NyStateOfMind

Had an 11.40 am appointment yesterday at the immigration center to give in the last papers regarding my citizenship. Got there 30 minutes early just like they suggest and waited in the line to get in to the building. Just this is a process.
You need to go through the same kind of security as you do in an airport. After I got through that line you walk straight in to the next room and there is another line waiting for you. Once you get to the window in that line they stamp your papers and tell you where to go next, I was sent upstairs. Walked up the stairs and there is another guard looking at my paper and tells me to go sit and wait for them to call my name. I did as I was told and I sat there waiting patiently for over an hour.
Finally got called in to the room. I felt prepared and pulled out my papers from my bag. The woman looked at my papers then said: Well this is not the right thing. Sigh. How can the person I saw last month tell me to bring one thing and when I do so this woman tells me it’s the wrong thing?? She was nice enough to let me run across the street and get the right papers and the come back and give them to her. Well it’s not just to run across the street. Finding this place was way harder than she explained and once I did find it, there was another security to go through and then another line! I got my papers and headed back to the immigration. Once again, go through security, wait in a line to stamp paper, go upstairs and show guard. Sit and wait and finally my name were called and I could happily give in the last paper and get out of there.

They really don’t make it easy for you and not once during this process is anybody smiling or even saying a friendly hello or goodbye to you.
That’s immigration for you!

Talked to my parents the other day and we got stuck on a subject that we talk about a lot! Differences between Sweden and USA. This is a conversation that could go on forever, but we try to stick to one subject at a time and this time it was Healthcare. Sweden has a great system something that this country is lacking.
A lot of people in Sweden probably don’t realize how good their healthcare system is and how much the government gives and helps you throughout the years. We counted on how much I pay in health insurance every year and it made me sick. I understand that Sweden has less people and is a smaller country and therefore can have a plan that might not work in a country with 308,898,000 people but the system here really sucks.
Every city, state and country has plus and minuses about themselves and there will always be something’s you think is better somewhere else. That’s why there is a saying that goes: The grass is greener on the other side. This is something we all learn to live with and after a while we don’t even think about it anymore, but when it comes to your health I can’t stop thinking about it. Getting healthcare and medical attention even if you don’t have money or insurance should never be questioned or denied. Well, over here it is.

Sometimes you don’t realize how good you have it until you live somewhere else.

After a whole day out in the sun yesterday I think I might have gotten a little bit of color on my arms. Feels good after a long winter with pale skin. Today was spent mostly inside even though it was almost 70F and the sun was shining again. Woke up around 10 after a night filled with weird dreams. Took a quick shower and made breakfast before I drove over to get a haircut. I love my hairdresser and I hung out there for two hours chit chatting, drinking coffee and of course got a haircut. My hair is 5in shorter and feels 10lb lighter.

Mike went to a show in the city tonight and I went to Yoga. It was a wasted hour of this day. The teacher walked in to class with no plan and blasted the music so loud it was pretty much impossible to hear what she was saying. After 30 minutes she stood up and said: So what do we do next? I wanted to answer her by saying something like: How about grab a bite to eat? I mean come on, she wants the students to make the plans and tell her what poses to make! Well we did and 30 minutes later class was over. First and last time I will ever take her class.  

A few weeks ago while shopping at H&M I saw this girl trying on a really cute dress. I ran around the store a few times looking for it like a mad woman with no luck. Gave up and has since then forgotten about it. Yesterday we went back to H&M with the intention of buying baby clothes for a friend who is ready to pop soon. Walked into a section I have never before been to, Maternity and Baby clothes. And there it was, hanging right in front of me waiting to be purchased. The reason we went to the store left my mind and instead I grabbed the dress in my size and tried it on. It was a perfect fit and I fell in love right away. Tilted my head and looked at Mike with puppy eyes asking if he wanted to buy it for me. Of course he said yes and we headed over to the register. Grabbed a pair of sunglasses on our way and a few minutes later I walked out of the store with a bag and a big smile on my face. Now I know to always look at the maternity section, you don’t need to be pregnant to wear maternity clothes.

Since the sun is shining and the thermometer is saying 61F I took the opportunity to wear my new dress today. Feeling summery and happy I’m heading to the playground with Syd for the first time this year.

                     Andrew Rodriguez - Birthday Girl

Sunday morning me and Mike went for a walk in the sun and enjoyed the beautiful view and the quiet surroundings in Calabasas. After our walk we drove to Solvang, a Danish inspired town 100 miles north of Los Angeles. With a population of 5000 people this was a cute small town and it looked just like in Denmark. Ate lunch as soon as we got there and then we bought pastries at pretty much every bakery they had. Tried Aebleskiver covered in Raspberry jam and powdered sugar, a dish that Solvang is famous for. We also rented a 4person bike and rode around for an hour. Really fun but way harder than it looks.

I found a couple of clothing stores and did some shopping before we headed home. Since we drove along the coast to Solvang we decided to drive home through the mountains. Amazing views that far up but pretty scary driving on such a narrow road with no railings on the side.

