One week and one day from today, I will turn 30. So it’s almost time to finalise the votes on my “Things you should have done before you turn 30″ poll. So far 41% of the votes go to “living in another country”. So that means 41% of my loyal voters think I’ve done the most worthwhile thing I could have before next week. Aww, i feel so validated.

Also one week from today, my good friend Theresia is arriving from Germany to help me celebrate my birthday. Two days after that, Nat arrives from her new home in London. I’m so excited to see them that it has somewhat eclipsed the feelings of panic that so many of my now 30 friends experienced in the lead-up to their birthdays.

On my actual birthday I’m going out for dinner with Chris and some friends who couldn’t make it to the main event on the 24th, the main event being my super-swanky black-tie cocktail party. Very exciting. I tried on my cocktail dress the other day and thank goodness it still fits even after 12 months of winter covering-up and chowing-down. I’ve only worn it once, for the combined evening of my high school reunion and my sister’s hen’s night. Unfortunately it was freezing that night
and I really didn’t get to show it off. I promise to post photos and videos of the party for all those who couldn’t be here.

In other news, Zimba has moved on to his new home; his dad came and picked him up on Saturday night. I have some new photos and videos of him that i plan to make into a tribute montage very soon. Stay tuned for that. Chris is rejoicing at the undisturbed sleep, but I’m going to miss the bitey little fuzzball. We had a special bond… often it was his teeth bonding with my flesh, but special nonetheless.

My Norwegian language skills are coming along. I have now written several emails and one or two job applications in Norwegian, and I even had a conversation with a petshop owner about dry catfood for cats with sensitive stomachs. When I say conversation, I mean me trying to remember the word for “smaller” since the catfood only came in 5kg bags. But I got there in the end. The funny part was that I stepped out of the shop feeling all proud of myself for having a relatively successful norwegian conversation with a stranger, and this drunken bum came stumbling up to me muttering something about spare change and without a second thought I said “Sorry I don’t speak Norwegian”!

The only other news is that I’ve become just a little addicted to playing World of Warcraft. Yes, I know, my pocket protector is showing. I used to share a house with a guy who was always crapping on about Everquest, and I remember how dorky I thought that was. Actually I still do… so I guess that makes me a hypocrite. But I already knew that, since I eat meat but I’m still totally bothered by animal cruelty and would be vegetarian if I had to have anything to do with killing
the animals myself.

What was I saying? Something about dorks and meat… who knows? Getting older makes you forget things.

Anyway, I’m off to… do something else now. No, not play Warcraft… what? These fingers? No, they’re not crossed! I just have a little touch of arthritis…