Life in the Linnasphere

The nerve of politicians

2008-10-08T08:12:00.003-04:00

After watching the debates last night, I am beginning to wonder if there is a difference between John McCain and Barack Obama, other than the obvious 20+ year age gap.

I live in Michigan. John McCain has pulled campaign staff and funds from this state. See excerpt from NY Times blog below:

October 2, 2008, 2:30 pm — Updated: 5:15 pm -->
McCain Pulls Out of Michigan
By Adam Nagourney
John McCain’s decision to cancel a campaign event in Michigan next week was not a matter of scheduling: Mr. McCain is giving up his effort to take the state back into the red column, concluding that economic distress there has simply put the state out of reach, according to Republicans familiar with the decision.
Michigan had been one of Mr. McCain’s top targets for two reasons: evidence that Barack Obama was having trouble connecting with blue-collar voters (which presumably would be a problem there), and also because the Democratic candidates did not participate in the state’s primary after Michigan defied Democratic party rules and held it earlier than permitted.
Republican officials said that polling suggested that Mr. Obama was building a lead there, and said they concluded that it wasn’t worth spending any more campaign funds – or Mr. McCain’s time – in the state.

So, imagine my surprise this morning, when I received THIS via email:

Dear Friend,
The RNC Victory 2008 emergency voter registration and get-out-the-vote effort needs your immediate support.
With four weeks until Election Day, I’m counting on our Party’s top supporters like you to help fund these vital programs.
Your generous secure online contribution of $2,000, $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50 or $35 today will go a long way to helping RNC Victory 2008 reach our $50 million goal for October and ensuring our Party has the resources to reach, register and motivate voters who agree with our reform agenda.
The last two presidential elections have proven voter turnout is the key to Republican victories. In 2004, John Kerry would have won the election had he received 127,014 more votes in New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado -- three states that will have many closely contested races again this fall. And the 2000 presidential election was decided by a mere 537 votes.

I have never donated to the RNC, so how they refer to me as a top supporter of the Party is laughable. Am I wrong to feel just a little bit insulted by this?

Choosy Mom's Choose Jif

2008-09-24T15:07:00.003-04:00

Johan asked me this morning why I buy Jif peanut butter, and off the top of my head I replied, "Because choosy mom's choose Jif." It's amazing how a jingle or ad slogan can stay with you throughout life. I probably haven't seen or heard a Jif commercial in over 10 years. "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't."

On a different note, I think my Spin class was a dud this morning. I took an idea off of pedal-on.com but I learned that what works for some instructors can be a total disaster for others.

Out with the old, in with the new...

2008-07-07T20:27:00.002-04:00

This was the old...

...this is the new.

It's a 2000 Mercedes-Benz C280 "Sport" edition. Yes, Mercedes-Benz...completely out of the ballpark when it comes to the line of cars I was looking for. I was in the market for a wagon: Volvo, Volkswagen, Saab, BMW (dreaming now...), but seriously, I really thought I would end up with a wagon of some sort. I never, ever pictured myself driving a Benz - only snobs drive them, right? - but this car drives and rides like a dream, plus I got a great deal. Almost $2K below Blue Book value, and I am all about bargain shopping, Benz or not.
So, now I need a whole new wardrobe to match my new car. Anyone wanna go shopping?

Another birthday!

2008-05-07T12:32:00.006-04:00

We celebrated another birthday this week - Luke is a year old!

As you can see, he enjoyed his cake!

I have posted a video (I condensed it to about 3 1/2 minutes long) of the birthday festivities. I think Johan and Hannah add some humor, albeit unintentionally.

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

2008-05-01T08:22:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it...Hannah turned 15 on April 29th. You know what this means: driver's ed & after-school employment are in the not-so-distant future.

We celebrated the special day with dinner at a Chinese buffet after her Track meet, in which she took second place in the 200 m. Go Hannah!

So, here are a few things you should know about Hannah:

-She was born in Burbank, California, right across the street from Disney studios.

- When she was a toddler, she literally ran into Marcia Clark at the Macy's perfume counter in Glendale, California. Marcia Clark was one of the lead prosecuting attorneys in the OJ Simpson murder trial.

- Her favorite book when she was little was Dr. Seuss's ABC Book. We must have read it to her 1,000 times!

- She doesn't like chocolate, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches or bananas.

- She's a talented photographer.

- Her favorite pastimes are sleeping and reading.

So, Hannah, we hope you enjoyed your special day and we love you, and we like you, and we love you lots!!!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2008-04-09T07:20:00.008-04:00

60 years ago today, my dad, Lee "Mickey" Lundgren, was born in Chicago, Illinois. His family left the windy city when he was just a lad, and moved to sunny, warm California, where he now resides. Since it's his special day, here are a few things you should know about my Dad:

He is called "Mickey" because his mom called him her "little Irish Mick" when he was a boy and it became his nickname.

He enjoys NASCAR (but I'm not sure who his favorite driver is. Jeff Gordon?)

When my brothers and I were young, he bought a cow named "Clover" who had a calf, and my dad named the calf "Food"...well, you can figure out why. He didn't want us to get too attached to it.

He is big-hearted and gives powerful hugs. He is very strong.

He was a "hippy" in the 60's, and I have a picture of him in a tye-dyed tank top to prove it.

