Got tea?

I'm baaaack!

Spent last week in Washington State and have made it safely home again to Denmark. Going to the states is generally for 1 of two reasons - for work, or for family. Unfortunately, as the two things are on opposite coasts, the trip never covers both.

Back in December, we traveled for family and spent the holidays seeing mine. As Ole was able to go with me on that trip, we brought extra suitcases for the purpose of hauling back jars of iced tea mix. Unfortunately, winter in the Northeast isn't a great time for iced tea selection and the stores had decided to not carry my particular brand in the winter months. Had we known in advance that they wouldn't have it in the store, we probably could have arranged something, but I had just assumed it would be there, and I was wrong. We did, however, still manage to fill up those 'extra' suitcases with all kinds of other items so all was not lost. But, my lack of tea problem remained. And no, another brand cannot be substituted. I think iced tea mix is one of those things where you find one you like, and nothing else will do. Having me attempt another brand, with a different sweetener, would be like telling a Coca Cola drinker that they'd have to make do with Diet Pepsi.

So this past week I was scheduled to head to the states for work. And this time, I planned ahead. My friend, co-worker and all around life-saver, pre-ordered iced tea mix for me from the local grocery store. She arranged a price per case that beat the shelf price, so I said go ahead and order 10 cases. I knew I wouldn't actually be able to get 10 cases back here in one trip, but the stuff doesn't go bad, and I'd like to avoid a future crisis, so voila, 10 cases were waiting for me in Washington. Happy Day!

I had brought along two very large suitcases and very few clothing items. Knowing the tea was the goal, I also had to limit my normal USA shopping to just a few essentials - namely, zip lock bags.

And now the moment you've all been waiting for - just how much did I manage to haul back?....

 

Yes, there you have it! Nearly 5 full cases. I had the room, but the weight was a bit heavy so 2 of the cases had some jars extracted to get under the 50 lb limit on the big suitcases. Each of the big bags had 2 cases in them, and I had one case in my carry-on. Mind you, that raised some eyebrows at the security checkpoints!! No one said a word at Seatac but upon arrival in Copenhagen, the security folks asked me if I was carrying syltetøj (jelly/jam). I then explained that it was iced tea mix - my guess is that's the first time they have ever encountered 12 jars of iced tea mix in a carry-on! Doesn't everyone come back from the US with iced tea? Apparently not. All in all, 55 jars of tea made it back and each jar makes 35 quarts.. I should be good for awhile!

But wait, there's more!

I arrived home to a very, very nice surprise! On thursday, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law had come over and cleaned my house from one end to the other. The house is amazingly clean - I have no idea what they did differently from what I normally do but I could definitely get used to this! The place is gleaming. Every knick-knack has been spit polished and artfully arranged, my plants look like they're all brand new, the floors are shining - it's unreal. My awesome hubby had arranged all of this while I was away and he also purchased two bouquets of fresh flowers and an orchid. I love my Dane!

Spring in Denmark

Sometime last fall I went around and dug up all the various bulbs I had stuck in the ground the previous year. I decided to revamp one of my flower beds and just fill it up with all kinds of bulbs. The great thing about tulips and daffodils is that they're so reliable - you just stick them in a hole and a few months later, they reward you by growing. The dogs generally don't eat them, (I say generally because.. well.. I have found some on the lawn here and there so a few were 'sniffed' out and dug up) and that's always a plus in this house. At this point, I don't think I can count the number of rose bushes that have been consumed by a certain black dog. She did grow up a little and recover a bit from her rose eating obsession, but then we got a 2nd dog, and this one eats trees, and anything resembling a tree. Doggie #2 has pretty much destroyed a favorite azalea bush though I'm still holding out hope that it will miraculously spring back to life.

Back to the bulbs. Just for extra 'doggie' protection, I dug a few inches down in the entire bed, dropped every bulb I could find into the flower bed, and then took some of that green wire fencing and set that down over all the bulbs prior to shoveling all the dirt back in - puppy proofing. Getting your paws stuck on a fence seems to work to prevent further digging. Genius!

Spring has arrived, the daffodils are in full blooms, and now all my beautiful tulips are arriving one by one (and some hyacinth too!)... yeehaw!

Brystkræft

Thank you all so, so much for your kind comments. Though I have never met the vast majority of you in person, it feels good to know that I have my expat buds around to help me get through things, and to keep me laughing.

Let me give you the rundown of how it got to this point. And, btw, I kind of like "Brystkræft" - sounds so much nicer than breast cancer, even if it actually means exactly the same thing! In my danglish eyes, I like to think of it as breast craft - and in the end, perhaps I will get to 'craft' a new breast. :)

It all started about 2 weeks or so ago when I found a lump. It's not like I religiously do self-exams or anything so the fact that I actually noticed was an accomplishment in and of itself. But, when I noticed, it scared the crap out of me, mostly because it WAS noticeable, and I knew right then and there, that it was probably not going to be good news.

I went to the local doctor (always an annoying experience) so that she could then refer me onward and upward. She confirmed that something was definitely there and so off went the referral.

