Old Man Gilbert

Finn Willy Gilbert Wicklund 1915 - 2012

2012-06-10T03:01:00.001-07:00

F.W.G.W reached the end of his life last week, quietly, peacefully, and most of all with the greatest decency, he left.

This blog has sort of been about him.

He was one of the most real persons in every way you can imagine, he was only 97. Even if I tried to catch some of his personality and spirits, he of course was so much more, his attitude in life in general was for us something unique and totally special. No matter how the situation was he always seemed to be totally stabile, you could trust how he was and still he sometimes surprised us. He certainly was a different generation.
He also had a peculiar way of looking at life and even if he had an accident and had to go to the hospital and later a carecenter, he would request clean shirts, shaving equipment and a comb, because he always wanted to be presentable and decent, no matter if he was 96 or 97 years young or where he was. To have the spirit to try to fight for decency at a Norwegian carecenter is something worth a lot of respect, and I hope you never have to witness it. Decency is not a word we proudly can use when it comes to how we take care of our elderly.
If he ever had a friend like Big Gunnar I do not know, but I sort of hope he did, and to try to describe all the things, small and big, regarding him, would be absolutely impossible, but we are nevertheless for ever thankful for it all, and foremost for the teachings regarding how to handle life, and of course of the common decency.

It will be a little less of everything now that he is gone, but he is impossible to forget. The footprint he left is there for ever. Same as with our other grandparents, of which he was the last. Same with all grandparents in one way or the other.

I wish all grandparents would have had a blog, so their spirits and stories could be with us, to teach us, and maybe guide us when we are a little lost.

Thank you for having read F.W.G
Take care of your grandparents please, because the Norwegian welfare system for our elders is a totale disgrace even if the people working there are fantastic and doing their best.

Best wishes to you all.

The Good, The Musical And The Bad Bug.

2012-03-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hello peoples of the Internet and bugs of the world,

Last week, or maybe the week before, or it might be next week? Big Gunnar and me had found a nice and decent bench to sit on. At our age this can be the total plan for any day. We just wanted to sit there quetly together for a little while contemplating all that had been, which is a lot, and all that would come, which we do not, or something similar.

Anyway, we of course were interrupted in our exercise in doing nothing.

Big Gunnar being interrupted in doing seemingly nothing on the bench.

"It is strange." Big Gunnar said while we sat on the bench.

After a while I decided he really would not continue what he wanted to say without me asking, so I said:
"Yes, it truly is." I thought by saying this I might have put him of his balanse and he would ask me to ask him what in fact was strange, but it turned out he was thinking about the strangeness and did not really listen to me, so he just leaned forward and continued motivated by me answering something. I could probably have answered anything.

Big Gunnar leaning forward motivated to give his explanation on the strangeness.

"It is strange how one can be interrupted when one is doing nothing, and of what the interruptions actually are." He said.

When one have been friends for as long as we have it is easy to understand what the other is thinking of, because there were bugs and product of bugs all around us. I nevertheless said:
"But we like bugs, they are important, probably more than us humans."
"Not all bugs, still you are sort of correct in what you say, allow me to explain." Big Gunnar said. "We cannot stay on the bench forever, so I will just say something about three bugs we sort of are influenced by here on the bench now."

First you can see the web of a spider, how it reflects the sunlight. It is beautiful to look at and it helps in balancing nature. They have found spider webs as old as 140 million years. It is one of the strongest most sticky substances we know of and almost as unique as the bug that produces it. You have to be impressed by spiders. Some claim spiders are not bugs, but they are of course mostly wrong.

"Secondly do you hear that? I do not think you need to turn up your hearing aid machine to notice the musical hum from the bees? They make the sound with small almost hornlike tubes on the sides of their thorax. That means that they can then make that happy bee almost orchestral sound also without their wings. If you studied more you would also know such things." He gave me a patronizing but on the same time ironical look. "So they are not just extremely usefull in their pollination, they are also entertaining."

"And last but worst we have the Litter Bugs, us humans, look around the bench on which we are sitting."

Big Gunnar sitting on a bench surrounded by product of litterbugs.

I had to agree with him, it was a really sad view to look around us. People had been throwing all sorts of litter around the bench and it just seemed as everybody expected someone else to pick it up after them.
"So" Big Gunnar said. "We should not call ourselves bugs, not even litter bugs, because bugs are much better than that and do not deserve to be used in our negative namecalling of our selves."
I agreed with him, he had found the bad bug and besides sitting on the bench doing nothing we could suddenly do someting.

Ashamed and surrounded by beautiful spiderwebs and with the buzzing of other bugs in our ears we started picking up litter around our bench and other places nearby.

The walk home took a while because we found litter everywhere.

Big Gunnar is not very into carrying litter, so I had to do that, but he was highly involved in pointing where it was so I could pick it up.

Maybe you can study a bug without becoming one and you might just learn something usefull.
http://www.bumblebee.org/ is a nice page with bumble bee facts.
Have a nice week people!
F.W.G

Contemplating The Time That Goes By.

2012-02-28T03:42:00.003-08:00

Hello Internet Gentlemen and Madame,

We were having a small conversation after dinner, mostly due to the fact that it has been so long since I did any writing here. I felt sorry for this, but lack of time combined with unreliable internet access was mostly my defence against my own judgement on this. So I turned to my friends for help in hopefully feeling better.

Big Gunnar of course was conversingly present.

( I know conversingly is not a proper word, but it sounded so nice and decent.)
Anyway, above he is present in whatever form one chooses.
( I choose conversingly because this best describes his presence.)

I very shortly presented my dilemma for my friends.
"How to apologize for being absent for period that was too long to ignore, but at the same time too short to really be important when compared with our age in general."

Big Gunnar leaned forward to give me what I hoped would be a full and satisfying answer.

Big Gunnar leaning forward, and then he said:

"This obviously is to blame the politicians and how their system treats the elderly. You can also claim we had no internet for almost two months. Both are obviously the politicians faults."
"That is not true." I said. "We only had no internet for one month. I do not want to lie."
"Yes, but the Madams and Gentlemen of the Internet do not know that, and if the perception of time controls how we see it, then I see it more as two months, since it felt as at least five months, and thereby you actually make an understatement instead of lying." Big Gunnar said.
I wanted to see it from Big Gunnars point of view, but it somehow felt wrong.
"It is the same with the elevators." Rolf Rolls suddenly contributed by saying, and then continued: "They have stolen those too, same as they did with the internet."
"I think nobody can steal the internet? And who are "they"?" I asked.
"The politicians." Big Gunnar said and looked at me as I had the slowest mind in our retirement home, or maybe any retirement home. (Something you really do not want to have.)
"And by the way, nobody stole the elevators, they just hid them from Busk so he would not escape anymore. It was nevertheless probably on orders from the politicians. Come on I will show you the elevators Rolf." He said.

I walked with them pondering what had happened with them helping me with my dilemma, and if I really had got any answers, and if I maybe was one of the slower ones at our retirement home and therefor could not see the solutions to my feelings.

The hidden elevators.

(You can see how our caretakers have put a piece of paper to cover the switches and thereby fooled some of us into not finding the elevators anymore.)

"So the elevators are there?!" Rolf Rolls happily exclaimed when Big Gunnar showed him, and then he said: "I must show Busk, he will be so happy. He feels he has been trapped here for years since the elevators was stolen." "They have only had the paper covering the switches for a couple of weeks.." I said.
"You see? It is the perception of time, not time in reality that counts." Big Gunnar smiled happily at me while Rolf allready was gone looking for Busk. "Your friends at the internet might not even have noticed your absence and then you feel sorry for no reason at all. Also, same as with Busk and the elevators, the most important thing is to re-appear."

I would never call my friends geniuses, but sometimes they are, at least for me.
Hope you have some genius friends, maybe even without knowing it.
F.W.G

The Somewhat Senile But Good Intention Conversation.

2011-12-22T03:40:00.001-08:00

Hello Christmas Internet People !

We were having lunch here the other day, or we actually have lunch every day but this happened some other day, or actually the same day that we were having lunch that day.
Anyway,
Rolf Rolls had brought rullekake to our lunch and a group of us were sitting together talking about how little snow it is this year. Some were claiming it on global warming, and then someone had read about a snowmen protest against global warming. "That makes sense. They are of course among the first ones to notice the impact of lack of snow." Big Gunnar said.

