Monday Odd Shots

Breaking News:
The Gas fire at Ålesund seems to be under control and may be the evacuated citizens can move back to their homes within short. (almost a week now having to find shelters at friends and family).

Coming back from the winter and a fantastic weekend with old friends, blog-reading and updating is a challenge. For some of you not receiving any comments the last days I know you understand that there are important things and important things in the world.
I will however thank Leslie for the nomination of having a blog rated E for Excellent, and may be if forgotten I also will thank others for previous nominations as seen in the sidebar.

Katney has the rules at her site, and is also the originator to Odd Shots Monday. My contribution to this Canon today is connected to my last Sky Watch Friday photo from the mountain farm.

When arriving we saw the dimensions and volume of the snow at Bjorli. The house is almost buried by snow and the kitchen window ( to the right above) is just a stripe in the whiteness.Since this weekend was the last gathering at Morken Farm at Bjorli due to changes in ownership, I will thank Kirsti, Astrid, Erik and Helge for all the hospitality and fun we have had here the last ten years. We´ll meet again at other locations.

Sky Watch Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Light a candle for the victims at Ålesund tonight.

This Friday we are heading for a weekend with old friends from Ålesund, Sykkylven and Trondhjem. We gather at Bjorli where the Outdoor Bar will be open when Helge is playing Bebop and the sun hopefully will be nice to all. Trusting Kirsti´s games will be arranged and played just for fun and fellowship. The winner takes it all.Yesterday I once more had to have a Photo-Dynamic Therapy (PDT) at the National Hospital to hold my Skin Cancer under control. My head without hair is sun damaged due to the immunosuppressive medication necessary to avoid transplanted organ rejection. In the days to come I will most possibly look like a pirate.
Have a nice weekend. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

Thursday facts and Breaking News

4.3 million deaths in Europe
caused by cardiovascular disease - CVD

On Tuesday I posted facts about my former employer. Today I continue this fact distribution with the summary from 2008 European cardiovascular disease statistics . For my Norwegian speaking friends they can also find the most important highlights at Forskning.no

The complete report can be downloaded as pdf from European CVD 2008

Instead of making some personal priorities based on my own feelings, I post the complete summery as described:

■ Each year cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes over 4.3 million deaths in Europe and over 2.0 million deaths in the European Union (EU).
■ CVD causes nearly half of all deaths in Europe (48%) and in the EU (42%).
■ CVD is the main cause of death in women in all countries of Europe and is the main cause of death in men in all countries except France, the Netherlands and Spain.
■ CVD is the main cause of the disease burden (illness and death) in Europe (23% of all the disease burden) and the second main cause of the disease burden in those EU countries with very low child and adult mortality (17%).
■ Death rates from CHD are generally higher in Central and Eastern Europe than in Northern, Southern and Western Europe.
■ Death rates from stroke are higher in Central and Eastern Europe than in Northern, Southern and Western Europe.
■ CVD mortality, incidence and case fatality are falling in most Northern, Southern and Western European Countries but either not falling as fast or rising in Central and Eastern European countries.
■ Each year smoking kills over 1.2 million people in Europe (450,000 from CVD) and about 650,000 people in the EU (185,000 from CVD). The numbers dying in Europe from CVD due to smoking rose by 13% between 1990 and 2000.
■ Smoking has been declining in many European countries but the rate of decline is now slowing. Women are now smoking nearly as much as men in many European countries and girls often smoke more than boys.
■ Dietary patterns across Europe - once very different - are now converging.
■ Diets are generally improving in Northern and Western European countries but deteriorating in Southern, Central and Eastern European countries.
■ Levels of physical inactivity are high in many European countries.
■ Levels of obesity are increasing across Europe in both adults and children.
■ Over 48 million adults in Europe and 23 million adults in the EU have diabetes and the prevalence is increasing.
■ Overall CVD is estimated to cost the EU economy €192 billion a year.
■ Of the total cost of CVD in the EU, around 57% is due to health care costs, 21% due to productivity losses and 22% due to informal care of people with CVD.