He is a Vietnam War Veteran and I am very proud of him for serving his country with honor.

He loves to have fun. He's a 25 year old in a 60 year old body.

So, Dad, I hope you have a very special day!

I only wish we lived closer so we could celebrate together. I love you!

This is my name

2008-02-16T12:28:00.003-05:00

Made by Andrea Micheloni

The sign changes every time I visit this site.
Click on it and you can make your own sign :)

Thinking twice about lemon water

2008-02-14T07:09:00.002-05:00

I love lemons!

In California there are probably as many lemon trees as palm trees, and my mother-in-law has a nice, big one in her backyard. When she comes to visit, she usually packs a few to bring along because she knows how much I like them.

Personally, nothing hits the spot on a hot day like a big, icy glass of lemonade, or if I'm feeling under the weather, it's nice to have a cup of steaming hot tea with a squeeze of fresh lemon and honey. I also enjoyed lemon in my water when dining out; however, after my friend Lori forwarded this video to me, I shall be drinking tap water sans lemon from now on. How about you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeye8wnBJoU

Is dog food tasty?

2008-02-12T13:55:00.001-05:00

I have never tasted dog food, at least I cannot remember if I have; however, Luke has discovered the crunchy morsels in Missy's dog bowl and can't keep them out of his mouth!

Now, I'm not dumb. I do realize that as long as he is crawling around in the kitchen, the dog's food and water bowls should be on the counter. But, the dog's gotta eat, right? So when Luke is seemingly occupied with other things, or is crawling off to another room, I put the food down. And today I forgot about it.

Every mom knows that when a crawling baby is quiet for more than 60 seconds straight, it's probably because they are into something they shouldn't be...like unraveling toilet paper into the toilet, pulling trash out of the trashcan, or eating dog food, which is precisely what Luke was doing this morning. Unfortunately, I didn't catch him in time. When I fished the chunks out of his mouth, they were nothing more than the leftover dissolved particles of the larger, denser pieces that he had managed to get into his mouth.

So, I suppose I can take comfort in the information I read on the Goodlife website:

"That's why all of our products are made with the right balance of real wholesome ingredients your pet needs without any of the artificial flavors or preservatives they don't. Our range of food for dogs and cats, wholesome biscuits & bones for dogs and wholesome treats for cats are not only safe but healthy and delicious."

Since Luke loves Missy so much, it only seems natural that he should share in the love of her food too, right?

The budding virtuoso

2008-01-21T06:29:00.000-05:00

Luke received this "baby grand" piano from his Grandma for Christmas.

He absolutely loves it. I would guess that his two favorite toys are the piano and the dog's water bowl (when he sneaks over to splash in it when I'm not looking!)

Christmas Eve

2007-12-29T16:39:00.000-05:00

I'm a little behind with my posting due to the fact that Johan and Hannah are home for Christmas break and I don't have as much "free" time as usual, which I really don't mind because it's nice having them around the house. Nevertheless, I wanted to post a few pictures from Christmas Eve. It was a beautiful evening and Hannah, Luke and I ventured out after a nice Swedish dinner (prepared mostly by Hannah ~ I'm so proud of her!) to enjoy the fresh snow and Christmas lights. The neighbor up the street from us had his lights set to blink to the beat of Christmas tunes. It was quite a show and Luke was impressed! Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas.

This is a test

2007-12-22T19:38:00.000-05:00

I decided to try posting video. This is an older clip of Luke. It is only 18 seconds long, but it took 10 minutes to upload.

Wasting time

2007-12-07T19:01:00.000-05:00

If an award existed for the World's Most Proficient Procrastinator, I would win - hands down.

I put off cleaning, laundry, yardwork, and most recently Christmas decorating in order to piddle around online. I like to find websites about fitness, cooking or decorating, travel or clothing. Today I found the Elf maker on OfficeMax.com. This wasted about an hour of my time, but the results are very funny, I must say.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1213478421

Click on the link, but you might be tempted to waste some time as well.

There's a first time for everything...

2007-12-06T15:10:00.000-05:00

...and this is my very first Blog. (Yes, I realize the title is lame. I'm trying to think of something more creative.)

I decided to start a Blog for a variety of reasons, but what really inspired me was reading Anne's Blog. She is one of my Spin "students" and I have known her for a few years. Her Blog is a menagerie of musings about work, friends, family, pets, raking leaves, cute produce-toting bags and anything else she feels enthusiastic about. I thought it looked like a fun and creative way to keep our geographically-scattered family and friends updated with what's new in the Linna world. So, in honor of Anne, I would like to offer 6 things you can expect to see on the Linna Blog:

Cute kiddos - we have 2 of them.
Videos - we have a digital video recorder and are not afraid to use it
Photos - I still have a 35mm camera, so this may take a little longer
Maybe some fitness tips or other thoughts about the classes I teach at the local YMCA
Possibly some ranting about my spouse (and vice versa if he feels so inclined, but he couldn't possibly have anything to gripe about)
Lots of updates about our life here in Michigan, which isn't too thrilling, but to those who know us it might be of interest. Michigan is polar opposite from the various cities where you will find our extended families: Orange County, California; Maui, Hawaii; San Francisco, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; even Stockholm, Sweden, to name a few.

That's all for now. I leave you with a picture of 2 of my favorite kiddos making funny faces...

And here's one more...to get you in the holiday spirit ~