Snow men protesting.

"Hundreds gathered to protest against global warming." I am sure there are some snow women there also.

"I guess them, the snow women and snow men, are not the only ones really affected by the lack of snow." Rolf Rolls said, he continued: "I am thinking of polar bears and how they will suffer as the amount of snow gets reduced. You know, we can do something, we can adopt a polar bear."

A very adoptable polar bear.

They of course normally live in the wild, in the snow, but this one just looked extra adoptable.

Polar bears, also very adoptable.

They maybe are thinking about joining the snow men`s protest or maybe they are just waiting for more snow. I think they nevertheless still look adoptable also when they are grown up.

"Polar bears are cool." Big Gunnar said.
"No, their body temperature is almost same as ours, 37C." Rolf Rolls said.
"Then they are hot in cool." Big Gunnar said.
"They can swim continuously for 100 km." Rolf Rolls continued.
"I have never tried, but I probably can too. I am an excellent swimmer." Big Gunnar replied.
"They do it in temperatures that can go as low as -37C !" Rolf Rolls almost shouted.
"I remember the winter of 1942 and again in 1966, back then I..." Big Gunnar calmly continued before I offered him some more rullekake. I really do not know what rullekake is in english?

Rullekake.

They can be very delicious and made Big Gunnar change his conversation with Rolf Rolls, slightly.

"In the winter of 1966 it was so cold that all cakes was classified as ice cakes. In 1942 they would obviously have been classified the same, but we of course had no cakes that year or maybe some had some made of bark." He happily continued talking while eating rullekake."

There was nothing more I could do to help Rolf Rolls in his conversation but to try to ask Big Gunnar something else. So I asked " Have you got any special plans for Christmas Gunnar?"

"I will build a snow man that can join the protest and adopt a polar bear." Big Gunnar said, then: "And by the way, rullekake is called a swiss roll I think. Maybe there was someone in your family Rolf who baked the first one? Are someone from your family from Switzerland Rolf? I mean your last name and everything."

Rolf could nothing else than to get in a good mood, and we continued our nice lunch.

(Link to adopting a polar bear:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/polarbear.html)

Maybe you can build a protesting snow man or adopt a polar bear? The polar bears are great gifts also!
Have nice and decent day before the day before Christmas!
F.W.G

The Rights Of The Round Table ?

2011-12-17T03:23:00.003-08:00

Hello one week from Christmas Internet people and especially caretakers at retirement homes !

It is soon Christmas and this often includes being more social for many people, so also at our retirement home. Forgive me for making some jumps in my text to reach what I want to explain. We have several round tables at our home in the dining room.
Here it goes.

I remember when I was very young in kindergarten and at school, the teachers used to seat us next to other kids we did not know, so everybody could get to know each other and nobody would feel lonesome. Then everybody could be like " Hello stranger you want to play with my awesome new firetruck ?!"

This firetruck once was very new.

Anyway, dear caretakers. The need to be seated sort of changes as you get older, when you reach eighty and perhaps eighty-nine and sometimes almost a hundred years old, you really want to spend the social time you have together with people you choose. There are no new firetrucks we can show each other or maybe not a new doll if you are female and we have accumulated enough social skills our selves to see if anyone are lonesome and needs attention or someone to sit together with. So why do you choose to place us at tables and seats we do not want to sit in? I would much rather sit with Big Gunnar and talk with him and my friends than to sit at a table with people I normally do not socialize with. He is my friend here and also the other guys and ladies at other seats at the other tables. Not the ones you put me together with. I am sure both the men and the women here are capable of finding conversation partners on their own. I again got seated at a all women table and they talked about knitting. Suddenly everybody around me where Bubba from company Bubba Gump from famous movie Forrest Gump and all they talked about was the different types of knitting. "You have flat knitting versus circular knitting."" You have felting knitting."" You have needle felting knitting." There are obviously hundred of ways to combine knits and purls from different designs to make a nice and almost everlasting knit, witch of course is great!...if you are interested in knitting.

Bubba Gump company partners.

This of course is a very good movie. They might be talking about shrimps.

Knitting.

I am sure she really knows a lot about knitting.

I could hear Big Gunnar telling the tale of the first man made object to break the sound barrier and other interesting tales at the other table, while I was stuck listening to the women at my table talk about the final episode of Glamour or something when they finished up talking about knitting. I will start learning a little about knitting so I can join the conversations next time, but I do not think there is time to start watching the TV soaps.

Have great days until Christmas and spend social time with your friends and family, or maybe get some new ones if you prefer! By the way, the first man made object to brake the sound barrier was the whip.
F.W.G

Old Men Ramblings, Something Stylish And The Imaginary Connoisseur .

2011-12-05T06:35:00.001-08:00

Hello Internet pants wearing art loving people and our forests !

This started with Big Gunnar and me taking a small walk, or rather a decent stroll, we wanted a cup of coffee and maybe see some threes. We had gotten no further than across the street from our home before Big Gunnar had to help a young gentleman up on the sidewalk. "My dear friend ! What is wrong with you ? Do you need medical help ?" Big Gunnar said to him and gave him a hand so he could climb up from the street and onto the boardwalk. There was a 30 cm height difference between the street and the boardwalk that the young gentleman obviously could not manage to get up on his own. The bus was coming and Big Gunnar just managed to help him out of the street in time before it passed us. "You are Johnny Weissmuller." I said to Big Gunnar, saving life in the urban jungle on a average Monday during a walk." "Huh?" The young gentleman said and looked at the both of us. "I have no medical condition, I am young and fit and stylish, this is the style of today grandpa." "He obviously is no fan of Mr Thurston." I said to Big Gunnar. "Huh?" The young gentleman said as goodbye and then left us very slowly, almost walking only from his knees and down.

Young gentleman stylish style.

"Now, why would he buy long pants if he really wanted short ones ? Big Gunnar asked me as we saw him very slowly leave us. "It is the style, he is stylish." I answered him. "And on the positive side we know he is a decent person because he cannot possibly run from authorities and others in such stylish pants." "I still think the Bogart pants period was more decent and functional. " Big Gunnar said and we continued our walk looking for threes. "Hope somebody helps him at the next crossroad." He said.

Bogart and his pants.

"How does the young gentleman reach his pockets, when he needs to get something from them or just when he needs to do a pose when he sees a young decent lady he wants to impress?" Big Gunnar said. He obviously was still concerned regarding the young gentleman. "He is stylish." I said again, "he maybe does not need to pose and maybe he has his things in his breast pockets?. Let us focus on our own walk and take in the beauty of the wood and threes here, they will soon be replaced by art and style." This was of course not the correct thing to say and I take full criticism for it.

A three.

Very normal three in Norway called gran. We were walking in a place called Ekeberg just outside of Oslo. I wanted to walk here because I had brought with me an article with information regarding a new sculpture park that is being placed there.

Style and art or maybe just one of the sculptures.

"What is that?" Big Gunnar asked me when I showed him one of the pictures of the sculptures bought for the park. "Please do not show me the rest of the pictures, let us just look at the threes and listen to the birds and pretend we did not know about this." "He who does this towards the forest must really hate threes and green places." He continued. "No, I just think he loves himself more." I said.

We decided to not have coffee at the sculpture owners restaurant, but instead continue the walk among the soon to change forest.

"I bet you he wears modern stylish pants." Big Gunnars said. "Maybe at home but not on pictures I have seen." I answered. "We are probably nevertheless not the group meant to understand and therefor not the ones to appreciate any of this." I said. "To cut down threes for such is nothing more than promoting vandalism for his restaurant, if he wanted them so much and claims he wants to share them he could have placed them on his parking lot or maybe at Henie Onstad art centre." Big Gunnar just answered.

I agree with Big Gunnar on this, the legacy of this man will not be what he believes he has bought.
Take a stroll in a forest and help stylish people if they need assistance because of their stylishness, and have a really nice week! Forgive any seriousness and remember personal opinions are personal even when they are 100% right.
F.W.G

An Echo Of Morphic Resonance Through Retirement Walls ?

2011-11-30T04:10:00.001-08:00

Hello Understanding Internet People!

This is about Albert and Rupert because of suspenders.

Suspenders is a great invention to keep the trousers up. The first "modern" types of suspenders is credited to the probably brilliant mind of Mr. Albert Thurston, he introduced them approximately in the year 1822, but they have in some way or the other existed almost in 300 years.

