tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76772745660735375902024-03-18T22:01:05.595-07:00SmorgasbordShannon and Jeff's adventures in Swedenshannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-66642758158612522592009-05-05T09:51:00.001-07:002009-05-05T09:56:27.126-07:00our 3 pound meatball?!we had our 28 week ultrasound today. the bad new is: no pictures. they just wanted to measure all of his mini-parts to see how he's growing. the good new is: he's still perfect.<br /><br />the doc estimated his weight at this point to be 1.4 kilos (3 lbs)! that's quite a bit more than i expected at 28 weeks. i'm hoping that the timing is off and he's older... or he's gonna be one big baby! all of his measurements were in the "maximum" range, so we'll see...<br /><br />we'll have our next ultrasound on june 9th... stay tuned.<br /><br />grow baby, grow!shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-40144906008037862552009-05-03T02:06:00.000-07:002009-05-03T02:19:18.871-07:00anniversaries, babies, and the acropolisso for our fourth anniversary, we decided to go to Rhodes, Greece... of the the Greek islands in the Agean sea. it's just south of Turkey, in fact, we could see the mountains of Turkey from our hotel.<br /><br />this is also our last trip before baby zac's arrival in july. i'm now 7 months pregnant, and we feel it's safer to stick around home from this point on.<br /><br />our hotel was okay, but the pools were incredible. and the views of the agean sea and the turkish mountains was amazing. it was very windy on our side of the island, which made it a bit cooler in the day. we got some great restaurant recommendations, and had some great meals. the feta and olives were amazing, and jeff fully enjoyed the Mythos beer.<br /><br />we went into the old walled town of Rhodes one afternoon, and did some shopping and had dinner. we picked up some fun mother's day gifts. we had dinner at a restaurant where jeff had a boot beer... you'll have to see the pics to believe it. it was hilarious watching him trying to drink it. at the end the waiter brought him some kind of greek liquor shot, and jeff was pretty loaded by the time we headed home. we also had some delicious backlava with ice cream. the town dates back to 2nd century B.C. and the wall was added in the mideveal period by a group of knights who had taken over the city.<br /><br />another afternoon we took a bus into the town of Lindos, on the other side of the island (thankfully, it wasn't as windy on that side). the ride was neat, we saw lots of rams and goats roaming the hillsides, and lots of breathtaking views of cliffs and the sea.<br /><br />the town of Lindos is very picturesque, with white buildings and the acropolis at the top of a huge hill. the only way up is on foot, or by donkey. some of the donkey's would protest if the didn't want to make the climb, it was very funny to watch. jeff and i climbed to the top ourselves. the views of the acropolis were increcible, and the views of the town from the acropolis were equally impressive. we did a bit more shopping, picking up some ceramics and a painting for ourselves.<br /><br />enjoy the pics!shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-81922718528658290232009-04-14T05:51:00.000-07:002009-04-14T06:32:44.121-07:00easter in gothenburgwe were invited by Lars and Ebba (lars is an old college friend of jeff's... he's from here in gothenburg) to their house on the lake for and easter smorgasbord. the table was beautiful and the food was great. there were some traditional swedish holiday foods (herring and meatballs) and lots of other great things. the quiche (they call it 'paj' pronounced 'pie') was exceptional. but nothing beat the company. Lars and Ebba are great, and we look forward to spending more time with them.