Inez is one

So! Inez turned one. What a year!

Booked!

Do you also have enough interests to fill up 48 hours a day? It sucks really. More than anything I wish I had the time to read more. Well, as (bad) luck has it, Inez has been waking up a whole lot in the nighttime so I’ve been sleeping in the guest room. (I AM the one who has to go to work every morning.) This gives be an extra half hour or so to read. (Oh, what do you know, she just woke up downstairs.)

Though I still have a pile of Stephen King novels piled up I’ve mainly been reading memoirs.

Off the Rails – Aboard the Crazy Train in the Blizzard of Ozz (2008)

By: Rudy Sarzo

As a tribute to the late Randy Rhoads, his old bass compande, Rudy Sarzo, has written a biography/autobiography about the Blizzard of Ozz tour in the early 80′s. Picking up a book with a huge amount of Ozzy Osbourne in it has it’s downside (Sharon) but Rudy tells the story in a very balanced way and comes off as a very balanced guy which neither Ozzy nor Sharon does.

I might sound like a complete ass but I’m probably a bigger fan of Sarzo than I am of Rhoads
so he could’ve just as well written a book about his whole career but it’s still cool to get some insights on those particular tours. And it’s an interesting read to learn how Ozzy’s stardom was really pending after he got kicked out of Sabbath. Sarzo’s memory serves him really well and so does his pen.

Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir (2010)

By: Dave Mustaine with Joe Layden

I believe very few expected this particular memoir to be anything but a one-eyed, biased, egotistical I-did-this-and-I-am-better-than-he-and-bla-bla-bla. Surprisingly enough it is anything but that. Well, not quite. Dave Mustaine is always very frank and not late in patting himself on the shoulder, but there is one thing that the book format served him very well and that is the opportunity to think things through. (That and an editor. And a lawyer.)

He shows a decent amount of respect. He is humble a times, funny most of the times and not self-righteous all the time. He has guts to dig the Metallica-grave (coz face it, we’re all gonna say “Oh, not again”) and it is actually interesting to hear his unabridged version of those early days. It’s also a blast reading of all the other guys: Poland, Samuelson, Menza, Friedman etc.

If you’re a Dethhead, pick it up. If you are not you might as well pick it up anyways.

I’m Chevy Chase… And You’re Not (2007)

By: Rena Fruchter

I think Bill Murray (as quoted in the foreword) was completely accurate: Chevy Chase should write his own biography.

Reading someone else’s praises of someone can be quite boring. Apparently this Fruchter woman wrote a biography of Dudley Moore and then this thing. Chevy – the guy – is one of the funniest guys on the planet. The book – is not. It is however interesting if you want to get to the bottom of things, like for instance his departure from SNL some thirty years ago and you get his opinions on his own films (he rarely likes them).

It should’ve been an autobiography but it is just a biography. And in all honesty it feels more like an essay.

A month of horror! (march 2010)

Of course there are many ways of growing. Firstly there is the physical way of growing (Elin being pregnant and me being, uhm “large”). This way had us siting on the couch for months while waiting for the baby. Then there is also spiritual growth, and what better way to expand your ghostly senses than to watch some good old horror flicks? I mean, we were bound to sit there anyway.

These are the first of a lot of films we watched these last weeks. Though I’d throw out a few words.

Poltergeist (1982)

Director: Tobe Hooper / Starring: JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke, Craig T. Nelson

The television people (no, not the evangelists) are talking to Carol Anne through the static when shows end. Everyone knows the film cover which is a great one and it kind of says it all. There’s good acting and the effects are sweet in a 1982-way (the good way) but there’s also something to the film which I never thought. It bares a lot of the Spielbergesque correctness to it – yes, he is the producer – and if one would think that Tobe Hooper who also directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre would manage to slash that away then there can only be surprise if not disappointment.

Believe me or not but I had never seen Poltergeist before and smack my ass and call me Judy, but I may have had too high expectations. This is horror the way Disney would make it. Horror for family friday.

The Exorcist (1973)

Director: William Friedkin / Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair

Elin had yet to see it and I never saw the Director’s Cut so while at the hospital (this was actually after the delivery) with Inez in our room we decided to watch The Exorcist about the possession of Regan (Linda Blair).

“A man has been called for as a last resort to try and save her. That man is The Exorcist.” It’s both simple and complex. Simple in the storyline and the basic struggle between good and evil. Complex in it’s way of raising a handful of existential questions and in the end you’re still sitting there with the question that is as old as history itself: Why evil?

The Exorcist could possibly be the best horror film of all times. And the big question goes unanswered.