Suspenders.

Big Gunnar wanted to be in the picture because it is his supenders. "You can see they are adjusted for a person with good posture. Almost the same good posture as famous movie big screen actor John Wayne." Big Gunnar said to me when we took the picture.

Good posture famous movie big screen actor John Wayne with suspenders.

There is no arguing with Big Gunnar regarding John Wayne having great posture. If he is wearing Albert Thurstons brand of suspenders I do not know, but they are clearly of the modern type.

"You know, old man, it is strange, we are experiencing an almost morphic resonance here at the retirement home regarding the use and wear of suspenders." Big Gunnar said to me, and continued: "I mean we almost simultaneously discover their use and greatness without talking with each other or actually paying attention to each individually style here, but suddenly almost everybody wears it." Big Gunnar is talking about Rupert Sheldrakes theory of memory in nature. The idea of an almost telepathy like interconnection between organisms and of collective memories within species.

Mr. Rupert Sheldrake.

He is probably thinking about his theories.

Mr. Rupert Sheldrake was once stabbed with a knife in the leg by a Japanese Mr. Kazuki Hirano, during a lecture he gave in New Mexico because Mr. Kazuki claimed Mr. Rupert was using mind control techniques on him. I am thinking there is something wrong with the theory of Mr. Kazuki. If Mr. Rupert were using mind control techniques on him, the last thing he would have made Mr. Kazuki do would probably have been making him stab his own leg? Mr. Ruperts theory on morphic resonance is nevertheless very interesting.

Mr. Kazuki Hirano.

I guess the picture was taken after the stabbing of Ruperts leg. I hope both gentlemen are doing well now and that they can continue the rest of their lives without any more drama or stabbing.

"Do you think me winning the bluetooth competition and then having to eat more pie as the winner has made me fat?"

"No of course not Big Gunnar, you are as athletic as you always have been."
( Sorry, I was interrupted by Big Gunnar, as a gentleman he is sometimes concerned with how he looks.)

Anyway, most of us are now discovering the use of suspenders here at the home, or maybe re-discovering them. It might also just be that we have seen Big Gunnar using them and that we then are influenced by the fashion guru here.

What can I say?
Keep an open self controlled mind to theories and have an enjoyable week everybody!
F.W.G

A Blue , But Happy Connection.

2011-11-27T05:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody, at least all the internet people!

Today we had pie for lunch and this of course resulted in a small lecture on the subject, or rather all other subjects from Big Gunnar. You see we had blueberry pie, or you cannot see this, but I will tell you about it here.

A blueberry pie.

I will talk about berries another time, but there are actually only one of all the types of blueberries is a berry by botanical definition. This is of course a very interesting fact and also great story.

Anyway, all our teeth of course got blue after eating pie, both the normal ones we have grown ourselves and the ones we have had installed later, Big Gunnar calls them bling-teeth but that is also another story, maybe not great but it is an ok story. To demonstrate and compare who had the bluest teeth Big Gunnar removed one of his later installed teeth and put it in his piece of pie. I of course know that it came loose while he ate, but he says it was all planed to win the compatition "the bluest teeth", or rather as Big Gunnar called it: The bluest tooth. "I obviously win !" He exlaimed and pointed at the blue tooth in the piece of pie.

A tooth.

This is of course a drawing, but I chose it because it looked so decent and happy, same as Big Gunnar when he won and also it is kind of a light colour blue.

"You all see my bluetooth ?" Big Gunnar asked us and of course everybody confirmed seeing it, exept maybe Rolf Rolls, he can almost not see anything, but he trusts Big Gunnar and therefor took his word for just how blue the tooth was and that he was the obvious winner. "We are all now connected thru the bluetooth around the table in our conversations and almost in a royal presence !" He continued. " I could see this was starting to be a bit hard for the other pie eaters around the table to comprehend, so I asked the obvious question: Are you calling your tooth your Majesty now Big Gunnar ? " "Of course not." He answered, I have just named after the modern device connecting people and therefor also after the famous Danish king Harald Blåtann and allow me to explain. It of course starts with Harald Blåtann."

Harald Blåtann.

(It was kind of hard finding a picture of him, he lived somewhere in the year 958-987.) King Harald Blåtann tried to connect all of Denmark with some success and Norway with a little less success in the period he reigned. (If he had a blue tooth or enjoyed pie I could not find out, so I guess he just had a name or maybe a medical dental condition.) "The point is that he tried to connect and gather the country or countries, he used the church name to try this, not his tooth as I do now around this table." Big Gunnar said. "If he would have had more luck doing it in the name of the tooth I really do not know."

This was the initials of famous king Harald Blåtann.

Big Gunnar drew them on his napkin, and then he continued to draw the symbol for modern device bluetooth.

Logo for modern device bluetooth.

"Very interesting." Rolf Rolls said. "But what does this have to do with pie?"

Anyway. it was interesting for us and it was our lunch, so we are lucky.

Hope you all have interesting lunches during the week and all the best to you all!"

F.W.G

The Legacy Of EEHRR.

2011-11-16T05:30:00.001-08:00

Hello Internet people!

Many things have been going on and this is one of them.

Last week our retirement home received a "new" guest that was in fact old. It is seldom we use the term old here, but when we use it, it really is regarding something very old. He was very old. We do not know how old or actually much about about him, but this is for later.

Later.
We met him first time at dinner, he was brought in and seated at the table between Big gunnar and myself.
Perhaps this was because the caretakers knows Big Gunnar easily starts a conversation with "new" people. "Hello old timer !" Big Gunnar immediately said, and: "What is your name? I am Big Gunnar and this is OMG !" (Big Gunnar calls me this, he says just to pretend being punched in the stomach and the pronunciation will be perfect.) Anyway, the "new" old guy answered very politely: "EEHRR !" followed by dropping dead face down in his soup.

Since it has been a while since I wrote, I should do some introducing.

This is my best friend and expert conversationist Big Gunnar.

And this is soup.

Actually fish soup, we are lucky who can sometimes have such fine food. Nobody knows how much fish is left in the seas.

As you probably know this is a retirement home, so when these things eventually happens it really is not that dramatical. Nobody ate any more soup, but this was mostly due to Big Gunnar and his thoughts about "EEHRR". "He probably looked to healthy and troublesome so the caretakers poisened his soup." The only ones who continued eating at our table was Ellen, because she really likes fishsoup and Rolf, because he can almost not see or hear anything. Big Gunnar said it was sort of sad that we knew so little about "EERHH", other than the fact that he was very polite. "After all he tried to answer me all the way down into the soup. Young people today would probably know everything about anyone in a similar situation. They can just look up on the persons diary face books and such." He continued. "EEHRR`s generation and our ones are probably the last generations were we actually tell our stories to grandchildren and each other, later generations will sit on their grandparents lap and get a powerpoint introduction on some widescreen flatscreen of all their own postings on the web since they started in kindergarten. While "EERHH" here hopefully left some pictures and a notebook or some family behind with his stories, but we will probably never know."

So I am thinking. Take care of your diary tales on the net, remember that what might seem apropriate at the time writing it, may not be what you want representing you later in life.I believe Big Gunnars thoughts are correct, as always, but there are considerations to changes in how one presents one selves one should be aware of. We knew "EERHH" as a polite gentleman, for us that is sufficient.

Have an informative and great Wednesday everybody !
F.W.G

The Important Nothingness Of Everything.

2011-10-14T09:26:00.001-07:00

Hello Internet People Friends!

Let me introduce you to the book.

Book.

This book, or rather the picture or drawing of this book is very important. Because this book has no writing in it and this makes it then have the potential to be a book of great importance. Big Gunnar claims it might be the most important book not yet written.

Big Gunnar.

"These books all are important" he claims, "all books are, even the really bad ones, but they have all showed their potential, and it is obviously in the stories not yet told that the importance lays." I of course agreed with him. There is difficult not to agree when Big Gunnar claims the obvious.

Me.

Or at least that is where I stood when I decided to take a picture of me. I am not as fast as I used to be when I was young, but hopefully more clever or at least more knowledgeable. Or when I now see the picture maybe not. Anyway, back to the book not written yet.

The maybe most potentially important not yet written book.

