"Planet in Peril"

Last night I coincidentally turned on the TV to CNN just as "Planet in Peril" was starting. I was so glad to see it was being broadcast over here already. (Our CNN is a British CNN station). I thought for sure it would be months till we got to see it over here.

Here is a link to a preview of the show that I got from AnnMarie, along with a really cool REM song :)
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/10/rem.cooper/index.html

Unfortunately it was part 2 we were watching and we are hoping to see part 1 sometime in the near future. It was really interesting and intriguing. Along with seeing some beautiful places in this world (which is what I thrive on), I was surprised at some of the stuff going on in places that I would never have imagined. I think I was most shocked to hear that Lake Chad in Africa, once the 6th largest lake in the world has shrunk 90% in the past 45 years! THAT'S HUGE! Everyone has heard, "Save the Rainforests", "Global Warming", "Pollution", "Animal Extinction" and while these are pretty touchy subjects for a lot of people on both sides of the issues, this show presented it in an educated way that was very well done. (at least in my opinion) I was impressed that they even interviewed a few people that take other sides of the issues then the shows.

The best part of the show was when they were showing some clips in Africa of women doing laundry in the lake and sweet Michael, just as cool and collected as he could be turns to me and says in his most serious voice... "At least you get a sink to do the laundry in!" Of course we missed the next 2 minutes of the show because we were laughing hysterically. :)

A Balancing Act

I often get these two questions.

1) What is it you two like so much about Denmark?
2) Is there anything you don't like about Denmark?

And I am sure you all are curious too :)

1) What is it you two like so much about Denmark?
sigh, so much. It's very broad but the way of life here.
Life seems so much more laid back and easy going. I like that on weekends you see families out and about enjoying each others company. This doesn't mean shopping together, because just about every store is closed after 2-4pm on Saturday for the rest of the weekend, but genuinely spending time together.

I love the freedom of not having a car. We don't have to worry about maintenance, car washes, registration/inspection stickers, lack of car payment, insurance payment and filling up with gas.

We have always had a healthy wine budget and it's a nice change that we can get excellent French wines for so much cheaper then we can in the states. (YES, something IS cheaper here then in the states)

I love that we are a hop skip and a jump away from places like Germany, Sweden, France, Italy, Estonia, England, Russia...etc.

I love that we have more friends in Denmark that we see on a regular basis then in Dallas.

I like summertime here much better then in hot Texas.

Michael loves his small office here. The difference between 15,000 people and 25 people is incredible


Of course, there are two sides to everything!

2) Is there anything you don't like about Denmark?
It gets tiring sometimes to not have shops open on the weekend. Especially if Michael needs something, for example, a new shirt, we can't go on weekdays because he works and we hit the gym immediately after that. And on Saturdays, since the gym is always #1 we have to get up early to go to the gym so we can come back home and shower to go out and get whatever it is he needs. Kinda gets to be a pain....because the gym also closes early on Saturdays! (Thankfully our gym is open on Sundays)

I miss the freedom of having a car. Sometimes it would be nice not to have to wait for the train/bus and not worrying about having to leave somewhere in time so we don't miss the last train.

I miss good Australian, Chilean and California wines. Even the labels we have always enjoyed, seem to really suck here.

It can get hard to not be a hop skip and a jump away from El Paso, Lubbock, St. Louis, and Austin. In less then 1 year, we have missed 3weddings, 2 bar mitzvahs, 1 store opening of our best friend's own Starbucks store, 1 baby and are about to miss 4 more, and and 1 funeral.

I miss having our few very close very special best friends close by.

I don't like the dark cold winter. (But Christmas time is LOVELY and my favorite time of the year in Denmark....so really, I don't like dark/cold November and January)

Michael misses being in the middle of excitement of the main TI branch.

But the two bigggest hugest things that neither of us enjoy here are:
1. The taxes! BLEH!!!! I will never in a million years miss Danish Taxes.
2. How expensive everything is. Michael gets paid in Danish Kroner so we don't have to do the exchange rate in our heads but sometimes its hard not too, and then, we become very depressed when we realize we just spent $50 dollars for two sandwhiches and 2 cups of coffee.

I think I am posting this because these two questions came up recently and while answering I realized that a lot of the things I (and we) love most about being here, seem to also be the things we like least. Funny how that works huh?

Seriously...NOTHING!

