No milk today

I am sitting here at my kitchen table. As usual here in England, it is raining. For the first time in a long time, the weather corresponds to my mood. Yesterday evening, my love (I still call her that - I still love her) decided to leave me. She packed her bags and left. Just like that. She left the kingdom where she had reigned as queen, and she left me behind. So now I sit here, staring out at the rain, thinking of the sodden note outside my door - No milk today. The empty bottle from yesterday is standing lonely beside it. The people who pass my nondescript door don't know the significance of this little note - it seems a common enough sight. How could they know that this message means the end of my all hopes and dreams? How could they know how good things were only yesterday, and how much everything has changed?

We had wonderful parties, dancing through the night. Everyone was  happy, and I was probably the happiest of them all. As the music played, we danced faster and faster, swirling in each other's arms. We looked into each other's eyes, and we could both feel the spark becoming a flame. From that our romance just escalated. The fire burned higher and higher, fueled by the milk she was constantly drinking. She had no good explanation of this peculiar behaviour - she just said that she liked it. And I loved kissing away her milky mustache, so I didn't complain.

Now, I can't help but think of her when I see a milk bottle. And all that is left is this place, dark, empty, and lonely. I sit behind the lace curtains of the kitchen in my terraced house and peek out into the awful street outside. But this horrible, dark, lonely place becomes a shrine when I think about my love. It reminds me of the things we did together, and I remember my love for her. My little terraced house is just a two up two down, but still it can rise so high and fall so hard.

So, milkman, I will have no milk today - my love has gone away. The empty bottle on my doorstep is a symbol of the dawn after the endless party-night. Of waking up to reality after the fairytale dream world of the night. All that is left is this dark and lonely place where I sit staring out at the rain, and will probably be doing that for quite a while.

This is my interpretation of the song No Milk Today by Herman's Hermits. I have taken liberties with the story line, and this is strictly my interpretation. I do not pretend to know the true meaning of the song. Listen to the song below.

Book survey!

Kayley took this survey from her friend, then Bryarly took it from Kayley, and now I have taken it from her. How could I pass up this great opportunity to talk about books?

The books I have checked out of the library
at the moment and the books I am reading.

1. Favorite childhood book?
Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver by Michael Ende, the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome and the Elizabeth Gail series by Hilda Stahl.

2. What are you reading right now?
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo and Poems from the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None, I collected the last one I had on request yesterday. It was Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli.

4. Bad book habit?
I can't get rid of books, they're like my friends...I don't know if this is good or bad. Also, I buy books I could have borrowed from the library, making for stuffed shelves more often. In addition (these keep cropping up) I have a habit of jumping forward in my books, only to go back and read it all again. Sometimes I end up having read a book one and a half time by the time I'm finished...

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Poems from the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli, The Complete Poems by Walt Whitman, and Favourite Verse edited by Christopher Hurford. I am trying to find my favourite poet, because I don't know where to start or which book(s) to buy. I would like there to be more poetry on my shelves.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No, and I don't want one.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I prefer to read one at a time, but if the book is long, I'll usually split it up and read books in between parts or volumes. I can cope fine with several at once, but I don't prefer it.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes, but the decision to start a blog was coupled with the decision to read more. More specifically, to read 50 books in a year, which I managed!

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)

Preludes and Nocturnes (Sandman 1) by Neil Gaiman.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
I can't decide between Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey. One of those, they are all excellent and amazing books.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
I am still kind of finding my comfort zone, but I have sort of settled, so I read outside my comfort zone maybe once a month or every two months.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Fantasy, children's books and dystopians are what I read the most, I think. As I said, I am still kind of searching for my comfort zone. So for now, it is quite broad.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yes. I don't get car sick (in a bus, anyway). I actually do a lot of my pleasure reading on the bus to and from University.

14. Favorite place to read?
In bed, when I have made my "reading corner" with pillows, duvet and blankets piled up in one corner.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I lend books to anyone who asks (usually friends), but I ask them to take good care of my books. For example I don't like broken spines and dog-eared books.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No. Well, some times in books I don't care about. But usually not in my books for pleasure reading.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
No.

