My new project

Today is the 28th September, which means 2 months after my birthday. I realized that when I woke up in the night at 3:43 am. Couldn't sleep any longer. This weekend was so intense. I started reading Jenny's book. I was travelling in time .... my own childhood, thoughts .... Anja said why don't you write a book, you have so many stories to tell. I told her, none is reading my blog, why would anyone read a book that I write.

When I stood in the shower on Sunday, I thought maybe it's a good idea to reflect about my life. Maybe someone in future (my kids or whoelse) is really interested in reading about my life... maybe it's good for me to finally close some chapters. Then we had the interview with Jenny. I asked the question "Who would you like to write a biography... who's biography would you like to read." Jenny thinks and says: "Yours!". Looking at the Acers around her. I told her that we were talking about that the day before and that I thought about reflecting. She thinks that's a good idea.

So there I was at 3:43 this night realizing that none's life is boring that there are so many things I digged down somewhere in my soul. Things I haven't thought of for years. Since I read the first chapters of her book it feels like a have a clot in my stomach. It releases to many memories ... this book (well I haven't finished it yet) is maybe something like a sermon ... something everyone can somehow draw parallels to? Maybe I'm just too sensitive...? Either way today I made the plan. It's been 2 months since my birthday I have 10 months to go, then it's my 30th birthday. I will write. About anything that comes into my mind. It's gonna be fun, it's gonna be pain. But I hope it will release me at the end and open my mind for something new...

incredible weekend over

Well this was again quite a stressful trip to Sweden. Anja and I took the flight on Friday to Gothenburg and arrived there at 1 p.m., we went to my friend to get the keys to the apartment we would stay in, had some time to talk there and after we left the suitcases in that apartment we went to freeport, since I had a big list of things to buy. The outcome was less than I expected, but it was OK.

On Saturday it was time for the bookfair. It was so crowded. Far to many people on a compared to German fairs small space. The stand that Jenny's publisher's had was rather small but filled with a buch of very nice people. Esp. Anna Braw, who actually discovered Jenny's story and made her write that book, was so cute and nice. We bought books for us and for the people we were supposed to buy books to to get them signed. Then we discover Katie, a girl from the US, who told me that she is gonna come. Another nice Acer I can tell =). Suddenly after that, maybe at the same time Jenny arrives smiling at us, asking how we have been. She was stuck in trafic and had hard times coming to the stand. We don't have that much time since the book presentation is about to start and we have to prepare ourselves and so has Jenny. She doesn't even have time to change her shoes, so the first presentation she is wearing her red puma sneakers.

After the presentation she signes books and when this is finished, she wants us to come back to her, because she has a new song that she want's us to listen to. I tell her that I have headphones. When Anja and I want to share those, she says, no we should take the time to listen carefully to that song. So I am first. 3 faces are watching me, when that song starts. When I start to bang my head to that powerful song with the title "Here I am" I see that Jenny is laughing. It's a great song with so much energy. I concentrate hard to remember the melody, but it's impossible. The only line I remember is "I'm a /the queen of confusion." and that just because of the fact that I think that fits lol ....

After that it's Anja's turn and then Katie's. They both seem to like that song as well. When we all had listened to the song, Jenny tells about the video she shot. She seems again very proud of herself, and she has any right to be. We decide to have a coffee together, since Katie came form the airport directly and hadn't eaten yet. Jenny is leaidng us to different places, which are all crowded and busy. At the end she takes us up into the skyskraper to the restaurant Heaven 23. She tells us that she had worked there as a croupier. But even there there are so many people that you hardly get a seat. But Jenny is quick and when some people leave a table she is running to them and gets it. When we sit she tells us about the book and about her life.

Since it took to long to find that place to eat Jenny has to leave at 2:15 p.m. since the next presentation is 15 minutes later. When Katie has finished her meal we return to the publisher's stand. Jenny has to go somehwere else and Katie has to go to her hotel the check in, so Anja and I have a look at the other publishers. I buy too many books (9) that day and have a heavy bag when I return to Libris for the last presentation of that day.