Big Gunnar really got the idea this summer. "Old man." He said "Have you thought about all the stories not being told? The important ones. The ones about nothing but that explains everything? The ones already written are already out there, but think of all the ones not written. We should really do something about this. If we focus first on the nothingness of the importance we will surely have time enough, then we can see if we have time for more later !" When my friend knows best is always, it is just that sometimes he knows more the best than other times, and this time was one of those times.

And so we are, that is why I write here more seldom, I still will, but somethings are important, if for no one else, then just for ourselves.

Hope everybody has the best of weekends and maybe discovers the stories not yet told?
F.W.G

A little Blues , A Howdy Partner, Some Smelly Art And Glockenspiel.

2011-10-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

Hello Sunday Internet People,

Big Gunnar of course got a little depression on our home coming.

He was laying on the couch staring at the ceiling. "I can not believe the vacation was over so soon" he said. "I was just getting into my art mood when we suddenly were going home again."

To see Big Gunnar this down and depressed is of course not tolerable, so I suggested to him we go for a small walk to lift his spirit. "Maybe we even can find some art along the way? I know of some almost smelly art that might help in rising your your mood." I said to him. "Old man, we are to old to appreciate that kind of humor." He answered me. "Art." I said. "I said art." "You really must start to speak more understandable." He answered. "We have been home for weeks, so maybe we should start speaking Norwegian again?" I said. "Acceto." Big Gunnar answered.

Anyway, we went for a walk so I could show him that we also had art suddenly around us here in Norway also, maybe not the same as in Rome, but still the same, sort of same same but different. "Look at all the colors." I said. "Howdy partner !" Big Gunnar suddenly said, he had obviously found a lonesome cowboy or rather cowgirl, or maybe cowmadame or just something with a cowboy hat, that just suddenly stood in front of him.

Big Gunnars "Howdy Partner Friend."

"What`s up Doc? She has lost her feet." Big Gunnar said to me. The Cow Madame was not in a very chatting mood it seemed, so Big Gunnar and me continued our quest for the everyday everywhere art and left here doing what ever cowboy or cow madame thing she was doing.

Then Big Gunnar suddenly stopped again and I knew he had seen it.

"Now, this really is a work of modest art and funny you wanted to remind me of them, because I of course know quite a lot of interesting facts about them." Big Gunnar said. Even if they are beautiful in Oslo, they are almost more beautiful in Trondheim.

A manhole cover from Trondheim.

"The invention actually came from Rome. I do not know how much weight they need to be able to carry there, but in Norway they must be able to support approximately 40 tons. I am not sure of other types of art so small, so neglected, that needs to preform in such a scale." Big Gunnar continued.

After a very short walk while Big Gunnar continued his lecture about neglected but beautiful art. We stopped once more.

"Here you have two things !" Big Gunnar said. "You have the manhole cover and listen, the church is having a Glockenspiel concert. They are playing from famous German composers."

His mood was high again, and we found a bench in the autumn rain where we could sit and think about everyday art, while we listened to the remaining of a famous Glockenspiel concert, such a small effort and life is good.

"Maybe next time I will teach you about church bells." Big Gunnar said and smiled at me. The light rain just made the day more shiny.

Find whatever makes you happy!

Have a nice Sunday and coming week,

F.W.G

The Pregnant Frog Files .

2011-09-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet Amphibious Friends,

This is of course really not concerning pregnant frogs, but pregnant humans. Still I thought today would be a good day to learn just a tiny bit about our amphibious life on this planet, so it is also regarding frogs.

We start with a human.

A human.

Or this is rather how man developed, the evolution, but you people are clever and understand the point so far.
Somewhere at the last link of this chain we developed a bigger conscience, and this included regarding our own reproduction, so to know if we were in fact pregnant, we started to use frogs.

A frog.

Humans injected them with their urine (pardon the language, but I found no better word) and this resulted in the frogs reacting the day after, approximately 8-12 hours. ( There is a lot to learn about this when you read here on the internet, for Ladies and Gentlemen who wants more information.)

Xenopus Laevis.

I do not think this frog is reacting on just that, but it still has a Latin name, and this one was popular as a pregnancy test. (They managed to break free from one facility where they were kept.)

The frogs were used until late 60`s when more modern methods were invented. But all this might have resulted in a devastating crises in the amphibious world, the frogs had received different sicknesses from humans and brought this out to the rest of their species and then other species again, and today there is a really big crises going on, almost world wide. We might see an extinction of several species of our amphibious friends.

Most stories are about kissing frogs, I know, but I still think this one is worth being told.

Have a great Thursday and weekend people, threat our friends the frogs with respect.
F.W.G

Fading Light Turn Feeling Bright.

2011-09-18T02:19:00.000-07:00

Hello,
forgive my absence, we have all been quite busy being old.

It was our last day in Rome.

"...Here`s looking at you, kid." Big Gunnar said to me. He was of course Bogarting me. "That is kind of a female drink you are having there, Rick?" I answered him. (Rick was Bogarts name in Casablanca where Big Gunnar stole the line from.) "I am like any other man, only more so. So I can pull it of." "Rick" answered me.

As the day light both slow and fast faded away, as it usually does on those kind of places on this oblate shaped earth, we just sat still and watched how the surroundings changed with the growing absence of sun light, and the growing of human made light. We sat at a place with an old nice bridge, I will perhaps tell more about the nice bridge later in life. We just sat there, a little old together, among objects much older than us, and much younger, all changed but stayed the same while lights came of and on.

The nice old bridge.

The sun light faded both slow and fast away, almost same as our life's.

The man made light dominates the bridge, it changes, but is still the same, still beautiful.

A newer bridge, but still old, with new light.

And yet another bridge, with its copy in the water.

"See the difference between the man made objects being unnatural, and their natural reflections ?" Big Gunnar finally asked me. I could see it, they where the same but still totally different, both beautiful nevertheless. "We have a new camera taking old pictures." He continued. As always I both agreed and not, but decided we needed no more words regarding this.

Have the best of Sundays and coming weeks please, notice changes that stays the same.

F.W.G

The Colosseum And Maximus Gunnarus.

2011-09-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Rainy Wednesday Internet People!

"Look ! I am Maximus Gunnarus." Big Gunnar, or for the time being, Maximus Gunnarus pronounced as we came up to the entrance of the Colosseum.

Maximus Gunnarus pronouncing.

A young lady and a gentleman passed him on their way to the Colosseum. "I miei amici ! Questa non è una gara di Formula 1, questo è il Colosseo è il Sono qui dal 72DC, quindi non c`è bisogno di correre." of course they were Americans so they understood nothing of what Maximus Gunnarus said to them, but after this had been sorted out, they really found the tone together and I almost felt left out, and inside we all went, led for the occasion by Maximus Gunnarus. (What Maximus Gunnarus tried to say to them was something about this being Colosseum and not a Formula 1 race, and also that the Colosseum had been here since construction started approximately in 72 AD, so there was no need for any haste.)

Formula One racing car.

This of course has nothing to do with Formula One racing, but it sure is a nice car. They have maybe changed a little since this Alfa Romeo 158 from 1947, the same year Formula One was formalized. Anyway, we were inside the Colosseum, and suddenly inside history.

Inside with Maximus G.

Just imagine all that these walls have witnessed, our advice is to buy a good travelling book and not be persuaded to join any tourist groups when you visit, take your own tour in your own tempo and touch the walls with respect and care as much as possible. They tell their own history, all the way until recent history with their claw marks from animals, bullet holes and graffiti names. "Just think how Russel Crowe suffered and won here!" Maximus Gunnarus said. This of course made the Americans very involved in all the history.

Russel Crowe being very Gladiatory.

I might not need to mention how much better Johnny Weissmuller probably would have been in the role? Even if Russel Crowe did a decent portrait of a gladiator I think. (Gladiator means a swordsman, it suits the title that he is carrying a sword here.)

Johnny Weissmuller.

Johnny Weissmuller seldom wore a sword, but this obviously did not make him any less popular. Just see how popular he was, probably telling tales of great swinging and monkeys that really were chimpanzees.

"They sure are concerned about the safety here." Maximus Gunnarus said. "Just check out how tall fencec they have put up all around the places you walk. Things sure has changed regarding how people treat each other and take care of each other inside this place over the years."

A really tall and safe safety fence.

