2013 - a year full of... cats?

I usually do this thing at the end of every year where I go through the events of the passed year. This year will not be an exception but seeing as I haven't written much this year nor done much else than sleep and work I'll just feed you a few anecdotes and pictures with captions. Enjoy. Or not.
Oh and if you're just looking for some of my favourite tv shows, films and books of the year skip to the end. Keep scrolling.

The beginnings of a new year...:

My old friend Torsten and I spent New Year's Day of 2013 together. He turned 17 this year and is still one of the most opinionated teenagers I've ever met. I'm hungover in the picture, I'm sure, but Torsten doesn't mind. It only guarantees him lots of cuddles. We love cuddles.

Spring's here:

I was a pink Yip Yip Martian for the Scnadinavian Sci-Fi, Game & Film Convention and got attack-hugged by a very happy Spiderman. I'm not sure how I ended up in this situation. Ok, I'm lying. It's all L's fault. He's in the blue Yip Yip costume. We were awesome.

All summer long:
Summer arrived late but it came in like a wrecking ball, ripping people's clothes off as it went. No, really. I love how the whole of Gothenburg acts whenever the sun comes out. All these half naked hipsters, punks, metalheads and rockers with their tattoos - eye candy galore.

I was in love with my piercing. And my hat. All the hipster in this picture is hurting my eyes.
I got back to enjoying handicrafts which delights me to no end because creating things is a great pleasure but hasn't held that kind of attraction to me in a long while.

So I completed things for my medieval outfits while I had the inspiration. Check out my purse! It's got tassels!

We crazy Swedes often enjoy our Midsummer's Eves with a large side of alcohol. Attending a party at a friend's place meant I was stealing his tiara at every chance I had. He's got the prettiest things. And the loveliest of shoes and glittery dresses.

Autumn is summer's end:
2013 was the year of my return to the Medieval Week on Gotland and it was much better than I could ever have imagined. On the first night after I had blatantly stolen a hat from one of the landsknecht, I picked up a Steampunk Pirate to share a nightly stroll with. Only later did I realise that the pirate and I could have advanced to a more horisontal position in my bunk but hey, I was having a hoot and a half nontheless. I returned the hat. I drank enough beer to drown a fish. On the last night I located and snogged a bearded knight with amazing hair. In all fairness, I must admit it to be a week to cherish in memory.

Here, have a picture of His Fluffyness Mus-Ingvar.

It was an unusually warm September. Lovely.

Oh, and I turned 25. Blergh.

Qwertee is my new favourite thing to throw money at. It speaks to me. Though I ask you to ignore the ring I'm wearing in the picture; I use it at work to scare off the creeps by pretending that I'm engaged (the feminist in me is crying over the fact that the only thing that can scare the creeps off is the potential threat of my fake partner). To everyone else it's a silver ring with the One Ring engraving.

L adopted a Maine Coon and after spending hours in shock over how fucking HUGE this feline creature is I couldn't stop petting him. He makes a great pillow.

We've reached the end - December:
A busy month for me. I got started on my new tattoo but with a great deal left for another sitting I'll rather not bore you with the details just yet. As you probably have already figured out I'm planning my next tattoo as I write. It might be painful to get a tattoo but there's nothing like the pleasure of having it done.
It was finally time for my return to Belfast. My friend L got to see Belfast in all its glory. Bombs and all. Yeah, I'm serious. We're the kind of freaks that enjoy visiting cathedrals so we went for a tour to St. Anne's Cathedral and later the same day a small bomb detonated nearby. Luckily we were happily drinking our tea back at the hostel at that point. I was pleased nontheless because my inner beer nerd was overjoyed with all the locally produced ale I poured down my gullet.

Back at the Parlour at last.

Once back I continued my life as usual but I was a pair of pink pig slippers and a Cookie Monster onesie richer.

In conclusion:

Happy New Year!

I move on with my life with my boy band haircut still in place, but with a larger library, a new piercing and more ink. 2013 held no greater surprises in my life and looking back at it I can't really find anything that stands out among all the rest. It was a bleak year to be quite honest and I make no resolutions or promises facing the next one. 2013 was in retrospect the year when nothing considerable changed.

