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Happy friday, folks!

I'm warmin' up for February

(ps. Check out the swarm of birds outside my window! It's totally making me feel like Melanie Daniels / Tippi Hedren)

A Snap a day

Hi.

I think i'm going to challenge myself with a little photo project during February. I'm going to share a face-snap (I refuse to say "Selfie") a day, all through February for your viewing pleasure. Quality will not be a quiding principle as I will be using my webcam.

Here's a sneak peak:

See you in February!

//a

The Youthful Emperor

You know when you have three seconds of a tune stuck in your head and you can't for your life figure out what the name of the tune is? The restless feeling, the creeping of the skin? The uneasy feeling of ensuing meltdown if said tune isn't figured out? Well, I had that all night last night. I knew it was an Opera. A contemporary opera, which didn't help at all in my googling, especially since I also knew that it was a pretty darn obscure opera.

This is how it usually goes when this happens: I remember some words of the lyrics and I type them in citation marks followed by "lyrics" in google and that usually does it. But this time, I only had "What is so ?????? about becoming a man...????" and descriptive words like "marimba" "contemporary opera". Didn't help at all.

I scrolled through all the Spotify-play lists belonging to the person who recommended the Opera in the first place (Of course I had already mailed him, but hadn't gotten a reply!!) and found nothing.

I read through countless lists of Contemporary American Operas (I thought I remembered that the composer was American) thinking that I would be able to recognize the name of the opera once I saw it. But nope.

Alas, when I woke up this morning I had one more second to add to the three seconds, but fat load of good that did me..."What is so ???? about becoming a man when ....?????"

My last resort was to go through all of my own Spotify-play lists and pay special attention to the ones that I frequented about four years ago when I had last been obsessed with the opera, and won't you believe that there, in my Spotify-bucket list: "Just nu" [Right now] I finally found Young Caesar!

Lou Harrison wrote the obscure Opera, "Young Caesar", in 1970. It was composed as an Indonesian puppet theatre production, with influences from Chinese Opera and premiered at Caltech, in California. After that it seems it hibernated from the stage and Harrison allegedly worked on the Opera to incorporate more western melody and instrumentation. In 2007, 4 years after his death, the "new" rendition premiered in San Fransisco, and I believe it is that performance that can be found on Spotify. It is haunting and absolutely gorgeous. Look it up, or check out the compilation youtube film below with the three main arias!

References: This Article.

50 dang questions!

1. ARE YOU A MORNING OR A NIGHT PERSON?

I'm most effective in the morning and most handsome at night. But I'm also terrible at getting up and terrible at staying up.

2. SWEET OR SALTY FOODS?

Salty, all the way. (and when there's sour as well my tummy does a jigg)

3. NINJAS OR PIRATES?

I want all of the parrots and wooden legs.

4. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?

Pink, orange with a streak of green and pesky darkbrown roots.

5. AUTOBOTS OR DECEPTICONS?

I'm more into other forms of Trans- than Transformers.

6. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TELEVISION PROGRAM?

Didn't watch much telly growing up, but I did enjoy Fångarna på Fortet.

7. ARE YOU A COLLECTOR OF ANYTHING?

Uhm, not anything. But yes, perfumes.

8. IF YOU COULD BE ANY ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE?

A spoiled cat.

9. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Curiosity killed the cat, but still: Mind-reading!

10. WHAT IS USUALLY YOUR FIRST THOUGHT WHEN YOU WAKE UP?

"Hooray! I new day full of new possibilities."

11. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY THINK ABOUT RIGHT BEFORE FALLING ASLEEP?

Why am I not falling asle.....

12. What's your favorite color?

Redorangepinkyellowgreenbluepurpleblackwhitegray. What do you mean "that's not a color"?!

13. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL?

A happy animal.

14. DO YOU BELIEVE IN EXTRATERRESTRIALS OR LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS?

Uhm, duh: haven't you seen the documentary "E.T." and the reality show "X-files"? 

15. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?

No. At least not the bedlinen-wearing kind.

16. EVER BEEN ADDICTED TO A VIDEO/COMPUTER GAME?

Nope.

17. YOU'RE GIVEN 1 MILLION DOLLARS, WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON?

Savings, travel and charity. Probably in that order. Sorry.

18. HAVE ANY BAD HABITS?

No, I'm totally exempt from flaws.

19. WHICH BAD HABITS, IF ANY, DRIVE YOU CRAZY?

As much as I'm exempt from flaws, the rest of the world is riddled with them! Here's a toplist, in no particular order:

a) When people dig holes in the butter carton

b) When people cough or sneeze into their hands (sneezing is meant to be done into your elbow pit)

c) Frivolous spending (I never spend frivolously)

d) Loud through-the-nose breathing

e) "List one thing"

20. LIST 3 OF YOUR BEST PERSONALITY TRAITS:

a) I'm clever

b) I only give righteous compliments

c) I get things done, effectively, in a JIT fashion

21. LIST 3 OF YOUR WORST PERSONALITY TRAITS:

a) I'm clever

b) I only give righteous compliments

c) JIT means "Just in Time"

22. HAVE ANY CELEBRITY CRUSHES?

Have any celebrity crushes....what?

 ...asked me out? 

...stayed in with me in their pajamas, painting nails and eating take out sushi? 

...tattooed my name on their bottom? 

Uhm, no. (but, I wish.)

ps. All of the red heads, and J-Law.

23. LIST 1 THING YOU WISH YOU COULD CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF:

How is 1 thing a "list"???!! Argh, Now I need to go and add that to my list of bad habits!

ps. I really wish my answer to nr 10 was true.

