Well after about 3 weeks of near continuous goodbye parties including one that went on until 5.30am, our good friends, Chris and Christina have left for Canada.
Its a great shame to see them go, but what can you say. People move on.
In the mean time - just to remind us why we will miss them
Movie 1 - from the Bookcliffs about 6 years ago - rather sureal
Movie 2 - more of them same
Movie 3 - made for Christina's hen party
And nothing really to do with them but mildly topical...
Guess we'll just have to head out to Calgary and see them.
31 October 2008
Friday Joke - it's an engineering thing
Not too many posts at the moment, super busy at work. Here is the friday joke anyway, this week courtesy of the Gregenator...
Understanding Engineers - Take One
The graduate with a science degree asks, 'Why does it work?'
The graduate with an engineering degree asks, 'How does it work?'
The graduate with an accounting degree asks, 'How much will it cost to make it work?'
The graduate with an arts degree asks, 'Do you want fries with that?'
Understanding Engineers - Take Two
To the optimist, the glass is half full.To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
Understanding Engineers -Take Three
'What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?Mechanical engineers build weapons and civil engineers build targets.
Understanding Engineers - Take Four
Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when one said, 'Where did you get such a great bike?' The second engineer replied, 'Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, 'Take what you want.' The second engineer nodded approvingly and said, 'Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fitted you anyway.
Understanding Engineers - Take Five
Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body.One said, 'It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints.'Another said, 'No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections.'The last one said, 'No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer.Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?'
Understanding Engineers - Take Six
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.
And finally my favorite...
Understanding Engineers - Take Seven
An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, 'If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess.'
He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.
The frog spoke up again and said, 'If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week.'
The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned It to the pocket.
The frog then cried out, 'If you kiss me and turn me back into a Princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do ANYTHING you want.'
Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.
Finally, the frog asked, I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?'
The engineer said, 'Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool.'
Understanding Engineers - Take One
The graduate with a science degree asks, 'Why does it work?'
The graduate with an engineering degree asks, 'How does it work?'
The graduate with an accounting degree asks, 'How much will it cost to make it work?'
The graduate with an arts degree asks, 'Do you want fries with that?'
Understanding Engineers - Take Two
To the optimist, the glass is half full.To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
Understanding Engineers -Take Three
'What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?Mechanical engineers build weapons and civil engineers build targets.
Understanding Engineers - Take Four
Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when one said, 'Where did you get such a great bike?' The second engineer replied, 'Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, 'Take what you want.' The second engineer nodded approvingly and said, 'Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fitted you anyway.
Understanding Engineers - Take Five
Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body.One said, 'It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints.'Another said, 'No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections.'The last one said, 'No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer.Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?'
Understanding Engineers - Take Six
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.
And finally my favorite...
Understanding Engineers - Take Seven
An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, 'If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess.'
He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.
The frog spoke up again and said, 'If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week.'
The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned It to the pocket.
The frog then cried out, 'If you kiss me and turn me back into a Princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do ANYTHING you want.'
Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.
Finally, the frog asked, I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?'
The engineer said, 'Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool.'
30 October 2008
Winter is coming
After the mad storms of last week it has got clear and cold with amazing blue skys. The first ice was on the fjord outside the lair this morning, it was really pretty with the last of the autumn colours in the trees and the bright sunlight shinning off the ice
Winter is defiantly coming and it is interesting to watch peoples reaction to this, somewhat inevitable fact. They seem to fall into 2 groups:
The first group are depressed by the idea, to them it is getting darker and colder, snow is a hassle and they yearn for the summer, they look very sad all the time...
Group two are getting excited, winter means skiing, boarding and ice climbing. We just need to get through November and then the proper winter fun starts.
I am definately part of group 2... Bring on the white stuff!
Winter is defiantly coming and it is interesting to watch peoples reaction to this, somewhat inevitable fact. They seem to fall into 2 groups:
The first group are depressed by the idea, to them it is getting darker and colder, snow is a hassle and they yearn for the summer, they look very sad all the time...
Group two are getting excited, winter means skiing, boarding and ice climbing. We just need to get through November and then the proper winter fun starts.
I am definately part of group 2... Bring on the white stuff!
29 October 2008
BIFF
Bergen International Film Festival has just finished. An amazing collection of films in a one week period. Didn't get to see too many but Man on Wire and "When did you last see your father?" were both excellent.
Next year its in Stavanger, I am wondering if StIFF will have a more adult theme?
Next year its in Stavanger, I am wondering if StIFF will have a more adult theme?
26 October 2008
Stuck on Sotra with three Filipino girls...
The weather last week and into the weekend has been getting progressively wilder, brewing up to a big storm, the surf at Stadt this weekend was 25 ft - I opted to stay at home!
We were out on Friday evening, one of those spontaneous nights when the correct people turn up and it develops into an unplanned large one. Consequently was not feeling super sharp on Saturday. But it's the party season - so its' not like we are missing out on anything anyway.
Saturday lunch time and the weather was getting really foul. We popped in to town to collect Vench, a small Filipino girl who had offered to come out to the lair once a month and give it a quick blast on the cleaning front.
When we arrived to collect her, one had become three, all very small and giggling a lot. They seemed fairly oblivious to the high winds and pouring rain and keen to get to work. We piled them into the back of the car and drove out to Sotra. While they started cleaning I got on with some work. All the time the rain was lashing against the window and the house was shaking in the wind.