But what about the films and books?
2013 wasn't even that much of an amazing cinema experince. Quite a lot of disappointments to be fair as I had waited a few years for some of the titles (Riddick, Kick-Ass 2, The Wolverine, Star Trek Into Darkness among others) but if I had to recommend you anything I'd tell you to give Now You See Me, Monster's University, The World's End, Iron Man 3 and Pacific Rim a chance. Like previously stated, nothing mind-blowingly awesome but entertaining at the least.
Even Doctor Who lost all of its charm and I have no fucks left to give about the fate of the Doctor now that Moffat has completely taken over the show. Sadly, nearly the same goes for my old favourites Supernatural and Sons of Anarchy - by now I'm just too invested in the characters to stop watching. The third season of Game of Thrones came and went. Instead of lingering on this misery, I watched and rewatched what there is of the second season of Elementary and welcomed Dracula with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Almost Human with Karl Urban and Michael Ealy to my weekly schedule. Sleepy Hollow was a fresh wind. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't. The instant success of Orange is the New Black was well deserved and I'm on pins and needles for the next season.
As we arrive at the subject of the books I've plowed through this past year, there are a couple of titles I'd like to give the praise they deserve: I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan, Hyperion by Dan Simmons and the Johannes Cabal series by Jonathan L. Howard. They're excellent if you like a good story with an unexpected ending.

Yeah. Basically.

There's no place like Home

Oh darlings!

It's good to be back but for some reason I say that with a heavy heart. While New York is an incredible city it wasn't the actual buildings or the billboards or whatnot that remain etched to my brain. It's who you see and meet. In stores, on the street, at the hostel and wherever else we went we met so many wonderful people. They say New Yorkers are an indifferent and heartless bunch but I beg to differ.
All in all, New York was good to me and my pale friend (except her camera broke and she caught a cold). I packed a jacket that I didn't use once. Actually, I never wore anything warmer than jeans and a t-shirt becuase of the amazing weather. More of that another day when I've looked through my camera.

Coming up soon: the thrilling "Riding with the Super Shuttle", "When Lina and Sofia Found Broadway" and "The Hunt For Forbidden Planet". Also coming up is the action-packed "What Nerds Do When Bored" and "Falling For Fragrances". Don't miss out!

Jitters

So.
In about 36 hours I'll be off to New York. I'm so nervous Jell-O's more solid than my legs.
I've been to NYC before and shouldn't be nervous. I'm almost packed.
I will not be sleeping until I'm on that goddamn plane.

Summer paradise

Dear dudes and dudettes, it seems to be summer outside and the winds are warm even up here in Sweden. We sure love the warmth up here! (Oh well, most of us at least.)

While doing the last of schoolwork for the semester I'm trying to consider what this summer will bring - it's the first time since 2004 that I will not attend Sweden's largest medieval festival The Medieval Week on Gotland. It feels a little strange but also it's like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Honestly, I'm relieved. I will not have to spend all of this summer with the anxiety and pressure that comes out of feeling like I have to create new outfits for this Week of Weeks since I always spend it dressed up. Last year I brought one set of clothes that looks like something created on this side of the millennia. Those were the clothes I wore while travelling there and back.
It's fantastic but this year I can do without it. I've also finally found a job that's not in eldercare. Where I live, it's the most common job for those of us without higher education (and those of us with some useless degree in, lets say, the humanities). Almost everyone I know has at some point had a job in nursing or eldercare. Weird, isn't it? "No education? Here, take care of our sick and elderly!" Not for me, not this summer.
It's also strange that I know absolutely nothing about what will happen after my trip to New York at the beginning of June. I usually plan everything. Now, I know nothing.

Wrong. I know one thing. I will enjoy this summer. 
I have to because I've fucking earned it.