<br /><br />we learned a lot about the swedish easter traditions. easter is not a religious holiday in sweden. it is customary to have friday and monday off work, and most stores are closed during this time. many swedes have summer homes, and easter weekend is traditionally the first trip to them. the holiday weekend starts on thursday, when the kids dress up like witches and go door-to-door exchanging homemade cards for candy. (sounds a bit like halloween, huh?). the legend is that all of the witches went to hell on that day. the big family feast is on saturday, easter eve, not on sunday. the big feast will feature typical swedish holiday foods, and schnapps. check out the pics!shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-82200211591474667512009-04-14T05:29:00.000-07:002009-04-14T05:38:49.947-07:00friends, food, shopping and one crazy hailstormwe had our first trip home (to the U.S.) from march 25th thru april 5th. it was one of our top 5 fave trips. we got to spend a night in philly, and i said good-bye to my cardiologist. (once we move to north carolina, i'll have a new one). we celebrated 40 years of antonio, saw all the mack kids, and spent some time catching up with chris and anna-lena. the millers provided deluxe, all-inclusive accomodations... as well as some good laughs. we really miss them. baby ben entertained us at breakfast with the woodruffs, and we met the people who bought our old house. a dear friend from NYC came to visit, and altough it was too short, i really appreciated seeing her. we ate all our favorite foods, shopped till we dropped for baby zac, and watched my belly grow by the day. there was an incredible hailstorm one night, golfball size hail! some beautiful weather and some bad, but nothing could have dampened our spirits... we realized how great we had it and enjoyed living our old life for the week.shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-73275320090702897602009-03-10T08:38:00.000-07:002009-03-10T08:52:58.170-07:00Barcelona and Baby Boys<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0HML9L1GZa_YkByOt3uEzRj32GLPIvolyy0gAdbMtFWaso0SfJ-YFWcB1xI1xo_D6U8ggpEc2cAU0WhEmlGbUTzWl1fhpyi3kA2beHeF6lYhwZNKhwb8F5Xqs5246HEo0RV1dsz745s/s1600-h/19+weeks+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0HML9L1GZa_YkByOt3uEzRj32GLPIvolyy0gAdbMtFWaso0SfJ-YFWcB1xI1xo_D6U8ggpEc2cAU0WhEmlGbUTzWl1fhpyi3kA2beHeF6lYhwZNKhwb8F5Xqs5246HEo0RV1dsz745s/s400/19+weeks+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311587643630962194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv616YN7-KVJp_XAd4u9_DAYfnAjFdQ8jNEkX26PfL9c92gwKSOy6A2IwNMSK0-d9MIn7ovLjTyHX1_0JIHoAkACBoJ5Sfg86G8Z3s64H2tIGtU07C8JKCJO8JUe7a7RwZlGUXPa_oiQA/s1600-h/zack+two.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 356px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv616YN7-KVJp_XAd4u9_DAYfnAjFdQ8jNEkX26PfL9c92gwKSOy6A2IwNMSK0-d9MIn7ovLjTyHX1_0JIHoAkACBoJ5Sfg86G8Z3s64H2tIGtU07C8JKCJO8JUe7a7RwZlGUXPa_oiQA/s400/zack+two.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311587642214840098" border="0" /></a><br />so many of you know, we managed to get to Barcelona, Spain for Jeff's 33rd birthday. we spent 4 days in a fabulous hotel near Playa Catalunya. the weather for the first 2 days was incredible... it was such a treat to leave the airport and start peeling off the layers. the first full day in barcelona we spent most of the day even without jackets. quite a nice break from the grey, cold gothenburg winter. the last 2 days were much cooler, and misty (even though there was only a 10% chance of rain.)<br /><br />we did a bus tour, saw lots of the city sights, and ate LOTS AND LOTS of tapas. yum, yum, yum. for jeff's birthday dinner we went to a nice tapas restaurant. tapas (i think) translates to "small plates". the tapas menus had around 80 items to choose from, and most people choose 3 tapas. they come as appetizer portions on small plates, and in courses. they also have tapas dessert menus. there are some pics of our tapas plates in the slideshow.<br /><br />the highlights were LA PADRERA, one of architecht Gaudi's apartment buildings. if tim burton and dr. suess had a child, and that child grew to become an architect, it would be Gaudi. he's famous for organic curves, and no straight lines. at the top of the building is an amazing sculpture garden with great views of the city. we also made a trip to LA SAGRIDA FAMILIA, a church started by Gaudi, and still under construction. unfortunately, we got there too late to go in, but the outside is incredible. i've never seen a church so big! the third big thing we saw was LAS RAMBLAS. it's a shopping street that leads to the harbor, and it's full of very "colorful people". people selling everything from birds to artwork on the streets. also lots of street performers. the noisiest spot was definately the drag parlor. so fun.