FANTASTIC!!

Peder (Real Group) Helen, Me and Anders E (Real Group)

Me and Helen went down to Linköping yesterday to see the Christmas concert there with artists like Sissel, The Real Group, Orsa spelmän, Odd Nordstuga, Trondheimsolisterna mm.
We arrived 4.30PM and got our room. It was a bonus stay because I had so many points. I was expecting a small double but we got this beautiful big Superior room with two beds, a sitting area, table, TV and a gorgeous bathroom. The beds were really superlovely and were eleveted electrically.

Since we arrived rather late and Helen had to fix herself we booked at a restaurant on town because at the hotel they had "julbord" and we couldn't have room-service. Since we know two in Real Group Anders E and Peder we wanted to give them something so it was up to me to run to the "Systembolaget" and buy some champagne for them. I have never been in Linköping this way, mostly you passes on the highway. I asked in the reception where the Systembolag was and she said it's just 3 minutes from here and you go straight ahead to the big square. OK, that didn't sound too bad. It was then 5.45 PM and they said the Systembolag closed at 6PM so plenty of time I thought. I started walking and when 3 minutes had passed I wasn't anywhere close to a square but I continued. After 12 minutes I was kind of desperate and then met two people with bags from Systembolaget and I shouted: Where is Systembolaget?. They just pointed and said just beside the Pharmacy. They must have thought I was desperate :-)
I made it in and bought 2 very nice French champagne to them and when I was on my way out I saw the sign: Open 10-19 on Fridays!!!

Peder, Helen and Anders

Then the next project was to find the restaurant. Helen and I was in telephonecontact when I got out and we joined forces and I walked to where I thought the restaurant should be (what did you do before mobilephones were invented?). Suddenly I looked up and there it was, just in front of me. It was a Greek restaurant, Afrodite, and very nice. We started by saying we are in a hurry to a concert. It was now 6.15 PM and the concert started 7.30PM. We drank champagne too and we got the food by 6.40Pm. So we really had to hurry and eat. At 7 I called a cab to take us to the arena. We ate, paid and went out to wait for the cab which arrived at 7.15. A queue met us near the arena but we finally made it there and a 7.32 last of everyone I think we sat in our places. I have never been this late to any show, concert or theatre.

The show was heavenly. Sissel has a voice that has so much warmth and her range is extreme. She sang Adam's Christmas song with such authority that you weren't afraid at any time. You felt safe with her singing and she really gave you goosebumps when hitting that high note.
Listen to this version of The Prayer with Sissel and Josh Groban. Speak of goosebumps:
The Prayer

The Real Group - what can I say? They were excellent, has so much joy in singing, are extremely musical and have fun on stage. Still after 25 years.
They play with their voices and you can't believe they don't use any instruments. Their voices becomes their instruments. It's extrodinary and if you haven't heard them before you have to.
Here's a link to them singing "Clown in the jungle" Donald Duck's adventure with the woodpecker. It's hilarious: The Real Group

Orsa spelmän had so much joy in playing and the audience really clapped and enjoyed their musicality. They play Swedish folkmusic and especially from Dalarna.

After the show Helen and I took a cab back to the hotel and bought a drink in the bar. It was rather noisy since the Christmas party was still on so we went up to a more quiet area called the library. There we found some members of the Orsa spelmän and we started to talk to them.
After a while Anders E came and joined us and we sat down and had a wonderful time with chat about old day and way back then. Then other artists came Måns Zelmerlöv, Marie Serneholt (but they stayed at their room for Fredagsmys) Sanna Nielsen, Sonia Aldén, Shirley Clamp. We also saw, but didn't talk to, Stefan Sundström who also stayed at the hotel.
Then Sissel came and all the others from the show. Peter the producer and promotor sat down as well and we had so much fun and chatted (and drank) until 1.30AM.
Then up to the room but Helen especially had a hard time going to sleep. Could have had something to do with me snoring ;-) (always snores more when I have been drinking).

We woke up at 9.15 and went down to breakfast after shower and make-up. We met first Peder (Real Group) and then Anders and they joined us at breakfast and we continued the conversation from yesterday. All artists sat together in a corner of the room and once again nice talks.

On the way home we stayed at Mom for a visit and we had bought safronbuns and had coffe with her. Very nice and she was alert but scatterbrained so it's hard to know what she's talking about sometimes.

Tomorrow I will have to make the songbooks for the Christmasparty with the Rheumatic association.

Have a wonderful Saturday evening and enjoy the photos :-)


Anders, me and Sissel

H.E.A.T in studio

I just want to share these videos with you. It's H.E.A.T that records their new album and meanwhile being filmed. It's great to be able to see how they work and a sneakpreview of their songs although some of it are censured and some tones you hear aren't the right ones (censure)

Studio diary part 1
Studio diary part 2
I hope you enjoy like I did. I will place more videos here as they go along.