"Maybe such starts in the worst places and expand in time also to the outside world, that people will take as much care of each other there also in time?" He said. I took his beginning of philosophy as a clear signal that it was soon lunch time and therefor suggested we went for some lunch, maybe dumplings.

Dumplings lunch.

These of course are Italian dumplings, excellent for both lunch and dinner, and why would they not be?

They are after all made from our friend the potato.

We took one last look at the Colosseum from the outside and went for lunch.

One last look on the Colosseum from the outside.

We concluded that it was not half bad in the outside world either, even without safety fences and the general concern of people for people. "Did you notice the great balls of support inside?" Big Gunnar now renamed on the outside asked me. "Beg your pardon?" I answered, concerned we may be much more late for that lunch than I originally had thought. "I will tell you about them later, lets go for lunch." He said, and then: "I am concerned we are late for it, since you obviously have reduced attention skills."

So we went for lunch, and so should everybody who is hungry.

Have a nice Wednesday!

F.W.G

Roman relaxing And The Indecent Wax.

2011-09-01T05:48:00.002-07:00

Hello Monday and Internet people!
No, it is Thursday, already really.

Big Gunnar was relaxing roman style on the veranda at the apartment we had borrowed from our old Italian friend. When you are in Rome you walk a lot, there is so much to see and learn, you get the feeling you are inside history, at least Big Gunnar and me feel this way about Rome. It sometimes then is very important to relax your feet and mind maximum, so they are ready for more.

Big Gunnar relaxing.

We had promised our friend that we would water the flowers on his veranda while we stayed at the apartment, and Big Gunnar was (as he always does) planing how to do the task. "First we start with relaxing, since we are in rome." He said. "While we relax we can plan how much water each plant should receive."
( You always feel safe around Big Gunnar because of his planing, I was thinking of just watering the plants, but of course they did not need the same amount of water and such, so it would sure be nice to have it planned.) "They do of course not need the same amount of water and such." Big Gunnar said.

Different types of plants that demands different types of attention.

"Look at how dry they look, these sure need a lot of water." He said.

Another type of plant again.

He then said. "These ones are beautiful, they do not need so much water."

Yet a different type.

And then he continued. "The big one needs of course a lot of water. But wait a minute!"

"But wait a minute."

Then Big Gunnar said: " What? What is that? Why is that pot being so rude? What is in it? Have you offended it? That one is your responsibility. Whatever it is it sure looks thirsty."

Big Gunnar had of course forgotten that our old friend had told us that he kept wax in one of the pots on his veranda, this so it got warm and he could make his special candles. I reminded Big Gunnar of this, but then he just answered me: "It is still very rude, and I only work with decent things, so it is your responsibility."

Anyway, have a decent Thursday and appreciate our water resources. (I will get back to this later.)
F.W.G

138 Peaceful Spanish Steps Regarding France In Italy.

2011-08-26T01:31:00.000-07:00

Hello my Internet Friends,
This is mostly about friendly stairs.

"34andahalf!" Big Gunnar announced.

Big Gunnar announcing 34 and a half.

"I do not think you can claim half a step?" I said to him. "Shows how little you know." He answered, and then: "All is allowed in war and peace, even if it should not be in war, but this is all regarding peace, so you are of course wrong. 35andahalf!" I sort of agreed with him, and I knew he would continue explaining nevertheless. "Ciao Signore! Questo sicuramente è un buon esercizio?" Big Gunnar said to the young man who passed him. The young man of course understood nothing since he was an American, but when this was sorted out he totally agreed that it was good exercise.

Big Gunnar: 35 and a half.

(I realized that probably all the steps from now on would be claimed at each half step, and was looking forward to how he would do the last one.)

"You know" Big Gunnar said to me. "These steps were to honor the peace treaty between France and Spain. They made 138 steps between the church Trinità dei Monti, under french influence by the Bourbons on the top, and down to the Spanish embassy, or rather to the Holy See by the Palazzo Monaldeschi below."
"I race you to the top old man!" and " I am at least half way there!" He said to me.

Big Gunnar being at least half way to the top.

Big Gunnar is among much else built for speed, at least when it comes to stairs according to himself, so he of course won, and then waited majestically for me at the top, almost without pointing out the fact that he had won so easy.

Big Gunnar majestically at the top of the Spanish Steps.

"It is important to have the correct pose when standing at places of great importance." It is one of Big Gunnars rules of guidance. "How many steps was there?" I asked him. "I stopped counting when you where so far behind you could no longer hear me." He answered. "Anyway, look at that view. Now we should head down again and go have an Italian siesta and rest our feet at the apartment." But before we came down he suddenly stopped again and said: Look at this! How great is this? And everybody just steps on it, it is probably just the water drainage, but it is a work of art."

Big Gunnar finding works of art.

"You should always look down when visiting Rome." He then sort of pronounced.

We decided after having looked both high and low for a while to go down again, and see the Steps from below, before we went back to the veranda at the apartment to rest our feet a while.

The look from below.

What can one say, sometimes a picture says it all. A somehow strange but beautiful tribute to peace.

Walk the steps wherever you find them, and for as long as you have the possibility, they do not need to be a gift from Spain to France or vice versa in Italy to have a meaning. They can just be good exercise.

Best of today to you all, and have a really nice weekend wherever you are!
F.W.G

A Vertigo View On Beauty In Rome.

2011-08-25T05:01:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet Friends,

"Have you seen all the small chimneys on top of all the buildings, made in shape of small houses?" Big Gunnar asked me. I just knew I was about to step into one of his wisdom traps. Big Gunnar is an expert on this, he asks a simple question about a simple topic, and then he lectures you when you give the wrong answer. Since I knew this I just kept my mouth shut and gave a half nod and shake of the head at the same time. (Old people sometimes do this, and we normally get away with it as just a small movement error.)

Anyway.

One of Big Gunnars small house chimneys.

Same chimney, but just greatly zoomed picture. (This was taken before we had the chocolate ice cream incident with the camera and could no longer preform zooming.)

"It is really high up is it not? Almost at vertigo height." Big Gunnar said to me. I of course agreed on this, but pointed out that after all that is where a chimney is supposed to be, on top of the building, and by saying this I of course stepped into his trap and he could explain what they really are to me. By the way vertigo really means dizziness not fear of heights, but I still take the liberty to call it vertigo here because some people, among them Big Gunnar, sometimes feels a small dizziness when up on heights. Vertigo is of course also a very famous big screen movie directed by famous Alfred Hitchcock, the movie is from year 1958 based on a story from 1954, same year as Tarzan "Cannibal Attack" with Johnny Weissmuller, I do not think Johnny Weissmuller ever played in a movie by Alfred Hitchcock, but if he had I am sure it would have been great.

Alfred Hitchcock.

The gentleman sure had a very distinct profile.

Johnny Weissmuller, the only true and believable Tarzan.

Johnny Weissmuller of course also had a very great profile.

"They are not chimneys they way you think of chimneys." Big Gunnar explained to me. "That is a common error in the perceptions of them. They are for ventilation, and they are one amazing invention for houses situated in warm countries. Just look at this one, how amazingly beautiful it looks! Almost as a small castle on top of the building, fit for a king of birds, or someone very small not suffering of vertigo."

Big Gunnar looking at the amazing ventilation castle.

We could still zoom, and this is a zoomed picture of it. (This was all before the chocolate ice cream incident.)

"Incredible!" Big Gunnar exclaimed. "Must be nice to learn something new at your age." He also said. I of course totally agreed with this.

They really look amazing.

Some of them can of course also be used as regular chimneys. (I just did not bother to argue this with Big Gunnar, because when looking at things of great beauty and art one does not need to argue, they are what they are no matter what they actually do.)

Keep your head up when in Rome.

"Enough about things high in the air.It almost gives me vertigo light just talking about them, and my neck gets kind of stiff by looking at them, we should go and have a stroll in the Spanish Steps, vamos!" Big Gunnar said to me, and of we went again.

F.W.G

Attenzione Romana Rock E Grande Gunnar.

2011-08-24T05:16:00.000-07:00

Ciao Internet persone,

Big Gunnar always draws some attention to himself, especially from the women, and this day was no different, and one woman really was staring at him as she passed him by. We were visiting the building "to every god", or by the more known name Pantheon.

Pantheon.

