Goodbye crazy exhausting dreams-come-true 2015

Sidste år ved denne tid sagde vi farvel til et absolut vanvittigt 2014, hvor vi troede vi stod med det ene ben I San Diego, men endte med at tage afsked med Danmark for at ende I Michigan. Har 2015 så været mere rolig? Hmmmmm både og.

Last year at this time we said goodbye to a crazy 2014, where we thought we might be on our way to San Diego, but ended up leaving Denmark to live in Michigan. Did 2015 end up being slightly less busy? Well, sort of…….

Januar/January

En noget kold og trist start på året hvor den Michiganske vinter satte ind med sne og vanvittige kuldegrader, og når jeg kigger igennem facebook er der helt utroligt mange opdateringer om kulde. Oveni brændte alle vores ting hjemme I DK. Ikke den bedste start på et nyt år. 

A very cold and “not too fun” start of the year in the Michigan winter with snow and crazy cold temperatures, and when I look through my facebook posts they were all about being cold. On top of this all our belongings in Denmark burned down. What a start for a new year.

Februar/February

Måneden der lærte os, at vi faktisk slet ikke havde haft det koldt I januar. Kulderekorden var -32C og vi fik set floden “dampe” I kulden. Men vi fik også (kulde eller ej) besøgt Henry Ford museet for første gang, og havde en rigtig dejlig dag derinde.

The month that taught us that January was not cold. The cold record was -32C and we even saw the river steam in the cold. But we also went to visit the Henry Ford Museum for the first time and had a really good day.

Marts/March

Langt om længe kom tøvejret – og lavede al sneen om til et plastik lignende landskab med alting smurt ind I is. Suk. Til gengæld kunne jeg fejre fødselsdag med min søster og med at skræmme mine kolleger med en klassisk dansk kagekone. Muhahahaha. Vi var til vores første middle school musical opsætning, hvor Teresa gjorde et fremragende stykke arbejde.

Finally the snow started to melt – and turned everything into a plastic like iced landscape. Sigh. But at least I could celebrate my birthday with my sister and by making a true Danish “kagekone” to scare my colleagues – muhahaha. We went to our first Middle School musical, where Teresa had worked hard to be involved. 

April

Forår! Langt om længe. Vi fik set “the great lakes” for første gang, vi var på påskeægs jagt, og fik taget hul på tornadosæsonen, der heldigvis blev ved advarslen.

Spring! At last. We went to experience the great lakes, we went easter egg hunting and had our first tornado warning, that luckily never became more than just a warning.

Maj/May

Blomstrende træer overalt. Den smukkeste måned I Michigan (ifølge undertegnede) på en kneben førsteplads foran Oktober.  Vi spiste is, fik fundet shortsene frem og nød at have besøg af Jon hele vejen fra Californien. Vi blev inviteret I Detroit Opera og fik en oplevelse for livet med en fantastisk premiere på Faust.

Flowering trees everywhere. The most beautiful month in Michigan (according to me) with October following straight behind as number two. We had icecream, wore shorts, and enjoyed Jon visiting all the way from California. We were invited to the premiere of Faust at the Detroit Opera – an experience of a lifetime.

Juni/June

Endeligt sommer. Hvor vi helt og aldeles overgav os til Michigans fantastiske natur. Kristian tog ungerne med op at campe I Sleeping Bear Dunes, vi fangede ildfluer, så Shakespeare i “the Arb” og ENDELIGT kom den afgørelse vi havde ventet neglebidende på: et godkendt green card.

Summer. Where we absolutely fell in love with wonderful nature in Michigan. Kristian took the kids to Sleeping Bear Dunes, we caught fireflies, watched Shakespeare in the Arb, and FINALLY had the immigration decision we had been waiting nervewreckingly for: an approved Green Card.

Juli/July

En perlerække af fantastiske oplevelser, sparket I gang med en 4’th of July weekend I luksus sommerhus med gode venner. Vii vendte efterfølgende næsen sydpå og fik set North Carolina fra en swimming pool, fra bjergene og fra en hel del vilde rutchebaner I Carowinds. Sidst men ikke mindst fik vi besøg fra DK og kørte mod nord for at besøge Mackinac Island.

A long string of amazing memories and good company starting with 4’th of July weekend spent in a luxury summer house with good friends. Followed by a trip to the south where we got to see North Carolina from a swimming pool, the mountains, and wild roller coasters in Carowinds. Last but not least we got a visitor from Denmark and drove North to visit Mackinac Island.

August:

Endelig noget storby – Chicago. I perfekt “ikke for lummer varmt” vejr endda. Og hold nu op hvor var det rart at få noget storby puls ind under huden. August blev også måneden hvor vi udvidede familien med eet stks firbenet medlem, og hold nu op hvor har vi været og er glade for ham.

