Them Crooked Vultures

New Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana) and John Paul Jones (Led Zepplin) project, Them Crooked Vultures, released a CD last week. I am really digging it! There is one track in particular called "gunman" that I have grown quite fond of. Sadly that is not the track featured in the youtube promo (this is one called "new fang") but you can still get the gist of what they sound like from this. It is a bit dirty and grungy but to have Dave on drums is always such a nice treat.

I vaguely remember this being mentioned as in the works a year or so ago but promptly forgot about it. Then on my birthday I got a press release and was like "Whoa. Hell yea!"

Macy's Parade

Thanks to my friend Tara in the UK I ran across this article in the Examiner on how to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade online. Passing this on for anyone that might be interested. I know it was always a tradition in my house!

More Red Bull Excitement

Look what I found in both MetroXpress and 24 Timer yesterday!
My sentiments exactly.

Private Arts

My cousin Josh, who I was very close (brother/sister close) with growing up, moved out to LA after finishing college to enjoy the surf and find his place in life. He quickly did just that. But this post isn't about Josh. It's about his amazingly talented wife Jeffeny.

For anyone that knows much about me, you know that I have about as much personal fashion sense as a pigeon. Yea sure I can put things together that look ok but I am so far from fashionably trendy I don't think you can get much farther. With that being said I can recognize and appreciate good stuff when I see it. Jeffeny and some friends are in the process of launching a line of amazing lingerie called Private Arts. Check out their stuff and if you like them join their myspace or facebook pages!

Dr. Jane Lubchenco

I completely forget to post about my "celebrity" meeting last Friday! I got a last minute invitation to a lecture by the director of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Dr. Jane Lubchenco. She was in Denmark for preparation for COP 15 (The United Nations Climate Change Conference) which is being held in Copenhagen next month and she presented a lecture as part of the University's Climate Lecture series. I have been to a few of these and haven't been all that impressed with the speakers so I didn't expect much. However, this time I was pleasantly surprised. Even though she is one of President Obama's chief science advisers, she is more scientist than politician. Before she took the appointment she was a professor of marine biology at Oregon State University. She still has a passion for the oceans and the environment and science in general which you rarely find outside of academia. I hope she is able to keep that perspective and doesn't get ruined by the government machine.

It was a small intimate gathering (maybe 50-60 people present) and I was able to take a few minutes to chat with her afterwards. I thanked her for her passion and obvious commitment even though her objectives are not at the top of the priority list for Americans. I told her I was proud to have her fighting the good fight for us. Finally I am just damn proud to see not only a true scientist but a female scientist in such an important position.

She gave me some glimmer of hope and I really truly am glad that there is someone in the US government I believe has got my back. Go Jane! She has a Facebook she personally updates if you want to learn a bit more about her.

*Note* I did not take this photo I stole it from her FB page. However, it was taken when she gave the lecture I attended.

Visit with my Dad

We had a really good visit with my dad. I think if his wife, Sandra, had come with him we might never have gotten him on a plane back home. As it was dad said he was tempted to ask the pilot to take him back to the terminal as they were pulling out of the gate. Hopefully once he is retired he can come for much longer visits :) We went to Copenhagen one day but other than that we didn't do too much touristy stuff. Evidently everything remotely touristy (even the castles!) outside of Copenhagen shut down from Oct-April. Good thing dad wasn't here to play tourist. At least he got lots of good quality family time with us which was the most important part of his visit.

Red Bull in DK

Red Bull is finally available in Denmark. Hallelujah!!!!! According to a local news article it started appearing in 7-11 stores last week. If I know Red Bull like I do, I expect it won't be long until it is available everywhere. Up until recently it was actually banned and illegal to sell here. So I had to get my emergency stash from either Sweden or Germany. One of the reasons is blamed on it's excessive caffeine content. What?! This coming from the country where people drink coffee by the liter and cola and tea aren't too far behind? One single serving 8.3 oz can has 80mg of caffeine. That is the same as is in an aspirin and less than a same size cup of brewed coffee.

Hopefully this move will open up some new doors for one of my former professors, Ian, who studies taurine (one of the ingredients in Red Bull). He has come up with some interesting studies to do with Red Bull but was held back by it's availability and lack of love in DK.

Wow I wonder what other random birthday prezzies I will get today?

BDay and Halloween Love

Since today is my birthday I thought I would give a few shout outs to the ladies who have sent me care packages recently!

This one of from my DZ Little Sis Amanda.
She crocheted the beautiful blanket for the new baby. It is so special and I love it!

This is from another DZ Sis Julie.
She sent me lots of fun Halloween stuff plus my favorite holiday Reeses!

Yesterday I also got a package from my mom but I was lazy and didn't take pictures. However if you look here this is what she sent for my birthday. (plus a few other little goodies too)

Busy Times

I am hoping to get caught up on a backlog of posts that have been begging to be made. This week life should finally be calm enough for me to do so. Quickie update on the craziness that is me....

*My dad was here for a visit from Oct. 31-Nov.9. It was really nice to have him here and I am so glad he got to spend long overdue time with the Twig.

*I had several "wasted" days going into Copenhagen to file an appeal on my exam. Not wasted if they get me a re-exam but still they should not have been necessary in the first place.

*Mark had minor surgery on his big toe and he gets his stitches out today.

*I got an amazing birthday package from my DZ little Amanda. I also got a really fun Halloween box from another sister Julie.

*Pregnancy week 29. Things are still going fairly easy. I am just waiting for that to go to hell though. I had too many problems with Twig for a few of them to not pop up again.

*My blog buddy Stephanie is finally no longer pregnant! I still haven't gotten to visit mama and baby yet.

*I got smacked upside the head by a stupid cold yesterday. It SUCKS but at least it isn't the flu!

*Twig will start Børnehavn (pre-school/kindergarten) Dec. 1. We went for a visit the other day and he loved it!! The best part is it is right across the street from our house so we can walk instead of taking the car.

**Shoutouts**

Much love to all of my many friends that have birthdays this month with me! Noel, Gosia, Cazzie, Wes, Abbe, Kristin, Christine, Bobby Joe and especially my birthday twin Stephanie B!

Good luck to everyone taking Danish Tests this week! You ladies are going to kick bootay :)

Random Flowers

Mark's work had something serious blow up in their system and he was called in to help fix things. He spent 27 hours straight there last weekend. Blech!

This is what they sent me though.....who ever heard of an employee sending a spouse a thank you!?

"Thanks for loaning your husband this weekend.
Friendly hellos, DIBS A/S"