We were drinking coffee before we were going inside, when Big Gunnar saw the sphere shaped rocks in front of the building and decided he would see if they were sphere shaped or maybe really more of an oblate shape, same as the earth, it was then that he received some attention.

Big Gunnar getting some normal attention from a passing woman.

"La mia cara donna, non sono mai avete visto una roccia molto grande prima?" Big Gunnar asked her. This roughly translates into: "My dear woman, have you never seen a really big rock before?" (Big Gunnar of course speaks many languages partially fluently.)

He continued to impress and baffle the young lady with his reenactment of the stone scene from the famous movie Raiders of the lost ark with famous movie big screen star Harrison Ford.

Big Gunnar reenactment of famous scene from famous movie.

"Dai razziatori film dellàrca perduta! Dadadada-dada-dada!" He shouted almost Tarzan style and elegantly ran towards the entrance of Pantheon. (Again roughly translated this means: from the raiders of the lost ark dadadada-dada-dada.)

Famous movie actor Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in famous movie Raiders of the lost ark.

It almost seems as the same scene, but it really is not. Famous actor Harrison Ford is Big Gunnars favorite actor among the young ones, he of course would have preferred Tarzan or rather Johnny Weissmuller in the role as Indiana Jones, " But Harrison Ford will do, he has after all a very good and strong last name, same as the automobile." Big Gunnar always says.

Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan.

"Anyone who can play Tarzan that believable can play anything better than almost anyone." says Big Gunnar.

A Ford automobile.

This of course is the very nice T Ford, but its creator Henry Ford was not related to famous actor Harrison Ford as far as my knowledge goes. It still is a really nice car, and the actor Harrison Ford is a good actor.

Anyway, Big Gunnar took the lead, towards and into the Pantheon we went.

Big Gunnar elegantly towards Pantheon.

Big Gunnar inside the Pantheon.

This was a very nice Italian gentleman Big Gunnar discussed the ceiling of Pantheon with. "Signore dobbiamo sempre guardare quando nel corretto roma?" Big Gunnar politely said. The gentleman of course understood nothing because he was an American, but when this was clarified they both agreed that "one always should look up when in Rome", and the American was a very nice gentleman even if he was not an Italian gentleman.

The ceiling of Pantheon.

Both Big Gunnar and the American gentleman are correct, in Rome one should always look up, there is so much incredible architecture everywhere you look.

If you ever visit Rome, visit the Pantheon, the building really can not be described the way it deserves only by my words. It has been rebuilt several times, and it somehow feels all its layers of old, and you can feel its history by touching the walls and columns. So put your hand on it and respectfully feel all it has witnessed.

F.W.G

Big Gunnar Goes Epic, It Was Odyssey Time For Us.

2011-08-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet People!

I have not forgotten anybody, or this place, it was just one of those things happening that interrupted my writing here. To get old does not mean you stop doing things, and this all started with Big Gunnar and me visiting Bygdøy and "Norsk Folkemuseum". There was a small bus travel from our retirement home that was arranged, so we could visit, among others, the Norwegian famous Stav church there.

Big Gunnar visiting the famous Norwegian Stav church from Gol at "Norsk Folkemuseum.

The church is very old, it has elements dating as far back as from year 1157, and is well worth a visit if you have the possibility and time, time you probably will have since it really is not going anywhere, and it has been around for almost 854 years. Of course this does not mean that you have the time, only that the church probably has the time, and will be there when you yourself find the time to visit it.

But then it all happened. Big Gunnar suddenly seemed very thoughtful and sat down on a nearby bench.

Big Gunnar being very thoughtful and sitting down on a nearby bench.

"When was the last time we had an epic journey?"

Big Gunnar asked me.

"It sure is nice enough to travel to Bygdøy and see old churches, but we still have a lot of go-time left in us, so I think it is time for at least one last epic odyssey..."

Vatican City.

"We are in luck, the line to get in is not that big." Big Gunnar said.

Big Gunnar in a lucky short line for Vatican City.

"It is go time." Big Gunnar said and continued inside the Vatican.

"Wow, it really is quite big." Big Gunnar said, and kept on walking. "The Romans sort of constructed things in sizes I can appreciate. Think about all we can learn here, and all the places we will visit on our great journey!" He said.

Which of course was true.

We came, we saw, we learned, a lot, and I will try to share everything with you here.

Hope you all are doing fine, remember life is a journey, an epic one, it continues as long as you yourself chooses, where ever you are.

F.W.G

Pas The Budding , Cheetas Swinging Blues And Art & Hair Healing.

2011-08-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet Thinkers!
On a Friday.

This happened on Tuesday.

During dinner we had a small hearing error, Big Gunnar claims it was because Rolf Rolls spoke too low, but the rest of us knows it really was Big Gunnars hearing, he does not have the biggest ears. Anyway, Rolf Rolls asked Big Gunnar if he could "pas the pudding", which of course Big Gunnar heard as "can you pas the Budding", and I must agree with Big Gunnar, when he then of course said no. He was not being impolite, this would be almost impossible to do. "No" said Big Gunnar, "that is almost impossible for me to do, ask me something else."

Edwin Beard Budding.

There really was only drawings related to Mr. Budding that I found, here he obviously demonstrates his invention, a good demonstration is always appreciated, even if I have problems understanding what else they would have thought his invention could be used for. It would nevertheless have been difficult to pas Budding around during dinner, and also it really would have made no sense. A normal pudding on the contrary is of course more correct in a dinner setting.

A quite normal pudding.

This actually is a Christmas pudding, I do not mean to be indecent, but I am sort of happy they have the red berry decoration on top, or else it would maybe not have looked very delicious.

Anyway, Big Gunnar was sort of a little bluesy after things had been sorted out, a bit the same as Cheeta after they stopped making Tarzan with his friend Johnny Weissmuller.

Cheeta and Johnny Weissmuller.

You can see how happy Cheeta were on this picture, Johnny Weissmuller is probably telling a story of a big swing from a three he once took, or something similar interesting. But Cheeta that was used to swinging now got the blues, he started drinking and smoking.

Cheeta having blues.

Even if one wears a hat it does not mean one is happy, it just helps a little. Cheeta also made the news with some of his bad habits.

Cheeta in the news.

As you see he played the piano, and it was probably remembering all the good time with, among others, Johnny Weissmuller, that made Cheeta once again focus on positive things in life.

Cheeta probably remembering good times, and Johnny Weissmuller, the only true believable Tarzan figure.

You can see that even if probably starting to remember the good times, he still seems a bit sad, almost as if even his hairs, chimpanzees have a lot of hair, also are a bit depressed, maybe hair are influenced by chimpanzees mood.

So Cheeta started to paint, and even making money on his paintings, maybe because customers suddenly could understand why the paintings also looked as they did. (I sometimes do not understand paintings, what they are, but maybe it is easier when you know that they are expressions of a chimpanzee.)

Cheeta painting and being happy again.

It probably was good memories, Johnny Weissmuller and art that saved Cheetas good spirit.

Cheeta high spirited once again.

Being as happy and hairy as ever, with healthy fruits, Cheeta of course had no name connected with its hair, while Edwin Beard Budding had the name beard in the middle, he has no beard on any of the drawings I have seen of him, maybe he thought it would not be very clever to have a lot of facial growth when one is in the lawn mower business? It might just also be that he did not think of it, that he just did not fancy facial hair, because if he would have thought about it he might have also changed his middle name to Nobeard, or something.

A beard.

To have facial hair then probably just depends on taste, Big Gunnar is considering a mustache, but for the moment he takes a lot of effort in being properly shaved always, so I just complimented his shaving and suggested he learned how to play the piano or something, and then he was happy again. He also of course passed the pudding to Rolf Rolls.

Have a little pudding, or grow some facial hair, but maybe not combine the both without training, because you do not want pudding in your beard, even if it probably is way better than having Budding there.

Or maybe more seriously, play some piano, or make a drawing if feeling a little blue.
Have a Friday the way you prefer,
F.W.G

A Little Bit Of Buddings Device, It Is The Nr 1 Choice, But Wacky Weeds Wins And Then A Little Shouting.

2011-08-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

Hello Modern Internet People,

Something more happened last weekend when I visited my house together with Big Gunnar, we were doing some normal gardening. I have let my garden grow freely this summer, or my daughter has let the garden grow freely, and it has been looking really beautiful, but now it was time for at least mowing the lawn. Big Gunnar claims that a decent plan is always needed for any operation, no matter how common and normal the task we are about to begin is, so he decided that first we needed to check the grass, and then decide who would operate which gardening tools.