Big city life – Chicago. In the most perfect “not too humid hot” weather. Man it felt good to get some big city vibes again. August was also the month where we extended our family to include a fourlegged member, probably one of the best things we have done all year.

September:

…… rimer på skolestart efter en (for) lang sommerferie. Men ikke uden først at have besøgt Michigan state fair og set grise væddeløb og spist friturestegte lækkerier (eller hvad man nu skal kalde den dybstegte twinkie Ulrik gaflede ned). Jeg kørte og kørte og kørte med Kristian som kørelærer og nåede sørme at få mit kørekort I første forsøg.

…….rhymes on school’s back after a (too) long summer break. But not until having visited Michigan state fair to watch pig race and eat deepfried goodies (or whatever one would choose to name the deepfried twinkie Ulrik gobbled up). I drove and drove and drove and drove with Kristian and actually managed to get my driver’s license in the first try.

Oktober/October

Endelig oprandt dagen vi havde ventet på I næsten et år: Kristian fik startet på arbejde. Men det tog godt nok også en hårdt på overskuddet at være to fuldtidsarbejdende forældre, så vi nåede ikke rigtig andet end at overleve. Men lidt ud kom vi da I det lune lumre El Nino efterår.

At last the day we had been eagerly waiting for for almost a year. Kristian started working. But it was a tough ride being two full time working parents again, and this month kind of went by in a blur. But we did get to go outside in the warm El Nino fall

November:

Halloween og Thanksgiving. Novembers højdepunkter for alle amerikanere. Vi fik gået nabolaget tyndt med en stor flok unger på slæb og spist den lækreste Thanksgiving middag med gode venner. Teresa startede til 8’th grade basketball og vi må sande at sport 5 gange om ugen, det ikke lige er os I det lange løb.

Halloween and Thanksgiving. The highlights of the fall for most Americans. We trod through the entire neighborhood with a bunch of kid on tow and had the most delicious Thanksgiving dinner with good friends. Teresa started 8’th grade basketball and we learned the hard way that practice 5 times a week is not for us.

December:

Og nu er vi så I December. Årets sidste måned. I skrivende stund tilbragt I North Carolina mens nytårsaften venter lige om lidt. Min søster kom over til jul, og det har været SÅ dejligt at ha’ hende på besøg. Som altid byder den sidste dag I December på tanker om 2016, og jeg må indrømme at mit hovede har været ved at falde af efter professoren henkastet nævnede inden juleferien at jeg da I øvrigt forventedes at begynde at søge “rigtigt”arbejde I slutningen af 2016, for nu havde jeg så mange år på bagen som post doc, at det var ved at være tid – hvilket jeg kun kan gi ham ret I. Af en eller anden grund tror jeg heller ikke vi kommer til at kede os I 2016.

And now it is December. The last month of the year. I am writing this up from North Caroline while New Years Eve party is about to start in a few hours. My sister was here for Christmas, and it was SO good to have her over. As always the last day of December calls for thoughts of the year to come, and I have to admit that my head has almost been falling off ever since my professor mentioned that he expects me to start looking for “real” jobs by the end of next year. I have enough post doc years under my belt to start thinking ahead – which I can only agree on. But it still feels like 2016 is still not going to be a boring quiet year!

Snapshots from Christmas

Intentionerne om at skrive jule blogindlaeg I en lind stroem har vaeret mange og store. Men nu er det pludseligt efter jul og vi er I North Carolina igen igen, denne gang for at fejre nytaar. 

The intentions to write several blog posts over Christmas have been many. But now Christmas is suddenly over and we are in North Caroline for the third time – this time to celebrate New Years.

Juleferien startede foerst saadan rigtigt, da vi tog ud for at hente moster I lufthavnen soendag aften inden jul. Af uransagelige aarsager var hendes fly for tidligt paa den – hvad sker der lige for det! – saa hun var allerede godt I gang med at vente paa bagage inden Luca kom og naesten vaeltede hende ved at udoeve diciplinen: kram med tilloeb.

The holiday spirit did not start for good until we went to pick up my sister in the airport Sunday night before Christmas. For whatever reasons her flight was early – what’s up with that! – and she was already out and waiting for her luggage when we arrived and Luca almost knocked her over by doing his infamous “hug with a sprint start”.