While planning for this post yesterday a shocking Breaking News occurred from the Jugend City Ålesund. (see yesterday blog) About 2000 - 3000 cubic meter of the city mountain break loose in a landslide at 0337 am cet. A house with 20 residents at sleep were hit and the modern house from 2003/04 partly collapsed. A Gas tank is on fire and can explode.

Between 500 and 1000 persons are evacuated around the catastrophic area including my sister and my brother in law. They are well but the Law of relative Distance makes the feelings about the disaster more intense. 5 persons are missing/killed in the collapsed building. Death has always a reason.
FOTO: SVEIN OVE EKORNESVÅG / SCANPIX

ABC Wednesday - J

First of all, this Wednesday you HAVE TO go to Mrs Nebitts Place and make comments according to the changed rules for ABC Wednesday. Mr. Linky is out of function for the time being in this fellowship.

In the beginning I thought the letter J was difficult. May be it had to do with the pronouncement of the letter in Norwegian and or English. However, I managed to find, as far as I can see, acceptable variations although I had to bend the rules (?) a little.
Therefore I start with a German word which in English is an interpretation in French.

J is for Jugendstil (Jugendstil |ˈyoōgəntˌ sh tēl|noun German term for Art Nouveau) as in the Jugendcity Ålesund, Norway.My second photo is from Dublin where my wife after reading and loving Ulysses by James Joyce had to do her Bloomsday walk and meet with the author at North Earl Street.
J is for James Joyce.In Verona, Italy there is a famous place where tourists are going to recall one of the romantic drama by William Shakespeare , Romeo and Juliet. We visited Arena di Verona when seeing the Opera AIDA by Verdi in 2003. The photo is taken before going to see the Opera.
J is for Juliet´s Balcony

My Painting this week is accompanied by 2 YouTube videos.

First a Video clip from the musical Chicago where Mrs. Zeta-Jones performs All that Jazz
and
Second the famous cello player Jacqueline du Pre who has been given the title of the painting.

J is for all that Jazz, zeta-Jones and Jacqueline.

As i said it started difficult, but ends up rather satisfactory.

Since it is still winter around here and also in most of the ABCW blogger´s local areas, I was ready to present photos from January.

However, now it´s time to look ahead, and within a few months we can see the summer months coming. Photos from the apple blossom in June and raspberries at my cottage in July may hopefully help you with the present depression.

J is for June and July.

Tuesday facts and some memories

Sometimes I feel that my blogfriends need some facts.
Today facts are about my employer for 30 years, the Managing Risk Company and present disability pension cashier:
Det norske Veritas.

Last year´s financial results ended with an operating profit at 873 MNOK, and profit after tax at 536 MNOK (USD 91 million)
Hopefully this will give us an extra increase in annual pensions so the banana hunting in Singapore still can be something we do on vacations.DNV is a global company with 300 offices in 100 countries. It has approximately 8,000 employees, but only 2,300 working in Norway. Its head office is at Høvik outside Oslo.

I have had a great time and personal development in this Company. At my start in 1968 I had the opportunity to take part in the EDP - IT - ITC start-up in Norway and DNV, and I worked twelve years within this area.
Later when my responsibility was more concerned with Human Resources, Management and Leadership Development, I also got the fantastic experience and memories for life connected to live in Singapore and work in Asia Pacific for some years.
I still have many friends serving the company around the world, and believe some of them still remember me although it is more than 11 years since I had to leave the company due to heart and kidney failure and combined transplantation thereafter.

Later this spring I will together with almost 70 pensioners from DNV experience the Algarve coast and Lisbon in Portugal for a week. Many colleagues and friends from my duty will join too.
Facts about that journey will come in due time.