<br /><br />when we got back, we had our mid-pregnancy ultrasound. the pediatric cardiologist checked the babies heart and found that it is perfectly normal. great news! the dr. performing the rest of the ultrasound also said that the rest of the baby's anatomy looks absolutely perfect. the biggest news: IT'S A BOY!!!! we're mid-way thru the pregnancy now, and can't wait to meet our son.shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-90206270133138685942009-02-18T06:41:00.000-08:002009-02-18T06:47:06.583-08:00my first international heart check-upso as a precaution for my pregnancy, i was referred to a achd (here they call them GUCH - grown ups with congential heart defects) card for a 17 week check-up. he did an ekg and an echo, and all looks great. my heart is responding well to the pregnancy and my new valve doesn't seem to be affected at all.<br /><br />he will see me again at 30 weeks, and at that point he, my high-risk OB, and an anesthesiologist will meet to discuss how to proceed with labor and delivery. the good news is that my heart condition will not likely be any concern. other than a big fat dose of antibiotics, but hey - who am i to complain? my shortness of breath, dizzy spells and arrythymias are just pregnancy issues, not heart issues. great news.<br /><br />the truly amazing thing is the socialized healthcare system that is in place in sweden. i've heard many things about how difficult socialized systems can be, but from my experience, it's some of the best care i've ever recieved... and it's free!<br /><br />you don't get to choose your docs, you're just assigned to your neighboor hood clinics unless you need to see a specialist. but i get notices in the mail for my appt times and where to be, and that's it. i show up, get great care, and leave. it's all extremely efficient. for some specialists (achd included) there is a $10 copay. however, no patient can pay more than $100 in copays per year. so if you hit that max, then even your specialist copays are free.<br /><br />this turned into a bit of a rant, but when are we going to get our heads our of our asses in the U.S. and offer this kind of care to EVERYONE?! FOR FREE!!!!<br /><br />anyway, we have an ultrasound with a pediatric cardiologist in 2 weeks to make sure the baby's heart is developing normally... but other than that i've had a very uneventful pregnancy so far. we also have a normal mid-pregnancy ultrasound that week, and we're hoping to find out if we're having a Zack or a Zoe.<br /><br />OH! and i'm starting to feel our little peanut moving. a little everyday. so cool!shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-82990928985567595812009-02-03T02:57:00.000-08:002009-02-03T03:18:28.203-08:00Shannon's BirthdayWhat a great birthday I had! The day started w/jeff cleaning the apt. for me before i got up... neat. Then i made myself waffles in my new waffle maker and headed out to lunch. I met my trainer Charlotte for lunch at my favorite lunch spot, Condecco. She bought be a beautiful carrot cake from one of the local bakeries.<br /><br />After a nap, Jeff and i headed to the Pasta Haus, a really yummy pasta place near us. when we got there, our friends Valby, Gustav and Lena were already there. Jeff had surprised me... i thought it was just going to be the two of us. After a great meal, we all headed back to our place for carrot cake and tea.<br /><br />Valby, Gustav and Lena sang happy birthday in swedish and added their "hoorah, hoorah, hoorah" at the end. It was very charming... thanks guys!<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy_t4zTXIch7GqFwWtNg_KMxhdqRX3qmuaXrLwBFN9QgjVxr0ga2-n4-ha_gyPWKJhYiufGxmlI5COWuY4iYg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-17986229627086886882009-02-03T02:35:00.000-08:002009-02-03T02:53:30.406-08:00Copenhagen, DenmarkFinally, a new blog post! it's been a while and we've got a few things to post now. We went to Copenhagen for 4 days just after the new year. It was freezing!!!!! But it was also very beautiful. We ate at a lot of brewpubs, which jeff liked, and overall we found there to be a great selection of food choices.<br /><br />Our hotel was fabulous, and very close to Central Station (we took the train from Gothenburg... approx. 4 hours). Taking the train was great, we enjoyed it much more than air travel. we were able to book 1st class seats, because for some reason, they were cheaper than 2nd class. we had 4 seats and a table, and it only cost us about $200 for both of us.