Versus...

Just got an invite to go over to North Charleston for a little shin ding. The trouble is that at 8 o'clock it is my weekly Sherlock Holmes hour on PBS. That is then followed by Keeping up Appearances, so it is more like an hour and a half of British top-of-the-line entertainment.

Dark Run

I went for my first run in quite some time yesterday. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing, and it came on late in the afternoon - so late that half way in to the run the sun set. I still managed to find my way home (there were no lights, at all!) and finish with 50 minutes under the soles.

Rock it Daddy-O

The wife and myself have always prided ourselves in being quite Rock n' Roll, we are a cool young couple who goes where the wind takes us. So today the inevitable question appeared to me: Can I be a good parent and maintain a certain level of Rock?
In desperate need of confirmation that so is the case I remembered My Parents Were Awesome, a blog dedicated to remind youths of their hip predecessors.

This picture is one of my favourites, I think because it sort of remind of my own ma' and da'.

I then realised that both of them are pretty cool still, so I think we are good...

Big News!!

Had a phenomenal birthday yesterday, everybody got just the right things, so I have loads of cool stuff now.
Although I think the wife took the cake when she informed me that we are going to be parents! That's right, there is a wee one on the way - should arrive at the end of next summer.

Cats and casks

Some pictures of things that makes life a little more fun:

Mustard getting himself tangled up in fresh laundry

In America Bulmers Cider go by the name of Magners. It is confusing because there already is a Magners back in the Old Country (very popular in Northern Ireland). The ales on the sides are awesome!

Almost 28

The ladies at work decided to celebrate my birthday a couple days early. I got a shirt and a pair of pants. Sweet.

Return of the Vamps

The wife, her sister and myself went to the midnight showing of New Moon last night. As a result of distinct lack of sleep I almost fell asleep during a meeting this morning. The film was good, it had more funky vampires and quirky dialog than the first one. Now I need to re-heat some old coffee, so I can finish the day.

BOI Strikes Again

While on the topic of funny things with an Irish accent - Here's Matt the Dragon. He may not be as cute as Jenny but keep in mind he has a flash name and a shitload of money!

Sometimes big ears are a good thing

Had a pot luck at work today, where people brought in different autumn or Thanksgiving themed dishes. I made scones.
Here is a classic: Jenny the Elf

Dreams

Had a dream last night that I pissed off little known actor Per Eggers' even lesser known Chinese looking brother and ended up on the set of 'My Name is Earl', which was shooting in a British suburb.
Obviously, in an awake state, I do not think Eggers has a Chinese like brother or they're shooting American sitcoms in Slough...

Coffee Comeback

Finally got a janitor up to the office to unlock the coffee cabinet today. I have been celebrating by not going a single minute without the bean juice.

Cat Burglar

Just tried to jimmy the lock to the cabinet that holds the coffee. I thought it was going alright until I broke off one of the paperclips inside the lock. I have now managed to get it out and given up any aspirations of having any java today...

No Coffee Wednesday

It's Veteran's Day so loads of people have the day off. I am alone in the office, which is cool. I can get some work done and at the same time space off on the Internet if I want to. The first thing I did this morning however was to accidentally lock the cabinet that has the coffee in it! I now have an empty coffee maker standing next to my desk, taunting me...

Breakfast For Dinner

Came home full of energy, planning to hit the old private gym. I soon realised that doing so I would tire myself out and fall asleep shortly afterwards and miss FlashForward again. So I made some waffles instead. Below is me taking out the crap from Mustard's litter box.

Making it Big

Charleston has been named as one of the top ten cities to visit 2010 by Lonely Planet.

Take that, everybody else!

The Tide is High

Things are starting to slow down at work, so I now have some time to update the old blog.
Some Highs and Lows:
Highs:

• Cosmic Egg, The new Wolfmother album. The closest thing you can get to real rock nowadays. The Wife and myself have been looking forward to this album for years now.
• My new job. I had almost forgot what it was like to like your job...
• V. ABC premiered the remake of the old 80's classic yesterday, pretty awesome. It will be up on Hulu on Saturday.
• Potatoes. There is nothing you can't do with these heavenly spuds, last week I made a pizza...

Lows:

• I just today realized that Wolfmother played in Charlotte, NC yesterday...
• I got some crazy strong solvent to put on my foot growth to kill it. That would have been a good thing had it not been for me spilling the stuff over my gray pants, staining them for good.

Halloween

So the weird and strangely provocative holiday of Halloween is upon us again. I was in charge of taking the nephew trick-or-treating, he was dressed up an the Dark Lord of the Sith (awesome). We filled up his bucket with candy, so out of a seven year old's perspective it was a success. I was slightly disappointed though that no one picked up on my fabulous costume as a 1916 Irish Freedom Fighter...