Monday Odd Shot

Easter is over and preparation for the Ascension 39 days from today may begin. In a garden in Brussels we found this tool, not documented as useful for leaving ground, but we bring it out to you all as the Monday Odd Shot this week.
Hopefully all the mountain climbers have returned home to their broadbands and computers and will update the web with nice easter memories the days ahead. If your return is set later today, drive carefully.
Visit Kathney for more Odd shots.

If you want to see an ODD VIDEO please visit Anna-Lys and have a good laugh.

Happy Easter ?

The Resurrection appearances of Jesus some years ago, has no influence of my morning mood this sunday. The right foot out of bed, and my Easter Egg was again decorated by my wife and the morning procedure went on as usual.

However, the temperature in the kitchen was down to 13.4 deg C due to a very cold night down to minus 10.1 C outside the walls.
An open door in the apartment above us the last six days has helped a lot to decrease the heat, and we got aware that it may be is not the best to live in a house 125 years old when rehabilitation is going on.

Nevertheless blogging is a must and even if my fingers almost need gloves to write this post, I once again wish you all a Happy Easter.

Saturday urban life and Bullshit (pisspreik)

I had planned to save my Manneken Pis from Brussels till ABC Wednesday M, but after seeing this video from a Shopping Center i Portugal, he just had to be presented today.

Click on Urban Toilet Art and see the European creativity.

May be this could be a replacement for all the "Graffiti" or Tagging we see ruin these emergency areas. Even Manneken Pis on many occasions is dressed in a costume. His wardrobe now consists of several hundred different costumes, and as in the Shopping Center Toilet there is a possibility for the opposite sex in Jeanneke Pis

For those of you being at your cottage with
Outhouses the decorations are possible portraits of royal families around the world. At least that is the fact at my cottage. Have a "cold" but peaceful weekend.

Sky Watch Friday on Good Friday

How long was Adam in Paradise?
Where has all the flowers gone?
Did someone talk about Spring?

The winter is back!!

Thank heaven I finish the washing of my 45 (x2) windows yesterday.
Today the white snow is covering cars and streets.
My wife went down to the basement for more wood, and set fire to the kitchen fireplace before breakfast. It was like being at a mountain cottage, but we are still in the middle of Oslo.

It is Sky Watch Friday and also the most holy day in the year for someone. The white flakes coming from above cover everything. May be someone will call it a sign. For me it is only troubling. I am sick of winter and want spring to return asap. It has also made my SWF blogpost different than planned for.

Because yesterday afternoon I received a mail from British Airways saying:

Dear Mr A,
With 27 March fast approaching, the opening of our new home at Heathrow is getting closer than ever. So I'd like to tell you a bit more about what you can expect when you fly from Terminal 5.

Until I have been at Heathrow T5 you have to be satisfied with other airports around the world, and I start up the ASWF photos with Portela Airport Lisbon in the midle of the city to where this airplane is on her way.In many of the airport photos I has focused on my wife. This is from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on her way to Singapore and the former Westin Plaza HotelIn China she is leaving Asia for this time at Pudong Airport Shanghai where we earlier on the vacation last May could see The Bund shot from 350 meters up in the sky at Pearl Tower.Snow or Airports what so ever, since it is Easter and a lot of Norwegians are up in the mountain skiing, I here present a picture of Rondane from the so called Solberg place. Today these mountains are covered with snow, but as I started in this post, you don´t need to go far for using your skis today.Just had to add a photo from Aftenposten taken by Thorbjørn Leidal this morning to show you that winter is really back:Probably no BBQ of the Easter Lamb at their place.

City Easter with daffodils

Today the Easter Holiday starts in Norway.

Yellow Daffodils at the breakfast table. Painted eggs and tomato herrings, brie cheese and ham together with tea and apple juice.
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the day for the Last Supper. I want my supper later today not to be the last, and have no intention to wash my wife´s feet. The shower takes care of that, and regarding the gathering I let da Vinci have his code by himself.

