apartments as well.

It's all so very relaxed at work, and I really really need that. It's almost comforting to go to work. But now I have three days off, and that is comforting to. Because I haven't anything needs to be done, I can continue to relax. After one year of abject stress, it feels almost to good to be true. I wonder for how long it will last.

Stranger Than Fiction

How can anyone be as cute as Maggie Gyllenhaal? A question that will not be easily answered, not even by the greatest of brains. I saw today Stranger Than Fiction in which she appears, ever so sweet. She is also very talented, and not shy of working on offbeat material. I like her, and her brother Jake as well. Some family.

Family is an interesting thing. When people talk of family they usually mean mother, father and children, but family is more than that if you ask me. And since I have some problem with my own, or more to the point, my parents, I take comfort in the fact that there are other (kinds of) families out there for me to join.

My relationship with my own parents are somewhat fraught, and I try to keep them at a distance. Compared to most, if not all, of my friends, I talk to, and see, my parents very seldom, and even so I think it is far to often. I wonder when I begun to withdraw. I think it was as soon as I was old enough to do so. Sometimes I feel that there must be something wrong with me, not really caring that much for my own mother and father, but there it is. It's not that we have any issues, or any quarrels, or anything like that. I just don't enjoy being with them. Maybe it will change when I get children of my own, who knows?

And if you are curious, I did enjoy Stranger Than Fiction immensely.

Easter Bunny

I've been celebrating Easter like there's no tomorrow, and I've been having a ball. Things are good, but, alas, time is short. But I'm still here, only not so much. Soon days will come when I will be writing more, and who knows, maybe even publish some photographs.

Always one for trying new things, I today twitted, or whatever it is called. There doesn't seem to be much fun in that, but time will tell, it always does. If you want to twitt(?), go to twitter.com, and see for yourself.

And now, I'm off to do some reading in my bed, although the hour is late. Tonight's book is Mr. Potter by Jamaica Kincaid.

Working Alone

It's one hour past the hour I usually leave my office, but I've stayed on, waiting for J. It's kind of nice being here, almost alone in the building. I can do what I want, and no colleagues are watching me.

I have finally begun sorting out my photographs at home. That's what I did last week. I have millions of them, from the day I was born, up until last summer, and now almost all of them are in albums, in chronological order. It's like my life has flashed before my eyes, and without me being in any kind of danger. I've wanted to do it for a long time, and now, when I'm almost done, a sense of relief, mixed up with a sense of nostalgia, has filled me.

And now J. is calling. Time to leave.

Fun, and sun, at last

It's been almost a month since last I wrote. My excuse is that I've been so busy I haven't had the time to write. But I'm making an effort today, not wanting to disappoint my few readers too much.

I'm having such fun at work, and I love it. It's a nice thing to feel, and I hope the feeling will last for the rest of the year (after that I'm pretty sure I would like to do something else anyway) and I see no reason why not.

Should I move in with J.? She said the other day that she felt it would be nice. I don't know if she has thought this through, but the idea is appealing.

Spring has finally arrived, and I'm taking every opportunity to be outside, revelling in it. Today I took a two hour walk, and I felt like I had wings. There isn't much in this world that makes me happier than walking in sunshine. Tomorrow I'm planning an even longer walk, but I think it's high time to stack up on allergy medicine. There's a whole bunch of crap flying around in the air, now that it's warm, and the mucous membranes in my eyes/nose/throat are not amused. And neither am I come to think of it.

My, oh my, how tired I am. This will not do. My pillow is beckoning me, I'm afraid I have to go now. I promise it will be less than a month to my next entry.

Phones and Essays

I bought a cordless phone the other day, and I feel like it's the beginning of a new era. I've been meaning to get one since forever, and now, finally, freedom has arrived. Since I'm so very seldom home, I have only used it twice so far, but it felt good.

When not talking on the phone. I'm supposed to be writing on an essay. It's not all that funny, not because it's difficult, but because it's boring. But I'm in no hurry, so I can afford myself the luxury of going about it slowly.

I'm no longer as sad and upset as I was when last I wrote. Now the feeling that lingers on is loneliness, not actually sadness. And loneliness is easier to handle than sadness. One thing though is making it harder, and that is the time of year. I wonder when it will be warm again, when winter will vanish. Loneliness comes easier when it's cold and dark outside.

I'm reading For Whom the Bell Tolls at the moment, and I love it, and I feel like I always want to carry a copy of it with me. Some books by Hemingway have that effect on me, like I want to pat them, after I've finished reading them. I wonder why.