Next step - Mammacentret Viborg. It's inside the hospital and after missing the entrance to the actual parking garage and driving in a big circle around Viborg (well, it felt like a circle after having passed through no fewer than 6 roundabouts), I finally caught the entrance the second time around and found a place to park. The hospital was about what I would expect, with the addition of a big 'netcafe' right off the main lobby, which I thought was actually kind of cool.

The mammacentret part had a big waiting room with tables and chairs, nice arrangements of candles everywhere (a Danish necessity) and pitchers of water, coffee and tea. Since the local doctor's office has an average waiting time of an hour, I figured I'd be sitting there awhile. Not so - they came and got me right away and trotted me off for the mammogram. That was exactly as expected, and as uncomfortable as expected. The nurse did speak quite a bit in Danish, and I actually understood most of it, which was cool. But she also understood that I didn't understand everything, and so, whenever necessary, she simply explained in English - something I definitely appreciated.

From there, I had to go have an ultrasound. The nurse explained that I would go in the next room with her, and that the doctor would review the films and then come in and do the ultrasound. When the door opened and the doctor came in, I was just a wee bit surprised to see that the doctor was actually one of my classmates from the sprog center - a woman from Poland. I knew she worked at the hospital, but it's a big place, and what are the odds that she would suddenly appear as 'the doctor'! I wondered if it would bother me at all, but she was professional, and in the end, it didn't really matter to me - I just wanted to get done with it all no matter who the doctor might be!

After doing the ultrasound for awhile, she then explained that she would need to do some biopsies. By now, I had already steeled myself for the worst possible scenario, so I wasn't surprised. Biopsy itself? Not really a pleasant experience. It doesn't hurt really, it's just annoying as hell. When all was said and done, and I was thoroughly poked and prodded, a biopsy was taken from under my arm, and 4 more from my breast - or was it 5. I don't remember at this point - let's just say it wasn't fun.

The nurse then got on the phone to make sure I could get the results and a follow-up appointment before the big Easter weekend, which I appreciated. Having to wait through Easter would have been horrible. So, last Wednesday we went in for the results and well, you already know what came of that.

What I did learn in the past two weeks is that certain common phrases in English don't translate well to someone who is not a native English speaker. When the doctor and nurse were explaining the results to us, and what to expect, etc., I basically said.. "Okay, we'll play it by ear." They couldn't figure out what the heck I was saying - oops!

So, what's next.

On April 28th, I will go in for surgery and I'll come back out a bit lopsided. I have no idea at this point what type of emotional reaction I may have. I'm hoping it really won't bother me much, but I really can't say as I simply cannot imagine it as I sit here now. Only time will tell.

To blog or not to blog..

That is the question.

After deliberating in my head for a few days (while frantically swapping gems in Bejeweled Blitz) - the answer I have come to is... to blog.

For those who regularly follow this blog, you'll know that my posts are a journal of my experiences living in a foreign country. Generally speaking, I like to share the things I find funny, or odd, or annoying, about Denmark, and about how I cope with life in Denmark. And now and then, I throw in a picture or story about my dogs and cats, because they're here, and because, frankly, they're rather amusing. Through it all, I hope you're laughing with me (or at me) and that you're enjoying my tales.

But, real life doesn't always provide you with just the amusing things - it also throws in a dose of sobering realism. I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Yeah, it sucks. But it is what it is. This isn't the first time in my life that I've dealt with cancer. In 2005, I had cervical cancer. Hearing that news sent shock waves through my system. The first time you hear that diagnosis, you can't help but be shocked, and scared. Prior to that diagnosis, I had already decided that kids weren't something that I wanted, so when the doctor told me that I would need a hysterectomy and that I wouldn't be able to have children, I told her that she had just gotten off easy. I won't bore you with all the details, I will just let you know that when all of that happened, I just tried to look at the bright side - I would no longer be a customer of Tampax, Playtex and the like! Ultimately, I got through it and came out stronger on the other side.

So here I am trying to look at the bright side again because, well, that's just what I do. You, my friends, are about to get a first hand account of the Danish medical system! I just know you're on the edges of your seats in anticipation!

I am not turning this blog into a 'cancer' blog but for the near future, you're going to have to put up with hearing about it. I promise, however, that I'll still sprinkle the blog with tales of the animals in my life, so yeah, you'll have to put up with that too!

I hope you'll all continue to laugh with me in the coming months because I'm going to keep trying to amuse you.

As for today...Happy Easter and God Påske!

And P.S. I passed module 4!!

It all runs hot and cold

HOT

So, since I last wrote, we've been to the fire store where we had to purchase a big piece of fireproof stuff and from that piece, cut a smaller piece to replace what had fallen down from the top of the fireplace.

Then we had a smelter (iron guy) come out to the house and poke around inside the firebox with a measuring tape.

Then we had assistant smelter come today and take a piece of metal and stand out in the driveway and pound it into the needed shape.

When all was said and done, I created fire.

COLD

The dude from punkt arrived with our new refrigerator yesterday. First he took out the old one, then he had to shut off the power to fix the bad outlet wiring the fridge was to connect to, then he brought the new one in. It was a wee bit too deep for the space so then Ole and the fridge dude rigged up a few little boards so that it had something to stand on and slid it into place. We then had to wait 2 hours for refrigerant and oil to slide themselves back into place after transport, and then Ole flipped the switch and created cold (and ice).