PC Load Letter

I finally quit my job today. It felt awesome to once and for all leave that mess spelled Xerox behind me. Tomorrow I start the new job, and we will see what is up with that. Now it is definitely time for Matt's Homemade Espresso and Parking Wars.

Bad Day

Premise:

• I had to work late and couldn't get a lift home so I had to take the bus.
• I've got blisters and stuff growing on my left foot so I cant walk proper.
• Due to it being Friday I stopped at the gas station and bought myself a tallboy.
• Attempting to lift the old spirit I listen to Brian Wilson's masterpiece Smile on the Ipod.

Result:

As dusk set over West Ashley there was an angry foreigner limping through the neighbourhood grinning and swearing while humming along to Heroes and Villains, carrying a brown bag containing a bottle with 32 ounces of cheap beer.

ICAnder & MonICA

It has been raining for a couple of days, so I have had the opportunity to sport my new parka. Together with my H&M pants and Doc Marten's I look surprisingly Mod.

Hummer?

To the list of exotic animals one might come across in the South I can now add Humming Birds. Saw one this morning going from flower to flower, elegant yet effective.

Now, to this you might say "Matt, surely you are fibbing. A Humming Bird in October?". I would then reply "Shut up! I know what I saw."

Baltimore Bombers

So the mother in law and myself are planning a road trip to Maryland this Saturday. There we are supposed to have a Rendez-Vouz with some friends from New York, give them one of Ma's dogs and then head back to old Chuck town. I have ridiculously high hopes of seeing some fall-coloured leaves along the way and look forward to making some Clark Griswald-esque memories.

Cat in the Kitchen

Time for some more cat pics. some things just never gets old, like mustard hanging out in the kitchen sink only waiting for someone to turn on the water. He is also pretty cool just posing.

Need Some Sauce

Just had some of my homemade pytt i panna. It was delish, I made it with chorizo meat to spice thing up a bit - Awesome.

All I needed was some HP Sauce, but apparently that doesn't count as a staple over here. The American equivalent - A1 - will never even come close.

Better Late...

Due to cutbacks I am now forced to take 2 hour lunches, which means that I now have time to get myself updated in the Foreign TV department. I noticed that there is a documentary show about the Swedish airport Arlanda and the people who work there. It is a good idea, although a bit late, was it TEN years ago now that we saw the Luton and EasyJet shows on ITV?
For all you Yanks: ITV is a bit like SPIKE TV, but a little bit classier... because it is European.

ChuckTown Padres?

I ran into a Chaplain this morning (He wasn't in uniform, so I didn't get to do my "Hello Father!!") who wanted to talk to me about The Troubles. I of course wasted no time to tell him about the evil ways of Reverend Ian Paisley. After that it started to get weird when he wanted to tell me why we all need God. I left when he said he liked my shirt so much I should give it to him.

Facts that makes it painstakingly clear I'm not in Ireland anymore

• People here do not hesitate to say "purty" for pretty - without being ironic.
• Whenever I see a priest I shout out "Hello Father!!" and only get slightly scared looks back.
• It is the end of September and still warmer than at the height of Irish summer.

Cheeky Friday

So far today I have been complemented on my:

• Hair (twice)
• Eyes
• Face
• JFK Tattoo (twice)
• Posture and demeanor

Nothing like a little ego-boost to finish off the work week.

Spell Check

"...So instead of saying 'Hello Matt' I would say '-H... R'"

A coworker trying to explain his own system of abbreviations.

Backyard Baby

Today the semi stray terrier that has been roaming our backyard decided to bring her puppy. It is a sweet little thing, although he could do with some grooming.

Mr Mustard was not happy to share the attention.

Metal Chicken

Here is a new commercial featuring the old band Dokken.

Driving

Had to drive myself today to work using the mother-in-law's SUV with the shift stick up on the dash board, behind the wheel. It all had a very 50's feel to it.

Cousin Sara!!

The 2009 Swedish televised Christmas Calendar is going to star Sara Edwardsson as Supersnälla Silversara. Awesome!
It won't top Allram Eest's macical performance a couple of years ago, but still.

In The Year 199X...

The Fist of Lingering Regret and Certain Death!

Pretty much the coolest name of an episode ever!

Anime Forever

Now it is time to watch Fist of the North Star online.

Spud Gun

Whipped up a spectacular bash of potato buns last night. It takes about three hours to make so I was well pleased when they came out alright - not like last week when I had the splendid idea of boiling the little suckers instead of frying them. Needless to say, mashed potato doesn't boil well - and a whole weeks supply of potato was made in to soup...

The Cat In The Sink

Here are some pics of what happens when you have a water-crazy cat who feel he needs to cool down.

Running Buddy

Got this watch a while ago. I now use it every time I go running. Yep, Faló and I make a grand running team.

Winchester

The time to go home for the weekend is creeping closer with every long minute. In a wicked pub-mood, you know - two pints of lager and a packet of crisps.