Big Gunnar inspects the grass.

I am not really sure what he inspected, but I guess it must be the length and thickness and such.

Afterwards he wanted to choose what gardening instrument he would operate, he said that guests always has first choice, and I really felt I could not argue with him regarding this.

Big Gunnar considering the use of lawn mower versus the use of the wheel barrow and rake.

I tried a couple of times to tell him that this in fact was the wheel barrow and my rollator, but when about to make decisions Big Gunnar is very focused, and "one must follow the gut, not just the facts", at least that is what he answered, (I think maybe he just was a little embarrassed when he answered for having spent almost half an hour deciding between my rollator and wheel barrow).

Big Gunnar nevertheless decided that the lawn mower was his choice. "The lawn mower is a much more modern invention than the wheel barrow" he proclaimed. "The lawn mower was invented in 1827 by Edwin Beard Budding, while the wheel barrow is rumored to be from China around 100 AD, or maybe even from ancient Greece 406/407 B.C." Big Gunnar knows a lot about a lot, and then also about Budding.

Buddings lawn mower.

I do not think this one was Buddings first lawn mower, but it is at least very similar to this.

A Chinaman and an old wheel barrow.

I am not sure how old this wheel barrow or the Chinese gentleman are, but Big Gunnar is correct when he says that the wheel barrow is the oldest invention.

Big Gunnar very confidently went to work with the lawn mower, but also very soon hit what he later would refer to as "the wacky weeds", he actually tried to shout at the lawn mower before he started calling the grass names. "It worked with Johnny Weissmuller." He explained to me.

Johnny Weissmuller.

(This is maybe after he shouted, because he looks very healthy.)

I said: You mean Tarzan? "No, Tarzan was not in the hospital bed, it was Johnny Weissmuller, but he shouted as Tarzan." Big Gunnar answered. "So I was Johnny Weissmuller being Tarzan, ergo, mostly Johnny Weissmuller." I tried to say that to compare Johnny Weissmuller with a modern model of Buddings inventions, or an old model of his inventions for that sake, really was not sensible, and that nobody shouted at Johnny Weissmuller, he did the shouting himself. "It was nevertheless worth a try." Big Gunnar answered. "Or else we would never had known if you were wrong." I really could not argue with that either.

Big Gunnar shouting at the lawn mower after it had run into the wacky weeds and stopped.

Of course it did not help to shout at the lawn mower, it just would not co operate and start again.

We decided it was hammock time instead with maybe a small conversation about Christoforo Colombo, and that the lawn mower maybe just was tired and also needed to re-charge its batteries, it should have a solar panel for such, but this did of course not exist in Buddings time, but could have been added later, or maybe if the Incas had invented the lawn mower it would have had solar panel, they were great inventors, if Budding had any relatives from Peru I do not know.

Look out for wacky weeds, they can sort of be everywhere,
and have a really nice Tuesday!
F.W.G

Johnny Weissmuller And A Monkey, A Swinging Colombo And Then A Really Loud Recovery.

2011-08-01T00:46:00.000-07:00

This is my blog, and it is Monday, Hello!

First I thought it would be nice with Johnny Weissmuller and a monkey, this as a proper introduction, because the last time I wrote here it was about both, but without any monkey, and the monkey, which is a chimpanzee is a part of Tarzan, and then again Johnny Weissmuller, the only true believable Tarzan figure.

Johnny Weissmuller and a monkey.

Then the monkey, which is a chimp, also has a name, Cheeta, in 2008 it turned 76 years old and was the oldest living known chimpanzee, it lived in happy retirement in California, how it is today I do unfortunately not know, how old it really got, or if it still is alive.

Cheeta on its 76 birthday.

Cheeta of course also was a big fan of its co-star Johnny Weissmuller, which is on the picture together with other co-star Maureen O`Sullivan. Cheeta probably remembers swinging in threes together with Johnny Weissmuller.

Cheeta swinging from the threes together with Johnny Weissmuller.

In the picture are also Jane and Boy, Tarzan was probably very occupied with swinging from threes so he did not have too much time to spend thinking about a name for his son, and without any neighbors close by they maybe did not need anything more complicated, at least not unless they received more children and more of them were boys, but then maybe he would just call them all "boys" instead. Nevertheless, Johnny Weissmuller was really good at swinging in the threes.

Johnny Weissmuller swinging from a three.

You can really see that he was a great actor and athlete the way he was swinging. Big Gunnar always says that when in a hammock, he thinks of Tarzan and the way he swung, because a hammock is also a great way of swinging.

Big Gunnar in a hammock.

Here he has fallen asleep in the hammock, but he probably thought about how great Johnny Weismuller swung before he gently rocked to sleep. Big Gunnar is great at swinging from both threes and hammocks, but if one is not as good as Big Gunnar at swinging from the threes, just a hammock then can also be fine to swing in. The hammocks are also older than Tarzan, they were introduced to Europe in the 1490`s by the very famous explorer and hammock entrepreneur Christoforo Colombo, (also named Christopher Columbus).

Christoforo Colombo famous explorer and hammock entrepreneur.

He is said to have found the natives using them in the West Indies on one of his confusing travels ( Christoforo Colombo was not the best navigator even if he was a skilled entrepreneur) in the year 1492, this of course says nothing about how old then the hammocks really are, just that they are older than Tarzan (1912), and therefor have been swinging longer. I think he does not seem very happy in this painting, maybe it is from before he started in the hammock business, because you really can not be in a bad mood after you have been swinging in a hammock.

But then again maybe he is sick, you can get sick even if you have been swinging. Johnny Weissmuller got sick in his old days, and ended up at a hospital where things did not look to good, but then he probably remembered one more thing he used to do besides the swinging, he used to shout really loud.

Johnny Weissmuller shouting really loud.

So he shouted really loud and long in his hospital bed, and afterwards he got much better and could continue his life. At least this is how the story goes, and I sort of like the story this way. Also you can once again almost feel how loud he was shouting, great actor, I must agree with Big Gunnar on that.

I really must remember to have my own hammock painted red, but maybe Mondays are nice for swinging in a hammock, or if that does not make things better, one can shout a little? Of course with decency and respect for any listeners.
Have a nice Monday,
F.W.G

The Tarzan-Way Of High Cherry Picking.

2011-07-31T01:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet Sunday!
(This is mostly about Saturday.)

Yesterday Big Gunnar and me visited my old house. We had decided to pick the rest of the cherries, so we could share them with the other guests at the retirement home. But we soon ran into some small challenges, Big Gunnar was the first to notice our challenge, he is the most observant of us.

Big Gunnar on his way for cherry picking.

Big Gunnar being most observant and noticing our challenge.

All the berries were at the top of the three, we had probably been lazy the former times we had been picking them. "You have been lazy and picked the easiest the first times." Big Gunnar said to me, "Good thing I am here." He said. "I`ll go Tarzan on those fruits" he said.

Big Gunnar going Tarzan on the cherries.

Big Gunnar is of course excellent at three climbing, I think he has learned it from watching Tarzan movies, probably with Johnny Weissmuller. According to Big Gunnar Johnny Weissmuller is the only believable Tarzan figure on cinema, and when he ever meets an obstacle that might seem big, or at least tall, his normal solution is to go Tarzan on it.

Johnny Weissmuller, the only believable Tarzan.

Big Gunnar always says that he enjoys his movies because of his excellent acting and good physics, "You can see that he has almost just eaten fruits and healthy food all his life!" "And probably no tampered potatoes either." He says, and Johnny Weissmuller was sort of a ladies man, same as Big Gunnar, "Almost as good a gentleman as me, the difference is I never played with monkeys and suddenly screamed all the time." He also says. (Both are true, he was very popular with women and he screamed a lot when he jumped around in the threes, at least he did so in the movies.)

Johnny Weismuller being a popular gentleman with a lady.

(You can really see how focused he was when he payed attention to them, and it was probably why they loved him so much, and of course because of his excellent physics. But I cannot believe he was as popular when he suddenly screamed? I would have thought this would frighten a lady.)

Johnny Weissmuller screams.

