Growing

applestories is 3 years today, and I'm two decades older.
For once it doesn't feel weird to have to get used to a new number - for some reason I seem to have got used to it long before it was time. It's just like every January it's difficult to remember the new number, but some years it's more difficult than others.

I know I've been neglecting the blog for a while, I've literally been too busy to sit down and relax the past month or so. Hopefully life will be a little more predictable (although a lot more busy) the next few weeks, until exams in the end of November. I'm starting a new course tomorrow which means twice as much to do, but I'll be working less so somehow I'll survive.

Gotta get some sleep, my contacts are killing me..

I can't believe I never heard him sing...

Just knowing that the world is round
Here I'm dancing on the ground
Am I right side up or upside down
Is this real or am I dreaming

Maddie

Honestly, the fact that no one has yet found Madeleine McCann, proves there is no such thing as a psychic this side of the Milky Way.

Fields of Gold

See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that Ive broken
But I swear in the days still left
Well walk in the fields of gold
Well walk in the fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
Youll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold

Fields of Gold by Sting
..who seems to turn 56 today
happy birthday!

He lives where the sun rises.

Party time!

First party of the semester in the building was last/this night...

(... and I found this guy on the way back to my room)

The girl, who is responsible for most things happening here (and who is employed by the student organization) told me her responsibilities are about to be handed over to me, because the organization needs to save money. Why this saves them money is this: she is a 'husvert' and gets a salary each month. I'm HTR, the elected representative for the residents, and do everything for free.

Which means more work for me and less for the husvert's. Which sucks and which I will object to as soon as given the chance. Not just because of the extra work, but because we need the husvert's. Cut their pay, that wouldn't be a problem, but they should be there.



Then one guy (a money-money kinda guy) wondered if my necklace was a penis ring/measuring instrument (and proceeded to tell me to laugh!).



Ha. Ha.



Money guy had a gf but was desperate to find a girl for the night. When he realized I had a boyfriend he asked his friend when they were going out. His friend asked 'why, does she have a man'. The guy said 'she says so'. I said 'not a 'man' (in Norwegian that's the same as 'husband'), a boyfriend'. The guy's friend said 'big difference, they're both just as much of a turn off'.



Naturally, after a few mins, I asked the guy if he really had a gf, because I wanted to know whether I should think he was a total jerk or not. He said feel free to think he's a jerk.

Which I do, and now I've wasted too much time on him... Bastard.


Anyway, the point was the picture above. I don't know the guy, I didn't recognize him when I stepped over him, and I didn't know if I should wake him. (so I went and got my camera to take his pic and post it on the net instead?!? Yeah that makes sense!)


I think I need to sleep a little...

Introducing: Nemi

Stolen from bt.no

What it says is as follows:


Nemi: "Excuse me, I'll just have..."
Salesperson: "Sorry, you'll have a wait a bit. I have to finish helping her first."
Girl: "This one.. and this one.. and this one. And this one."

Girl: "I need those false eye lashes.. and blue mascara. And a new eye liner. I am going to a party."
Nemi: [thinking]"A long time..."

Girl: "Glitter? Maybe some glitter?"
Nemi: [thinking] "&$@%"

Girl: "I want my eyes to shine!"
Nemi: "So shove a flash light in your ear."


More info
More strips

Jessica Lunsford

You're nine years old.

Your last living memory is this guy on top of you. Hurting you. Before you're wrapped in plastic and buried, left to die.


Just take a minute to imagine yourself there.


wikipedia.com
cnn.com

Raped in Bergen.

This weekend three women were raped in Bergen.
The police are looking for five men.

One woman was raped by two men. The second was dragged into some bushes on Bryggen, Bergen's most famous tourist spot. One guy raped her while the other held watch. The third was raped with a knife against her throat.

Three rapes like these are a lot for Bergen. All of last year there were only two where women were attacked by people she didn't know. Now there's three in a weekend..


Is it just me or does this happen each year when the students get back to town? I remember thinking "Is this what living in the city is like?" three years ago when I moved here, and it clearly hasn't gotten any better since then.


Incidents where women are attacked and raped by an unknown perpetrator have been extremely rare in Norway, but even this year we've seen an amazing increase.


It still makes me mad but I do feel I'm getting used to it. That's what happens - we get used to it, we're no longer shocked to hear these things. What do we do not to get desensitized?

One woman was raped at a spot I walk past every week.
Another where thousands of tourists walk past each day.
The third was seen by several witnesses, but the guy said she was his girl while he held a knife to her throat.

