And then there was SUN!

Went for a beautiful hike yesterday, it was sunny! I am starting to feel better (I was sick), the sun is shining! I turned in my paper, the sun was shining! It rained for 3 days straight, now the sun is shining!

Life is GOOD! My sister and papa fly into Oslo on Friday afternoon and we head off to Cinque

Terre, Italy on Saturday.

So, here are a few questions my dear friend Karen wants to know more about...so, I thought this might make for an interesting blog.
Questions for Leasa:
* How do you cope without Oprah? You won't believe this but Oprah is alive & kickin' in Norway, with Norwegian subtitles! How cool is that? She comes on every afternoon at 4 p.m. Mostly re-runs but I'll take Oprah anyway I can get her. She is just amazing!!
* Have you found any new music?I get about 15 channels on the TV and two of them are like MTV, except they actually play music videos 24/7. Voice is my favorite! I have to admit I fancy the Norwegian rap here...they like to dress up like cowboys in the videos and most of them are white. Check out Karpe Diem, "Show" is a good song.
* Do you miss Moe's Bagel with egg and provolone on an everything bagel? YES!!! Dad, can you pack one of those in your luggage??
* Have you had a Chai in Oslo? The chai is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G here in Norway. They love to latte everything, so the milk is always frothy and with a little touch of honey, it's heaven. However, it's not cheap...30 kroners ($5 US).
* How are your roomates? How is your Kitchen? The kitchen is something to be desired...ick! But, I have become accustomed to cleaning before I start cooking. However, I have to give props to my flatmates, since our flat meeting everyone has been considerate of cleaning their own dishes. It is rare to find dishes in the sink...but it's NOT rare to find gooey, ooey, nasty-ness on the stove!
* Are you the Teacher's pet yet? No! I don't get enough face time with "the pope of international higher education." He is a busy man...traveling, writing, blessing people...
* Do you have a crush yet? No comment...he might be reading this!
* How excited are you to have your family coming for a visit??!! I'm jumping up and down, doing the "Leasa happy dance." The funniest thing...I have two mattresses coming in and we are all going to stay in my tiny room the first night. We must catch a bus at 5 a.m., so we all need to be in one place. One big happy family! I know how to treat my guests to luxury! Wanna come visit?
* And what are they bringing you that you discovered you need or want? I sent my mom & sister a list...capsicum heat pads, travel blowdryer, chocolate chips, hair color, betty crocker cake mix, shower curtain, disinfectant wipes and a BIG bottle of TEQUILA. They sell a small bottle of tequila for 300kroner=$50US.
* How do you keep up on World news? I heart BBC world news. There is one channel with BBC news 24/7. You actually get a feel for what is going on around the world, not just Bush talking nonsense. It is a breath of fresh air! My morning routine is no longer NPR & Celestial Seasonings tea, now it's BBC & Celestial Seasonings tea. How cool is it that they sell Celestial Seasonings right here in Oslo?!

Photos: A sunny day by the water, aker brygge & the fortress wearing fall colors (top), amazing sunset shots, aker brygge & downtown lights (middle), a sunny day in my room-where I will be hosting my sister & dad, we are a close-knit family (bottom).