Once we turned it on, we scanned the operation manual. It's not that I don't know how to use a refrigerator, per se, but you never know what tidbit of information you may find. It's always good to make sure you've read the Troubleshooting section of the manual, just in case things start blinking or beeping. And, in case this should happen:



1) The Appliance does not work.

- Is the a power cut?
- Is the plug inserted properly in the mains socket?
- Is the power supply cable damaged?
- Is the temperature setting correct?
- IS THERE A CHILD HANGING OFF YOUR REFRIGERATOR LIKE SOME SORT OF MONKEY IN A TREE?

Okay, no, it doesn't actually say that but the picture is for real.

And there you have it - we have hot, we have cold, and we don't have children hanging from our refrigerator door.

Warm Milk

When you think of warm milk, you probably think of comfort. That special cup to help you sleep, or a warm chocolate milk on a cold winter's day.

But all warm milk is not good. Particularly warm milk found on a Monday morning inside the refrigerator. This is not warm milk you wish to find and this is definitely not the warm milk you want to drink! But, it's exactly what we found this morning! Yes, our refrigerator decided to die. It gave up. It's not like we ever gave it too much to do really - a few cartons of milk, some iced tea, jar of mayonnaise and some cheese. But I guess all of that was just too much to handle - perhaps my gallon jugs of iced tea did it in.

If you're in the US, then for you, your choices of refrigerator look like this selection (thank you, BestBuy):



However, here in Denmark, your choice of refrigerator looks like this:



In fairness, it IS possible to purchase a side by side model - they call them "Amerikanerskab", and they run anywhere from $2000 to $6000, depending on what features you'd like your American refrigerator to have!

So today at lunchtime, we made a quick trip to punkt1 in Herning to see what they had. We googled first, of course, because that's what computer people do - google everything first. They had one in their netshop on sale but we definitely wanted to see it in person, so off we went. They didn't have that exact model in the store, but they did have the 'beer' version. It's a similar model, but it has a big huge beer tap on the front of the refrigerator, and a spot inside to apparently place a small keg. Ummm, no, we didn't get that one!

One thing that I definitely wanted, and one thing that is NOT standard in Denmark, is a frost-free freezer. It baffles me that it's not standard and that every refrigerator on the market these days isn't frost free, but I guess that the frost-free variety is not as energy efficient and selling appliances in Europe all comes down to the magic letter. And in this case, it had to be either A or A+. I wonder how 'energy efficient' it is to spend a day scraping the ice off the freezer. I don't see anyone touting it as the 'new' way to exercise!

We did end up purchasing the one that was shown online and the nice folks at punkt1 are bringing it over to us on Wednesday.

In the meantime, we're defrosting the current model because, while the refrigerator itself died, the freezer just kept on trucking. Everything has been moved into a cooler and is sitting on our terrace - it's a bit odd to go outside to get a glass of juice! And, for once, I am happy that the Danish weather has decided to hover around 40 deg F!

Crisis in Karup

It's a very good thing that spring is on the way. But, it would be helpful if the air would warm up just a bit faster.

You see, we have one of these:



We use this to heat our house. We do have radiators in various rooms, but we don't turn them on as it's cheaper to buy briquettes or wood for the 'brandeovne' and use it instead. But, now we have a problem:



See those random items in front of the fireplace? Those are supposed to be IN said fireplace. That twisted hunk of metal is supposed to be holding up one single top plate, which, as you can see, is now two pieces of top plate.

Now, if you remember, there was a guy here to inspect all of this before the season began. And, while the pieces were still in the fireplace at that time, the metal was nearly as twisted at that point as it is now - it just did a better job of holding up the top piece. Flash back a few months to this conversation:

Me: "Er det ok?"
Firedude: "Ja, det er det"
Me: "Ok!"

Obviously, det er ikke ok! On Saturday morning, it all collapsed into a pile of rubble. And so we started searching the web to see if we could find replacement parts. No wait, actually, we started by holding a mirror and flashlight behind the fireplace while attempting to read the label to determine who the manufacturer was and what model it was. YOU try reading a german label backwards in a mirror. I spelled out, letter by letter, the biggest word I could find, only to have Ole finally say.. "oh, that just means fireplace" - argh!

We finally figured out that the model was called Nevada. The "grass is always greener" product naming strikes again. What is it about European manufacturers naming everything after American cities/places and American manufacturers naming everything after European cities/places?

Anyway - then we googled things. Lots of things. Ole's googling was going much better than mine since he could at least attempt the various danish or german names for things. The 'nevada fireplace' that I googled didn't work so well.

What we found, after an hour or so, was ... not much. We think we found a similar model so we think maybe we found the right manufacturer - not that it matters any as it didn't help us in figuring out where to find replacement parts.

Long story short - I turned on a radiator or two - and Ole's gonna 'call a guy'. So, hopefully we'll just be able to get some new inserts and won't need to get an entirely new fireplace!