Back to the Big Apple

In a little more than a month I'll be going back to New York City. Last time I didn't at all get my quota of nerdiness so I'll have to make sure to make the best of it this time.
Do I have a better reason than "I wanna" to go? Why, yes. Let me tell you...
It's been a decade since one of my closest friends and I got to know each other. We soon realized that we were like two peas in a pod. Great minds think alike and all that. Suffice it to say that we hit it off and now, ten years later, we're still friends despite some rough spots along the way and huge differences in personalities. So we decided to celebrate with a trip to the USA... At first, it was supposed to be Comic-Con but that didn’t work out. We didn't get any tickets. Lucky thing we had a back-up plan.
New York City - you beautiful bitch. I need to see you in all your splendour without a f-ing volcano ruining my cool. Last time I went to NYC was April 2010 - right when the volcanic eruption on Iceland grounded all air travel in most of Europe. I was lucky who got home.
The only thing I’m bitter about with this trip is that we’re leaving the city when New York Pride begins *insert irritated face here*. But, oh well.
Since the number of visitors to this blog has gone up considerably in the last months I’m asking all of You: what are the nerdiest things one can do in New York between the dates 8^th to 16^th of June? Or not so nerdy things too for that matter, I’m open to suggestions. Anything to do with comics (Marvel, DC, Darkhorse), books (Harry Potter, LotR, GoT and other) and scifi (Star Wars, Star Trek) is good.

The Hutt on: Commuting

I’m a commuter. I’m commuting to get to school. Bus. Tram. And back again. Takes about two hours one way. It’s cheaper than driving myself and I can sleep while on the road. And I don’t like rush hour traffic whether I’m on a bus or driving myself either way so...
Lately though, my fellow commuters have been bizarrely irritating. I’m OK with people who dress funny or act strange, I’m even OK with people listening to loud music which just happens to seep through their in-ear headphones because after all I can always block that out in one way or another. What bothers me are those around me that can’t keep track of their own body odours; women who bathe in vomitory perfumes or men who could do with that bath. Three weeks ago! Because I don’t keep a gasmask with me at all times. I don’t expect to be bombarded with somebody else’s personal stink. The way I see it it’s a common courtesy to not make the people around you want to vomit but then there’s always some arsehole with a differing opinion. They can keep that to themselves thank you very much.

Note to self: GET GASMASK.

Or I could just snap and go medieval on their asses with a cricket bat. It doesn't really matter to me.

The stuff's from London

Something I learnt all over again on this trip was: always know where your towel is. On the other hand, if we'd been hoopy froods who knew where their towels were we wouldn't have run into Bill Nighy by Piccadilly Circus. All's well that ends well.

Tea, Empire Magazine, that Simon Pegg book, X-Men comics, more tea, clothes including jeans and a tie, movies (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Hellboy II), a Totoro hat, a beanie, soap and other stuff from Lush, collphone jewellery, other jewellery... All in 3½ days. I'm that good.

Kungahälla regniga dagar

Har det någonsin varit en Kungahälla Medeltidsdagar då det INTE regnat hela helgen? Jag är helt ärligt tveksam till det. Gummistövlarnakom till idog användning. Leran stod upp till låren. Jag har åter lärt mig konststycket att gå på Bajamaja med blöt långklänning.

Fredag: mulet, kvavt, varmt med sporadiskt regn. Lördag: mulet, varmt med sporadiskt skyfall. Söndag: mulet, kallt, blåsigt, småregnigt så till den grad att vi gav upp och åkte hem. Men vi hann med lite grann innan dess: eldshow, marknad, sagor/teater, dans på borden, brända mandlar, barnslighet, öl, konserter, mycket skitprat och skratt - allt det bra.

Tack Lina! Du är fortfarande bäst som bokade vandrarhemmet!

Jag lyckades ändå få ihop ett hårnät till Kungahälla-festivalen som jag definitivt kommer att få dekorera. Det ser jäkligt tråkigt ut just nu men vad gör man när man inte har något kul att dekorera med?

Lördag kväll arrangerades en välgörenhetsgala för Friends emot mobbning. Väldigt känslosamt, väldigt lyckat. Vi tände självklart också ett ljus för Norges döda. Sen auktionerade de ut Niklas' kläder. Alla hans kläder. ALLA.

Hade vädret varit bättre hade det troligen varit roligare. Hade det inte varit helgen före löning hade det varit ännu roligare. Hade människan i info-boden vetat vad som stod i programmet hade det varit superbra. Ändå tyckte jag att det var en värdig förfest till Medeltidsveckan.
Om 12 dagar drar vi till Visby, Gotland.
Mera Medeltid! ...och lite Jessica såklart.