Old News

Since my trusted ride to work quit last week I have found a new one and I am now coming in to work way too early, and there is absolutely nothing to do. No one is calling the work phone and the cool Pop Culture sites I use to keep myself in the know hasn't been updated from the day before. What's left then is European media (Irish, British, Swedish) The sad thing is that they are already one day behind in reporting the stuff I have already read about (except for The Sun).
It is not easy being at the forefront of what's happening.

Shepherds We Shall Be...

The trailer for Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day is on Youtube!!

Run Matt, Run

Thanks to my new super-shoes I am now back at the old 6 mile track in the mornings. I will need a couple of more mornings to get the time down to an hour again, but still!

Autumn

It is getting chilly in Chucktown. Low 70's, still not cool enough for a jacket, though.

Friends of Bill

Just found this little snippet online. It is a guide to Windows 95 from back in the day. It is hosted by Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston. One of the funny things with the video is that someone thought they needed a funky bass riff after every joke, as to emphasise that it is supposed to be funny...

Fruity

Apparently there has been an outcry to ban MAOAM's new candy wrappers in the UK. This is because there are claims that the fruits on said wrappers are a bit to "sexy".

You be the judge:

Sleepy Hollow

Thursday night is my weekly Festivus when it comes to telly. It is also of course the one night of the week when I am unexplainable tired. Last night I fell asleep right after dinner, at 7 o'clock. I kept waking up to watch the first ten minutes of all all the cool shows I had planned to see.
Some of the stuff I zombied through:

• An MSNBC documentary on the Kennedy Brothers
• Police Women of Broward County
• LA Ink

I blame all the delicious food I keep making...

Because it couldn't be old age...

Funny Ad II

Here is the family's (well, my) favourite commercial at the moment. GEICO gets it right again!

Building A Home

Some "up to date" pictures from The Eriksons:

Me assembling the new IKEA bookshelf

Mr. Mustard Helping out in his own way

Generic IKEA "Kolasnören"

Mr. striking a pose in front of the new furniture

Funny Ad

Here is a funny commercial Radio Shack is using while they are trying to re-brand themselves as "The Shack". It is funny because it is foreign...

Of Course...

...Because nothing say "reliable rabies clinic" like a home made sign.

...Because who if not the Mob deserve their own entrance.

Pancakes Sans Syrup

Made a minor alteration in the planned and approved week menu and made a batch of American Pancakes (was supposed to make Swedish ones) to last us the rest of the week. Only when I was done did I remember that the wife refuses to eat "Americans" without maple syrup, something there's a distinct lack of...
I am gonna be hearing that when Honey comes home!!

Mustard & Water

Mr. Mustard having a drink/shower. You don't see that every day. Well - I do, but I bet you don't.

Ernstology

“Luxury is taking a tray with dark chocolate and some port out to the outside toilet.”

-Ernst Kirchsteiger

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Running Again

Today I decided to go to Shoe Carnival and get some new trainers. Found these no-brand ones. I have already tried them out, and apart from being a little snug on the left heal they are A-All Right.

Dry Martinique

We finally got a new TV!!

And just in time for the premiere of the third season of Mad Men...

Teenage Wasteland

It is raining outside and some strange clouds are blocking the sun giving everything a yellowish tone. Sounds weird, but it's true. It is like living in a CSI: Miami episode.

One With Nature

Just did some late night laundry, and had a cockroach run between my feet while I was out there. You see the little buggers almost every day so you're more or less used to them - but they are still pretty disgusting.

Here are some other weirdos I found chilling on the deck earlier today:

Happy Birthday Nikki

Today is the wife's 26th birthday!!

Only in Charleston

Only in Charleston will you see bumper stickers trying to spell out "Game Cock" phonetically - and actually having it spell out "gam-kak". Trust me Hillbillies, that is not how you use the letter Ä

Only in Charleston will you see this religious rambling posted at the parts drop department of MUSC. If you are already working for the Devil - do you really care about surveillance cameras?

More Drew for You

Saw Grey Gardens the other day. it was awesome and I recommend everybody to check it out. Drew Barrymore is her spunky self and that's always a selling point. A bit of a heads up: There is a Baldwin brother in it, but I think it is the one that actually knows how to act, and he is not in it long enough to ruin it.

Where is my mind?

Maybe I am a bit slower than everybody else, but I just realized today that Kim Deal, from The Pixies, is also the singer in The Breeders.
If you don't know The Breeders, check 'em out here. I am sure you have all heard Cannonball sometime without knowing who sings it.

Foxy Stoat Seeks Pig

Rik Mayall. You can't help but to idolize anyone who gets arrested for taking home a prop gun only to point it at some American tourists and shout "Do you want some of this, Motherf**ker?"

(Saw him live in Birmingham once, Bloody Marvelous!)

Conversation with a co-worker

Him: Man, I love music!
Me: Yeah...
Him: Yeah, especially good music.
Me: -?

Am I in a Kevin Smith movie?