Monday 8 January 2001

Pic of the day: Since you've seen me so much lately, today I instead present a snapshot from a typical day (OK, move-in day) at Itland's School for Gifted Youngsters. Ahem. Screenshot from The Sims.

It's (almost) all about me

Yes, it's been a few days of mostly "grey" journal entries. In a way I feel this is my natural state: When nothing much intrudes, my thoughts tend to roam, pondering the things that happen in the world. And lately, nothing much has intruded. But I know that some of you want to know what's happening to me personally. Tell you what? So do I.

To the best of my knowledge, my mother is still dying, however slowly. But miracles tend to happen, and sometimes even to cancer. So I can't say, and neither can anyone else I guess.

"The immune system of the soul" (as Psychology Today called it) is quite efficient, and as you may have noticed I am in my usual mood. Which is a quite good one. I'm sure if one of my parents actually die, I'll need some more time to adjust. (It's not obvious which of them that will be - this whole thing must be very hard for my father. They are masters at hiding their emotions, but I know they love each other very much. As well they should, as they are both extraordinary people in so many ways.)

As for my own possible skin cancer, it is still undecided. Since December 15 there has mainly been holidays, so I doubt the sample has been analyzed yet. Norwegian health care is not world renowned for its speed. But I suppose they will eventually tell me if there is malignancy. Otherwise I'll probably guess after some months that they found nothing. (Or mislaid the sample, as may happen too. The health industry in Norway is almost completely state-owned, and therefore necessarily of poor quality.)

But the two small wounds on my back are healing fine. The big one has a healthy crust and there is no visible inflammation, so I've removed the bandages. SuperWoman called me before leaving for Germany again, and I mentioned the progress. She ascribed it in jest to her magical healing hands. "Magical" may be an overstatement, but I have occasionally missed them. (Even using a severely distorted kitchen implement and two mirrors, it is hard to apply medical tape with any precision between your own shoulder blades.)

***

At the workplace, things are stumbling along as usual. The newest news is that we may get a scanner and actually scan documents from other levels in the bureaucracy, and distribute them internally by e-mail instead of photocopying them and handing them out. The usefulness may be somewhat reduced by the fact that many of the workers print out e-mail, even small and insignificant ones. Still, there will be at least one copy less, I can guarantee that.

The paperless office is likely to begin with the toilet. Certainly the new batch of toilet paper seems designed to make people wait till they get home. I remember in my childhood in one of Scandinavia's most remote and underdeveloped provinces, the farmers used old newspapers for toilet paper. The new toilet paper at work has a similar surface, but is less interesting to read.

Oh, and remember that toilet at work that was defect a year or two ago? It's still not repaired, but now people have finally grown used to it. It is rare now that I have to use my specially cultivated screwdriver thumbnail to make it work again. The drumbeat of progress marches ever on, or something.

***

I read that American consumers are holding tighter to their purses and credit cards lately. Funny, I did not know I had that many American readers; someone else must have been telling them the truth too. But here in the wet and chilly country of Norway the heat is still on in shops and malls. Today, for instance, which admittedly is a Monday, I came to my favorite low price shop and found that there was 0.25 liter of milk left in the shop. (I bought it.)

I don't buy much soda anymore, and that can be just as well. The particular Norwegian soda tax has increased by ca 50% over 5 years, and a bottle or can of soda (such as Pepsi) now costs twice as much in Norway as in neighboring Sweden, which is hardly known as a tax haven either. I read today that soda smuggling has become big business, and customs officers look another way. I of course would not buy foreign soda. I'm a good Norwegian. :)

***

In less personal but still local news, a young woman barely survived a snow avalanche this weekend in the mountains inland from here. She was caught in the whirling masses and trapped under 1.5 meters of snow, unable to move and with her head down. By a seeming coincidence, there was a small pocket of air in front of her face (because of a nearby tree) and so she was able to breathe. Onlookers alerted the people in a nearby village who came at once and searched the area. When they eventually found her, she was alive but suffered from severe hypothermia (cooling of the whole body and blood). She has since recovered fairly well.

When I first heard of the episode on radio, just after she was found, my first thought was "Oh God no!". Because the whole event, as it was told, was strikingly similar to a scene from some fiction I wrote a few years ago. (No, it was never published. I never ever finish, remember?) There is a less respected branch of science that claims that everything is connected, so that our thoughts and actions influence reality without going through the usual means of communication. I think the process is called something like morphogenesis. Not that I really believe in that kind of New Age quasi science, of course.

Still, it is disturbing to hear your own fiction from the radio. Luckily most of my writing is magic fantasy, so if it ever comes true it won't be in our world. And anyway, the good guys win in the end. :)

***

You know I've gushed on about Cassie the Handheld Computer and AvantGo, which lets me read a tiny fraction of the news during my commute. (I need a longer commute!) I mentioned that I don't know how to make my journal AvantGo. Not that I think any one of you would be interested, or I'd study it more. But just in case, there is a journaller that actually has taken that step. (Perhaps more, but I know only this one.) It's one of my old favorites, which may be why I've noticed. And an Australian, no less - the folks who walk upside down, celebrate Christmas in midsummer and are awake while we sleep. And she writes better than I too, albeit not nearly as regularly. I guess I should warn my more pious readers that she is not heavily into chastity, in principle. But she's a true geek, she's funny and bright, and she's all mine ... no, that last was the computer, sorry. But she's definitely recommended, pocket PC or no. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present (or remind you): Georgina of Shimmer (like a girl)! You go, girl!

So, can I go back to my games now? :)