P.S. Börjar känna lite saknad tillbaka till Kalmar-helvetet. Inte staden. Bara det lösa folk man hade där.
Fia, kan du inte komma till Visby också?!

Wellingtons

Jag vet att det kommer att regna i Kungälv i helgen när det är Kungahälla Medeltidsdagar på Bohus Fästning (mest eftersom det gör det VARJE år och därefter lite för att alla vädersidor säger det) så jag har köpt nya snygga gummistövlar ("Wildflower - Cayenne High"; se nedan). Jag är ungefär 90% säker på att de kommer att fungera utmärkt i en blöt och hal stenfästning. De där sista 10% osäkerhet är för att de är tajta i skaften men har man klänning eller kjol spelar ju inte det någon roll att man inte får i byxorna i stövlarna.

Tog beslutet att köpa helgpass till helgen - man sparar lite på det. TRiX har eldshow på fredagkvällen och vandrarhemmet är bokat till på söndag = vi har en del att göra = AWESOME.

Efter det är det två veckor kvar till Medeltidsveckan på Gotland så Kungahälla fungerar som förfest. Antingen kommer jag redan vara trött på medeltid då och hänga med Jessica i secondhand-butiker/fik istället eller så är jag taggad till tusen.

Jag fick frågan häromdagen (igen) varför jag tycker att det är så roligt att åka till Medeltidsveckan. Ja, varför är festivaler så roligt? För att man träffar drivor av trevliga människor? För att musiken är bra, maten är god och tempot lugnt? Eller helt enkelt för att stämningen är så feel-good att man inte vill åka hem igen? Det kan ligga något i det.

Men i år SKA (!) jag sluta var så lat och gå på Dick Harrisons föreläsningar på Sävesalen.

Jag hittade för övrigt en jättebra sida som staplar upp alla årets vikinga- och medeltidsmarknader/-festivaler. Den är sjukt användbar om man gillar att testa marknader i andra länder också. England's Medieval Festival vid Herstmonceux någon gång kanske? Lockande.

----
Edit 16-09-2011:
Eftersom någon frågade så ska jag berätta att jag köpte stövlarna på Scorett Outlet i Gällstad. Just det.

Eben Brooks

Here's another one of those musical comedians that I find funny. His name is Eben Brooks and is behind masterpieces like "It's the End of the 'Verse as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)" and one of my favourites "Hey There Cthulhu" .



Speaking of musical comedians, I'm going to see Stephen Lynch together with a friend in June. Awesomes if anything.

Under pressure

I’ve been terrified of my blog since Valentine’s when I logged in and glanced at my visitor stats. They were quickly racing skywards at five times the speed of before. Since that I haven’t dared to write anything. People might expect something witty and I’m just not capable of that. Being crushed underneath your self-made expectations is the worst a person could ever suffer from. It’s also very common.

But let us leave that and focus on art instead. I’m going to mention Diablo III.



No, I’ll spare you a dive into yet another rant about the dawdlers of Blizzard but instead I’ll hand you a link to what Diablo III could have looked like. Judging from what I see and what I can read, it looked much like Diablo II and since that’s not what the fans wish for it had to be altered. All honour to Diablo II but it needs more than a touch of make-up to be pretty and interesting again. 3D and more flashing dabs of colour might be exactly what’s needed. Also, there’s “hope” that Blizzard releases Diablo III later this year. For their sake, I hope that particular piece of info is correct.

It’s less than a week until The Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention in Gothenburg and for the first time I’ll be there both days of the duration of the convention (leaving time to see friends I haven't seen in ages) because for the first time since I started going in 2008 I’ll get my salary before and not after the convention. Double awesome.

Btw, boiling water is hot and steam is hotter. Two of my fingers on my right hand are scalded and (was) blistered (before they popped). Right now, my anger isn’t about that it happened at all or that it’s constantly stinging but that it’s my right hand and not the left. I could have lived with it if it had only been my left hand. My right hand is too valuable for this.

And btw2, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is an awesome (and hilarious) movie. See it.



Notice that Edgar Wright who also directed the tv-series Spaced and the movies Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead is directing this. Amazing man.