Other than that I'm preparing to go to Linköping and the Christmas concert tonight. Should be fun but mostly getting into the Christmas spirit I hope.

Have a wonderful Friday with lots of "fredagsmys". Talk to you soon :-)

Nothing planned today???? But Sissel, Real Group tomorrow.

Today I had nothing planned in my calender?? What was wrong? I don't mind because you who read my blog know that it's a hectic life :-) It was like Hasse said: what, no plans today? What's wrong.

Yesterday I was at the boardmeeting and was back home around 4.30PM and then I started making dinner. I did mashed potatoes with Christmas sausage, peas and carrots. Very good and it feels closer to Christmas every day now.

I don't mind since we will be a very small crowd here this year. Me, Jonas, Emil, Danniel, Hasse, Mandy and Mom on Christmas Eve. Helen will be in Thailand with her family. We will probably have Mandy, her Mom, Jonas and maybe some more over one of the other Christmas days. Then, of course, we will go to Gavle and New Year's we will be home with our friends as tradition bids.

But now I'm ahead of myself :-) It was the Christmas sausage that got me going :-D

Anyway I have been sitting here planning for tomorrow. I have vacation from my job tomorrow and will be going to Linköping with my sister Helen to see and listen to a Christmas concert with Sissel, The Real Group, Orsa Spelmän and some more. We will stay overnight in a nice hotel, considered the best in Linköping. So I'm checking the tickets, the route and the hotel voucher and everything is clear to go.

H.E.A.T update: The recording goes according to plan and they seem happy how it turns out.

Sleep well and sweet dreams.

New homepage (work) I forgot....?

Our new homepage to my work: http://www.elspargruppen.se/
Not quite ready but beautiful. And if you want to have a future job in an expanding business don't hesitate to be an energy expert. We have your education!

We have board-meeting tomorrow with the Rheumatic association and I had forgotten to send out the agenda which I am supposed to do. The secretary called me while I was in Norrtälje asking me if I had sent it out and I just said: shit. Yes I actually said that. But I have wrote the agenda since I came home and also sent it out but I will bring it tomorrow to the meeting as well if they haven't seen it. Could it be Alzheimer light? Or do you think I have to much on my mind?

Anyway I had a wonderful time in Norrtälje with the best Chantarellesoup of the year I think. Great stuff. Afterwards back to the clinic for some treatments which actually made me fall half asleep so maybe too much for me now. And also a fullmoon which doesn't help.

After that I went to Flygfyren to do some shopping and that was nice too. By the time I was ready it was dark outside 3.30PM and it was starting to freeze. Now it's frost and since it rained earlier it's ice on some roads.This is not the famous chantarellsoup but I promise I will take a photo next time.

My little toe is better I think but it was hard walking today because of the bandage but I managed. Tomorrow I'm going back and she will se how it looks.
Hopefully I will be cured on Friday when Helen and I are going to Linköping.

Can you believe it?

Isn't this how we picture December and Christmas?

Can you believe it's December tomorrow? Only 24 days to Christmas Eve. I did get a good Christmas feeling yesterday at the Rosersbergs castle though. If I could wish for anything it would be some snow then but only a little so it gets lighter.

Today I went to a podiatrist to get my feet nice, the nails cut and a little massage of feet and legs.
It started out well but then she was at my little toe and slipped with the scalpel thus cutting me. It started bleeding like h..l and it wouldn't stop. She tried all sorts of things and she did sterilised the wond the best she could and also put on a pressure bandage. She then continued with everything else and at the end she removed the bandaged and it started bleeding again. I don't want to go to the hospital because I'm sure they won't do anything. She put on another bandage so now my little toe is not so little anymore :-) and it's hard to walk since the shoe doesn't fit. As this wasn't enough I also have an inflammation on my achilles' tedon on the other foot so I don't have any foot to walk on really.
But she was so nice and she will see me on Wednesday again to see that everything is allright. She also told me if I got a fever or it would hurt more I need to see a doctor considering my diagnoses. I also didn't have to pay for anything. I mean mistakes can happen to anyone and it is Monday :-)
The photo shows my little toe in bandage

Also yesterday we got this wonderful boquet of flowers from our good friends as a thank you for dinner as well as get well flowers. This is so nice of them but that is how they are. We are so thankful to having such good friends

The wonderful boquet

Tomorrow I'm going to Norrtälje to my good friend Anne for our usual lunch (Chantarelle soup maybe ) and treatments. I will also do some shopping at Flygfyren which is a shop I really like and they have so much good food and especially their Roslagsägg I love.

