Daytime telly

Urgh!

We went to Norway in August for our summer holiday and Jim was quite poorly.

We went to Norway in February for our winter holiday and I was ill, Ned was ill and Jim was very ill.

It's now a month since we returned and I'm ill again!  So in between bouts of napping I've also been watching lots of crappy daytime telly.

I have come to the following conclusions:

1) Millionaire Matchmaker is hilarious and I like Patty;

2) Real Housewives of Vancouver is better than Real Housewives of New Jersey;

3) Whilst Kirstie (Allsop) needs Phil (Spencer); Phil does not need Kirstie;

4) Allo Allo is still funny.

Jeg kan ikke help deg

It's about one of the only Norwegian phrases I can remember.

I can not help you.

It might not be one of the most helpful phrases when our adventure gets going. I mean it might be something people say to us a lot, but it won't get the electricity or wifi connected will it.

Think we need to up the ante really.

New Nordic Noir

How did we miss the brilliant series The Killing? 

Having run out of Nordic drama on the tv, I bought the box set of series one of The Killing to take on our recent Norwegian trip. 

20 episodes 5 disks and 1100 minutes of telly!

I was only going to take the first disk after all the Winter Olympics were on, and it being Norway there'd be lots of it on tv.

Jim persuaded me to take all of them. Glad I did, as after the first episode we were hooked.  We managed to watch 11 episodes whilst on holiday!

Haven't got the next 2 box sets; need a bit of time off traumatising Nordic dramas...... Although there is a new drama called Mammon starting soon........

Nordic noir.

Series 2 of The Bridge finishes tonight.

There will be no more Borgen.

Am waiting for the new Scandi dramas to start on BBC4 - Crimes of Passion and 1864.

Haha - have just read that Sidse Babett Knudsen is on board for a forth series.

In about 10 years though! 

Cold feet.

So Christmas is done and we're in the strange lull up to new year.  I've been running the dogs a lot over the last week which has been good and cold! Last night racked up about 10 miles and couldn't feel my feet by the end of it. Note to self, thicker socks required for Norway!

I've been feeling a bit down about the adventure over the last week as it's taking an Age for everything to sort itself out. 

We sold the house ...  Yay.

We didn't sell the house .... Boo


There was a bit of panic to say the least when we got our buyer, with a sudden realisation that things were happening were happening and then when his sale fell through it went very flat and to be honest difficult to get remotivated.

However after last nights dog run and my morning hike up the hill with Bear ( we're babysitting Bear) to watch the sun rise I feel strangely optimistic ...   So much so I'm going to share our battle plans.  So here it is.

Surf spots, ski areas, houses we've looked at, houses we can afford and like .....

Let the invasion commence........... Just once I've found my socks....

It started with a minion.........

.....and so it was that despicable me (2) started our journey.


Last Sunday we were on our way out to the family showing of said film, when a car pulls up outside and an oldish chap and youngish woman step out and start walking towards next door. Me thinks, aye aye house viewing, and so a chain of events unfolds which starts making our adventure into reality!

For some reason (unknown to me still) I decided to what can only be described as rather 'yobishy' yelled "don't look at their place it's shit, ours is much nicer and cheaper!"  Now this was last Sunday.  Monday morning after much tidying and a bit paint touching up we had the first viewing. They then returned that evening and the next day a deal was struck. So it's now Friday, the solicitors are instructed and a moving set for the end of jan!

So provided this all goes according to plan, in less than 12 weeks we will be in rented accommodation, have relatively full bank account and be ready to push forward with our epic ( in your minds) adventure.

I've learnt 2 lessons this week;

No. 1. Having an idea is one thing but turning into reality sure is hard work. The chances are you might fail, feel bouts of nausea  and think wtf am I doing but I'd rather feel all those things then think what if

No.2. Don't leave bread out on the work top............it doesn't agree with a huskies internal workings.
2a don't show potential buyers around your house after bread has been consumed by said husky
2b especially don't allow potential buyers around the rear garden entrance without checking for doggit bombs first...........need I say more lol :)

Kath and I have sold houses  5 times before but for some reason we're both particular anxious,stressed-and  excited about this  one, can't imagine why...........

we finally made it.....

......well to hoddevik anyway.

Our recent trip to Norway in the summer certainly opened our eyes into what Norway has to offer in the summer months. We'll post more later about what we got up to, but despite the fact i spent the whole 10 days drugged up with some nasty infection it was an amazing experience with lots of travelling and as usual with Norway, jaw dropping drives and scenery. This photo is taken at the very northern tip of sogne og fjordan at the entrance to Hoddevika - Norwasy most famous surfing spot.. probably.

I say that, as it not only has a surf shop but I actually saw other surfers - in the sea and camping in the car park.

To that end, last week we had a rare evening out together at a Museum of British Surfing film night - the UK premier of North of the Sun. A Norwegian surfing movie following the lives of 2 young film school graduate surfers and their overwintering in a make shift cabin on a beach on northern Norway. if you get the chance watch it - it truly is a great reminder of a couple of very important things;

1 - that Norway is as beautiful as it looks - even when there is no snow
2 - enjoy life to the full
3 - play every day - whether thats surfing, hiking, building stuff
4 - always invite wandering Fins into your house,
5 - dont leave your wetsuit gloves outside
6  - be spontaneous........

on that note we still need to sell our house - arghhhhhhhhh, why is taking so long!, being spontaneous is difficult when money is involved .....

posted by jim - not kath :)