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The Viking Diaries

The polls are open! The polls are open!

Tuesday, 6 May 2008 1:58 P GMT+01

Just a quick shout-out to all my friends, family and loyal blog readership in the Hoosier State to remind them to grab their government-issued ID and “get thee to the polls” today to cast a vote that might actually have some impact for a change. This

When the cat's away...the mice eat sushi!

Sunday, 4 May 2008 6:43 A GMT+01

Dr. Darling’s Mom is down for the weekend and the two of them made a rather spur-of-the-moment decision this morning to go to Copenhagen. I’m still dealing with the remnants of the Spring Cold from Hell and decided to pass on the excursion. I’m also

Pain at the pump: a little reality check for Americans

Friday, 2 May 2008 7:21 P GMT+01

I’m hearing plenty of griping about gasoline prices from my American friends and family lately, but it’s hard for me to be sympathetic when I don’t even own a car. However, if I did have wheels, I’d be paying close to 7 bucks a gallon.

A Snickers a day keeps the Dr. away?

Tuesday, 29 April 2008 7:59 A GMT+01

Tough job: Volunteers needed for chocolate study I hate to break it to the researchers, but I?ve been following this protocol for years.Original Entry

Colour me miserable, matey.

Monday, 28 April 2008 3:13 P GMT+01

Is there anything quite as annoying as a spring cold? Especially after one has gone "cold-free" all winter long? I don't think so!

Indiana wants me...

Thursday, 24 April 2008 2:08 P GMT+01

For the first time since I've been old enough to vote, my home state is actually a 'playa' in a presidential primary race...and I'm living in Sweden.

How did I survive so long without an iPod?!

Thursday, 24 April 2008 9:35 A GMT+01

Despite being a dedicated Mac user and a gadget-addict all my adult life, I have always (inexplicably, really) resisted the pull of the iPod.

Caffeine kick: short shots are better than 'big gulps'

Wednesday, 23 April 2008 6:32 A GMT+01

Caffeine jump-starts the body and sharpens the mind. But studies suggest that we Yanks are doing it wrong. For optimal brain gain, regular tea breaks, as favored in the UK, are more effective than a 20-oz Starbucks sucked down in lieu of breakfast.

But I don't even drink beer...

Friday, 18 April 2008 1:28 P GMT+01

Lately my inbox has been pounded (at least SOMETHING is getting pounded around here) with notifications from Twitter that a fellow user has decided to "follow" me.

Another kallbadhus convert created!

Saturday, 12 April 2008 11:23 A GMT+01

Today I introduced yet another American to the wonders of the traditional Swedish sauna and cold plunge routine. It's one element of the culture here that I have TOTALLY embraced, though I missed the best part of the winter bathing season t

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Gawker smart-asses share my opinion of Starbucks coffee

Thursday, 10 April 2008 2:30 P GMT+01

Talk about serious vindication! Starbucks Geniuses To Stop Burning Coffee, Change World Forever (Of course I had to comment!) Original Entry

Monday morning mindfulness

Monday, 7 April 2008 10:50 A GMT+01

Little did I know that leaving The Penthouse-Nordic for the gym without my keys this morning was just the tip of the iceberg!

Healthy spousal rebellion

Monday, 7 April 2008 10:38 A GMT+01

Dr. Darling spent part of the past weekend up at her brother?s house in Halmstad for a big gathering of their cousins, which means I got to be on my own for about 28 hours from Saturday to Sunday. (Not that I was counting or anything.)

Welcome to the party, people!

Friday, 4 April 2008 2:47 P GMT+01

Poll: 81 percent think US on wrong track Those of us who have been here since January of 2001 will try to sober up enough to make a tequila run, but we’re not promising anything.

More justification for my java habit!

Thursday, 3 April 2008 5:15 P GMT+01

New research suggests that coffee may cut the risk of dementia by blocking the damage cholesterol can inflict on the body.

Can you imagine the size of the bird?

Monday, 31 March 2008 7:32 A GMT+01

These giant eggs are sitting in the center of the city’s main square with no signage or explanation whatsoever. If there was a bird involved it must have been HUGE!

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'Springing Forward' sorta sucks

Sunday, 30 March 2008 12:55 P GMT+01

I know the switch to Daylight Savings Time is a sure sign that summer is just around the corning (in fact, Swedes actually call it" Summer Time"), but losing that hour on Saturday night is kind of a pain when you have the laundry room booked at 7 am.

If it's not Scottish, it's CRAP!

Thursday, 27 March 2008 9:51 A GMT+01

One of my favorite recurring SNL sketches involved Mike Myers as the cranky Scot owner of a shop called "All Things Scottish." The running joke was that people would regularly come in and ask for items that were not in any way Scottish.

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What the hell happened to spring?!

Wednesday, 26 March 2008 10:33 A GMT+01

Train station, Landskrona, Sweden, March 20-frigging-6th, 2008.

Clearly I don't pay enough attention to my cereal

Saturday, 22 March 2008 7:40 P GMT+01

A cornflake shaped like the state of Illinois has fetched $1,350 on eBay. I?m not sure which would be more embarrassing, putting a cereal flake up for auction on eBay, or paying $1,350 for it.

My favorite Easter-themed headline so far

Friday, 21 March 2008 4:20 P GMT+01

It comes from the fab snarks at one of my favorite Gawker Media blogs, Jezebel. And it goes a little something like this: Jesus Died On The Cross So You Would Tip Your Damn Barista, Fox News

Because "the play's the thing!"

Wednesday, 19 March 2008 9:40 P GMT+01

So Dr. Darling, who barely tolerates my blogging habit most days, turned to me last night and asked, "So have you written about the show yet?" Oops.

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Starbucks, completely unavoidable

Sunday, 16 March 2008 8:48 A GMT+01

So while yesterday’s stop at Starbucks was intentional (we were looking to score a free wifi connection), this morning’s patronage is due to the fact that nothing more ‘local’ was open.

Saturday night in Edinburgh

Sunday, 16 March 2008 8:43 A GMT+01

It's not quite 10 pm, and Dr. Darling is already sawing logs. Evidently a full day of spending money indiscriminately was exhausting for the normally spendthrift Swede!

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Greetings from sunny Edinburgh!

Friday, 14 March 2008 8:29 A GMT+01

We've had a lovely first day so far?the weather was about as good as it gets this time of year. We took advantage of the sunshine and buzzed around the city a bit, both on foot and by double-decker bus. (The seat covers were tartan, naturally!)