So in March, I discovered that a rubber packing of some kind, was loose. After some consideration, and googling, I decided that the economically wise thing to do was to replace the dishwasher since it is 8 years old, and if I repair it, something else will break down in 6 months or so (I am a bit cynical)

So I ordered a dishwasher online, realised it wouldn’t fit 60 minutes after I had ordered it, cursed, called customer service and cancelled said order.

The weekend after that, I went to the store, bought an dishwasher that fits and had it delivered. Annddd. When the dishwasher came the installator took one look at the electricity and said ”Uh. We cannot install it. You need a separate outlet, for that.”

So I called the bulding management, since I have no idea how to find a trustworthy electrician. They helped me find one, he came, looked and basically said ” Yeah. That is illegal. It is pure luck it hasn’t been afire.”

Which is always nice to hear. Not. (For the record, I am so glad that I deciced to replace it, and not repair it.)

Then I waited for the estimated cost, which fit the estimate he had given me verbally, accepted it, and then I waited. And waited. Finally, I prodded the building management company, since I didn’t have his telephone number. And the electrician called a 2-3days later, apologizing, claiming he hadn’t noticed the estimate being accepted. (The bill is at 1000 dollar plus, I went WTF.  Yeah. I had a moment where I considered backing out, but I just want this done.)

They are coming to fix the electricity on Monday, and hopefully the dishwasher will finally be installed before midsummer.

It is December 17th, and I am counting down the days to Thursday for two reasons. On Thursday I start my christmas break.  I don’t have to be back until January 7th. Sadly, it isn’t a paid vacation. (This year. If everything goes as planned, I should have paid vacations in 2019. Though considering how much has gone wrong with my dayjob, I am a bit pessimistic)

Normally, I would revise like the wind, but since I am getting the keys to my apartment on Friday, I, uh, will be busy packing. (Much to my brother’s annoyance I still haven’t booked movers. Ooops. In my defence I haven’t  decided which day I want to move…) 

It does mean I will have make a trip to Kungens kurva, since I am getting a new  kitchen table, sofa, desk and bed. Since my current ones are… shabby. 

I also, er, need hall furniture and more lamps and, and..  *flails* Moving to  a bigger flat is exciting, though.  (It is soo pretty! And just 5 minutes from the subway. And 20 minutes from dad.  And.. did I mention the subway? No more waiting for buses!)  

I suppose i should go to bed now, since it is getting late.

I think I am turning this into a monthly thing, since that seems to be how often I blog. Which is better than last year. But I have spare time now.  At least until I buy an apartment and has to, you know, move.. But let’s not think about that now.   May has been… unseasonally warm and sunny.   I have mostly enjoyed it, though I am sort of dreading how July and August will be.  They are saying cooler weather are coming. *hopes said cooler weather includes rain*

I have finished the first draft of the WIP, mostly because I figured out that I was floundering, and I had reached a good stopping point for the arc. It is a big mess, though, and I am not sure how much I will be able to keep. Ah well. Most of my drafts are super messy.  I have started outlining book 2, though, and I feel good about it right now. Ask me how I feel while I am writiing the rough draft.  Which I will spend June doing.  And then I will start revising The Shifter’s Justice, since I have figured out that I revise faster if I don’t have to go to work for a week or two. And since I am hoping to significantly cut down  the revising time… I mean, it isn’t the only thing that I’ll do to shorten the revision time, but it definitely wont hurt.

Beyond writing, I have been reading. I have been in the mood for funny books, so I have been some Tessa Dare and Patricia Rice books in my TBR pile, along with rereading books in my TBR pile, and bought some new ones too.

Beyond this, I went to London. I saw Hamilton (yaaay!) with my friend Sharpie, met my brother and his wonderful girlfriend and had a generally great time. I needed a weekend when I saw friends and did fun things. 🙂  I am planning to do it again, maybe,in July with other friends ( though not London!)..  I should probably follow up on those plans…

Anyway, that is what I have been up to in May!  In June I am going to Spain… which will be a lot of hotter than Sweden.  I am planning to spend my time reading in the shadow or in the water.  Well. And eating good food and probably seeing something moorish, though not Alhambra, since it was deemed to be too far away.

It is May 29th ( how did that happen?!).  Today is the first day in over two months that I am home, without any plan of leaving in the next 24 hours.  It is a nice feeling.   Mum’s care doesn’t rely on me, and it wont again for a long time.  That said, I don’t want to relive the last week, ever. It was *awful*.

The upside is that my life will be stable enough for me to actually write. I have decided that I am not in a good mental headspace for revising, so Vanished is shelved. For how long? I don’t know, but I will get back to it.