Have a wonderful Anders-day and remember: Om Anders slaskar, julen braskar
(which is a saying and means if it rains on Anders it will be cold and snow on Christmas)

Norrtälje in snow (not tomorrow though)

Julbord at Rosersbergs castle

The julbord at Rosersberg's castle

The Juno wing

What a wonderful 1st Advent this has been.
Sleeping in until 8.00, coming down to readymade breakfast :-) Hasse and I sat and ate breakfast for an hour while reading the paper and chatting. A very nice way to start the day.

At 1.25 we fetched Jonas at his home and drove him to the trainstation. He was going back to Borlänge and the recording. He and two of the other guys had leave this weekend so they could go home. Their album is coming along great he says and I'm so happy for them.

Then straight to Rosersberg's castle and there we met our good friends Kitte and Janne and walked up to the courtyard. The road was lined with cressets showing the way. It was a very foggy day and although it was just 2 o'clock when we arrived it was nice to see them lights. When we left they were quite necessary. Then up to the "Miss Wing" or the "young ladies wing". It was here the young unmarried ladies used to stay in the 17th and 18th century. Maybe also in the 19th but I'm not sure there. Anyway it was here just beside the door to the left where my office used to be for 15 years or so. I also had other offices in this wing so it was a bit sentimental for me to enter here.

Hasse, Kitte and Janne cheering

Hasse and Kitte on the courtyard

This whole experience, I can't call it anything else, started in the Juno Wing where we were served glogg with ginger bread. Then up to the dining room where the julbord was layed. We got a table for four in the room they called Gibraltar (this used to be our smoking-room)
The food was excellent. So good and so just enough of everything but nothing was missing. We ate long and well. After that it was down again to the Juno wing where the all important Christmas sweets and coffe was served. The service was 5-star I might add. So if you on your way passes Rosersberg, don't pass, go in there and enjoy the julbord and the atmosphere. You can't beat an atmosphere like that.

Beside here you can see the wonderful Christmas tree
and the gorgeous Christmas candy table.

Dramatic Hairspray and putting up Christmas decorations

Yesterday me and my sister Helen went to see the musical Hairspray. It was Helen's birthdaygift to me. It all started with me getting my teeth fixed and polished. No cavity in any tooth :-)
Then I took a strole through Kungsträdgården and then NK while I was waiting for Helen to come back after taking her dog home.
Then we met at Berns for dinner. It was asiatic theme and very good 3-course meal. After that we went under the street (!) and reached the theatre which is situated just beside the restaurant.
We were so looking forward to the musical which we had heard was hilarious.
A bit into the first act people suddenly started to stand up just two rows in front of us. We thought, what are they doing in the middle of the act. They were blocking our view as well as everyone's behind us. First one woman stood up and a man went out of the row. Then another woman started to walk out as well. Of course their places were in the middle of that row so they had to pass many. The second woman were just leaving the row when she started to vobble and then just fell out and flat on the floor thus loosing her glasses, her shoes and just layed there. Many people rushed to the scene, at least 10, and even staff came. I said to Helen no need for us to go as well, that might be too much for her.
Then one man rushed out and said they had to call an ambulance. She was still lying still unconscious. All the time this was going on the musical, dancing and singing continued. Rather macabre if you ask me. We couldn't concentrate on the musical at all.
At last 6 or 8 people carried her out of the theatre in await of the ambulance.

The play continued for about 10 minutes, then came someone up on stage and said there was a tecnical problem and they had to pause the show for a while.
During this pause came a woman and collected all the belongings from the woman and her company. And then a couple of minutes later the show continued.

I have never ever experienced something like that in a theatre and the thoughts were with that lady and her company long after they were gone. Eventually we could enjoy the performance again and in act 2 we had some very good laughs and at the end everyone stood up dancing.

Today we have been decorating and putting up Christmas stuff. It's so nice and everything get so much brighter although it's dark outside. But today we actually saw the sun, for about 10 minutes, then she was gone again.
I have also made safronbuns and they were very good :-)

On Thursday I had lunch with my very best friend Inger at her house. She had made a wonderful dish with chicken and vegetables. We had a long, wonderful talk. She's such a positive person though she has been through more than many. We can talk about everything even hard and deep thoughts as well as giggle over jokes. You can be yourself in her company and that's really what you need from a friend. I have a few friends like that and I treausure them so much.

Tomorrow we are going to eat Christmas smorgasbord at Rosersberg's castle together with our friends Kitte and Janne. It's Janne's birthday gift from us. We always do that whenever some of us have birthday. But you who read my blog knews that by now, don't you?
This time we thought since it's 1 advent tomorrow it would be nice to eat at the castle. Below is a photo of the castle like it looks today (minus the snow but possibly rain)
To everyone I wish a joyful 1 Advent :-)