Stopped and had dinner before we went home to shower and pack.

Got up at 6 am this morning and headed to the airport. After a coffee and a blueberry scone I’m ready to board the plane and head back to New York. Vacation is over!


Me on our morning walk


Solvang. Had lunch at Paula's Pancake house


Ready for our bikeride :)


Solvang


Me trying some weird toy


Driving home through the mountains

Spent Saturday at an outdoor shopping mall called The Grove. Tried Coffee Bean for the first time which was really good, maybe even as good as Starbucks. Unfortunately we didn’t stay very long, but on our way home we drove through Bel Air and Beverly Hills to look where the Stars live. Drove past the Playboy Mansion, the Spelling Mansion, Michael Jackson’s house and various other enormous houses. At one point we even climbed up on a water pipe to look over a fence into someone’s house (Mariah Carey was considering buying this house). It’s hard to see the whole house and sometimes we just saw the gate and part of a driveway, but it was still fun.

At night we ordered food and had a monopoly tournament at home, which I got bankrupt in within a few minutes :)


The Grove


Me looking at houses :)


Gate to The Playboy Mansion


The Spelling Mansion

Last minute chance of plans put us in a car by ourselves with a GPS that didn’t work going south on the freeway hoping to find Disneyland. With only one little detour we made it there by lunchtime. The sun was shining and the park was empty enough that we could walk straight on to the first few rides. We got to see Captain EO which is back for a limited time and I finally got to go on Space Mountain. Ran around the park all day like two 8year olds until 11.30. Driving home was a piece of cake and with no traffic we were home by 12.30. Disneyland was definitely a fun place to visit and in some ways I even liked it better than Disney World.


Woohoo! We made it :)


Looking down Mainstreet


Sleeping Beauty's Castle


Awesome cookies at Mainstreet Café

Got up nice and early this morning and had breakfast, a toasted bagel and coffee, outside with a magnificent view.

Tried In-N-Out Burger for lunch which is a pretty popular place to eat here in Los Angeles.

Spent most of the afternoon at Warner Bros. Took a tour and got to see so many places where movies and TV shows have and still are being filmed. Got to walk into the set of 2 ½ Men and also got a chance to walk around Central Perk from Friends. We didn’t see any celebrities on the lot but as we were leaving we saw Tom Arnold in the parking lot :)
Did some shopping at the souvenir shop before we headed over to Calabasas and the Kardashian’s two stores Smooch and Dash. Of course none of the sisters were there but it was still fun to see and to have been inside. The clothes were extremely expensive but not wanting to walk home empty handed we got a candle that smelled good.

Ended the night at with dinner out at Marmalade Café.


The view and my bagel


Central Perk


Central Perk again


Kardashian's stores, Dash and Smooch

Our first 24 hours in Los Angeles have been very eventful. As soon as we got off the plane we saw the actor Common from the car. We headed straight to Venice Beach for a delicious lunch and a long walk on the boardwalk. Passed Muscle Beach, the Skate Park and a bunch of little shops. Dressed in Tights and a short sleeve shirt the warm sun felt good on my skin. Walked down to the Canal and saw some gorgeous and enormous houses. Said hello to Orson Bean (actor from Desperate Housewives) as we passed his house where he was chillin with his cat on the terrace.

Stopped by Shrine Lake on our way home. Probably the most relaxing peaceful place I have ever been to. Walked around for a while before we headed home for pizza and some TV before we all fell asleep.

                
                Venice Beach Boardvalk. (check out the guy in the left corner)

                
                Skate Park

                
                Looking down the Canal where Orson Bean lived
  
                
                The Temple at Shrine Lake

It was still dark outside when our alarm rang this morning at 4am!!! Dragged ourselves out of bed, got dressed and packed the last little things before the cab picked us up and took us to the airport. Checking in went very smoothly and we headed downstairs to get something to eat. Turned out that early in the morning is when they use the airport for filming movies and commercials. This morning was one of those days. While enjoying a corn muffin and a cup of coffee we watched the making of a beer commercial.

Virgin Airlines is a great airline that I strongly recommend, feels like a nightclub with the pink and blue dimmed lights and the flight attendants wearing black pants and black sweaters, instead of some cheesy outfit. The seats were also bigger and you could watch live TV.

While going through security Vivica A Fox was standing right behind us and it turned out she was on the same airplane as us. Not wanting to be rude we didn’t ask to take a picture and trying to sneak one was hard.


The back of Vivica's head :)



Vivica looking a little more glamorous than she did at 7am this morning

Usually in a relationship or a family you use the same kitchen chair every night, drive the same car every day, sit on the same spot on the couch and sleep on the same side of the bed every night. We do this without even thinking.  Ever tried to change it? Well yesterday we did. I slept on my husband’s side of the bed and he slept on mine. It really makes a huge difference. When I woke up I was facing a wall I never see from my side of the bed and I felt disoriented. I want my side back!