Meanwhile, I am having fun writing The Dragon’s Blade, and I need fun right now.

It is May 1^st and I am trying to figure out where April went. It feels as if it was yesterday when we were celebrating mum’s birthday. /A bit stressful, since I got back from London 2 hours before.) Which was when mum first complained about weird aches in her leg. The leg pain escalated around easter, when it became so bad that she couldn’t get to the grocery store. So I never left after Easter (I have been in my apartment 3 times during the last two weeks). So  April was a month filled with visits to doctors and antibiotics. BUT! We found out the source of last week (after our second ER visit in 1 week). Now she is finally on the right medication. <3

In between that, I have tried to work on Vanished and finish the last touches on Daughter of the Dark. The key word is tried. I have made some progress, but I have so much to do. At least the formatting is almost done. Once I have finalized the formatting and done a final proof-reading and spell-check, I will breathe easier. 🙂

 

A couple of years ago, I got Roy Fares’ United Cakes of America for Christmas. I baked the cookie recipe a couple of times, it was delicious  but… it required 225 g of butter, which was way too fat for me (and since swedish butter is sold in 500 g packages, it means that you had to buy a new package every time you wanted to make a new batch). So I looked around for another recipe, and found Leila Lindholm’s chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have been making a version of it ever since, since my mum loves them. I finally realised I hadn’t posted it. 🙂

 

 

 

125 g of butter

1 dl sugar

1 egg

½ dl oatmeal

1 ½ flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

100 g Chocolate chips

chopped hazelnuts ( roughly half a bag)

salt

Turn the oven to 200 c, while the oven heats up, let the butter soften on top of the stove.

Whip the soft butter and the sugar until it is creamy, add the egg and mix until it is smooth. Mix flour, oatmeal and baking powder in a small bowl, add it to the egg and butter mix. Add the chocolate and hazelnuts.

With a small spoon, drop the batter on a baking sheet covered in baking parchment. Put in the oven for ten minutes. *

*If you want more traditional cookies, roll the batter and put in the freezer for 30 minutes, before slicing the batter.

I prefer this version, though!

I am not sure if I have posted this before, but since I just made it for dinner I am posting it again. This is a super easy recipe, that feeds 1-2 people. I got the inspiration when looking at It is very easy to scale up, though.

100-150 g pre-cooked shrimp (peeled)

1-2 tbsp tomato paste

1 clove of garlic.

1 dl white wine

chili powder

Turn on the pasta water. While waiting for the water to boil, do the other preperations. Mince the garlic, mix the tomato and the wine in a small bowl. Heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan, saute the garlic in the oil, add some chilipowder, before adding the tomato-wine mixture.

Let it simmer on low until the pasta is almost done. Taste the sauce, add salt and chili powder if you need more heat. Add the shrimp, let it get warm. Pour off the pasta water, add some oil to the pasta if you want to. Mix the pasta and the sauce.

Eat while hot.

Since both my wallet and my phone was stolen, I have all the fun things to do today.

Urgent:

• Find IMEI number
• Book photo time for new badge
• Do the online security course
• Call the Swedish police and report the wallet stolen
• Contact the insurance company about the phone
• Call the phone company and ask them to send a new sim card

Not so urgent:

• Ask L about INCA and new badge
• Get the STG  papers
• Check if I pre-paid the Barcelona hotel or not
• Call Hotels.com about the Florida hotel (cause the hotel I originally booked is closed after Hurricane Matthew)
  • Check if the Hotels.com number for Sweden is the correct one.

I don’t spend a lot of money, but today… I blew through the budget and some.

First I replaced my dying cell phone ( though I am paying it in installments, thank god) by buying the latest version, after debating wheter or not to buy this one or last year’s model since the price difference was 50 dollar or so.   (Brand new! So new that there is no case for it, yet.)

Then, I booked hotel room for Coastal Magic Con. Which cost as much as the phone, but significantly cheaper than the con hotel.  (I also have a feeling that dad will insist on sponsoring my trip.)

Then.. I looked at the Plane tickets to Barcelona. And yowled, since they cost as much as the whole trip to Florida will cost ( Mum is going with me to Barcelona. I vetoed a trip to Florida with her.). I e-mailed the hotel, asking if we can extend our stay with one day. It will cut the cost from 990 euro  to 680 euro. ( There will probably be an extra 120 euro fee for the room, but still cheaper. If they agree…)

Writing? Errm. I tried?   I think I wrote 100 words, or so.  At least I have the rest of the weekend to write. Unlike next weekend, which is filled with social things.  Fun social things, but still.