Anna Braw comes to us and asks if it is better when the presentation is done in English and if we wanna have an interview the day after. We agree and so another one from Libris comes to us to talk about the room he would organzise for Sunday. This is far beyond what we expected, so we feel so happy, that we can't stop smiling. We record the last presentation of the day which is held in Englisch and say bye to Jenny for that day. We have another look at the other stands and leave the fair after that.

(more comes later ...)

Big Ben Photosession / Book Fair Preparations

This autumns photosession took place for the next Big Ben records to be released and I'm quite satisfied with the results, which I of course can't post before the pictures aren't picked. But be sure there are some really nice captions.

And I started to pack my suitcase for next weekend. Well we will be away for 4 days but taking into consideration that I just have one suitcase it looks like I gonna spend 4 weeks there. The big pro is, that I have the chance to buy a lot of things that I usually can't take with me while I'm in Sweden due to the fact that I always have more weight than it is allowed so I'm quite confident that the suitcase will be full on my trip back. Since I got a voucher from Anja to buy books, books and books in Sweden I might get problems with the weight anyway.

I can't wait finally get to read Jenny Berggren's book, which I gonna buy on Saturday. I just finished the book I was reading (En plats i solen by Liza Marklund) so that I am totally prepared for this one. I don't like reading several books at the same time, so I'm totally excited to read it.

It will be funny, since I will have to translate it for Anja while reading it in Swedish, so I guess I will have to read some good night stories for her. I read the first reviews from Acers and saw the interview she gave yesterday, which made me even more curious. People wrote that they laughed and cried reading this book. I never cried reading a book, so I'm wondering if it's just them or if this book is so emotional. Of course the fact that this book is a about a real person's life, a person that has been one of the idols of my youth, a person I was reading everything about when I was young, so that I had the feeling I knew her even though I hadn't met her by then will be really interesting ... maybe really intense ... well, I will keep you updated on this one =)

Off for today..

Hugs

/J.

4 days in Sweden - longing for that

Before I totally shut the computer down I just want to let you know that it is just a week left until I go to Sweden again. This time just for a short trip to attend the book fair and meet friends again, but I'm really longing for that.

Didn't start to pack my suitcase yet, which I usually do weeks ahead, just that I don't forget anything. Will start that maybe tomorrow.

Hugs

/J.

What's the deal with a life???

Well long day at work again ....

Days like today make me think about what life really is ... what life quality is. You need to work to earn money ... otherwise no life quality. But if you work that much you don't have life quality as well. Work-life-balance is one term I learned last year when our company was re-organized. I got at once that I don't have any .... well I changed a lot within that year. At least I tried to have freetime and don't work late every day.

Problem is not only that I work much ... the reason is the problem ... I'm a workaholic. Even if I'm at home I sit in front of my computer and work on things ... which seems insane after 11 hours of work...

The only good thing is that I can travel during the time I'm on holiday and buy things. Not sure if I wanna have such a material life though.

I think I have to add that I really love my job and the company I work at is really good and my boss is really nice and stuff, otherwise I wouldn't have the energy and won't be too engaged I think. ...

Well I'm tired, so I better stop here.

Hope you had a nice day at work as well
/J.

It's an ordinary day....

well since yesterday was so weird in the evening I had problems sleeping through the night. so I was tired all day ... not that much excitement at work today, actually a quite calm day. Working there 3 years now those days are rarely happening.

I finally got the OK today that we have somewhere to stay during our time in Gbg which is good news. Jenny will start her promotion on the 23rd already at bookshops around Gbg, we will either way be there from Friday on seeing what we can get. A lot of planning is needed prior our trip. I'm still wondering what to put in my lugage.

Oh and fall has finally arrived with it's grey and boring days, where you rather would like to stay in bed than going outside. I was freezing so bad today and put my warmest sweater on.

Not that much to tell though ...

TTYL
/J.

The busy week is over

The past week was quite busy, since I had so much to do. 2 highlights were the 6 km company run we had last Wednesday ( I was 5th out of 7 in our team) and ran a total time of 37,9 minutes which I was more than satisfied with, since I never ever did this before. I was training at the gym and ran those 6 km there 2 times prior this big run, but in reality this is something totally different. Taking into consideration that it took me 53 minutes at the gym when I ran the first time 37,9 minutes is more than I expected.