The Box (2009)

Director: Richard Kelly / Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella

I believe that The Box is based on a short story called “Button, button” which was also the basis for an old Twilight Zone episode. I haven’t seen the episode, nor have I read the short story, but it sure does feel like that would be a suiting fit. Synopsis: Push a button, get a million dollars, someone dies but not someone you know, or something like that.

I think the storyline is enough for a short story or a 45-minute tv show but it soon got boring as a feature film. The one thing I did like though was that it was set in the 1970′s which gave the film a fine edge.

Moon (2009)

Director: Duncan Jones / Starring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey (voice)

Usually the films about solitude and cosmic dread turn out to be good ones, like 2001: A Space Odessey (1968) or Alien (1979). I am right, right?

Well, Moon is not any different from that. It is cold, lonely and has a lot to say and ask about what it is that makes us human. It’s not very sci-fi so don’t let that get in the way. Also, Sam Rockwell does an amazing job playing both his character and his character.

Orphan (2009)

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra / Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman

I must say I am more than a little tired by these monster-kid-flicks. Village of the Damned (1960), El Orfanato (2007), The Omen (1976) and Pet Sematary (1989) will kick your momma’s buttocks back to mars but the evil-children-movies of today are usually not that clever. But my wife has a fetisch for just weird kids so we usually give these films a try. This one actually comes highly recommended but I think it was a bit too long and I don’t care for Isabelle Fuhrman’s acting much. It has a cool twist though and a punchline that rocks heavy.

Waiting for the monkey to crack the egg

These days are all about waiting. Waiting for this and waiting for that.

But mostly, waiting for the monkey to crack the egg.

It’s only three and a half years (plus a few months) since Elin and I met. As a few of you know we met online. (Elin’s nephew got the impression that we met on Ebay, which is only slightly wrong.) Like all other online flings it was destined to die fast or slow.

One critical moment was when Elin said something positive about “Appetite for Destruction” by Guns n’ Roses and I found that to be a very “mainstream remark”. Same thing about Metallica. This says more about my sporadic brain malfunctions than it says about Elin. Anyways, we lived through that. We also lived through my not calling her for two months even though she had asked me to. (Did I tell you about brain malfunctions?) But eventually I called her and we met up only a couple of days after that.

And then we got hooked. Later we got married. And last summer we got pregnant.

And that’s where we’re at. Still pregnant, and growing fast. Waiting… waiting. I found some nice pictures from Elin’s old camera that I hadn’t seen before. They’re from the Germany trip that we went on a week after we first met. Those were the days when we weren’t waiting for anything. Not like now when we’re waiting constantly.

Waiting for the monkey to crack the egg…

The winter outside

Waking up today, still lying in bed, I decided to check out the Kevin Moore fansite and its forum.

Once upon a time I got to know a lot of people at the official Chroma Key forum but that has long since passed away. So while reading some Chroma Key related discussions I got an urge to listen to some of Kevin’s work. Also, I felt I had to go outside. I brought the camera and took some pictures that I decided to send to Annie in Brazil. Not only is she a big Chroma Key fan, she also has never seen snow.

The video in itself is not that magical. The scenery is though.

So this is for Annie. Annie who has never seen snow.

Made in Greece

Surely the first sign was Elin’s bad reaction to a horrible shot of Raki that a waiter forced her to try Greece. (She had a cold sweat after 30 seconds and threw up within the minute.) But it was at least two or three weeks till we figured it out.

I think Elin suspected it when she all of a sudden had to run to the bathroom 3-5 times a night so while in the grocery store we stopped at the pharmacy and picked up two of them sticks – not just one, you want to be sure, right? And sure enough there was a plus, or actually two of them. One on each stick. So that was that and still is. We are having a baby.

A doctor scared us for a while suggesting that the baby was too small, after an early ultrasound we took. But that was just a bunch of bull as it turned out all was well.

Most likely the kid will find it’s way out in the middle of april with a Made in Greece-tag attached. I’m trying to enjoy the last few months of a no-child existence while Elin just recently started enjoying her first vomit-free week of pregnancy.

Elin’s belly has grown quite a bit too! I’m pretty sure we’ll post some pictures of that if they can fit on this website. No seriously, a big tummy it is but my wife is as thin and gorgeous as ever. If only she has strong genes to overcome mine then this baby will be one beautiful one!

To be continued…

Back from Black Mountain, Maine (USA)

Just got back from USA visiting my friend Greg Girardin with whom I recorded some music in 2005. It was a quick trip because Greg hasn’t been feeling quite well lately. Anyways, a visit was way over due. Especially since he should’ve come to Sweden this summer, but didn’t.