18. Not even with text books?
Okay, yes, I do. But they don't count!

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English, I think. I prefer to read books in the language they were published, if I can read it. If I can't read the original, it's kind of random whether I choose the Norwegian or English version.

20. What makes you love a book?

Memorable characters and saying something profound about life or humanity. Sometimes just the deliciousness of the book - how much I loved reading it. Puns and humour also helps - a lot.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I liked or loved it, and think other people will like it. I will selectively recommend according to what I know people like to read. Sometimes, I just want the whole world to have the amazing experience I had when reading that book.

22. Favorite genre?
Fantasy, I think.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)

Biographies, I think. I tend to go for the books that enable me to escape from the real world, but the real world can be interesting, too.

24. Favorite biography?
The one about Helen Keller - for children. I haven't read many biographies since I read those biographies for children.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I don't think so.

26. Favorite cookbook?
My homemade one. I don't own many cookbooks. (I think I own one that is not homemade.)

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Inspirational...inspiring what? Thought? Awe? Action? Maybe The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Yes, I think so.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Doritos, chocolate (Melkedrøm bringebær - a chocolate we have in Norway), or licorice with salmiak, another Norwegian snack (I know it sounds weird, but I love it).

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Reading John Green's first four novels - Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson. The hype made me expect great things, but I realised that I couldn't relate very well to his characters.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I usually don't read reviews done by professionals. I guess I often agree when I do.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I often try to not be too explicit about it, or I just don't review the books I don't like.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Spanish, maybe. Or French. Those languages are so beautiful!

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Wuthering Heights, I think. But mostly because of what I've heard about the mood of that book.

35. Favorite Poet?
As I said, I am trying to find out. I really liked some of the poems in The Fault in Our Stars, and I want to find a poet I really like so that I can buy a collection of poems or something like that to have more poetry on my shelves.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
I don't often go to the library, I have a tendency to buy all the books I want to read (bad, bad habit). But this year I have decided to read some classics, and I have discovered that my local library has more of the books I like to read than I thought, so I am becoming better at going there and borrowing books. I usually borrow about 3 to 5 books at once - as many as I can comfortably carry or as many as I think I can read in one month.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
I do it sometimes - especially if I know I want to read the book later or I am going to buy the book. I prefer reading the copy I own.

38. Favorite fictional character?
Jane from Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, Elisabeth from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Hermione from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, and Hadassah from the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. Favourite couples: Jane and Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and Angel and Michael in Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Bellatrix Lestrange and Dolores Umbridge (from Harry Potter, of course) - they're very interesting characters. I am also quite intrigued by Javert in Les Misérables.

40. Books you’re most likely to bring on vacation?
The next big or heavy books I plan on reading which I have heard good things about. These would usually be classics, fantasy or dystopians. I try reading new books for the time being - so many books to read, so little time to re-read!

41. The longest you’ve gone without reading.
Probably a couple of months - without reading novels, that is.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - too many intrigues.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Nothing much. I almost forget to get off the bus sometimes. But right now, when I am reading Les Misérables, I can't listen to music while reading.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lord of the Rings, probably. The BBC series for Pride and Prejudice is also pretty awesome.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I don't know. Maybe Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
A lot of money...maybe two or three thousand crowns (the Norwegian currency), which is around 225 to 340 GBP or 350 - 530 USD.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Quite often. I also sometimes skim books while reading them if the tension is high or it's an exciting, fast-paced book.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If I get stuck and I don't want to read it anymore.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes. Now, they're organised by colour if they're not in a series, in which case they are sorted by series.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep them, usually. I prefer it that way.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Pure romance books, and especially Christian fiction romance books - they are too predictable.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
I rarely get angry generally, so I can't remember getting angry over a book. I might have gotten angry over The Time Traveller's Wife.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Hmm...I think I was kind of surprised at how much I liked The Lord of the Rings - I had read very little classic fantasy before that.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

I expected to like John Green's early books much more than I did. I was kind of disappointed. I also thought I would like The Princess Diaries since I enjoyed the film, but I didn't like it much at all.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers - one of my all-time favourites.