The year that was 2010

What THE F**K happened?
Since when does time move in such an extreme velocity? Another year's at its end and though I've got older I can't say that this year's brought wisdom. At least not the kind I can use.

Best of 2010:
*I got pierced. Again. Just as much fun every time despite the fact that half of the piercings I've had done haven't healed well or at all and had to be taken out. The interesting ones are still there though. I wonder - what's next in turn?
*Once again visited Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game & Film Convention in Gothenburg. Stormtroopers and nerdiness galore! See you there in February?
*I was actually in New York City, USA. For real and not just through Woody Allen's distorted camera lense.
*I bought my Akira Kurosawa box. 17 Japanese masterpieces in one box. My life-long obsession was finally put to rest. Somewhat. I'm still missing a few Kurosawa epics.
*Visited Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival. Now that's an experience you can taste!
*One of the last things of the year was buying the Queer as Folk complete series boxed set. No need for more explaination.
*I discovered Sebastian Horsley. No need for explaination in this case either - just read Dandy in the Underworld and see for yourself.

...and then it's high time for some bitching, people, I give you:

Worst of 2010:
*I moved away from Kalmar and with it - the gym. Moving away from the city isn't half as bad as moving away from the gym but moving from the gym isn't half as bad as moving from the people. When they still liked me that is. This one is a bit two-sided.
*Due to too much stupidity collected in one skull, I didn't manage to graduate and get my University degree.
*I didn't expand my tattoo even though I would very much like to. I wonder what else I'm too lazy/chicken shit to do?
*I seem to have fucked up so many friendships I barely have any left. I think I might actually have a problem with my brain being missing. It might be an empathic problem as well.
*The bastards of Blizzard didn't release Diablo III.

For 2011:
We'll just have to see what the next year will bring. Hopefully, it'll be some old friends meeting anew, new friends getting together, tattoos, books, tea, movies, laughter, picnics, sci-fi, fantasy but mostly, I hope for lots of love.

STHLM

I came, I saw, I drank a shitload of beer.
Now that's a good summary of a friday night well spent in good company at the Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival of which I've already informed you (see the post: "Love Hurts"). It was amazing but got more than a little strange when I tried a beer tasting like cherries...

Beside that, I met Nee-san and her man and marvelled over how two people and a dog can live in a hut... sorry, cottage... no, house, as small as theirs. It obviously works for them. Despite the tiny space available I didn't really feel like leaving their valued company. There's nothing like eating breakfast with those two; it has never been cherished that way in any household I've ever had the pleasure of visiting.
Also met people whom I've grown to love over the years as we've met only once every August for The Medieval Week on Gotland. We ate great food (thank you Nee-san for the mushrooms), drank quite a bit of wine and talked until three in the morning. It's been a while since I did that without noticing.

Stockholm's still one of those places I need time to explore. I will definitely return. If not only to investigate more cafés...

No pictures. I didn't forget the camera. I forgot the batteries.

Love hurts

Call me a total sap but I've just recently realised that love actually does hurt. What hurts the most is that I, as it is at the moment, can't do anything about it. It should be pissing me off but instead I feel empty and tired to the bone.

Anyway, back to business, I hope that the upcoming weekend of Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival can cheer me up. My sister'll pay for my admission though I'll have to pay for my own beer... Oh well. I think I can live with that. First, I'll have to survive commuter trains and subways but if I handled N.Y.C. traffic with ease, I'll surely manage this as well.

I read up on some of my favourite actors today and I just want to point out that Liam Neeson and I have both attended Queen's University in Belfast. Yeah, that's pride.

And I must be more bored than I imagined since I keep looking for ideas for tattoos and piercings everywhere I go... Suggestions?

Scheisse

Jag får kanske erkänna att jag är en ganska lätt uppstressad över detaljer och saker som kan gå fel. Gubben Murphy som menade att det som kan gå åt helvete kommer att göra det bor tyvärr djupt inrotad i min hjärna.
Så igår när jag strax efter 21:00 bestämde mig för att boka mina Stockholmsbiljetter kunde jag nästan höra hur Murphy krälade fram från sitt mörka hörn och vred på kallsvetten. En kombo av dåligt internet, nerver och dåligt uppbyggd hemsida gjorde att jag 22:30 fortfarande inte hade lyckats fixa några biljetter. Det tog mig 1 timme att somna efter att jag insåg att jag var tvungen att gå upp 05:30 dagen efter (idag) för att jobba och att jag dessutom var mer förbannad än nervös.

