Wednesday last week I got on the train to Stockholm and arrived at about 6 PM. I bought a travel pass for local travel and took the subway two stations north. My relatives (Rolf & Inger) have an apartment pretty close to the subway, so it's very convenient. Thursday morning I travelled back to the central station and took a train to Uppsala, which is a 40 minute ride. I attended a meeting at the university library there. We were treated to two coffees and lunch. The meeting was the first one in this group and regarded what old books should be scanned and made available online. We also discussed the technicalities. It would have been good if we can cooperate on this, so that we all use the same system. It was a rather productive meeting. There will be more meetings, hopefully in Stockholm. It gives me an opportunity to go sightseeing......
After the meeting I walked about a mile to the hospital, where my grandfather (soon aged 97) was a patient. He had fallen on an icy spot and broken his shoulder. He was happy to see me, but was sad about his situation. It's the right shoulder and he can't do anything. He was rather bored. His mind is clear and he usually solves the most difficult crossword puzzles. We talked for a long while and then I returned to Stockholm in the late afternoon.
Friday and Saturday were spent mostly in town, shopping for second hand items and clothes. Sometimes Inger went with me, and she showed me some nice stores. I found two tops, a skirt, a sleeveless top, and a really cool handbag in 1950s style. There are some very interesting stores in Stockholm and I went on the subway in all possible directions to go to as many of them as I could. Saturday evening I went to a dinner show called Golden Hits Goes 70s. I got a three course meal and entertainment provided by the waiters/waitresses. In between food servings they changed clothes and performed on stage. They were singing the classic songs of the 1970s. Songs by Nazareth, Elvis, AC/DC, Abba, Alice Cooper, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and many others were featured. Very nice evening. Several flashbacks.
Sunday I used most of the day to travel back to Skåne. I got off the train in Hässleholm and travelled to the summer house. My sister, niece and mother were there. Monday we went to Kristianstad, because my mother wanted to look at stoves. The one in the summer house is about 35 years old and needs to be replaced rather soon. Yesterday my father came to visit. He had his chainsaw with him and used it to cut down some trees in the back yard. There has been a storm and there were many branches on the ground. We collected them and lit a fire. Hard work. My back is still sore. Since my niece was sick and generally unhappy, I went back home yesterday evening. As it turns out, to no avail. I'm now also sick. This was the last vacation day and I haven't done much. Just did some errands in the village. Got some more medication to prevent the cold from getting really bad, but don't know if it will help.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Closet clearing
It has been a fairly normal week at work, but there were a lot of meetings. Not really productive ones, unfortunately. There are many issues with people retiring this year. It's the large 1940's generation that we somehow will have to replace. We have lots of problem solving ahead of us at the library, definitely. I also brought one of the new employees with me on the storage round Thursday. She is the one I hope can replace my colleague doing this job, and she didn't seem totally uninterested. Not even when I showed her the darkest and dustiest storage of them all.
It has been a slow weekend. I have mostly tried to sort my documents and watched sports on TV. Today the Vasaloppet cross-country ski race took place and I woke up so early that I could see the start of it at 8. It was amazing to see 15 000 skiers begin the 90 km journey. Some of them still haven't made it to the finish line (around 11 hours later).
This weekend I have also cleared out more clothes. My friend Eva was here and picked out some of them. The rest will be given to charity.
This upcoming week will be a very busy one. I will work two and a half days and then after lunch on Wednesday I will take the train to Stockholm. I have a meeting to attend to at the university library in Uppsala on Thursday. I will stay with some relatives in Stockholm until Sunday, so I hope to do some touristing also. And shopping, of course. Sunday evening I will get off the train in Hässleholm and go to the summer house, where (if everything goes according to plan) my sister, niece and mother will be staying. After about three days I will return home, since I have to work at least Thursday and Friday of that week.
It has been a slow weekend. I have mostly tried to sort my documents and watched sports on TV. Today the Vasaloppet cross-country ski race took place and I woke up so early that I could see the start of it at 8. It was amazing to see 15 000 skiers begin the 90 km journey. Some of them still haven't made it to the finish line (around 11 hours later).
This weekend I have also cleared out more clothes. My friend Eva was here and picked out some of them. The rest will be given to charity.
