tape

We inherited a cassette tape (haven't used that word in so long, I don't know how to spell cassette!) last night from Nils' family and our ride home playing this tape in the car brought back some good 80s memories. "We are the world, we are the children... we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start givin'..." That was a good tune. Maybe I am in the minority, but "Tears are not enough" was my personal favorite. And I know my mom's was Bruce Springsteen's "Trapped." Whichever song struck a chord with you from the USA for Africa We are the World album, you hear it again and then suddenly you are transported back to 1985, sitting in the family stationwagon on a roadtrip perhaps. But, how impractical were tapes? Maybe we have forgotten now that we are spoiled with MP3 and CD, but there is no jumping ahead to the next track, it is guesswork with a tape. Rewind a little, play... no that wasn't far enough, keep rewinding, play... now we went too far, fast forward a little...good enough... hear the rest of the other song, and now comes the song you wanted to hear. So far the world has come in the past 15 years!

Don't sleep the summer night away

This is what Nils says, and with good reason. It is just too light and too beautiful! We went to the shore Saturday evening for a swim in chilly 50 degree (Fahrenheit) water, baby and all... and enjoyed the evening sun afterward. Never too cold to swim in Norway as long as it is Summer!

Everything's bigger in the USA!

I had always heard this expression, and thought of course it was true to some extent. However, after a year abroad, I can confirm that everything is a LOT bigger in the USA! Cars, soda cans, furniture, cereal boxes, milk cartons (any food item for that matter), roads, buildings, houses, everything! What's smaller? For one thing, the number of people who bike to work.