Kristian skulle arbejde frem til og med d. 23 december, men vi fik nu hygget os alligevel. Der var et par  tuberkulose tests paa Luca og Teresa, der skulle aflaeses (vi har langt om laenge faaet indsendt green card ansoegning for familiens to yngste medlemmer) og undertegnede maatte lige forbi tandlaegen og faa tjekket op paa knogle implantatet efter en tand udtraekning ugen forinden. Det lyder maaske ikke saerligt hyggeligt, men I forhold til at skulle torturers med at vente og vente og vente paa Christine, der omhyggeigt tjekkede Ann Arbors nyeste garn butik ud, saa var det jo egentligt ikke saa slemt…….. (ja ja, vi var selv ude om det, da vi foraerede hende et gavekort, men man kan vel altid brokke sig lidt).

Kristian had to work until December 23’d, but the rest of us still had a good time. There were a few tuberculosis tests that needed checking (we have finally gotten around to prepare the green card paperwork for the two youngest members of the family). I had to swing by the dentist to have the healing of my bone graft checked out after having a tooth extracted the week before. It may not sound like the jolliest of times, but compared to waiting and waiting and waiting for my sister to be done browsing the newest yarn shop in Ann Arbor, then it did not feel bad at all…….. (oh well, we were the ones giving her a gift card after all, but I just love complaining)

 

Gaver og julemiddag ventede I aar til d. 25 december, saa vi brugte juleaftensdag paa at tage I biffen og se Star Wars:

Presents and dinner had to wait until December 25’th this year, and Christmas eve was spent watching the new Star Wars movie instead:

 

Jeg maatte ogsaa lige en tur forbi arbejde og soerge for at musene kunne klare sig resten af juleferien, hvorefter aftenen blev tilbragt I kirken, hvor Luca fik  gjort sig heldig bemaerket ved at faa praesten til at sige “May the force be with you”. Vi er meget stolte…….. (Endnu en gang kunne vi I oevrigt konstatere at vi overhovedet ikke mestrer kunsten at stadse sig op til gudstjeneste ved hoejtider).

I had to swing by work to make sure my mice would be OK until next year, and the evening was spent in our church where Luca made us really proud by having Pastor Jim exclaim “May the force be with you”. (once more it was obvious that us silly Danes do not master the art of getting all dressed up for going to church).

 

Juledag blev fotodokumenteret af familiens 13 aarige med den nyerhvervede selfie stick. Enjoy.

Christmas Day was photo documented by our 13 year old with her new selfie stick. Enjoy.

 

Christine skulle hjem igen d. 26 om aftenen hvor vi valgte at slaa to fluer med at smaek og stable vores egne kufferter I bilen og vende naesen sydpaa. Bailey er sendt paa hundehotel, og vi var alle sammen meget bekymrede over om han nu ville tro at vi havde forladt ham for evigt. Som om! Hunden var helt oppe at koere og viste samtlige tricks den kunne, hvorefter den uden at se sig tilbage logrende fulgte med personalet. Den HAR bare at vaere glad for at se os, naar vi kommer hjem!

Christine went home on the evening of the 26’th and we chose to add our suitcases to the car as well to start on our southbound journey. Bailey has been sent to a dog hotel, and we all worried that he might think that we had abandoned him forever. As if! The dog was super excited, showed off all his tricks, and went with the staff tail wagging without looking back. He just HAS to be super excited when come back to get him or else!

Luca's school and selfie sticks

Torsdag var der "lunch with a loved one" på luca's skole, og i år kom jeg tidligt, så jeg kunne nå at være med i frikvarteret. Her spiller luca kickball (mens jeg fryser).

Thursday was "lunch with a loved one" at Lucas school and this year I came early so I could be there for recess. Here luca is playing kick ball (while I am cold).

Efter leg udenfor (i stort set al slags vejr året rundt - respekt!) bliver ungerne sendt ind til madpakkerne. Ligesom i DK er der duks der tørrer borde af. I modsætning til i DK bliver hele seancen styret af voksne iført gule sikkerheds veste, der sprøjter rengøringsmidler ud på bordene....

After playing outside (this takes place year round in all types of weather - respect) the kids are sent back inside for lunch. Similar to in Denmark some kids help out with the cleaning afterwards. In contrast to Denmark they are supervised by safety vest clad adults spraying cleaning agents on the tables......

Som tak for hjælpen for man en "puma paw", der bliver lagt i en krukke på kontoret. Hver uge trækker skolelederen lod blandt poterne om små præmier.

When helping out, the kids earn a "puma paw" that goes into a jar in the office. Every week the principle draw one of the paws to give out small prizes.

Det skal ikke forbigås at der var julefest med mit arbejde fredag aften. Bailey var også inviteret sammen med Fuzzy og Ziggie, hvilket heldigvis gik godt. Og "nogen" vandt en selfie stick. Gæt selv hvem!