This upcoming week will be a very busy one. I will work two and a half days and then after lunch on Wednesday I will take the train to Stockholm. I have a meeting to attend to at the university library in Uppsala on Thursday. I will stay with some relatives in Stockholm until Sunday, so I hope to do some touristing also. And shopping, of course. Sunday evening I will get off the train in Hässleholm and go to the summer house, where (if everything goes according to plan) my sister, niece and mother will be staying. After about three days I will return home, since I have to work at least Thursday and Friday of that week.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Vintage store
This past Wednesday the annual book sale started. It's not such a big thing now as it used to be, but there are still bargains to be made. I collect books with chocolate recipes, and I found two different books very cheaply. I also collect books on Swedish emigration, but there are rarely any at these sales. There aren't many published on the subject anymore.
My new glasses that I got this January because my other ones had broken are now also in two pieces. It must be a manufacturing problem. I'm not particularly violent and try to be careful. The optician keeps replacing them without any additional charge, and I'm grateful for it. I must be a very expensive customer. I haven't picked out the new ones yet, but I will shortly.
Saturday I went to several nice stores. I found one vintage store mentioned on the internet, so I went there and found a small place with dresses and jewelry from the 1950s and 1960s. Original pieces. Very special dresses with enormous floral patterns and typical style of those times. I have to bring my mother there later, it was so interesting. The lady owning the store was very talkative and we discussed what flea markets are the best ones and things like that. After this, I took the bus from Lund to a small village to visit a second hand store. It's a large store where the items are very well organized. They also had a book sale and I found one more chocolate book there. Then I continued on another bus to Malmö and had lunch at a large mall. Did some browsing in the clothing stores there, but there was nothing new. The train from Malmö Central was actually on time. The statistics are terrible for the train service in this area. I don't know what explanations they have now, because there is no snow. Still pretty cold, though.
Speaking of snow and generally bad winter weather, I think one of the most fascinating tv-programs is Ice Road Truckers. It's daring truck drivers in northern Alaska, and I cannot believe that anyone would take such risks to earn money. Still, it's amazing to watch. The scenery is spectacular. I just wish they wouldn't broadcast it so late in the evening, I'm always very tired on Friday mornings.
My new glasses that I got this January because my other ones had broken are now also in two pieces. It must be a manufacturing problem. I'm not particularly violent and try to be careful. The optician keeps replacing them without any additional charge, and I'm grateful for it. I must be a very expensive customer. I haven't picked out the new ones yet, but I will shortly.
Saturday I went to several nice stores. I found one vintage store mentioned on the internet, so I went there and found a small place with dresses and jewelry from the 1950s and 1960s. Original pieces. Very special dresses with enormous floral patterns and typical style of those times. I have to bring my mother there later, it was so interesting. The lady owning the store was very talkative and we discussed what flea markets are the best ones and things like that. After this, I took the bus from Lund to a small village to visit a second hand store. It's a large store where the items are very well organized. They also had a book sale and I found one more chocolate book there. Then I continued on another bus to Malmö and had lunch at a large mall. Did some browsing in the clothing stores there, but there was nothing new. The train from Malmö Central was actually on time. The statistics are terrible for the train service in this area. I don't know what explanations they have now, because there is no snow. Still pretty cold, though.
Speaking of snow and generally bad winter weather, I think one of the most fascinating tv-programs is Ice Road Truckers. It's daring truck drivers in northern Alaska, and I cannot believe that anyone would take such risks to earn money. Still, it's amazing to watch. The scenery is spectacular. I just wish they wouldn't broadcast it so late in the evening, I'm always very tired on Friday mornings.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Turquoise items
I have received an invitation to the Nelson Family Reunion in Minnesota in August. I would really like to go, but I don't know if I can. It looks like I will get very limited vacation time this summer. There will be some (unfortunate) staff changes in the stacks this year, and I will have to start teaching the third beginner within a month or so. So there will be three people at the same time, all at different stages of learning. It's going to require an incredible effort. Yet, I can't complain, because I actually got replacements (I never thought I would get three!).
One other job related issue is the fact that I have become a part of a national committee which will have its first meeting in Uppsala in March. We are going to make an inventory of the old material that is suitable for scanning and digitizing. We have quite a few old books that are much in demand and we have thought for a long time that these books should be made available online, so that people don't have to travel from the other end of Scandinavia (sometimes from even more remote areas) to read them. This upcoming week a scholar from Slovakia will visit the library to look at some special books. At least he thinks they are special.