<br /><br />We didn't hit many of the tourist stops, we mainly did a lot of shopping. everything is copenhagen is expensive! food, clothes, etc. one day we travelled to the geological muesum and the art muesum. we really liked the art museum, especially the sculpture hall. on the way back, we stopped at a castle, unfortunately, we had missed the opening hours. i believe the castle is still in use, because there were very heavily armed military guards walking the grounds. the interesting thing about this castle was that is actually had a moat! i didn't think those really existed. We also stopped to see the original "little mermaid." we got lost trying to find her, and froze for a while before we did. it was worth the trouble...<br /><br />anyway, enjoy the pics!shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-42593086295877033572008-12-31T15:55:00.000-08:002008-12-31T15:57:40.958-08:009 weeks and 5 days<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92SREkxUYI7Du7cxVorV5VOwCR-tbiTgvw8H0W5UEXZ_Y_WEX0eA4tJmY1-qM4g3uUIAU9LCZoaAcqXXREn7Tcofoer1gk5CECoC0PPgSv1oF4EmQuPLgiL8UNAH7QTrIdM27KGaz7PQ/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92SREkxUYI7Du7cxVorV5VOwCR-tbiTgvw8H0W5UEXZ_Y_WEX0eA4tJmY1-qM4g3uUIAU9LCZoaAcqXXREn7Tcofoer1gk5CECoC0PPgSv1oF4EmQuPLgiL8UNAH7QTrIdM27KGaz7PQ/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286107144474271506" border="0" /></a><br />okay, i'm a sap. but i can't help it. we got to see our baby for the 1st time at our dr. appt. on monday, and i just had to share our peanut with the world. 9 weeks and 5 days at that point. he did a little one-two punch-kick combo while we were watching, but we weren't able to catch it on the image. amazing stuff. can you make out his head, hands and feet?shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-55396320818126147042008-12-16T12:26:00.000-08:002008-12-16T12:30:10.581-08:00DublinLOVED DUBLIN!!! in a really wierd way<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>it felt a lot like the united states. maybe because everyone spoke english and everything was written in english. either way, a really nice trip. we found the irish people to be incredibly charming and friendly. they seemed to go out of your way to help you if you needed it.<br /><br />the highlight of the trip for jeff was the Guiness brewery. the tour was really well designed, and we both enjoyed it. the highlight of the trip for me was visiting Malahide Castle. i've never seen anything like it. we both agree the the crypt under christ church cathedral was a very close second. you just seemed to step back 1000 years. i've only ever seen anything like it in museums.<br /><br />enjoy the pics!shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-31082488338716213402008-11-29T02:04:00.000-08:002008-11-29T02:24:25.447-08:00An American thanksgiving in Gothenburg!we did it! we were able to find a turkey at Saluhalen (the farmer's market) and even cranberry sauce and canned pumpkin. we worked all day to pull it together, and we were able to finish cooking just as our friends arrived.<br /><br />we invited Gustav and Lena (from here in Gothenburg), and Valby (from the Netherlands). none of them had ever experienced Thanksgiving before, and it was fun to see them try stuffing and pumpkin pie for the first time.<br /><br />We recieved and email from Gustav on Saturday saying that he is finally hungry again ;). Overall, it was an awesome experience to be able to recognize our own holiday, and share it with so many friends. This year we are definately thankful that we've been able to make friends here so quickly. Later in the evening we were able to speak to (and see) our families back home on skype.<br /><br />We've been invited to Gustav and Lena's place on Sunday for the first sunday in Advent, a swedish holiday celebration that recognizes the coming of Christmas. We'll have GLOGG (a swedish mulled wine) and PEPPERKAKA (gingerbread cookies). Stay tuned for pics....shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-86826823642629367402008-11-23T11:48:00.000-08:002008-11-23T11:50:30.585-08:00new pics!check out our new pics: our life in gothenburg, the move, and saying goodbye! all is well here in sweden. it was -7 C here today... brrr! jeff is FINALLY over his food-poisoning. we're getting more of our things unpacked and it's feeling more like home all the time. we've gotten almose everyone on SKYPE, so we've been able to chat quite a bit with our families and friends. we're hosting a thanksgiving dinner here on thursday for some of our swedish friends. stay tuned for more pics!shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-89598658247772042282008-11-09T08:18:00.000-08:002008-11-09T08:32:11.043-08:00let's go to the movies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTkmuNjYtbVLoAZq7wn3Lvd-tGAFcDkRBGyuRt0aScUCnGukhpEteQUPLHdMoN3z2zLEQVC1KzWNiSB0pdoWG-Cg5Qsf14NnjqQX8ljJ9QUYq4A_wI_6kB3sqJwc6-EiXKdu22ik0bWg/s1600-h/seat+chart.