Friday night was the annual Christmas party with my lab . Bailey was invited together with Fuzzy and Ziggie, which fortunately went well. And "someone" got a selfie stick in the gift game. Guess who!

10 minutes of sunshine

Michigan er grå! Som I virkelig dansk November grå. Det er el Nino år og temperaturen er væsentligt højere end den plejer – og lige akkurat på DET punkt klager jeg ikke. I sær ikke med mit relativt nyerhvervede kørekort, som jeg ryster I bukserne over at skulle bruge I is og sne, Ydrk. Det går I øvrigt langsomt bedre med det der kørsel. I går hentede jeg faktisk Teresa til basket ball. I myldretid, regnvejr og mørke og der skete ingenting. Jeg fik endda bilen smidt ind mellem stolperne til den overdækkede p-plads herhjemme I første forsøg. Hvabehar!

Nå, det med kørekortet var en sidebemærkning. Det har været overskyet og gråt nu I noget, der føles som flere uafbrudte uger, men I forgårs var solen fremme I hele 10 minutter og det var forbavsende så meget pænere alting blev. Det bedste af det hele var, at I præcis de 10 minutter var jeg på cyklen på den sidste km ud til arbejde, og kunne derfor stå ved cykelstativerne og lappe det I mig. Tirsdag blev en god dag.

Michigan is gray! As in Danish November gray (it takes to have lived in Denmark to understand how gray that is). It is an el Nino year and the temperature is considerably higher than the usual - and I do NOT complain about that - especially with the driver’s license still freshly under my belt. The thought of having to drive in ice and snow still haunts me. Yikes. My fear of driving is slowly improving though. Yesterday I went to pick up Teresa from basketball. In late rush hour, rain, and darkness and yet nothing bad happened. I even got the car thrown into the assigned covered parking spot with poles in the first attempt. Say whaaaaat!

Well, back to the point. It's been cloudy and gray now in something that feels like several continuous weeks, but Tuesday the sun was out for a total of 10 minutes and it was amazingly how much nicer everything looked. Best of all this happened in those exact 10 minutes where I was biking the last ½ mile to work and I got to soak it all up right there at the bike rack in front of the University. Tuesday was a good day.

Det er ikke nogen hemmelighed at bloggen her ligger lidt stille, men den der hverdag…… den har det med at sluge alle døgnets vågne timer. Og hvor jeg før kunne snige mig til at sidde om aftenen, så er der nu hund, der skal luftes og store børn, der går I seng senere og senere (især nogen på 13. Hrmpf. Men nogen på 13 kan til gengæld sove helt til kl 1 I weekenden. Dobbelt hrmpf). Men egentlig er det ikke helt skidt at bruge noget tid om aftenen på frisk luft og børn, der nu elsker at gå ture fordi der er et dyr I en grøn sele 1 meter foran. 

It is no secret that this blog is a more quiet than intended, but these “everyday days”...... they tend to swallow everything. Previously I have been able to sneak the computer out at night, but with dog walks and kids, that stay up late as well (especially a certain 13 year old. Hrmpf. And that certain 13 year old then sleeps in till about 1PM on the weekends. Double hrmpf). But really it's not bad at all to spend some time in the evening to fresh air with children who now love to go for walks because there is an animal in a green leash a few feet ahead.

I søndags var der børne jule gudstjeneste I kirken og I år, var det Luca, der fik lov til at være på de skrå brædder. Jeg er med oppe til søndagsskolen og har derfor set ungerne øve og øve og øve. Og jeg må da sige at det gik forbavsende godt. Især efter de havde prøvet det nede I selve kirken og ikke kun skulle forestille sig rummet helt Dogville style med tape på gulvet. De fik også lov til at spille med de såkaldte “hand chimes” (se mere om dem her), hvilket også gik forbavsende godt, omend Luca var noget fortørnet over at være  blevet bedt om at huske at synge med, når han stod helt skeløjet af koncentration over at huske kun at bruge sin hand chime på præcis de rigtige steder I sangen.

Her er han så – den utroligt nuttede soldat til højre for Kong Herodes:

This Sunday it was the annual children's Christmas play and service in our church and this year we had Luca on stage. I am with the kids Sunday School usually and I have seen the kid’s rehearsals over and over and over. And I must say that it went suprisingly well. Especially after they had tried it downstairs in the church itself and not only had to imagine the room “Dogville style” with tape on the floor. They were also allowed to play with the so-called "hand chimes" (see more about them here), which also went amazingly well, albeit Luca was quite upset about being asked to remember to sing along when he was completely crosseyed concentrating on remembering to use his hand chime at the exact right time in the song.

