Cleaning out

Went to IKEA yesterday to get two wine racks and some wire baskets for my closets. Back home I started the to sort, organise and throw away stuff. My God, where did all this stuff come from?!

Today I continued with the last box from my old job and what remains now from that life is two books about DHTML and ASP coding. My bibles back then and still how much I wanted to throw them away I couldn't. But the rest is gone. Bye, bye web developer at a production company. It took my 5 years to close that chapter of my life...

Placing the wine racks in one of my closets I had to place some of the things there up in the attic. Most of it I actually throw away. Shoes I haven't worn in years, clothes from when I was size 10 (one summer) and boxes, tissue etc that I thought would be good use at Christmas. Up in the attic I realised that I have a lot of clearing out to do there as well. After a quick rumble through I had filled two big sacks with stuffed animals, old posters and three old blankets.

Two boxes of cassette tapes and two boxes of letters really got me travelling down memory lane. During the 80's and early 90's I was an avid letter writer with penpals all over the world and just seeing the envelops brought back so many memories and thoughts how things were back then. I also found all the letters mum wrote to me when I was in the US 1989-1992, which I just had to read. Some of them made me cry, but most of all I got to see a side of mum that I now almost have forgotten. The strong business woman which I admired so and in many senses turned me into who I am today. And also explains many things about myself and mum.

When I was done I throw it all away. Together with tons of tapes with great 80's music but with no tape recorder I have to relay on finding the songs on iTunes instead. Before leaving the attic I decided that before the summer is over I shall have gone through all the boxes up there. It's time to close the door to the past. It's just things. The memories will always be in my heart and soul no matter what.

Holiday

Left work at 2 pm to get a facial, massage and getting my brows and lashes done. A perfect way to start my 4 week summer holiday. When I left work I felt how my heart was beating with excitement just like when I was kid and school was out for they year.

Now I just feel like something has been lifted of my shoulders (could be the massage) and that I'm free. Free to not answer the phone, not reply on emails and do whatever I feel like.

Life is good!

The countdown has begun

Only two more days until summer holiday, or actually one and half day. On Friday I leave after lunch to get a facial, a massage and getting my brows and lashes done. I can't wait...

At the same time I almost feel a little disappointed and/ or scared that my holiday is here now. It's just like Christmas. You talk and think about it a lot and then suddenly it's comes and goes by real quickly. I feel a bit like that with my holiday this year. I also know that there will be tons of things to do when I get back including a bit of travelling and at the moment that stresses me out.

But in a week from today I'll be getting ready for the French Rivera and I'm sure eating, drinking, soaking in the sun and just do whatever I feel like will change my mind. Or at least get me into a very relaxed mode. Whatever happens in the autumn will happen. As usual too many projects but I'll deal with that than. Not now.

To Holland

With one more week to work before annual holiday I'm off to Holland in the morning. Probably on one of the earliest commercial flights out of the airport – 6:30 am. Eeek! Even worse is that I will have to get up about 4 am. At least it's light outside...

At Schiphol we'll take the train out to our Dutch port Hoek van Holland for a meeting before going back to Amsterdam in the evening for another meeting on Tuesday. I've never been to Holland before (yes, I know...) so that will be a bit fun even though I have a feeling I'll only see some conference rooms, the hotel and maybe a restaurant. They joy of travelling for businesses... But I shouldn't complain. It gets me out of the office and I do have a great job doing what I like to do most – working with the constantly changing Internet.

Quote of the day

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~

No more street music

Starting today musicians need a permit to play on the street here in Gotheburg. A quite controversial rule which has made many professional musicians very upset.

"It doesn’t seem to fit with Gothenburg’s reputation as an entertainment and tourist city. Music is important for life on the streets," said saxophonist Martin Nurmi to the Göteborgs-Posten (GP) newspaper.

The new law, which is designed to place limits on the times and places where street musicians can play, will require performers to seek permits from police to play in central Gothenburg during business hours.

The new requirements were drawn up in response to complaints from employees at shops and restaurants near where street musicians have a habit of playing.

I'm not really sure what to think about this. I do understand the employees at shops because some of the musicians playing at the same place everyday are terribly and it would drive me mad as well. Also I know that in both Paris and London you have to get permit to play which really raise the quality of the musicians and music. But then on the other hand the liberal in me doesn't like laws and regulations. We'll see what happens as time goes by.

Mondays it is

Now it has actually been proven in studies that Monday is the best day to start a new get healthy regime. So all of us who have said let's start on Monday have been right all the time. Why?

It’s a fresh start
Just like Friday always begs the question: what will I do this weekend? (i.e., eat, drink and be merry), Monday just naturally lends itself to a more practical point of view—it’s the day you assess your workload, appointments, grocery shopping. Take stock of the week ahead with your new healthy habits in mind and plan accordingly.

It’s a "trigger" day
Studies actually show that when it comes to embarking on any healthy activity, if you have a so-called trigger day—a set date or reminder—you’re more likely to follow through. Even better? Monday rolls around every 7 days, as opposed to say, once year, like Jan 1st, so even if you get off track, another Monday is just around the corner.

It’s preceded by 48 hours of free(ish) time
This matters because you have two free days to prepare, and launching into a new healthy routine without planning sets you up for failure—how can you eat healthier if there’s nothing healthier in the house to eat? Use these days to grocery shop, dig out your workout clothes, write up a schedule, give your junk food to the neighbors. Whatever it take to get you into the healthy living mindset.

So Monday it is then... Or maybe not...