24. ANY TATTOOS OR PIERCINGS?

Yes.

25. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX?

Probably the same things I notice in the same sex.

26. WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A PARTER?

A lack of nr. 19 and a loving acceptance of the opposite reality to nr 18.

27. WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS DO YOU DISLIKE IN OTHER PEOPLE?

The same personality traits that I dislike in myself, probably. Or at least especially those.

28. ARE YOU MOSTLY A CLEAN OR MESSY PERSON?

I am a clean person, but not a cleaning person. Is that a thing?

29. IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU LIVE?

At the moment I'm actually pretty dang happy about where I'm living now: Stockholm. But being a TCC I know that I want to live abroad at some point in my life, and preferably with my future family.

30. IF YOU COULD VISIT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU GO?

Another inhabitable planet, granted I could get to and fro Tellus pretty fast.

31. LIST 5 GOALS ON YOUR LIFE'S TO-DO LIST:

a) Live & work abroad

b) Have kids

c) No have to worry about money

d) Continue to have creative endeavors

e) Get strong, and stay strong

32. NAME 1 REGRET YOU HAVE:

Starting to fill out these 50 questions...?

33. NAME 1 THING YOU MISS ABOUT BEING A KID:

The freedom of responsibility

34. NAME 1 THING YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING AN ADULT:

The freedom that comes with responsibility

35. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SONG OF THE MOMENT?

I really don't have one at the moment! I must be terribly ill or something!

36. WHAT'S YOU FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIME?

Ugh, just no. Too hard!

37. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO ON A SATURDAY NIGHT?

Buy lots of LCHF-approved yummies and stuff my face with them, in my jammies, together with my fiancée, watching a sci-fi flick, preferably of the 80s vintage kind.

38. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON?
Eat bacon. At home, or out on the town, don't care. As long as there is bacon. Oh, and sun. I love sun on Sundays.

39. HAVE YOU ANY HIDDEN TALENTS?
All my talents are totally visible. I'm a wear-my-talents-on-my-sleeve-kind of person. (Except my Audrey Horne-talent)

40. YOU'RE ABOUT TO WALK THE GREEN MILE. WHAT DO YOU HAVE AS YOUR LAST MEAL?
Easy: Some fine sushi, a side of kimchi and black, salty licorice for dessert.

41. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM JOB?
Something where I get to travel the world, meet people and keep continuously learning.

42. WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE, 100 MILLION DOLLARS OR TRUE LOVE?
100 million dollars will buy you some pretty darn convincing fake love. Jokes aside, I think there is more that I could accomplish for the world with 100 million dollars than with true love.

43. IF YOU COULD HAVE 3 WISHES GRANTED, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
a) limitless wishes for me
b) limitless wishes for my best friend
c) world peace

44. EVER WICH YOU WERE BORN THE OPPOSITE SEX? IF SO, WHY?
No. I'm quite contented with my sex.

45. NAME ONE THING NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU:
I shower quite seldomly. Better for my skin, better for the environment!

46. IF YOU HAD TO CHANGE YOUR NAME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IT TO?
Princess Consuela Banana Hammock.

47. DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE AFTERLIFE?
No. (Only when it works in my favor)

48. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF GETTING MARRIED IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS?
Yes

49. WARM WINTERS OR COLD SUMMERS?
Both are hell, but warm winter, rather than cold summer.

50. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?
Leopard print and yesterday's makeup.

Becoming Strong

Remember how I said I wanted to save money as a goal for 2015? Well, I have other goals that are less rigid, but that I have mainly because it's fun to have goals to work towards. However, I'm a little bit ashamed of this second goal, because I've had it for years, but haven't really worked at it, so it has never been achieved...BUT THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT....!

By June 30th I shall be able to to at least 1 proper pull-up (palms away from me) and 5 chin-ups (palms towards me).

There, I said it, so it has to be. I have 172 days. See you on the other side!

Hi (2015), Bye (2014)!

It's been ages, and I can't promise that it won't be ages after this either. But I really would like to kick the ol' blog into gear again and what better way than to summarize 2014 and relay my goals for 2015.

2014 was a really grand year. I mean really wonderfully grand. I got engaged, travelled the US for six (!!) weeks and finally got a permanent position at my job (with a raise I did not expect but still can giggle about with glee).

I've managed to keep up exercising and I low-carbed almost all year, though to be honest, there was nothing LCHF about the food I ate all Christmas. I'm meaning to kick it into gear after this weekend. The reason for the delay is that I'm taking C to Esperanto, which was voted the best restaurant in Sweden in 2014, and in 2014 by The White Guide, as a Christmas gift to him...though to be honest it's just as much a gift to myself, isn't it? Haha!

It just feels like onwards and upwards from here! I'm on the train and it's bang on time, I think!

I didn't think I was going to have any goals or resolutions for 2015, but I've come to realize that I do have one big one:

I want to be more concious of my spending. I want to save more money so that I feel like I'm building a proper buffer for the future. My goal for 2015 is to double the amount that I have in my savings account by the end of 2015.

And I believe that is totally doable. I've been doing some excel-calculations (yes, I'm a dork!) based on my income and on monthly spending and so on, and I believe that if I just limit myself a bit more and become more concious of my spending I can still spend money on the frivolities (perfume, vintage clothes, excellent food) that I live for and at the same time be able to save up enough each month to reach my goal. That is if nothing unexpected happens.

Do any of you do excel-sheets to plan your economy? Or do you use a different tool? What's your experience? "Save more money" feels like a pretty boring year goal, but important, I think. What are your goals?