Here he is - the incredibly cute soldier to the right of King Herod:

I mogen er det fredag = juleferie = den årlige jule komsammen med mit laboratorie. Jeg har igen I år diktatorisk indført, at der SKAL være dansk pakkeleg, og det er ret underholdende at forklare det til dem, der ikke var med sidste år. Især den del med at man skal sætte en ære I at snyde og stjæle, samt at nogen går hjem med flere pakker end andre – gisp! 

Men først er der lige en tandlægetid, der skal overstås. Det er ikke venlige tanker, jeg sender tandlæge Bjarke på Vesterbrogade, som jeg havde “fornøjelsen” at stifte bekendtskab med, da jeg var I 20’erne. Han ødelagde desværre en stor del af mine tænder med dårligt udførte og alt for store sølvlpomber og I dag afgår den første tand så ved døden. Det har jeg det noget stramt med, især fordi implantater er så afsindigt dyre. Men tandlægen har lovet at han sætter et stykke knogle op, så det hele ikke rykker sig og når jeg så en gang er multimillionær er den helt klar til et implantat. Hurra eller noget

Tomorrow it is Friday = schools out for the Christmas holidays = annual Christmas get-together with my laboratory. Just as last year I have (in a slightly dictatorial manner) forced my colleagues to participate in the infamous Danish gift exchange game, and it's pretty entertaining to explain the rules to those who were not there last year. Especially the part with participants taking pride in cheating and stealing, and the horrifying truth that the worst scums might leave with more than one gift, while others have none – gasp!

But until then there is a dentist appointment to deal with. It is not kind thoughts, I send to Bjarke the dentist in Copenhagen, who I had the "pleasure" to visit regularly with when I was in my 20’s. He destroyed many of my teeth with poorly executed and excessive large silver fillings and today will mark the absolute death of my first tooth from that era. Not something I look forward to at all. Especially since implants are insanely expensive. But the dentist has promised that he inserts a piece of bone so the remaining teeth stay in place, and when I once become a millionaire I can have an implant without much further ado. Yay….. or whatever

It’s the most wonderful time of the year?

Vi er nu halvvejs igennem December og hold da op for en omgang. Hvis der er nogen af jer derude der synes tiden går ALT for hurtigt, er her lidt tips og tricks til at få en december uge til at synes uoverskuelig lang:

• Start med at sørge for at din hund for diarre. Det er så hyggeligt at vågne op til “gaver” om morgenen og som bonus får man det reneste gulvtæppe inden jul – nogensinde.
• Planlæg afslutningen på et kæmpe forsøg med dertil hørende vanvittige arbejdstider I starten af julemåneden – det er altid godt at ha noget at se frem til efter Thanksgiving.
• Det er aldrig sjovt at ha teenagere, der keder sig. Men hvis man sørger for at melde dem til 8’th grade basketball har de træning og kampe hver dag til kl 18/18:30 og kan slet ikke nå at kede sig. Derudover får man trænet sine evner til at bikse aftensmad til de resterende sultne børn sammen på 3 ½ minut, inden man skal op og hente. For at være HELT sikker på at føromtalte teenager ikke keder sig, kan man glæde sig over at der er auditions til skolens musical midt I det hele. Både synge OG danse auditions. Suk.
• Book lange aftaler hos tandlægen. Udover at en halv eftermiddag I tandlægestolen føles helt utrolig lang giver det også mulighed for at slippe for at bekymre sig om julestress, fordi man kan tænke på regningen I stedet.

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We are halfway through December and what a month so far. If there are any of you out there who thinks time goes WAY too fast, then I will gladly share some tips and tricks to make December seem longer:

• Start by making sure your dog gets diarrhea. It is pure joy to wake up and find "gifts" in the morning and as a bonus you get the cleanest carpet before Christmas - ever.
•  Plan to end of a huge experiment with matching insane working hours in the beginning of the December - it is always good to have something to look forward to after Thanksgiving.
• It's never any good to have teenagers, who are bored. But if you make sure they can join the 8'th grade basketball team with practice and games every day until 6/6: 30, then they have no time to complain about having nothing to do. In addition, you acquire amazing skills to cook dinner in 3 ½ minutes, so the remaining hungry kids can be fed before you go to get her after practice. To be ABSOLUTELY sure that the aforementioned teenager is not bored, you can appreciate the auditions for the school musical in the middle of all this. Singing AND dancing auditions – on separate days. Sigh.
• Book long appointments at the dentist. Besides the fact that half an afternoon in the dentist's chair feels incredibly long, it also provides an opportunity to not worry about Christmas stress because one can think of the bill instead.