Monday and Tuesday 11-12 May

Another visit to the botanical gardens. Sunnier and bloomier than the last, unimaginably. Lots of communicating to arrange places in Dublin and Edinburgh and just when it was beginning to concern me, it all came together. Ahhh :) Also making plans for July in CA an elsewhere. Looks like it will be Rainier in early July and the Vancouver folk music festival July 17-19. Colorado in late July-early Aug. Let me know if you want to join in on any of this...

Afternoon walk up the hill to jog in the park and look back out over Oslo, goodbye. In the evening, EM's housemate Catherine (how have I not mentioned this woman? She's beautiful and interesting and a good housemate and I say so with even more confidence now that I have stayed at their place for this time...) returned and invited me to join her for a set of crunches. I was ecstatic! Yes! Of course! I can't go back to Mojo Fit in Davis in this soft-core condition, after all. Give me abs! Also, I have been stretching after jogging and can not believe how tight my hips and shoulders have become. But anyway, this is all being addressed. Never you worry. :) Really, it might be the prospect of all that tango dancing that has me so motivated.
EM and I made late-night granola and stayed up with a film called Kautokeino Opprøret, which is about a Sami community who rose-up against oppresive influences, set in the late 1800's. We stopped it early (at 1am...), so I am going to finish it today - I think it is an important Norwegian history lesson for me.
Tuesday and we went together to the post office in the morning to pick up a care package Haleh sent to me. Oh my goodness, what a special treat and wonderful feeling this is! I just want to tell the world how ridiculously happy this little box has made me. And that I am now the proud owner of an orange Davis Food Co-op water tin.
I am hanging out with EM at work for a bit this morning an then will be off to pack and shuttle off to Dublin. There is a 2-hour or so bus ride to the airport in Torp (gah Ryanair!) and the flight and bus into city center and I am sure to be finished with the day when I arrive after 9pm.
Last night, this feeling of inspiration and refreshment began to renew itself in my little heart, from some myriad of influences, and today it is growing alongside the sadness of leaving my sweet EM.