Oh man. Here we are again, with nothing going on. I feel like everyone expects me to always have these fun and exciting stories since you know...we are living in Europe and all, but really, we are still the same boring Pate's we have always been, just in a cool destination! ;) The most exciting thing I can come up with is I just finished a good book. whoo hoo. haha.

Last week was Fall Holiday here in Denmark so we didn't have Danish class, we go back tomorrow and I already feel like we forgot a lot in just that one week.

I was flipping our blog and noticed that in 2 days it will be 1 year since we took our Relocation Trip to Denmark to search for our flat. It is really hard to believe a year has passed since then. We still feel we picked the right place between the two we loved the most. Though this one wasn't in as good of condition of the other, the sunroom and balcony and top floor make this place completely worth the inconveniences (more then just the washer/dryer and crappy landlord) we have had here.

Yup, thats all I've got for today!! :)

Her Mother Would Be So Proud

Back in May Michael's wonderful aunt Corliss lost her long battle with cancer. She is the mother of Derrick who was our best man at our wedding and has another son and a daughter. Kyle (son #2) told me about this article and I thought it was too cool not to share. Especially since several of my readers either followed Corliss's story and/or knew her personally.

She was and continues to be an inspiration to so many people that were fortunate enough to know her. Throughout her battle, I never saw her without a smile. What a woman!

This is an article about Kasey (Michaels Cousin) and some really incredible stuff she is doing. She is in her freshman year of college right now but doing some really great work in the Lubbock community. I'm quite proud of her that at the age of 18 she is going this extra mile and I know her mother is proudly smiling down at her.

Check it out:
http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/101407/edg_101407042.shtml

Halloween Preview

We had planned all week to spend Saturday in Copenhagen, because there were three things we needed to get done in the city.

1. Get a Guinness :)
2. Purchase everything we need for our Halloween costumes
3. Go to "Halloween in Tivoli"

The air was quite chilly and according to the weather, it was the coldest it has been in Copenhagen so far this season. I can, without a doubt, feel winter in the air.

The Guinness was great (Always is). We hit a new Irish Pub and I think this one will be our new favorite and regular place to get our Guinness fix. Not only was our Guinness poured correctly (Pour and let it sit for 2 minutes, and then fill it the rest of the way), but the bar tender made little shamrocks on the head of the beer. Way fun! It was a pretty cold day, but the sun was shining and we were able to sit outside comfortably.

We did get everything we needed for our costumes and I think they are going to look great. Unfortunately, I can't say what we are going to be here because some of the people coming over read this blog from time to time. So you'll just have to wait and see what we are. ;)

Tivoli was a lot of fun. This was, I believe, only the second year that Tivoli has re-opened for Halloween. We spend a couple hours there walking around, eating, and checking out all the cool Halloween shops they had set up. This was a nice change because most stores sell very little Halloween stuff. The toy stores don't even have more then a small section of stuff set up. Denmark is just now starting to embrace Halloween, but they have a LOOOOONG way to go to catch up to all its hype and glory that it holds in the states.

Check out the cool Pumpkin Roof

Decorations

Me (with several layers of cloths on) and My New Friend.

I think Tivoli bought all the pumpkins in Denmark

Michael and the Pumpkins


We got back home about 7:00pm and were exhuasted. Both of our heads hurt and we felt like we were coming down with something. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that we were outside in colder then normal weather all day long. We crashed at 9:30 and got a good nights rest and felt all better this morning. :)

How 'Bout Them Cowboys

Nothing says, "You obviously don't belong here" like standing in the middle of the gym with your eyes glued to the last 5 minutes of an INCREDIBLY INTENSE (American) football game and no one else around even seems to care. Last night (Tuesday) Danish TV aired Monday nights Dallas Cowboys-Buffalo Bills game. We knew ahead of time that the cowboys won, but when we kept seeing how little time was left we were in disbelief that they could pull it off, and though we knew they would win... we couldn't help but stare and watch as the game got more and more intense until the last seconds. And WOW, what a game!!!!!!!!!! If you saw it, you know what I'm talking about.

Funny thing is, we aren't THAT big of NFL fans... college football though, we love. But, there is something comforting about being so far away and seeing something that reminds you of home, regardless of what it is.

Check out the last 2 seconds! The Previous 2 minutes were just as exciting!