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 347px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTkmuNjYtbVLoAZq7wn3Lvd-tGAFcDkRBGyuRt0aScUCnGukhpEteQUPLHdMoN3z2zLEQVC1KzWNiSB0pdoWG-Cg5Qsf14NnjqQX8ljJ9QUYq4A_wI_6kB3sqJwc6-EiXKdu22ik0bWg/s400/seat+chart.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266695769011587042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfG0EdSmQGMaL8K5mSx0b4fxcrStOQhq6Z3Wr74kCFKIa7Td8tUdANyJbJ6_CESG6nd8hP2_Q6hwAl3OSnXnjQgUAtDl-BrlmKxktvkok558Mhhd7bjgzgSVgU_okeIEvK4Za-I06i_o/s1600-h/bioplatset.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 110px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfG0EdSmQGMaL8K5mSx0b4fxcrStOQhq6Z3Wr74kCFKIa7Td8tUdANyJbJ6_CESG6nd8hP2_Q6hwAl3OSnXnjQgUAtDl-BrlmKxktvkok558Mhhd7bjgzgSVgU_okeIEvK4Za-I06i_o/s400/bioplatset.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266695769445561938" border="0" /></a><br />so jeff is finally feeling well enough to get out of the apartment. we decided on friday (even though he was still a bit sick) to get out and see "burn after reading", which just opened here this weekend. after a google search, i found local movie times, and after a 20 minute tram ride, we arrived at the theater.<br /><br />in true swedish fashion, everything was confusing. we finally realized that you had to buy your tickets at the concession stand. they were a bit more expensive than in the U.S. (approx $12 per ticket), but the drinks and snacks are quite a bit cheaper. when we got to the counter, and asked for 2 tix to the show, she asked us which seats we'd like. a bit strange, when you buy your tix, you chose your specific seats, like at a concert.<br /><br />today we went to see the new bond movie "quantum of solace" at the other theater near here. this time we figured out how to buy our tickets in advance online, and ended up getting some pretty decent seats. once we got to the theater, there is a kiosk where you just swipe your card if you purchased online, and it prints out your tickets. a bit annoying to have to chose seats if you get to the theater late, but buying them online and choosing seats works out well. you don't have to worry about getting there too late and having to sit in the front row!<br /><br />one pic is of the bioplatset (the movie theater closest to us) and the second pic is the screen where you get to pick your seats. the red seats are already taken, the gray seats are still available. you click which seats you want and off you go.shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-34329984001270987372008-11-07T12:47:00.000-08:002008-11-07T12:59:52.855-08:00socialized healthcareso thanks to jeff's recent and ongoing bout with food poisioning, we had our first experience with sweden's socialized healthcare system. there is a local doctor's clinic about 5 blocks from our apartment. he's been sick since last monday, so he decided that our home remedies weren't working, and off we went. we walked in, grabbed a number, and expected to settle in for a long wait. after all, it's socialized medicine right? we've been taught to believe in the U.S. that it means long lines and substandard care. not so! within 5 minutes of arrival we were sitting with a triage nurse, and sent to sit in the waiting room. within 5 more minutes, we were in the exam room. the doc then sent him for some tests, just down the hall. again, about a 5 minute wait and they called him back for his labs. 5 more minutes and we were right back in the exam room. the entire visit took approx. 45 minutes, and cost 200 crown (approx $25). NO ADDITIONAL BILLS! we were never even asked for an insurance card, just for his personallnumber (the equivalent of our social security number.. and you're "official" swedish ID). the clinic is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is a walk-in clinic. no matter your illness, time of day, or required tests, the charge is only 200 crown. overall, it was a very pleasant (and inexpensive) experience.shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-35664977326993540992008-11-05T12:22:00.000-08:002008-11-05T12:29:01.625-08:00proud to be an american<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELaA1IjyCUXyvwBETPGdmFlx6u5c_e2YTwlKPBSAuB8uvYhA5IeY9PY2-EUccwog4FVWD0DdaA4ivt0s-ImgT9eWeR-poCWjRbO0mtqr4yNMILdMX_UmRJq2Kh_Xt_iCgfvd_QA-gTOU/s1600-h/obama+poster.