New York got hit by yet another snowstorm and everything as far as I can see is white. Dressed like a Spice Girl, Mike’s description of me this morning, I went out and cleaned of the cars. Not really sure which Spice Girl he was referring to, but I’m guessing Sporty Spice since he a few minutes earlier said I looked like an Olympic Snowboarder? Who cares what you look like? I stayed warm AND dry.

Helping a friend move this weekend. Far move, they are moving from an upstairs apartment, to the apartment right underneath. A perfect move for a snowy weekend.

I am happy to announce that I passed my Citizen civic and history test with flying colors! After 2 months of nerves it only took about 30 minutes until it was over with and I heard the words, Congratulations, you passed! A weight lifted off my shoulders and I have been on cloud nine all day :)
To celebrate we headed over to Starbucks for breakfast and to get some energy before hitting the mall. Walked home with two pairs of summer shoes, a belt and a cute shirt. Monopoly and American Idols elimination was how I spent the rest of my day and night. The guys on American Idol were as bad as the girls and after the eliminations Thursday night I am done watching.

                Carrie Underwood - Star Spangled Banner

Watched a friend’s baby for a few hours yesterday, what a good little baby she is. I got home nice and early and started making dinner, homemade Chinese food was on the menu. Despite the fact that it was only 6.30 when we were done with dinner, I took a hot shower and jumped into bed with my computer and Desperate Housewives.

Before the lights went out we watched American Idol. The show is now down to the final 24 and last night was the 12 girls singing. After hearing them all both me and Mike was wondering how half of them even made it that far.
Tonight is the guys turn and if that is a bad as the girls I think I might just stop watching.

                 Stevie Wonder -  They Won't Go When I Go

I am officially two pairs of shoes richer. The cutest leather boots and a pair of really hot black heels! This is something that very rarely happens and I am therefore extremely excited about my treasures.

Friday I went ice-skating with my old host family. I’m proud of myself that I came home without any broken bones :) Friday night we spent watching the movie Coraline, which was a great movie but definitely a little scary and according to me should have been rated more than PG.

Today was the day we have been waiting for since Christmas. Rock of Ages on Broadway. Absolutely amazing. A great cast and of course classic rock songs from the 80s. Mike had gotten us great seats, 7 rows from the stage. The show exceeded my expectations and I would recommend it to everyone I know. Before the show we had a quick lunch at Stardust Diner. Great food and singing waiters.
While in the city we did some shopping at the markets downtown. Got myself a new scarf and a hat. After dinner at Union Square Café we headed back to Penn Station and hopped on the first train home.  

Long day at work today. Got here at 7am, and of course Syd was awake and ready to play. Drove to Starbucks this morning, me looking like I haven’t slept in 2 weeks and Syd with a milk mustache and still in her little Santa Pajamas. That cup of coffee was probably the best I’ve had in a while.
Most of this gray day has been spent building blocks, playing with playdoh and dreaming myself away. My thoughts have gone to the times I have been sitting on my sister’s balcony drinking wine until the sun came up, or the times when me and Jenny would crawl under a blanket and have movie night on her balcony. I think I might be longing for a balcony? It’s on a day like today I start missing the most random things. I could probably make a whole list but that would get boring. Instead I started looking through pictures on the computer of previous vacations… Sandy Beaches and Palm Trees…and so my thoughts start to wander again…


Puerto Rico - 2006



Dominican Republic - 2008



Florida - 2009

It’s snowing, AGAIN! I wish this winter would be over already. I’m tired of spending every morning cleaning my car, having dry skin and dressing in layers and layers of clothes. I want to open my windows and hear the birds sing, walk barefoot on the soft green grass and feel the sun slowly making my skin tan. I know I’m not the only one longing for spring to come, at this time of year most people are.

February might be the shortest month of the year but it sure feels like the longest.

Babysat for my old family for a few hours today, played Monopoly pretty much the whole time, love that game. It was as hard as always to leave, especially when all three kids hung on to my legs for dear life asking if this is the last time they will ever see me. It will never be the last time, but trying to explain that to three kids under the age of 7 is not the easiest thing.


                     Mikael Wiehe - Flickan och Kråkan

Had some friends over to watch the opening of the Olympics last night. Ordered Pizza and ate chocolate fondue. I wasn’t really impressed with the performances or arrangements. I guess nothing can really beat Beijing’s Ceremony and therefore this one seemed a little cheesy. With good company, what’s on TV doesn’t really matter.

Went to see Avatar in 3D today, definitely as good as the reviews. Very long but well worth it.
Mexican food with two friends and a round of Loaded Questions and our night was set. My eyes are now slowly closing and I can’t wait to crawl into bed and fall asleep.

Woke up this morning to a whole lot of snow outside. Mike had to go to work so that left me shoveling out my car all alone. It took me 1 ½ hours and 10 frozen toes before I was done. A pair of really warm and thick winter shoes might be something worth investing in. I’m now warming up with a cup of coffee in my hands while my Risgrynsgröt is cooking on the stove.  

I should be getting ready instead of sitting here. Having lunch with my munchkins today and I don’t want to be late.