All you have to do is to put yourself in their situation. Take five minutes and picture it happening to you.


How bout next weekend we all form a posse and walk around town with home made castration devices?

August

It's been a while.
It's summer (or so they say). It's been raining all of July. But June was nice. The rain started when I got a job so I can't do anything but assume it'll stop when my summer job ends.

I'm selling pillows, duvets, carpets and other related items. I've suddenly realized there are so many things I should, but don't, have - such as a new pillow (a little harder than the old one), new bed sheets (haven't got around to putting them on), a lot of pillows for the common room (they're still in their bags) and... well, you get the picture. Boy does that 30% discount come in handy...


I haven't been home yet, hoping to squeeze a week in after Uni has started and my job ended. I'm told my brother has got a job this summer as well (need to get him onto my other MSN account, I never talk to him anymore).. hope to see him before summer ends. We both live in Bergen but never meet. Kinda miss talking to him.


Now.. The Guy bought an apartment and I'm helping (a teeeeny bit) with the... well.... fixing it. It was broken. In the way apartments can be broken. His parents were here for a couple weeks and did most of it. Yesterday he and I put together most of the kitchen cabinets and drawers (an endless amount of drawers). Even got to open up the fridge and look inside (those puppy dog eyes of mine are quite useful at times). I think he got quite annoyed with me by the end though.


And I've stepped on a snail. The brown ones are everywhere, not just when it's raining. It's crazy. Last night I was walking home some time after midnight. I thought "Wow, it's really dark these day... even with no clouds." Then, of course, I started looking up at the sky to see if there really were no clouds (there weren't, I'm pretty sure) and I felt this... strange sensation. Almost as if I stepped on an egg (not that I've ever stepped on an egg).

Not knowing what it could be, I took another step and tried to 'brush' it off, then I saw the remains of a snail on the ground. Naturally, I knelt down and whispered 'I'm so sorry' (no I wasn't drunk!), then my next thought was "ewww I got snail remains under my shoe!", then spending the rest of the walk home trying to get it off.

- For one thing, I now know I've never stepped on a snail before... not this summer anyway.


- My TV is dead. Or rather, in a coma. It just stopped working one day, The Guy and I borrowed his parents car and brought it to the shop, they fixed it (or so they say) and now I need to find a way to get back there and get it. It's a little far from the bus stop (too far to carry a big tv - The Guy said he didn't understand why I didn't have a flat screen, at least they are 'carryable'). I need a car. Pronto!


On a more serious note, today I watched the last episode of The Bachelor - Rome. How can a reality show be serious, right? I know, but with a couple glasses of wine inside and a nice bachelor for once (I've only watched half of one season before and he turned out to be a jerk), and two really nice girls, I got kinda sad for the one who lost - even if I knew he'd pick the other one.

What's serious is that completely without noticing it I've gotten to the point where I'm over the guy from two years ago. I know, two years, waaaay time to be over him. But since he wasn't 'real' and just disappeared into thin air, he was more like a dream than real life. I'll never stop trying to find out what happened to him but I know he's not... I know I'll never again say "but I love him...." (I know, silly, I never knew him).

I'm over him. It's been two years. I guess I needed it, it'll make me stronger. It's a relief to know I've let go.


Which brings me to The Guy. We've been going out for almost a year. I care for him deeply, I can't imagine what my everyday life would be without him. I'd be alone and lonely again. But I'm not in love with him. No butterflies. He knows, I'm not trying to trick him into anything. But since he's a little older than me there's always the "he's probably at the age where he wants to settle down where I still have a few years"-dilemma.

If I were going out with someone who didn't love me and I loved them, then they say they care about me but it might be best we just be friends... I wouldn't want to see them dating others. I wouldn't want to know they were sleeping around. I couldn't handle knowing he was falling in love with someone else. How can I do to someone the things I don't want to have done to me? I don't want to leave him, and I hope he won't leave me. But when and where do you decide what is more important - to be with someone you like and care for and have fun with and are on the same level as - or finding someone who gives you butterflies? I have time.. I just don't know if he does.



....and that's what summer has been like. I've got a job, met nice people, spent most of June on the balcony and most of July in my rubber boots and umbrella. It's starting to look a lot like autumn and there are only 5 months left of the year. I'm dreading the start of a new semester and I'm missing home, the hammock under the cherry tree - and the kitten.

At least it's not long till Christmas!