I kept a basic diary to remember everything and all. And there’s a photo gallery at the very end.

Friday 28 Aug

Elin was up all night working and barely got any sleep myself. She was supposed to drive me to the airport but that didn’t make much sense in the morning so I took the train. The flight was ok, except I was sitting near one of the emergency exits and it was darn cold!

Once in Philadelphia, PA my connecting flight to Manchester, NH got cancelled due to bad weather up north so I had some sushi which turned out to be a big plate of raw fish and nothing else. Was superb though.

I made the flight at 9 in the evening. An hour later my good friend Greg Girardin picked me up at the airport in Manchester. Four years (almost to the day!) since we saw each other – not a moment too soon!

Saturday 29 Aug

Breakfast at Denny’s. Man, conversations with Greg are easy. He is a very interesting guy and it’s really a shame that there is an ocean between us. After a quick visit at Guitar Centre to get a cymbal for a friend back home we drive to Greg’s parents in Lewiston, Maine. Once there Bob (dad) treated me to the best corn I’ve ever had and after good talk with Bob and Madeleine (mom) we went to LuAnn (sister) and Tony (her husband) for more awesome food and some great brew. Geary’s HSA – too bad they don’t carry that stuff in Sweden.

Sunday 30 Aug

Me and Greg started recording something that turned out to be an Opeth-clone. We never finished it though. Guess we’ll have to do that online.

Saw the Lewiston Maineiacs (ice hockey) play the Shawinigan Cataractes which was great fun. Then we had canned bread (yes!) with Valerie (sister) and Mike (her husband) and their kids. And if you thought that bread out of a can was weird then I must say that the Dr McGillycuddy’s schnapps took the prize. You drink it and then chase it with a beer and magically the beer tastes like toothpaste. How about that?

Yelling Cinderella songs with Mike Girardin in the car later that night shurely been the highlight of the day.

Monday 31 Aug

It was a surreal experience, standing outside of Stephen King’s house in Bangor, Maine. Not so much because I absolutely love his books or that, but the fact that he probably is the most famous author alive and that he lives in an ordinary neighbourhood and not a gated community. Had took take a few pictures outside that house though, spider web fence and all. I bought the Dark Tower comic books at Bett’s Bookstore after that. Now I must finish the last volumes in the Dark Tower series so that I can read the comics.

Next stop was Bar Harbour and I must say that it was one of the most impressive sights ever seeing the Maine coastline from on top of an island mountain. Man! Pictures can’t explain the view. A 360° panorama view as far as Sweden (almost). It was worth the three hour trip! And the lobster rolls we had weren’t bad either!

Tuesday 1 Sept

In all honesty you can’t compare the view form Black Mountain to the Bar Harbour sights, but just as Greg said on top of Black Mountain: “You’ve got to earn your view” and that is mighty true! After an hour of walking, sitting down on top of the mountain was the sight of this year I must say. I felt a bit bad the whole trip (and had hidden a secret roll of toilet paper in the backpack in case I just HAD to go) but one we were on top all was good again for some reason.

Me, Greg and Bob went hunting for sushi material later that day. We got some great stuff and the the mayhem started. Just about the whole family (20 people at least) came to cook and eat. We had a blast and the swedish cheif did pretty well I must say, but man was I stressed. I think Greg got some footage of the whole event which I’m sure he’ll upload soon enough. A good memory this one I must say.

This was the last night and so me and Greg had a long, great talk about just about everything on earth and beyond. Greg’s has been quite ill the last six months. Some kind of mysterious nerve disorder but he surely is one happy bloke.

Wednesday 2 Sept

Toast in the morning – the breakfast of champions. Had to leave around 11 for Manchester. Staying with the Girardins was something I’d very much like to do again, preferably with Elin (so that she can cook the sushi the next time). Honestly, one can’t resist the love and openness of the Girardins, Labbes and Racines. Thank you so much for the warm welcome and many good laughs (hurdy gurdy hurdy!).

The relatives of Hudson, MA was kind enough to drive to the Manchester airport for a quick coffee. I got a kick out of seeing them again. It was four years since last. Now I’m praying they’ll make it to Sweden again. Hopefully not the same time as the Girardins/Labbes/Racines though because we can only handle so many american psychos.

Almost missed my connection in Philadelphia due to the first flight being horribly late, but I didn’t. Another cool thing was that when I flew into Philadelphia we were just over the Phillies baseball game. Really awesome. The rest of the trip was easy peasy.

And coming home to Elin is always the best part of a trip.