It is rather cold here, and it's not encouraging me to make any trips. Still, I have been in Malmö today. I have been very curious to see the new furniture store that opened in November. It is a store with Austrian furniture, and I have to say it was different from Ikea. The selection of sofas was enormous. Just reading the labels was interesting, in many cases the German text hadn't been translated. The furniture design varied, some things I really wondered if they would get sold, the colors were hideous. I ended up buying some storage boxes made of straw. I had lunch there also, a very nice salmon meal. Then I continued on to a mall and spent a few hours there. I just got some small things, a turquoise colored handbag and a ring of the same color (not intentional, but these items were very nice and I have clothes that will fit).
One other job related issue is the fact that I have become a part of a national committee which will have its first meeting in Uppsala in March. We are going to make an inventory of the old material that is suitable for scanning and digitizing. We have quite a few old books that are much in demand and we have thought for a long time that these books should be made available online, so that people don't have to travel from the other end of Scandinavia (sometimes from even more remote areas) to read them. This upcoming week a scholar from Slovakia will visit the library to look at some special books. At least he thinks they are special.
It is rather cold here, and it's not encouraging me to make any trips. Still, I have been in Malmö today. I have been very curious to see the new furniture store that opened in November. It is a store with Austrian furniture, and I have to say it was different from Ikea. The selection of sofas was enormous. Just reading the labels was interesting, in many cases the German text hadn't been translated. The furniture design varied, some things I really wondered if they would get sold, the colors were hideous. I ended up buying some storage boxes made of straw. I had lunch there also, a very nice salmon meal. Then I continued on to a mall and spent a few hours there. I just got some small things, a turquoise colored handbag and a ring of the same color (not intentional, but these items were very nice and I have clothes that will fit).
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Book collection finally measured
It has been yet another week with lots of work. It's a pretty tough job to train two new staff members at the same time. One is a complete beginner and the other has been working quite a few hours at the circulation desk. I have great hopes for both of them, they seem interested and able to learn.
I got the last measurements from other departments, so now I know that we have 110 000 meters of material at the library. Excluding maps, microfilm rolls and posters. It was approximately what we thought we had.
The woman who went to East India was really a missionary, she was sent out by the Salvation Army. We haven't found any more details, but perhaps the relatives in Canada will know, and my colleague thinks he can locate them through old letters. Interesting case, I must say. There are also other cases right now, and they are taking much of my spare time.
Yesterday I went to a mall outside Malmö. The spring collections are beginning to arrive, and I got several nice tops in two different stores. Three necklaces on sale for the price of two was a very good deal that I made use of. I also went grocery shopping there and then took the train home again.
I got the last measurements from other departments, so now I know that we have 110 000 meters of material at the library. Excluding maps, microfilm rolls and posters. It was approximately what we thought we had.
The woman who went to East India was really a missionary, she was sent out by the Salvation Army. We haven't found any more details, but perhaps the relatives in Canada will know, and my colleague thinks he can locate them through old letters. Interesting case, I must say. There are also other cases right now, and they are taking much of my spare time.
Yesterday I went to a mall outside Malmö. The spring collections are beginning to arrive, and I got several nice tops in two different stores. Three necklaces on sale for the price of two was a very good deal that I made use of. I also went grocery shopping there and then took the train home again.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Shopping in Malmö
Already February. Time goes much too quickly. We are very busy at work. This year in April/May we will get some staff changes in the stacks, one will retire and another will be on a long leave. I wrote a document to my boss, explaining what will happen if we don't get replacements for these two. I didn't exaggerate. I just stated the facts. Four days later I was told that I would get a part-timer to start training the following Monday. I was also promised another part-timer who will start tomorrow. To say that I was astonished is a great understatement. There is absolutely no money for this. It takes a long time to train someone new and it's appropriate to start now and not after the two people have left. I'm happy to know that my boss (and her boss) listened to me.
Last weekend I was in Malmö. I dared to ride the train to one of the new stations under ground in the city. The train was of course delayed, but people don't seem to care anymore. I have commuted on train/bus every work/school day for more than 24 years and I can stand almost anything. It has even helped me in other areas. I have no problems with crowds, confined spaces or strangers. I hardly react when the elevator at work gets stuck in between floors. The shopping in Malmö went well, I visited one of the largest second hand stores I know of. Found a necklace there. I managed to visit three different malls in the city also and got a blouse on sale. I visited Gray's, the American food store. They have now also food and candy from England. Interesting place with a large memorabilia section, but I just got some peanut chocolate bars.