It is still almost zero degrees here. Cold nights and the sun is only making the temperature to increase a few numbers. But as long as it is not raining or snowing we have all the possibility to have a good and peaceful Easter in the City. Our Local is closing at 1 am today and tomorrow, but at that time we normally are well hidden under the quilt with eyes closed.
There is no traffic in the streets this morning. Almost no cars parked outside and the church bells are still silent. I am blogging and feel fine. No stress for skiing.
If somebody believe this "man" is out exercising, click on the picture and have a look. The beer garden is not yet open. If the sun makes it possible lots of people will turn into Lektern later.
May be we too will stroll down to Aker Brygge later, but most probably we will visit the cottage just for the fun of it. Due to the cold there is nothing to do in the garden at this time.

ABC Wednesday I

It is Easter, It is ABC Wednesday and what else can be more symbolic than DiegoVelasquez painting Christ Crucified from 1632 as we saw at the Prado Museum in Madrid in 2004.
I is for INRI.Next shot is from Aker Brygge, Oslo taken yesterday. Reflections in the windows of the Investment and Insurance company Storebrand, and the sculpture by Marit Wiklund ”Utferdstrang” in the Old Dock close to the bridge over to Tjuvholmen, (the new renovated Industrial area)
I is for Images
My own painting this ABCW is Inferno in Red, accompanied with the fantastic music by Igor Stravinsky. See the You Tube video Igor Stravinsky Firebird Infernal dance (Ildfuglen Norwegian, Le Sacre du printemps French)
I is for Inferno, Igor and Infernal Dance


At the end the sculpture utside the Ibsen Museumand the warm Summer day in 2006 at Ischia Italy where Ibsen worked out major parts of Peer Gynt
I is for Ibsen at Ischia
For more ABC Photos go to MrsNeisbittsplace

Easter and system problems

I am busy today. Got some hard disk system problems yesterday evening, had to call Apple Support, and am up and going this morning. However, even if my last week photos are gone in my iPhoto library, the blogger posts and iWeb Gallery are still intact. The Opera and Arne Ekeland can still be watched together with my other photo albums.

I still have some work to do. Uploading Aperture 2 and Office:mac 2008, but it´s Easter and very good weather (blue sky and a little cold wind) so in addition to window washing, we have to visit the summer residence for more season preparations.
The photo today shows the gardener 4 years ago in the beginning of February. We have had climate variations before as well.

Monday Odd Shots and a little more

First I want to make my contribution to the Monday Odd Shots; The roots of trees at Høvik and the Veritas Garden.
This recreation area became open for the public after DNV took over the area mid 70s and build the great Veritas Center as the company´s Head Quarter. In addition we made a previously closed park available for people by making paths in the forest and small walking roads close to the sea. Yesterday thousands of people was strolling along the beach, licking sunshine and looking at the spring flower - Blue Anemone (blåveis)At Høvikodden and Henie Onstad Kunstsenter we can now see an exhibition of The Norwegian painter Arne Ekeland.
Ekeland´s works has for many years been my very most unobtainable. Prices far above my no Lotto winning wallet. I fell in love with Arne Ekelands art at a visit to Trondhjems Kunstforening in 1984 and hardly regret that his art only after his death in 1994 has got the place it should have had many years ago. His clear political view may be one of the problems. This is also expressed through his paintings.
I really hope the plans for a permanent museum for his art can be realized and end up with more than his studio at Bøn in Eidsvoll.

In the mean time and until until May 18 his monumental works can be seen at the walls of the Haaken Room. If it is not possible to go there, take a lokk at My photos of Ekeland from the gallery. I have added two here.
The Ammunition Beltand the Divorce

Saturday City walk, photos and Palm Sunday blog – The new Opera House in Oslo

Have you wondered why Easter comes on the day it does?

In Wikipedia you can find the formula saying that Easter day is the first Sunday after the 14th day of the lunar month (the nominal full moon) that falls on or after 21 March (nominally the day of the vernal equinox).
A week earlier (Today) we have the Palm Sunday.