This is not possible to hear of a picture, but you can see what a great actor he was, because you can very well imagine the scream, it normally was very loud and long.

Big Gunnar did not scream, or stop to play with monkeys, or help any women this day, (he would of course have helped any women if they needed, but there was none, and I have never seen any monkeys in my garden, they normally do not live freely in Norway) he just climbed and picked cherries.

Big Gunnar just climbing and picking cherries.

He of course had to show of, so he also shouted, (at least he did not scream, that might have scared the birds), but he shouted: " Look! No hands! " Big Gunnar can be such a show of, even when cherry picking. But please do not try to do it the same way as Big Gunnar does this, he is after all almost a professional at this, and an expert at Johnny Weissmuller, the only really believable Tarzan figure.

Anyway, we had a really nice day picking a lot of cherries, and I will share some (very socially) with Ellen, and the others.

Find a solution if you have a challenge, it is just the most logical way.
Best of Sundays to you all!
F.W.G

The Understanding Of Women , And The Correct Way To Eat A Bun.

2011-07-27T02:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Internet People of both Genders,

We have this sweet old lady living here at the home, her name is Ellen, and yesterday my grandchildren visited me and they brought with them some very delicious home made buns. So today (because it was late when they visited yesterday) I brought the buns out in our "recreation area", and wanted to share them with the other citizens here.

A bun.

This is a very normal bun without any extra on it. To just eat them this way is very delicious, but I normally like them with a little marmalade (strawberry preferably) or brown cheese (brunost in Norwegian) on, but this is of course completely individually how one prefers them. Most people like buns, and they are very easy to understand, they are just buns to eat. Therefor the correct way to eat them is just with normal sharing, proper decency and table manners.

Big Gunnar is of course involved in almost everything that goes on, so he will demonstrate the two types of buns I like.

Big Gunnar and a bun with strawberry marmalade.

Big Gunnar and a bun with brown cheese.

Big Gunnar also likes these two variations of toppings on buns, so he ate both after the demonstration.

Big Gunnar has eaten the two buns with different variations of toppings.

(The small crumbs we save to feed the little and big birds.)

So in the recreational room I offered the now newly named "Buns of recreation" to everyone sitting there, and I had brought some strawberry marmalade and brown cheese, when I came to offer Ellen a bun, I asked how she liked to eat them, just so I could add the proper topping, and then she answered:
"I like to eat the buns alone." I found this a bit strange, but on the other hand maybe she did not want people seeing her eat, or she maybe used the bun eating time as some sort of personal meditation or something, what and how people favor to do their different types of business is not for me to judge, and I just thought I maybe should some day try to eat a bun alone also. So as the proper gentleman I want to be, I immediately offered to leave the room so she could eat a bun alone, I of course tried to have the other guests in the room leave with me by shushing them along in front of me on my way out. "Ellen wants to eat a bun! So lets give her some personal space!" I said while simultaneously shushing the best I could. Shortly after Big Gunnar found me and told me Ellen felt very lonesome in our recreation room.

I of course hurried back to her and apologized for me being so incredibly rude, after Big Gunnar explained to me why and how I had been so incredibly rude. It turned out that she only enjoyed the buns without any additional topping, and I of course totally agree that this was all my fault, but to my defense I was very busy putting strawberry jelly on my own bun, and therefor I obviously forgot how to be a gentleman. The first law of being a gentleman is to understand your fellow humans( and of course all life actually) but almost most important the ladies, and if we find ourselves in any situation where we do not completely understand (this can happen sometimes) what they want, we should always ask, but of course try to ask in a way that makes them believe we have already understood what they meant, and thereby almost gives them a compliment by asking a little more, this is nice and a help both for them and for us, and should be a continuing quest for any proper gentleman, always. I have told Ellen "next time we can eat the buns alone together".

Treat the ladies properly, and show respect for others choice of how they like to eat their pastries, but when in doubt ask at least twice, it is after all just a small part of trying to be a gentleman.
F.W.G

The Senile Potato Invasion.

2011-07-25T13:10:00.003-07:00

Hello Potato Eaters,

(Of course hello to the ones not eating potatoes also, even if you should eat potatoes, or maybe not if you are allergic or something.)

Last Thursday at dinner Big Gunnar had one of his moments, and afterwards there was a lot of extra potatoes for whoever wanted this, he had been reading about gene-modified food, (probably as a result from the size fluctuations of cherries), and then he obviously got one for dinner, and afterwards we all received a long and very accurate lesson in potatoes, he had even a name on all of this which comes further down on the page I hope.

I will of course try to summarize it for you good people, because to write the complete tale would be impossible, at least for me at my age.

Just to finish the age thing, this is an automobile made in 1923.

It is a Triumph All weather tourer, and it was most modern when it came, you can really see that it was prepared for all kinds of weather, I think they only made 13 or something of it, it even had a 3 speed gear box! Then to write all about the potato tale from Big Gunnar is not possible, one must choose more and more clever what to use ones respected time on, but it is, and was, a really nice automobile, but to know just how far it would drive today is impossible to guess.

Anyway, a totally decent and probably not senile potato.

The original name is "Patata", the Spanish name for it, the Spaniards brought it back from their rather rude and indecent visit to Peru and the Inca Empire in approximately the 1570`s , what the Incas called the potato I do not know.

Machu Picchu.

Sort of the home of the Patata, or Poteto, or really what the Incas called it would probably be the the most correct.

A Spanish conquistador and infamous potato collector.

This is Francisco Pizarro, he is one of the most infamous potato collectors, he and the Spaniards must obviously have been great potato lovers, because they showed no mercy during their indecent and rude visit in Peru when they, among other items, collected the potato.

If the potato came along voluntary in the 1500`s I do not know, but at this stage they were quite normal, and what Big Gunnar describes as just normal travelling potatoes, this was followed by decades of normal potato expansion, many countries started eating and growing potatoes, some even decorated themselves with potato accessories.

Marie Antoinette.

Marie Antoinette did according to Big Gunnar once use the potato flower as a headdress. She was the Queen of France for a period back in the 1790`s, she also unfortunately lost her head in the revolution, but I do not think this had anything to do with the potato flower, but maybe because of the actual potato, or rather the lack of potatoes for the people living in France at that time, and her not seeing that she should share, among other food, the potato.

Anyway,
a potato flower.

You can understand Marie Antoinette using them in her hair, they are indeed beautiful.

This was just a very small part of the history of the potato (at least compared to when Big Gunnar told it), now back to the actual potato and what bothered Big Gunnar.

"They have tampered with my potato." Big Gunnar said at dinner. Of course this is not anything anyone wants to hear at any retirement home, or really anywhere at all I think, at any time, so everybody listened really respectfully to Big Gunnars following "Tale of the tampered potato". It turned out that he had learned that the potatoes was target for gene modifications all the time, and he felt that the information regarding what was really done towards them was very lacking (Big Gunnar normally comes to this conclusion regarding most information regarding all and everything), but in the case regarding the potatoes he was afraid that by tampering to much with them, the humans could end up with potatoes that had forgotten their original heritage, and lost their inborn qualities, that we would end up with a more fragile and less healthy potato, an invasion of senile potatoes almost. "We will end up with senile potatoes", was what he concluded, "if they do this the wrong way", by "they" he among others, had found one specific consortium he felt took their work not serious enough.

Big Gunnar and his suspected tampered potato.

Big Gunnar of course always looks decent and classy, also when he shows of any suspicious potatoes, he claimed that both the size, and consistence was almost proof enough of the tampering, that it might had received some quality changes, most likely on a molecular level.

Big Gunnar said he would write to "The international Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium" to see if he could get any decent answers to what had happened to the potatoes over the last years, how and what they really had done towards it, and what their plan really was.

The international Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium.

(This is of course not the actual Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium, but their logo.)

I feel sort of sorry for these people, because they do not really know what they are up against, and just how accurate they must answer Big Gunnar before he is satisfied with their answers, and I am pretty sure the work they do are really meant as a help so more people can have potatoes, and maybe so no such incidents as the one where Francisco Pizzaro brutally stole the potato, and potato flower wearing Marie Antoinette lost her head happens again. Everybody really should have potatoes if they want to.

Have some potatoes, they are excellent with fish, and send a small thought to the journey of the potato.
They are still sort of travelling any way you choose to look at it.

I wish you all a calm, normal and decent week.
F.W.G