This weekend I spent Saturday at work. Not to actually work, but to try to catch up on some genealogy projects. One of my colleagues had asked for help, and we found some interesting details about his great grandfather's sister. She had emigrated from Sweden in 1911 and it said that she went to East India. Very unusual, I have never seen that before. I thought that maybe she was a missionary. We found her to be married and living in Canada by 1923, but the question about East India remains. We have to do some more digging here.
Last weekend I was in Malmö. I dared to ride the train to one of the new stations under ground in the city. The train was of course delayed, but people don't seem to care anymore. I have commuted on train/bus every work/school day for more than 24 years and I can stand almost anything. It has even helped me in other areas. I have no problems with crowds, confined spaces or strangers. I hardly react when the elevator at work gets stuck in between floors. The shopping in Malmö went well, I visited one of the largest second hand stores I know of. Found a necklace there. I managed to visit three different malls in the city also and got a blouse on sale. I visited Gray's, the American food store. They have now also food and candy from England. Interesting place with a large memorabilia section, but I just got some peanut chocolate bars.
This weekend I spent Saturday at work. Not to actually work, but to try to catch up on some genealogy projects. One of my colleagues had asked for help, and we found some interesting details about his great grandfather's sister. She had emigrated from Sweden in 1911 and it said that she went to East India. Very unusual, I have never seen that before. I thought that maybe she was a missionary. We found her to be married and living in Canada by 1923, but the question about East India remains. We have to do some more digging here.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Lots of work
There has been little going on here except for work. The semester started last week and we were overloaded with requests. The students get their reading lists a week or so ahead of the start, so we have had a lot to do. Some days we just barely made the deadline (which is noon). This is with full staff in the stacks.
I got a task to do that will take a while - measure the entire collection. Really, all of it. We actually don't know how many books we have. A rough estimate says 6-7 million volumes. I can't measure this in number of books, though. I have to use shelf meters instead. I asked the newspaper librarian if he knew how many meters of newspapers we have, and he just laughed at me. They are kept in a gigantic storage, and the collection grows about 100 meters a year. I might have to guess at some of the numbers......
My cold lasted about a week, so I am doing fine now. This past weekend I made a trip to my favorite shopping mall outside Helsingborg, Väla. There wasn't much shopping done, but I got some small things and two sleeveless tops on sale. There is a new store near the train station in Helsingborg that sells baked goods and all sorts of candy. I got a chocolate cake there that was very nice.
I have heard from some of my Australian relatives and they are all fine. They were not personally affected by the floods, apart from being sent home from work and experiencing some electricity failures. They are of course shocked by the horrifying scenes and widespread devastation. It will take many years to rebuild and recover. We have had some pretty bad weather also here, but we can stand two months of arctic cold and massive amounts of snow. It is not (supposed to be) a surprise to us. For some strange reason the movie The Day After Tomorrow has been shown on TV here several times during the coldest time. It includes lots of ice and a famous library in New York.....
I got a task to do that will take a while - measure the entire collection. Really, all of it. We actually don't know how many books we have. A rough estimate says 6-7 million volumes. I can't measure this in number of books, though. I have to use shelf meters instead. I asked the newspaper librarian if he knew how many meters of newspapers we have, and he just laughed at me. They are kept in a gigantic storage, and the collection grows about 100 meters a year. I might have to guess at some of the numbers......
My cold lasted about a week, so I am doing fine now. This past weekend I made a trip to my favorite shopping mall outside Helsingborg, Väla. There wasn't much shopping done, but I got some small things and two sleeveless tops on sale. There is a new store near the train station in Helsingborg that sells baked goods and all sorts of candy. I got a chocolate cake there that was very nice.
I have heard from some of my Australian relatives and they are all fine. They were not personally affected by the floods, apart from being sent home from work and experiencing some electricity failures. They are of course shocked by the horrifying scenes and widespread devastation. It will take many years to rebuild and recover. We have had some pretty bad weather also here, but we can stand two months of arctic cold and massive amounts of snow. It is not (supposed to be) a surprise to us. For some strange reason the movie The Day After Tomorrow has been shown on TV here several times during the coldest time. It includes lots of ice and a famous library in New York.....
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