Yesterday (Palm Saturday) we took a trip to the new Opera House in Oslo
Click on the link and join us on a tour at the new Opera House photos.
Palm Saturday is also the starting day of the OUTdoor Beer drinking season. Truly have some Cafes already put some chairs and tables at the pavement, but the volume is announced through the restaurant Lektern´s Opening. Spring is here to stay.

Urban Saturday Coverage

In the week before Easter I shot some photos that cover an ordinary story from city challenges. Maintenance of the old water pipe systems in the underground. Since we had sky watching on Friday, I feel it´s ok to look to earth today.

This Saturday Urban coverage is my experience concerning the repair of Water Pipe Leakage in our own city street.

First the digging and uncovering of the broken pipes and destroyed joint to the right. The man has to stay at the grab head to avoid drowning.

Second the preparation of the new joint by a plumber. He was very proud of the color and the material. He told that this the joint would last for more than 40 years. (The old one was from before the war.) Third the new joint for ramifying water distribution at the crossroad is connected to the system and we could open the tap in our house again.Forth the ramification is protected by a concrete bowlFifth the bowl is supported by peppleSixth the excavator is filling up gravel around the manholeSeventh and last surfacing of the road with asphalt makes the process come to an end.
Now everything is ready for Easter and the Bunnies are coming in their yellow dresses.

Sky Watch Friday

Previously I have presented Sandbu Mansion in my blog. I have shown photos of the fireplace in one of the cottages´ living room, and photos covering the internal environment and art with and without my Old Bunch. This Sky Watch photo is taken outside the Hall of Knights, towards west, and shows the fantastic landscape in the Vågå Valley.My next photo is of some Spanish Seagulls taking off from the beach at Estepona, SpainMoving around the world with a camera, the Botanic Garden in Singapore with the black swan, is a heavenly peaceful place. When living in Singapore mid 90s we used to exercise almost every second day around this Eco Lake before dawn. That early the heat had not yet reached above 30 deg C and humidity was still below 96.Under conditions like that, when we stay in Asia or Europe, the parasol is a must for a bold person like me. Watching the Sky through a large blue umbrella is also a photographic shot or even a scoop.Go to Tom and join the SKF. Have a nice weekend.

The end of an Era

Home for breakfast and blogging. Returning to the hospital for Echo Doppler and summarizing the evaluation of Blood samples, Roentgen Thorax, Pacemaker control and Angiographic scanning. Everything seems to be satisfactory.
The photo show how we stopped the blood flow from the artery in the groin earlier. Yesterday they put a Vascular Plug for the artery occlusion. Earlier we had to be in bed and stable position for 6 hours. Later when doing the Angiographic through the arm and using a splint the waiting time was reduced to 4 hours.
With the plug I was up walking around after 1 hour!
Development and I feel fine.

ABC Wednesday - H

Today only one photo should be enough: The picture of my two grand children.
H is for Helene and Henrik Isak.

However, as the slogan at my graduation card was a free interpretation of what Goethe once said: “In der beschränkung seigt sich der Meister”, The Great Master shows himself NOT in limitation, I have to add some more photos on this ABC – H – Wednesday.
H is for Houses as they may be seen at my beautiful Home street.In the 70s almost every Saturday from around 12.30 cet I frequented the restaurant Casino in the basement of the old Norwegian Theatre. In summertime, prior to the development of Aker Brygge, if the light was not too bright, we moved out of the Brown Café to one of the 4H (Huk, Herregaardskroen, Hawk and Hemsedal)
The restaurant at the Manor House of Frogner (Oslo City Museum) we used to call the Casino Pasture.
H is for Herregaardskroen.
When it comes to Culture I was not sure if I should choose the Concept Artist Marianne Heske with her Orgone Accumulator after Wilhelm Reich,
or the Norwegian Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature1920, the author Knut Hamsun´s book Growth of the Soil (Markens Grøde) with Isak.