Nu har jag biljetterna.

Kommande helg

Det är inte konstigt att man blir lite trött: mellan fredag 16:00 och söndag 21:15 kommer jag att jobba 27 timmar så jag hoppas för er allas skull att ni inte ringer och frågar vad jag gör. Just nu har jag dessutom en jäkla träningsvärk pga av min överdrivna entusiasm på gymmet igår morses (jag förnekar fortfarande å det grövsta att jag har lite ont i halsen, jag tar tag i det när jag har tid, alltså nästa månad). Inte nog med det så fick jag äntligen tummen ur röven och åkte till RFSL's ungdomscafé igår kväll och hade trevligt bland flator och discobögar.

Vad mer? Jo! Kommer ni ihåg Moo-Pa's brillor som jag hittade bortglömda i en skrivbordslåda?

De är numera inlämnade för reparation och justering till mitt enorma, hej jävlar, synfel. Kan ju tillägga att ett par bågar som ser ut precis som Moo-Pa's gamla kostar mellan 1400 och 4500 + glaskostnader hos optikerkedjorna. Tji fick de. Är man nörd så ska man se ut som en också. Roligast för tillfället är gymnördarna som så innerligt tror på att de inte är det minsta nördiga när de rabblar upp muskelgrupp efter muskelgrupp varje gång man nämner något om träning...

Expect away

Vet inte om gult verkligen är min färg, har en viss känsla av malplacering i just den färgen, men nu är klänningen gul och svart i alla fall. Bitter erfarenhet säger att någon kan missta mig för ett Elfsborgsmiffo men det får jag väl ta. Den sitter väldigt bra och det är väl typiskt att jag kom igång och var kreativ strax innan jag drar iväg. Men det är som vanligt - jag är för jäkla seg för mitt eget bästa.
Det här blir för övrigt tredje natten som jag kanske inte får sova hela natten på grund av avgrundshostan från helvetet. Ryktet säger att jag kommer få hosta i ett par veckor aka I'm NOT amused.
På söndag är det i vart fall dags för årets "Avgång: Gotland".

Seg

3 dagar kvar till medeltiden. En ny klänning på gång, får se om den blir klar. Väskan packad? Eeeeh... Nej? Dags kanske. Har ju en del att ta tag i innan jag åker. Förutom att packa väskan och ladda mp3'n.

Nedräkning

5 dagar kvar till medeltiden.
Men framförallt till möten med vänner man bara ser en gång om året och staden med ringmuren:

Visby ♥

Synd att man ska må så förbannat dåligt när man är sjuk. Har haft en sån där 2-dagarsförkylning med hög feber, hosta och ont i leder och huvud. Nu ska bara hostan bort också. Och mer kläder ska sys. Och väskan ska packas.

Ah, shit.

The End

Nu äntligen är det slut på husvaktandet och inatt kommer Moo-Ma och Moo-Pa hem från stenarna i Britannien igen. Alltså kan jag med gott samvete hålla mig borta från huset igen och bosätta mig på ett fik den lilla tid som jag inte jobbar.
Funderar dock på hur lång tid det tog för Moo-Pa att övertala druiderna vid Stonehenge att han inte själv brukar klä sig i vit särk och utföra riter runt sommarsolståndet. Ibland kan man ju undra...
Slut är det också med träningsvärken som jag har fått lida utav i två dagar efter min kvart(!) på hästryggen. Då var det alltså dags igen imorgon då.

Midsommar behöver vi inte ens nämna i andra ordalag än att småbarnsföräldrar är beundransvärda, jag är fortfarande inte ett dugg intresserad av barn och mat är gott (speciellt i bra sällskap och ännu mer i rätt mängd).

Men nu ska jag och fluffet Mus-Ingvar tamejtusan mysa en stund.

Om han inte bestämmer sig för att det är skitkul att leka med mina nycklar klockan 04 på morgonen igen vill säga. Då kan Mus-Ingvar plötsligt flyga, häftigt va?