Then I noticed out of the window that the traffic towards the bridge was backed up. Not a good sign. A quick look on the net told me that the Sotra Bridge was shut due to high winds! The Sotra Bridge was built in 1972 and is 1236 m long with a span of almost 500 m. Its the 74th longest bridge in the World - not bad for a road that connects a small island with a population of 25,000 with a small town with a population of 250,000! When all the oil money has run out at least this country will have an impressive collection of bridges and tunnels!
Anyway the bridge was shut because the wind was over 25 m/s which is about 54 mph (90 km/h) - fairly windy and apparently that is only the 15th time its ever had to be closed. Not much of a conciliation to the three girls who were now stuck there. They actually didn't seem very bothered as they had by this time finished their chores and were drinking tea. They then magically produce a cake from somewhere and we had an impromptu party, which was entertaining and amusing since they didn't really speak too much English.
So the next challange was how to get them back to the mainland. Contemplated the boat but a look out the window suggested that would be a short cut to a Darwin award. Eventually it was Katharine to the rescue, she had found out that the bridge had reopened to some traffic and the police were busy stopping people with ski boxes! So we made an escape - the girls to go home and us to the Leppards leaving party.
We were out on Friday evening, one of those spontaneous nights when the correct people turn up and it develops into an unplanned large one. Consequently was not feeling super sharp on Saturday. But it's the party season - so its' not like we are missing out on anything anyway.
Saturday lunch time and the weather was getting really foul. We popped in to town to collect Vench, a small Filipino girl who had offered to come out to the lair once a month and give it a quick blast on the cleaning front.
When we arrived to collect her, one had become three, all very small and giggling a lot. They seemed fairly oblivious to the high winds and pouring rain and keen to get to work. We piled them into the back of the car and drove out to Sotra. While they started cleaning I got on with some work. All the time the rain was lashing against the window and the house was shaking in the wind.
Then I noticed out of the window that the traffic towards the bridge was backed up. Not a good sign. A quick look on the net told me that the Sotra Bridge was shut due to high winds! The Sotra Bridge was built in 1972 and is 1236 m long with a span of almost 500 m. Its the 74th longest bridge in the World - not bad for a road that connects a small island with a population of 25,000 with a small town with a population of 250,000! When all the oil money has run out at least this country will have an impressive collection of bridges and tunnels!
Anyway the bridge was shut because the wind was over 25 m/s which is about 54 mph (90 km/h) - fairly windy and apparently that is only the 15th time its ever had to be closed. Not much of a conciliation to the three girls who were now stuck there. They actually didn't seem very bothered as they had by this time finished their chores and were drinking tea. They then magically produce a cake from somewhere and we had an impromptu party, which was entertaining and amusing since they didn't really speak too much English.
So the next challange was how to get them back to the mainland. Contemplated the boat but a look out the window suggested that would be a short cut to a Darwin award. Eventually it was Katharine to the rescue, she had found out that the bridge had reopened to some traffic and the police were busy stopping people with ski boxes! So we made an escape - the girls to go home and us to the Leppards leaving party.
24 October 2008
This weeks friday joke - The difference between men and women
Some differences between men and women
NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah .
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.
EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in £20, even though it's only for £32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.
MONEY
A man will pay £2 for a £1 item he needs.
A woman will pay £1 for a £2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from M&S.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument
SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the bins, answer the phone, read a book, and get the post.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
And finally my favorite....
OFFSPRING
A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favourite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in his house.
NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah .
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.
EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in £20, even though it's only for £32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.
MONEY
A man will pay £2 for a £1 item he needs.
A woman will pay £1 for a £2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from M&S.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument
SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the bins, answer the phone, read a book, and get the post.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
And finally my favorite....
OFFSPRING
A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favourite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in his house.
20 October 2008
Autumn in Bergen
Winter is definitely on the way, its now dark when I get up and the rain has arrived big style.
The autumn colours are amazing. I am not sure if I haven’t noticed them in previous years or if they are especially vivid this year. Either way it's spectacular.
Last week was pretty mad at work - both jobs!
Went to the October Fest in CIPR on friday then picked up the boat on Saturday. The weather was pretty grim and I was the only boat out on the water - it was fun, if a bit wet and cold. Felt good to be outside. Then saturday evening we had the Leps around for food - they are heading to Canada in two weeks, it will be sad to see them go.
Sunday we cleared up after the party and went for a walk up Gullfjell which was pretty wet but again good to get out and get some exercise. Have spent far too long sat at my desk recently.
The autumn colours are amazing. I am not sure if I haven’t noticed them in previous years or if they are especially vivid this year. Either way it's spectacular.
Last week was pretty mad at work - both jobs!
Went to the October Fest in CIPR on friday then picked up the boat on Saturday. The weather was pretty grim and I was the only boat out on the water - it was fun, if a bit wet and cold. Felt good to be outside. Then saturday evening we had the Leps around for food - they are heading to Canada in two weeks, it will be sad to see them go.
Sunday we cleared up after the party and went for a walk up Gullfjell which was pretty wet but again good to get out and get some exercise. Have spent far too long sat at my desk recently.
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