I choose both.
H is for Heske and Hamsun


This Wednesday Music with You Tube videos are
H for Johan Halvorsen March of the Boyars and
H for Joseph Haydn Concert for Pianoforte



My own Paintings on this ABC - H - Wednesday Is
H for Hell in Chernobyl and Hiroshima and
H for Heading West.

I will be doing my annual Heart Evaluation at RiksHospitalet today.
H is for Healthy Heart condition at the Hospital.

Have a Hilarious Wednesday by visiting Mr. Linky at Mrs Nesbitts Place.

Top ten Red Photos and some Odd

To some of us and more focused Photographers I will draw your attention to Wired´s challenge to readers about RED PHOTOS. The TOP TEN Red Photos were presented on Monday. Take a look, they are Beautiful shots.

This week photo contest is Self-Portrait. Participate!

However, I have seen that many of the ABCW and SWF bloggers use Mondays like Paulies Monday Odd Shots
What an Odd Photo is may differ around the world. I have a lot of strange situations in my photo library, and if I follow RuneEs advise to crop more, I am sure new Odd Photos will occure.

I have to use Tuesday this week for some of my odd photos, and may later join the MOS bloggers. The widest definition of "Broer som Binder" can also be a photo within this category, and anemone was closest this first monday in March.

Here are some of mine Odd Photos from Lisboa, Firenze and among relatives.

The End - Holmenkollen is history

One of the worlds most famous ski jumping hills - Holmenkollen - is due to rebuilding. For a long period the hill has not been up to the requirements from modern ski jumping, and yesterday the last competition in the "old" hill was done. The winner: Gregor Schlierenzauer from Austria.

Holmenkollen has been a landmark in Oslo. This photo is taken from Frogner.
Now this special shape will be replaced by something not yet decided. Norwegians are conservative. They are very afraid of changes, and especial if it may cost any money. The design competition of a new "Kollen" came out with a clear winner. The winner´s project is refused, and that ends up with a "Hill" which no one today can tell how will be.
The country has a fortune of 2 000 000 000 000 nok placed in foreign stocks, but the government does not want to use more than 100 000 000 nok for a rebuilding, and 900 mill are set as the max cost for restoration. A new "Holmenkollen" must be ready within 18 months.

In the meantime they talk in closed rooms.

Street Art as a notion

In many ABC Wed. Blogs last week the G is for Graffiti was used. In comments many also gave the impression that Graffiti is Great, Wonderful, Exciting and something that they love to see.
Sorry, I disagree.

However, Street Art is something different although this kind of "decorating" the city also can be seen as vandalism of other persons property. Some of the Street Artists around the world have during the years become famous through ordinary paintings and graphic art, and city counsels have had discussions about all the millions they have overpainted and removed. Street Art is not meant to last. They are made for and in the moment, the process is most important. You have to be a morning city walker to see some of them. That´s why you always have to carry your camera and make history. Yesterday I made one of these shots at Ruseløkka in Oslo.

Street Art in larger scale and even more as official decoration have I documented in Madrid and in Brussels.

Connecting people - Yesterday and Tomorrow

My new Mac has come home.

I have for several month now been waiting for this Last Version of Apples MacBook Pro 15" with
2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
250GB hard drive1
Double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB
etc.

This weekend is dedicated to knowing this communication tool better, installing new software and copying some files from the old iMac. But of course I will find room for luncheon down town carrying my camera in the pocket as usual.

This new MacBook Pro is not only a laptop computer. Mainly is is a communication tool with video camera, music player and radio. Therefore I include as a comparison two photos of yesterday and the day before tools for building bridges between people.
Telephone Boxes at the Old Town in Stockholm and in Ålesund.

Sky Watch Friday

Last Friday I included the spectacular Michelangelo´s Mountains of Carrara in SWF.

