Research requests

The first two proper weeks at work were terrible. The semester started on the 20th and we had so much to do. Last week the database was down for an upgrade for a day and a half and it was not a good time to get that done. The students got very upset when they couldn't get any books. It took a long time to work through the backlog. All staff members are now back from illness/vacation and it's working better.

The vice chancellor was very impressed by the research results he got. He came to the library to meet me and asked what I had done to find the information about his ancestors. I showed him the databases and digitized newspapers.

Recently I was given two other research cases. Both regard absent fathers. One case I could crack because the person who asked had a name, but it was still tricky. The name was common, so it required weeding through lots of entries in several databases. The other case I'm not sure I will ever solve. There is no name and the place was Stockholm. I'm investigating the person's DNA matches right now. It's very difficult.

Last week I attended a lecture at the Archive Center. It was about a woman who was a pioneer in the textile handcraft industry. She had a big project in the early 1900s, she travelled all over the country to photograph old textiles like rugs, table runners and cushions. She was in my hometown also. The images are preserved at a museum in Stockholm and they have been made available online. Otherwise I would never have known anything about her or her work.

At my place the ceiling in the hall has been painted and there are new floor boards. I haven't done any of it, it's my father. We talked about his already last year, when the kitchen renovation was going on. There was no time then but now my father took the initiative. There are some small details left to do but it looks very nice.

First work week

After working Jan 2 and 3, I drove to the summerhouse. I spent a very relaxing long weekend there. We really didn't do much. One day we went to the new mall in town to have lunch. Then we drove to a nature center and joined a guided tour nearby, where there were quite a few birds. It was pretty cold so we didn't stay long. Apart from this we watched sports on TV and solved crossword puzzles. I drove back on the Monday (which also was a holiday).

The first proper work week of the year was only four days but it was tough to get through. We had lots of returns to deal with. Two staff members were on vacation. The new semester starts in about a week and the students have already got their reading lists. We missed the deadline (which is at 1 PM) all days of last week. There was not much we could do to work faster. I was pretty exhausted by Friday afternoon.

Christmas and New Year's

I am back at work after a long vacation over the holidays. The weekend just before Christmas I went to two different malls. The traffic was terrible but I was lucky and got what I came for and then managed to sneak out again thanks to a city bus which blocked the road very conveniently (for me, that is).

Christmas Eve I went by train to Göteborg. This time the celebration was at my sister's sister-in-law's place. Very nice evening with lots of good food, the traditional TV classics and presents. I got hand lotion, a Christmas tree ornament, a book, chocolate truffles and a DNA-test (which will arrive by mail later). I'm rather curious of the last thing.

Christmas Day we had a very unusual lunch at my sister's place - turkey! This is more an English/American tradition but we liked it and I hope there will be a repeat. It tasted very good. I hadn't visited my sister for a while, they had remodelled quite a lot. Most of the upstairs was renovated with new floor boards, wallpaper and ceiling. The furniture was also rearranged. It looked very stylish.

The shopping at the after-Christmas sales was limited. My mother found kitchen curtains for me and I bought a top and some underwear. A few days later I went with my mother and her boyfriend to the summerhouse. It was pretty cold inside.

The New Year's celebration was quiet, we invited one of mother's friends for the meal. We had a three course meal; salmon sandwich, chicken & bacon casserole and frozen elderflower cheesecake. I made the dessert, which was a great success. There was not many fireworks, so it was a rather calm celebration of the new year and decade.

We have no snow in sight here and the darkness is surrounding us all. I am not complaining, as others have a much more horrible situation. The fires in Australia worry me a lot. I have heard from some relatives there, they say the smoke haze is problematic. Right now, I don't think any of our relatives have had to evacuate. The fires are heading east towards their residences, so it might just be a matter of time.