Just Another Day in the Forest

This weekend turned out to be another really beautiful weekend. The sun was out (mostly) and it was just cool. Not even cold. So, knowing our beautiful days and our sun is limited at this time of the year, we hopped out today to enjoy the weather. Before we left Michael plotted out our route and wouldn't tell me where we were going. So I was clueless, but he did good :)

A Farm and a Lake

Furesø (A lake)

We walked along a path for awhile as we were entering the forest
This was on our right
(I turned around to take a picture from the way we came)

And this was on our left

Walking through the forest
Some kids in a canoe enjoying the weather too

Cute little bridge over the creek

Then we came across this interesting HUGE oak tree. It was so unique in the forest and we were surprised to stumble upon it. The sign next to the tree said it was 800 years old.

"Klopstocks Eg"

And a lovely sunset taken from our sunroom from Saturday October 7th

Return of the Washing Machine

I let our clothes line dry in the sun room. Even the ones I take the the laundromat, I bring home slightly damp after centrifuging them to hang. It is starting to get colder here and the clothes are taking longer to dry out there, because the sun room, is not heated, and I don't want our clothes freezing in the winter. I can hear it now....

Michael: Cutie, did you wash any brown socks?
Nichole: Yes, they are out in the sunroom, but you can't wear them.
Michael: Why not?
Nichole: They are frozen.

Last night Michael had the brilliant idea of using our broken washer/dryer (they are one in the same) to JUST dry the clothes without washing them. Dry the clothes, in the dryer! Oh my gosh, what a genius idea, and WHY and HOW, on earth, has it taken us many long months to come up with that? Surely there was a reason, but we couldn't think of it. Surely we had tried that before, but we couldn't remember it. We must not have even thought to do it. Seems silly huh?

Today I did my first load of laundry and hung everything on the hanging rack to dry except one shirt, the test shirt, which I stick in the machine. I turn on the dry cycle and everything seems great, test shirt is tossed around, and the glass is heated up. Wow, did we just figure out a way to dry our cloths? GREAT! I'll let test shirt dry completely before I put a whole load in.

I wash load number two. When I look down I do a double take to see that the washer is filled with water!! WHAT WHAT WHAT?? First, how did that happen when I had it on the dry cycle? And second, how did that happen without the water spewing all over the floor? I have no answers but start to slowly feel like an idiot as I'm running through the possible conversation in my head...

Nichole: (trying not to laugh at her own stupidity) Michael, I need a beer...or 5.
Michael: (with a confused look) Why?
Nichole: I've been doing our laundry by hand SINCE FEBRUARY, when our washer actually does work!!
Michael: (feeling really bad for his hard working housewife) your kidding?
Nichole: No. I'm not. But we can't tell my mom. She is going to love this, and we will never hear the end of it.
Michael: (laughs)
Nichole: No, seriously, we can't ever tell her.
Michael: Here, have a beer.


So, how in the world does the washer magically fill with water without flooding our bathroom? I need to find the trick so I can stop lugging our big stuff to the laundromat and maybe finally stop washing stuff by hand too! I sit and stew over this wonderful possibility for about 10 minutes when I hear the washer/dryer stop. I think its time for the water to drain...NOPE! The next thing I remember I hear a VERY familiar noise that wakes me from my happy dreamy washing machine at home state, and I take off like a bolt of lightning to the bathroom and fumble with the controls to make the machine stop. I grab a towel and place it below the dryer to soak up the puddle of water that I think is still pretty much under control. Not wanting to cause it anymore stress, I get test shirt outta there, which is now soaking wet, and throw it in the sink to be rewashed.

Now, I have to drain the water.
Ok, easy enough, I'll hit the drain button.
Nothing.
Crap, I forgot that the machine doesn't drain either!

I change clothes so I can clean up the mess. I come back and sit in front of the machine with a damp towel between us. Then, I hear the machine click over to another setting and without warning water is spewing not just all over the floor, but me too. I try a couple different things with the machine, and everytime I just manage to get more wet and the bathroom gets more flooded.

Nice.

I think it is at this point I text Michael


Nichole: Your idea of trying out the dryer was a bad bad idea. Very bad. I definitely have my hands full till you come home. BAD IDEA
Michael: What happened?
Nichole: Too long to type
Michael: ok......
Nichole: but its a mess of water everywhere
Michael: sorry!
Nichole: oh its not all your fault ;)
Michael: I think it is
Nichole: then you should come home and help me
Michael: I should
Nichole: awe dont worry about it
Michael: I'll help when I get home
Nichole: ok

(I'm still waiting for him to come home to help. Soon though. Soon.) I look back at the bathroom and water is still kinda leaking from somewhere and now, the couple piles of clothes I had on the bathroom floor to be washed are also all wet. I felt better about it when I decided to look at the wet clothes as lucky cuz they got a pre-rinse. :)

I manage to clean the floor all up, which was difficult because I didn't want to get more then one towel sopping wet, nor did i feel like using 4 rolls of paper towels to do the job. I washed the towel, test shirt and all the rest of the clothes that got wet. And those are all happily drying on our hanging rack in the sun room making fun of all our other clothes that didn't get a pre rinse.