Todays Sky Watch Friday photos are from the Skyline at the Financial Center in Singapore,but also an invitation to join us to a cottage in the mountains.The invitation for a cottage party (PPS with Norwegian text) is included but for all the others, who want an extraordinary tour to the cottage, do not hesitate to look at the Road description.
This Friday you can sign on to Mr. Linky here
Have a nice weekend.

Leftovers

One of the ABC Wed bloggers (sorry I forgot who) had chosen G for Garbage yesterday, but had also G for two Glass of red wine included.
That post draw my attention to some newly taken photos and a growing problem.

One of our own removed Garbage container, and others of the leftovers from a party.

Leftovers are normally connected to doggybags like those for food we became acquainted to in Asia, but looking into some of the robes in the house, and especially in the basement, the need for containers like the one in the photo is certainly there.

Even if my wife has her birthday today (Congratulation) the bottles on the next photos, are not from my own home this time. Not even tomorrow or after the weekend. That volume comes from the backyard of a One Star Michelin restaurant near by.
A quite different leftover is the dog muck you may put your feet on at the pavements or in the front garden. For me it seems that dog owners have become more careless about these kind of leftover lately. Some years ago we always saw dog owners with their small black plastic bags, cleaning up after the pets leftover, but now???? The result is visible when the snow is gone.
That is why my last photo today is a warning sign from Hamburg which I consider to copy and put in front of our house.

ABC Wednesday - G

G is for Grumpy Old Man, but that was prior to getting out of bed, been at the bathroom, have my Bacon and Egg and completed todays ABC Wednesday blogpost.

Then it was time to start this ABC W with a photo of a Pint just to follow up the
Broer som Binder from monday.
G is for Guinness Dark Ruby at Davy Byrnes Pub in Dublin
The main theme for today photos are, G is for Golden.

First the Golden Owl as Logo for the farmacy “Apoteket Uglan” at Drotninggatan, Stockholm.Next for the the Golden tree in Gyldenløve Street in Oslo where Golden is related to money and real estate.And last the Golden Money tree in the Old China Street in Shanghai with all the dreams it representsI also feel I have to present a photo taken at Oslo City Museum last Sunday showing a note of “Guttene kommer” by William Farre. As a member of a Boy Bras Band with Trombone at school early 1960s we always played this march on May 17th.
G is for “Guttemusikken”When adding a music video to this week ABC posting, it is absolutely impossible to ignore two names starting with the letter G.
G is for Edvard Grieg and Peer Gynt
I find it very difficult to choose so here you have: Griegs Per Gynt Suite No 1, Op 46
In the Hall og the Mountain King with The famous two-phrase theme, written in the key of B minor
and
for those who want to learn more about Grieg and Norwegian Nature, see the video where Leif Ove Andsnes talks about this famous Norwegian composer and plays Grieg Ballade in G minor.




My own paintings with a title starting with G are
The Green Hat and The Golden Jacket

A success story - Combined Heart and Kidney Transplantation

In these days ten years ago the first combined Heart / Kidney Transplantation took place at the National Hospital in Oslo, Norway.
Due to Polycystic Kidneys and total Heart Failure after several Heart Attacks and Balloon Angioplasties the hope for the patient laid only in the YES from a donor.

However, before coming on the waiting lists the doctors had to bend some rules about the patient being well fitted in all other respects, and to overcome difficulties between medicine professions connected to the upper and lower part of the body. Cardiologists and Nephrologists had to work together. Medication regimes before, under and after the operation had to be agreed upon, etc.
They made to cooperate. The gifts for Life became available after 12 months of waiting. My life got the possibility to be prolonged. Ten years later we all can see the Return of Investment. It became a success story.
I am alive and Life is great.

