Pusterom

I'm finding it harder and harder to get motivated to write for this blog. Partly it's because I'm not really doing any knitting right now, and I more or less think of this as my knitting blog. My life isn't really any different than it usually is, but maybe I've just started to feel less of a need to process it in writing. Maybe that's because living in Norway is starting to feel normal? I've started to gather a collection of acquaintances--people I feel comfortable chatting with at the bus stop,  on the ferry, or around the neighborhood. I'm mastering more of the routines of living in a bedroom community, and feeling more settled. At the same time I'm worried about my family for various reasons, and caught up in my work, and all the usual preoccupations that fill a person's mind during middle age. My online energy seems to be drawn toward my writing blog, Facebook, and the discussion forums I frequent.

Not sure where this is leading. Maybe I'll get back to writing more during the summer break? Maybe I'll regain my knitting obsession? Or maybe I'll actually finish another book manuscript this summer instead? Who knows?

ETA: well wouldn't you know it, but right after more or less predicting the demise of this blog, two topics started tumbling around in my head. Go figure.

The first is "stash" or more specifically my stash of yarn. There's been a discussion on Ravelry about the compulsion to buy more ("adding to stash") even when they don't have any purpose for the yarn. It got me thinking about my own consumerism. I had been noticing that my shelves of yarn were in disarray, so I figured this was a good time to sort through it all and take stock. Here's the grand total, including works in progress:

Any way you slice it, that's a lot of yarn. After I got it all laid out it didn't take very long to determine what I want to keep, and what I'll set aside to give away (probably to E's school for craft projects). I'd like to jettison it right away, but for now stowing it in a separate bag and putting the rest back on the shelves will have to do.

The other thing that has been bothering me has to do with the Eurovision Song Contest, which was aired last weekend. Of course I watched it with great enthusiasm and high expectations, but I was really disappointed. I won't go into how un-entertaining it was this year, but I do want to comment on the Swedish entry, Erik Saade's "Popular." Is it just me, or are the lyrics incredibly narcissistic and, well, just plain stupid?

I will be popular, I will be popular
I'm gonna get there, popular
My body wants you girl, my body wants you girl
I'll get you when I'm popular

I'll put my hands up in the lights
You'll see me dancing for my life
I will be popular, I will be popular
I'm gonna get there, popular

Spread the news, I'm gonna take the fight
For the spotlight day and night
I can't take this to the number one
Be someone before you're gone
Be someone before you're gone  

Gah! Is it possible to be more asinine? Is it just me, or is this song worse than the (rather funny) parody of Hannah Montana that was broadcast on NRK children's television earlier this year: "Æ e populær." And really, for musicality, I think the entry from last year's Melodi Gran Prix Junior contest, "Jeg vil bli berømt" was way better than Saade's, both musically, and in terms of the message. I'd much rather hear a preteen's naive dreams of fame than a cynical 20-something's lame attempt at appealing to the lowest common denominator of the widest possible audience. Yuck.