Einar Trefall becomes Petter Northug, with your help!

Sadly I do not have an update for you as I am trying to accumulate some pictures of the newly opened culture center in Voss before I write about it.
However, you will help me get some street cred in the nordic world of Voss if you help out a friend of mine. Just follow the steps below.

1) Follow this link: http://www.terratalenter.no/ (opening a second window probably would be best)
2) Click the button that says "Start her" (also laugh at how it looks stupid that the "h" is not capitalized)
3) In the "søk" box copy and paste "Einar Trefall" and then press "søk" (then ponder his last name which essentially means "Tree Fall")
4) Click on the only entry given to you on the next page that looks much like an open manilla folder (I guess it is actually more of a "norwegian manilla" much like one finds "indian white"(memo within memo: white is white))
5) Look towards the bottom of the page and click "Stem på meg!" (yes, he did use one of his 3 alloted to pictures to show the tractor he has back home)
6) Pat yourself on the back. Hopefully you have helped Einar win a 15,000 kroner training scholarship and a workout with Petter Northug.

Einar Trefall



Petter Northug



Thanks a ton!

Always lock the door

This week we have another training week, this time Litoppen, the place we had wanted to go in the previous weeks. It has been a fantastic week with great skiing, food and chocolate ice cream that is almost chocolaty (almost chocolaty is a huge improvement as far as norwegian ice cream). Also in a learning moment I finally found out what is meant when one says "single bed" and it sure is an apt name as it just barely fits my dimensions (not just length buts width as well, try cutting a twin in half and you will understand). However, it has not been a perfect week as I found out the hard way why norwegians lock there hotel doors. YOu can find the story bellow.

Our tale begins with an innocent young boy who has inherited his mothers stubbornness and his fathers taste in tooth paste (pure baking soda). As is often in such cases, our young hero (I hope you don't mind if I just call the innocent young boy "hero" for simplicities sake) develops an attachment to said toothpaste (Arm & Hammer) and begins to make it his only choice. Years later extenuating circumstances will force our hero to a distant land across the ocean where said toothpaste cannot be bought. He is able to make do until Christmas when he returns to America and makes sure to stash up for the return to the distant land. There at a training camp he has naturally taken his toothpaste with him and forgets to lock his hotel door. He goes out to enjoy a ski in the untamed wilderness only to return to a disaster. Upon entering his room it is clear something is wrong, his bed covered in his own pink duct tape, our hero searches his room and is knocked speechless when he looks into the bathroom. His toothpaste is everywhere except in the tube, his precious supply gone, his brilliant plan undone by vandals. Our hero is innocent no longer, his mind has been opened to what a cruel place the world can be, he will never leave a hotel door unlocked again.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Sorry for my large break between posts, I went home for Christmas and while I am loving my time in Norway I was in need of a cleansing to reload for the next period (until April). As for the title of this post, if you have not seen current RNC Chairman Michael Steele's misquote of the first line of his favorite book (granted he was probably thrown off his game since Reagan Diaries had already been chosen) at the RNC debate for the next chairman you should (granted I would have had trouble coming up with the first line of my favorite book, which is why I wouldn't have tried). The question brought up some great responses though, as already been pointed out by John Stewart, should not prove as pivotal as the "How many guns do you own" question.

As for my time back in America it somewhat followed the above referenced first line to A Tale of Two Cities (minus the superlatives). While I for the most part I had a fantastic time the races that I partook in went really badly, so I will enlighten you on happier happenings (though not those that were to be expected i.e. seeing family, friends, great food etc.).

That leaves me with essentially on happening, the addition of a TV and XBox 360 to my family (I believe they were acknowledged as family members faster than I was as a child) during the Christmas festivities. It was a sad day when I had to leave them (Is it better to have loved and lost (for a few months then to regain) or to never have loved at all? I'm holding out that #1 will be true but everyday without the XBox and TV brings me closer to #2). This should also serve as proof that my parents still have the ability to astound everyone that knows them while also maintaining a little of our "no TV clique" status (we don't have cable so we can keep our feet in both camps).

I will leave you today with a picture of the greatest gaming controller you have ever seen.