In the years after the transplantation as well as in the future I (as all other transplanted) have to go through a lots of controls, and tune medication to the result from these examination.
These following photos show some of the situations we are up to:

Sampling and testing blood values:Ultrasound diagnoses for the heart functionalityAngiographic imaging of arteries, veins and heart chambers.The last picture is of three very good friends. To the right Nina V (1st successful heart and lung transplanted) with the splint on her arm after angiography through the arteries. In the middle Ann-Christin W with her third heart (twice heart-transplanted), and to the left this blogger ArneA (1st combined heart and kidney transplanted) after swapping pacemaker due to total AV-block (new battery needed).High professional medical competence ( Survival facts ) and YES to Organ Donation is the only reason that made this photo possible.
Sign your Donor card today.

In addition. Exactly 40 years ago (March 4th 1968) I took up my first position in Det Norske Veritas DNV and moved from my childhood town Ålesund and settled down in Oslo. Here I have been an urban citizen ever after.

I have had a great career in DNV. First about twelve years within the IT sector and then almost 18 years within Human Resources and Management. The Kidney and Heart Failures gave me a disability pension prior to the transplantation.
My anniversaries today are celebrated through this blogpost.

Broer som Binder

The most important Bridge this first Monday of March and the opening of "Broer som binder" is the train bridge over River Liffey in Dublin. Perhaps Ha´penny Bridge is more famous, but since I later today will meet RuneE and TrulZ over a pint or more at my local “fru Burum”, I think this Bridge will be the best example of how “Broer som Binder” can be interpreted. We are all transplanted, have met because of our common condition and have common challenges although our life is very different. The Pint helps bridging gaps between generations, distances and cultures.

At my Sunday Walk yesterday (Yes, Anna-Lys I am back) I managed to shoot a photo of the Sculpture Bridge at Frognerparken. That is probably the most generation-mixed and multicultural bridge in Oslo. Local citizens with or without children are strolling around. People from all over the world walks to and from the Monolith looking at the sculptures like
Sinnataggen (little angry boy).My third Bridge is “Storseisundbrua” as part of Atlanterhavsveien connecting people in Romsdal and Nordmøre at the northwest of Norway. A beautiful road close to the fierce Nordic ocean and a spectacular Bridge.From Norway to Italy and the great city of Florence.
My last bridge for March is crossing the river Arno, (which is flowing from Mount Falterona in the Apennines and end in the Tyrrenian Sea at Marina di Pisa), and is the famous Ponte Vecchio with the jeweller shops.Go to Runes TX.Blog to get links to other Bridge Builders:
* Ackworth born, gone West
* Anna-Lys
* Arnes Blog
* Berit T.
* Com Imagens With Images
* GundaM-En liten "hagevandring"
* Heimdal (Marie)
* Hilde S
* Hyde Daily Photo
* Ida`s little corner
* imac's Photos from the Minds Eye
* Interiør og hage
* Katney's Kaboodle
* Klara's pictures
* Landsliv
* Litt av meg (Anemone)
* Mitt glade (hunde-)liv (Anne-Berit)
* On2Wheels (GAWO)
* Outhouse Capital of Canada
* Pernille's ting og tang
* Runes TX-Blog
* Truls

Weird Sunday

Sunday blogging is without any specific purpose today except showing the world that I am still on line and have a beautiful weather here in Oslo. Vasaloppet is running in Sweden and on TV, but I rather take a walk to Frognerparken and the fabulous Monolitten. 17 meters high with 121 nude figures; A great Fallus.
I also will share with you a video sent to me from some friends. The most crazy magic trick ever.
Warning!
I recommend some of you tender visitors to keep children / too young persons away from screen when looking. (At least the first time)

City Clocks

It is Saturday and my urban blogging is ready, and once again I have to follow up an idea coming out of last ABC Wednesday photo - the Freia Clock.

On Thursday I wrote about chocolate. This Saturday I will show some of the City Clocks I have taken photos of on my journeys to different countries.

The first clock is the Astronomical Clock in Prague dated back to 1410.The second clock is the AnkerUhr in Vienna from 1913Also in Brussels they have a special Clock, the Le Carillon du Mont des Arts from 1954Take trip around your neighborhood and see if you can find a similar "time by: " landmark as these Capital City treasures.