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELaA1IjyCUXyvwBETPGdmFlx6u5c_e2YTwlKPBSAuB8uvYhA5IeY9PY2-EUccwog4FVWD0DdaA4ivt0s-ImgT9eWeR-poCWjRbO0mtqr4yNMILdMX_UmRJq2Kh_Xt_iCgfvd_QA-gTOU/s400/obama+poster.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265272772354562066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4SbWW2GXhdtkXKgFru0peDgRPVW06HVUkLuvEbh9lUoUM9c0eDjwFM3W-8mZOPOJyLfMZun2wktATNyzg9RbNGS4U6pP4sAIs5XM7ooqNitzG-fWuMed1fTaLc9iE6jobN6Mf8eeHdo/s1600-h/obama+newspaper+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4SbWW2GXhdtkXKgFru0peDgRPVW06HVUkLuvEbh9lUoUM9c0eDjwFM3W-8mZOPOJyLfMZun2wktATNyzg9RbNGS4U6pP4sAIs5XM7ooqNitzG-fWuMed1fTaLc9iE6jobN6Mf8eeHdo/s400/obama+newspaper+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265272528455685682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvH8XW9HxZOx-I2gGi272qRJWJD0DbIRnss3xbdfGYTac_MBoUQnvH2qpnD5mqhrr2pbpJWgz3L1M8-hXW4KcqQBR4hPP-RnD9BUkiDRjPcLnHuFSAzJ-iIViAWHNDn8DyVBZPSO4DiuI/s1600-h/obama+newspaper+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvH8XW9HxZOx-I2gGi272qRJWJD0DbIRnss3xbdfGYTac_MBoUQnvH2qpnD5mqhrr2pbpJWgz3L1M8-hXW4KcqQBR4hPP-RnD9BUkiDRjPcLnHuFSAzJ-iIViAWHNDn8DyVBZPSO4DiuI/s400/obama+newspaper+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265272525299819362" border="0" /></a><br /><br />just a taste of sweden's reaction to the big news in the U.S... the first image is a poster that was posted on the kiosk outside our building. it was posted on november 3rd ;), the last two images are local newspapers.shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-71024464319372951942008-10-29T12:37:00.000-07:002008-10-29T12:54:35.719-07:00stockholm... chapter 2had dinner with mikal and his friend clara. tack se mycket pa middag, mikal! super fun thai/japanese place with DYSON hand dryers. seriously... they blew ;) drinks after at the top of one of two skyscrapers in stockholm. totally glass encased and absolutely georgeous! the best mojito in sweden.<br /><br />got our business done at the embassy in the morning. we were expecting guards w/machine guns, but found the embassy staff and security to be very thourough, but nice. think airport security check times 10.<br /><br />took the express tram from central station to the airport. kind of pricey, $30 per person, but super fast and super comfy. nice views of stockholm, though we were too tired to notice.<br /><br />overall, stockholm is incredibly charming.. especially old town. it looks like a tim burton movie set. the photos really don't do it justice. we're planning to go back this summer and take more of it in.<br /><br />safely home now in gothenburg, realizing that green was the wrong paint color.shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-73263501571765811252008-10-28T08:34:00.000-07:002008-10-28T09:23:12.827-07:00adventures in stockholmalways take the advice of your swedish friends... we should have taken the train to stockholm instead of flying. after finally finding the express train from the airport to the city, we realized that we left our bag at baggage claim. silly americans.<br /><br />it took us 3 tries to get a hotel room with: electricity, non-smoking and a working television. then jeff jumped on the bed and broke it. it actually cracked in half. but we're not going to bitch about it, cuz they upgraded us to a luxurious room.<br /><br />stay tuned... the night is young.<br /><br />quote of the day (jeff): "being in stockholm is pockets of cool mixed with pockets of bullshit... and you've got to have a sense of humor about it all or you're going to go crazy down by the lake."shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677274566073537590.post-36160606312272696712008-10-28T08:29:00.000-07:002008-10-28T08:33:55.082-07:00home sweet (almost) homealright friends, here it is... our blog-o-rama. so much has happened until now, so we've decided to start from today. our container finally arrived yesterday, and having our furniture, etc. here makes it feel much more like home. our apartment is also being painted this week, so stay tuned for before and after pics.<br /><br />roxy decided to growl at jeff when he gave her a toy, so he bit her. until she cried. now she's at a kennel. roxy: 0, jeff: 1shannon snowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03224539613146259108noreply@blogger.com0