Ok, last one

New blog is up
and going
at http://lyloinlife.wordpress.com/

dont expect roses and butter flies

L

trip done, sort of

so yeah
is anyone still reading this
im in portland
good to be back home to the US
soon as the plane hit the states
people were all of a sudden friendly
strangers talked to me
said hi
little small talk
great stuff

portland is great
little hip
but at least the hipness
doesnt revolve around money
and showing that you got it
and people arent that clean
still lots of black
but also lots of tattoos
piercings

still looking for a job
hard around the holidays
but soon
i can feel it
i hope
probably soon
yeah

bought a car
a 65 mercedes
soon it will start
runs
so thats good
3 on the tree
kind of wierd to drive
ill get used to it

ill probably start a new blog
give everyone a continuous stream
of whats up in lyles life
wont be as formal as this one
so be warned
may contain thoughts and views
that may be out of the box
probably cursing
and adult situations
so yeah
your warned

L

Trip time closing, adventure continues

Time is really ticking by. Soon ill be on that uncomfortably packed plane and sweden will be but a memory. The adventure of life in new place will start.

Long time since an update, sorry.

Had a great thanksgiving in stockholm with Keri a friend from fairbanks. Actually we didnt really know each other, just a few meetings around UAF. But the comfortable feeling of being from the same place (specially a place like fairbanks, yeah) prevented alot of awkwardness. Dinner was masterfully prepared, mostly be two friends of hers (Meggan-girl from seattle and Meg- girl from canada). About 20 people crammed into a tiny appartment, many different cultures and languages swirling around the celebration of gluttony and genocide. I made an apple pie, good stuff.

In uppsala again, enjoying the gloomy doom that is the winter weather here. Havent seen the sun since i dont even remember. At least the ice that was covering everything melted away and i can again walk around confidently. Mostly i have been reading and drinking coffee, eating licorice fish. I knitted a hat, made a few prints and ate some great food at various restaurants.

My final weekend here will be spent in stockholm. Joining the stockhomies and a few friends from uppsala. Take in some shows and hit the winter bazaar.

Hope winter good out there
where ever you are

L

Time slippin by

I feel that feeling, when things are getting close to an end. Time slips by so fast in this largely mundane adult life of mine. I want the days of wonderment, that lasted for ever as a child. Everything so new, excitement, i think i was a child capable of excitement, maybe not, maybe i was the same brooding, unimpressable, unstartleable, self that i am now, only slightly (i stress slightly) shorter.

Im in stockholm again, for a weekend thanksgiving feast with a fairbanks friend. We kind of assume we wont be able to find a turkey, so its chicken, but we also figure we will just slice it up and put it on plates, so noone is the wiser. Shoulds be interesting, 20 some people crammed in this small 5th floor apartment. Seating for about 7 people.

There is a nice balcony that i can watch a school square and a few intersections from. Saw a kid getting picked on by another kid, amazing what you can tell from body language. I kept rooting for the kid to take a swing or at least take a good false charge. But i was there too and only a few times did i stand up for myself, mostly it was just a wait for things to change, look as disinterested in the situation as i could, till they got bored and moved on (probably future politicians, doctors, lawyers).

ok, more later

Lyle

oh yeah, i got a new tattoo
ha

Stockholm and back and back again

My day trip to Stockholm was nice. I quietly walked the streets most of the day, watching everything go by. I thought i was in old town for most of the day, but learned later that i had walked right by it, never entering it. I bought a cheap hat for i had lost mine, as i tend to. I had lunch at a Chinese buffet, just what you would picture.

After filling my self mostly with buttery deep fried fish of some-sort, i made my way to the modern art museum (getting lost a few times, but ehh i had the time). As with most modern art museums i have been to, i was disappointed. A few pieces were really good, but over all i guess its fun enough to walk around a scoff. The temporary gallery (the one they change to a new artist every now and then) was filled with large canvases painted with triangles. The paint was mostly tacky flouresent colors with few bold black lines forming the triangles. The paint was thin and flat, not much time invested in each painting, but there was alot of them. There was a video playing with the artist probably explaining his work, it was luckily in swedish so no one had to be interrupted by my laughs.

Night fell and it started to drizzle. I had appropriately only worn my cotton hoodie as my outerwear so i headed to the covered areas of the shopping district. I walked through a park and over heard some American tourists (three middle aged ladies). Thought about saying hi, but instead smiled to myself and walked on. The mall areas were insane as they tend to be. I strolled into one to dry off a bit, read my book, and watch the people (not that in sweden the people watching is that great, kind of a lack of eccentric people around).

I left the mall and wandered around a bit, finding a nice looking pub. Sat a big window facing the street with my book and a full bodied blonde (cough, err ahh beer). The pub eventually became packed by a croud consisting of older proffessionals. A sea of grey hair (or lack of it) , black from the neck down. Eventually my beer emptied and i got the call to meet up with Claire, the canadian that i have been staying with.

We took the subway to a great vegan buffet, in an interesting building. After filling up Claire showed me the old town that i had missed. The streets were narrow and filled with crafty (touristy, i guess) shops, but many containing art that i would more proudly hang in my house than the modern art museum chooses.

The train ride back to uppsala was one of sleep, a long day in the big city. I will probably go back this weekend and spend a few days. There is an acquaintance of mine from fairbanks living there, she was busy that day.

I took a long bike ride in the slush and snow today, thinking to myself, i bet its so much colder in the banks.
HA
L

Snow day and gone

It snowed friday night, i awoke and stared out the window, not really trusting my eyes. Its mostly melted off now. I made a snow man to sit with on the porch.

So the big news is that i got Sandra kicked out of her farm house. Not really because of me, more because the landlord (he lives next door). He didnt like a strange guy hanging around, sitting on the porch. So in a random event, i meet a canadian girl Claire that had an extra room. So now im closer to the city.

Still grey out, had one day of sun that was nice.

drink the morning coffee
contemplating
the problems of the world
of my life

meow at a cat
slinking by in some bushes
catches him off guard
well practiced meow

a new porch
new people to watch
under a hood
waiting


I'm headed to stockholm wednesday, check out the city of islands. Have a few friends from the banks to meet with. Will be good to see some free spirits in the sea of blond hair and black coats.

L

Living the Farm Life

Yesterday was sunny, finally. Its amazing how much the weather affects my mood. Portland what are you gonna do to me?

Life on the farm has been great. I wake when the sun rises and start my day. Baking to be done, dishes, cutting wood for the stove, ahhhh. Music playing as i do the inside chores. Its good to not feel rushed and yet have things to do.

In the evenings Sandra (her place) and i make dinner. Thus far the quality has been high, quantity as well. Although i pushed the quality standard with the purchase of this large tube of meet. I found out it was basically a giant hot dog, but Sandra saved the day by slicing it up and stuffing it with apple, onion and cheese. Nothing could be done about the salt content.

The country roads are perfect for biking and few cars roll down em.

I sit out on the patio and stare out over the expansive farms. I watch the neighbor's dog, old and tired, move from resting spot to resting spot. Mind is at ease away from the hectic people filled city. The sea of blond hair and black coats.

My plans for the not too distant future, next thursday maybe, are to head back to karlstad. I stayed there with a large group of people that were very friendly. None of them seemed to have regular jobs, it would be nice to have some people to hang out with. Although i have been enjoying my alone time on the farm.

Days are sunnier
in my mind
if not the sky

L