Snowy fields and blood

Microscopy is really interesting, and I'm getting to do quite a lot of it these days. Everyone who have bought a nice camera (SLR or similar) can attest to the fact that macro photography is fascinating. Taking up close pictures of everyday things like food and writing utensils becomes really interesting. Just imagine what happens when you start looking at things through microscopes!

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that what I am seeing through the microscope is what is actually there. Especially cells and organelles (the small thingies (very scientific name) inside cells), which to me have mostly been like atoms and molecules - you know they're there, but you can't see them. But now, suddenly, I can - thanks to these magnifying wonders.

Today, I looked at food mold (the white and green fluffy stuff you find on food that has gone bad) through a microscope at a relatively low magnification. It was really pretty! I wish I had taken a picture of it so I could show you. It looked like hills covered in fluffy snow catching the morning sun. Really beautiful and almost magical. And then you look at it without the microscope, and the immediate reaction is yuck! It really is like two different worlds.

Red blood cells I saw in the lab.
The oval is a red blood cell on its side.

I have recently looked at blood through a microscope too, and that was also pretty awesome. I didn't know that we had that many red blood cells in our blood compared to the number of white blood cells! And I kind of didn't think that they would actually have the form that we associate with red blood cells - but they do! Little discs with a dent in the middle of each side - quite neat, if you ask me.

In short, nature is amazing and awesome in all scales - from the global to the microscopic. And it is elegant and wonderful and really interesting.

Procrastination irritation

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This is how frustrated and irritated I am over not being able to just do what I should be doing and not procrastinate. I did several headdesks on my keyboard - I just want to lie down on my keyboard and sleep, and then magically, when I wake up, everything will be done. Now wouldn't that be nice...

Just so IRRITATED!

I guess I just haven't found the key to get myself working properly without all the distractions and procrastination. I find my mind beginning to wander - and my mouse sort of automatically glides towards and clicks the inviting internet browser icon. Also, deep inside me, there is a little obstinate girl who just refuses to cooperate and get down to business. I imagine her with oversize glasses, arms crossed, and with a frumpy face sitting there saying: "I don't WANT to!" I guess this is kind of because that little girl (and me, quite often) can't see how doing this work is going to help us (me) learn the things we need to learn. I mean, we could just read a book! Of course it's about the skills, but I have already written quite a lot of reports - why do I have to do it again?

So I find myself growing more and more irritated. At myself, mostly. I really would like to find a way to be effective without stressing or wearing myself out. I am going to counseling soon, so maybe I will figure something out. In the meantime, I will continue being irritated at myself (and eating chocolate) and think about the humour in writing about procrastination while procrastinating.

Doctor Who?

It's official - I'm a Doctor Who fan. I've watched series 5 and 6, and I'm totally hooked (and I know I started at the wrong end, but I really don't mind spoilers). I really like the premise of the series and the stories. The doctor is a pacifist and has good morals - no violence and such. His only weapon is a sonic screwdriver, and it can't do more than disarm (well, that depends on the creature, I guess). In spite of this, he wins wars and sends whole armies running. It's really my kind of show - exciting and thrilling, and with a good man as the main character.

Pure awesome 

The Doctor is a time-travelling alien who looks human, but is in fact the last of the race of the Timelords. He usually has a companion travelling with him, and in the series I've watched, this has been Amy Pond (and sometimes Rory Williams). If he is about to die, he can regenerate - that is, renew himself and come out of it with a different appearance and personality. The current doctor is played by the actor Matt Smith, and he is the eleventh version of the doctor.

The Doctor uses his TARDIS to travel through time and space, and he solves (and sometimes accidentally creates) problems. He really likes Earth, and has saved the human race many, many times from alien threats. I think the show is amazing, really wonderful.

The weird thing is that I've sort of been a fan of Doctor Who since before I even watched a whole episode. I have listened to Chameleon Circuit's songs (they are a rock band who write songs about Doctor Who) and loved them, and my dashboard on Tumblr is constantly filled with a lot of Doctor Who (including a lot of fangirling over the show). There are many good one-liners and memorable scenes, and they almost always end up on Tumblr, and I love it.

If this sounds at all interesting, you should give doctor who a chance. I loved it, maybe you will too.