Now the machine is sitting there half filled with water with no way to drain it. Well there is a way, but I was wet and cold and couldn't deal with it any longer, so I'm gonna have Michael help me because it too, will create a mess. Basically, we will take cups, and toss water out of there cup by cup. Unfortunately, at the end, there is a little trap on the machine, that has to be drained which will again, get water all over the floor, but with both of us, hopefully it will limit the amount.

Now, I am sitting here nice and cozy in warm flannel pj bottoms that Sharon got me for my birthday and a nice dry shirt, writing this as a way for us to remember, that YES, we have tried just drying the clothes, and please, don't under any circumstances, try it again.

Trains and Farms

Michael made it home safe and sound and recovered very quickly from his trip. It appeared he wasn't gone long enough to get use to Japan time.

I had a fun journey to the airport to get him. There are a few commuter rails here. The Regional trains, the S-tog and the metro. The metro opened up while we were living here the first time, so it is still new. Friday, a few new stations on one of the Metro lines were opening with the final destination being the airport. I thought I would take it for a change from taking the Regional Train. I got off at Nørreport station where I needed to run to a store for something and change from the S-tog to the metro line. When I got down into the track area I got a free ticket to ride half of the lines all day long and a cup of coffee given to me by people dressed in airport clothes, advertising the new line to the airport. I got as far as the end of the line before the new stations opened. So, I got off, and then had to wait a bit (about 40 minutes)for the metro train to come. I did not realize it at first, but I quickly figured out I was going to be on the very first public passenger car on this line to the airport ever! I just figured the line opened in the morning, I didn't realize it wasn't going to open till, right then! So, I was lucky enough to get on on of the cars and it was a lot of fun. While the train was above ground the streets were lined with people taking pictures of the metro passing, there were cameras flashing and people waving. I could see in many buildings lots of people were looking out their windows waving as well. Needless to say, the car I was in was jammed packed crowded! When we reached the airport, there was a band playing and lots of food and champagne. The crown prince had opened the line just moments earlier. If I hadn't have already seen him, I would have been bummed that I missed him, but since I already crossed off "see the royal family" from my list, it was no big deal! Oh, and I got a free key chain too!

A couple and their dog watching the new Metro pass by.
They took some pictures and waved as we drove off. It was the only picture I had enough wiggle room to actually take in the Metro car.

Waffle and Pancake breakfast was fun, and after Daniel and Jason left we went for a big long walk. The weather was lovely. It was overcast, but not rainy. It was cool, but not cold and the air was fresh. We wondered through the local Lyngby flea market that happens every Sunday and headed into the forest. We stopped for a bit in Brede Park.

Michael walking in the forest

We sat and rested here for a bit

An old factory

We then wondered back and hopped into Frilandsmuseet (Open air Museum). It is a pretty interesting museum. It sits on 86 acres and contains a bunch of old houses from around Denmark, Southern Sweden, and even Northern Germany from as early as 1650. Most of the houses are farms, cottages, and mills. I had been back in 2002, but Michael had not. It is not very far from us and I had been telling Michael we needed to go. When we walked though the entrance and back outside and his eyes saw some sheep grazing, I saw a smile pop on his face. The farmer in him will for the rest of his life, light up when something reminds him of his farming life. It's cute.

Sheep

Then, when we saw a bunch of old farm houses, he got a little more interested, but when we stumbled upon the blacksmith area, and walked away after spending a little time there, he said, ok, that made this whole thing worth it...and even suggested coming back sometime and spending more time there. He insists the things I see that I know he will love are crazy, but he really does always enjoy then. Silly man. ;)

This is an old farm house from Germany. All of the buildings you can go into. This was one of the few we actually went inside.

This was the basement. It was so tiny, and made Michael look like a giant!Cute truck

Michael watching wood get cut in half

If you look you can see Michael sitting on a bench

Michael

Oh and we saw pigs too!

Holy cow, that was long. I probably should have made that two separate posts. Oh well, too late now! if you made it to the end...CONGRATS! and thanks :)