Friday we had another concert, which was great. We re-arranged the show completly, performed a new song, which the audience really liked and it was just great. Thanks again to everyone who came to see us. IMO this was the best concert so far.

Bad news is that I still haven't managed to get a room for the book fair Anja and I are travelling to in 2 weeks. First I had to wait for the confirmation of my boss that I can go and now, no room is left. Well there are rooms left but far beyond our budget so to say. I have already a bad conscience that I had to ask my friends again, since I don't want to cause trouble in their lives. The last chance is Eva, who is actually a fan of Big Ben and meanwhile a good friend. Still I don't want to cause trouble at her place either. Either way she offered a room and I'm so grateful for that, she probably can't imagine. So I really hope I can get this solved within the next days, since I get stomach ache already when I think of the fact that we have nowhere to go when we arrive there.

So that was my week.

Hugs
/J.

Murphy's law ³

Last tuesday I had really bad luck with the public transport when I was going to my training. I went to the subway with music in my ears and reading a book. I went by subway quite a time when it suddenly stopped at a station. I was wondering why it took so long to go on and heard someone talking. when it was said something again, I took my earphones out and heard in the last minute that there is an emergency one station after and that this train is getting back in the other direction. So I grabbed all my stuff and jumped out of the train, realizing that there were standing hundrets of people outside already.

I had to wait there for like 20 minutes seeing subways arriving and going back in the other direction. Then finally someone said that we should go upstairs and wait for the bus bringing us 2 stations further to enter the subway again. all people went up. now those hundrets people were standing on the street waiting for a bus. we didn't have to wait that long when a bus arrived. I was confused since this was the wrong direction , but still all people were jumping into that bus and since I didn't want to miss the possible right bus I did too. when I finally had a seat the woman next to me said that she asked the driver and that this bus is going 2 stations in the wrong direction and then right so I thought well at least I have a seat so waiting 10 minutes more is alright, when the dirver said that this bus is going back the whole way .... so all the people were jumping out again .... so did I. then we all changed to the other side of the street, when a full bus passed us. I was waiting there again some minutes, when a man walked by and said that this is not the right place for waiting, so all the people ran to the end of the street, where the next bus just closed its doors in front of me. I was swearing again. not long after that a security guy came and said that the subway is going again .... all the people went down again .... so did I. But guess what, I just saw the train departing when I entered the gate. so I had to wait of course another 10 minutes for the next one to arrive ....

So that was my Tuesday afternoon...

Funny looking back at it but not when I was right there!

Hugs
/J.

Update on my little life

It has been quite a while since I wrote last time here .... I'm quite busy, but who isn't these days? Now it is Sunday again 10 p.m. and I'm trying to relax a bit before another busy week starts tomorrow. Since I'm doing that sport thing I'm barely at home anymore during the week. Well I wasn't that much home before but it's just getting less and less ....

Tuesday I ran 6 km for the first time. It was tough and it was the big test before it is getting serious this wednesday, when the big run takes place. I don't wanna make a whole jerk out of myself so I was actually training for this one. I never ever ran more than 2 km and that was in school .... didn't even get through this one without a break (I'm a bad runner actually) so I was so proud of myself last Tuesday. Although I won't do it again before or after the run this week =) Still wondering how I got in all this.

Friday I was having a look at our location for this Friday's concert. If you didn't get a ticket yet, you should really consider coming. This feels so good. We redid the whole show I set up before summer. Changed the setlist and how more surprises.
The location was still differnt and I'm currious how it will look like when we get there this Friday, since they had a refurbishment and didn't seem quite ready when I was there last Friday delivering the posters for the advertisement.

Saturday we had the best rehearsals since weeks. I think we all are longing for to perform again.

And then I finally got my holidays signed this week. I had booked the flight weeks ago, since this short trip to my second home Gothenburg will last only 4 days, which means 2 days of from work, but still since there is so much to do until the end of this month it was hard to get it signed. So on Friday I finally started looking for a room. And guess what the whole city seems to be booked. no room available .... currently waiting for response from a private room we rented 2008. It's so annoying. I was looking forward to those 4 days and now something like this happens. well keep you updated on this.