Day After My 42 nd

Well, here it is the day after my 42 nd birthday and I'm really pleased. Pleased with my wife who agreed to change the plans and go see "Gran Torino" instead of a free movie pass she had for "New In Town". Clint is very good as usual but I do think if you have issues with Clint and realism in general this movie might not be for you. I liked it but I can't say it's his best.

As for my birthday celebration, well, Jennifer at work produced a birthday cake as usual. It was very good and very much appreciated. Jennifer always think of me on my birthday. Can't say I deserve it though.

Lisa, my wife and I went to "Tomato Head" a restaurant on Market Square in downtown Knoxville. It was great . One of the best pizzas I have ever had. I had pineapple and ham on mine. Lisa chose spaghetti instead. She liked very much also.

How about Appaloosa? I watched it last weekend. It's alright. It's a so so story. Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris along with Jeremy Irons and Timothy Spall are great. The character which Renee' Zelllweger plays was not that good. I think Renee' is getting the wrong roles lately.

All in all a very good week and a very good birthday. Thanks Lisa my wife and Jennifer my friend at work.

Still stuck in the house

Well, my frined Neal called me and I tried to call him back. First on the land line, nothing. I called the cell and it said "This person has not set up their mail box" Oh well, I thought and went back to bed. After about thirty minutes he called again. He is on his way to Holston River for some trout fishing. I suppose Nances Ferry. I didn't really ask. I am still somewhat weak from over a month of illnesses. Last weekend I had to get new tires for my truck as well as a few other things. I was counting on a nice weekend with maybe some hiking to Frozen Head. I decided against it since I'm not hundred percent recovered. Talking about recovery. My wife has the head cold now. She has been in bed since yesterday. I have done the cooking today after going to the grocery store last night. I did some swedish "Pannbiff" It is hamburger meat mixed with ground pork. You add some bread crumbs, an egg, salt, pepper and some chopped onion. You then work the meat in to patties and fry em' on low heat. Serve with your choicke of potatoes. The key is NOT to us all hamburger. It makes it a lot softer and smoother in taste with the pork mixed in.

I'm going to watch "Appaloosa" this weekend. I like both Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris. I haven't seen a good old western in ages. Hopefully it is a good one.

I'm planning on some fishing very soon so be patient. I also plan on some hiking keep checking back.

42 in a week

I'm turning 42 in a week. I know it's silly of a grown man to look forward to it. I can't help but I love my birthday more than Christmas, Thanksgiving, well almost. I have a silly dilemma though. My wife came home last night proudly announcing, I got two free movie tickets to what looked like some romantic comedy with Renee' Zellweger. I said, but it's on my birthday, and besides I wanted "Gran Torino" and pizza. Lisa, my wife rolling her eyes, I guess since it's you who are the birthday boy. I guess I have to oblige.

Tonight we are going to see comedian "Lewis Black" He is my wife's favorite stand up. I like him alright, it's free what can I say.

See ya.

Back from the dead

Well not quite, I never actually died, and if I did who would be writing all this right this minute? It must be the meds, I'm overdosed I guess. What on earth is all this about you might ask! Well, I'm recovering from my second bout with severe sore throat and miscellaneous cold symptoms. Frankly I'm tired of it and let's hope this is the last for this season, of this kind of misery. I had big plans for last weekend. I ended up in bed most of the time so my lovely wife Lisa had to do all those planned chores. Not a bad deal you might say. If it wasn't for the damned sore throat and the fact that I couldn't get any sleep worth anything. Anway, Lisa shamppooed the whole carpet by herself. I did manage to get my vehicle serviced but Lisa had to do the grocery shopping and the house cleaning solo. I guess I owe her one know.

Not much else going on. No fly tying, no fishing, no movies, hardly any reading and no hiking. I am thinking about doing Frozen Head State Park for a hike soon and I want to go see Clint's new movie Gran Torino. If I can just stay away from the germs and viruses out there.

The Swedish James Frey Scandal

I can't help but write about this although it might not have much to do with the U.S. but it has at least a remote connection. Liza Marklund is a very well known journalist and author in Sweden, with many bestselling crime novels and several non-fiction books. Or should I say, are they non fiction or not?

Liza Marklund wrote several books about a woman in Sweden who got married to an immigrant from a middle eastern country. In the book she describe from the woman's perspective. The marriage goes bad when the woman gets beaten and abused by the husband. Liza tells the story about how the woman has to seek protection and eventually goes underground. After several years on the run in Sweden she has to flee to Chile with her new husband and eventually they settle in the U.S.A. as the first family ever to be admitted to the U.S. because of domestic abuse in here homeland. I.e a sort of parole in to the good old U.S.

The problem is that blogger' s and a certain journalist in Sweden by the name Monica Antonsson wrote a book last year pointing out that a lot of stuff in Liza Marklund's book was fake or altered to the point of becoming fiction. The book label sold the book as a true story. Liza says that it was a mistake, the book should be read as a partly true. It gets murky from there.

I have to say that if it's true what Monica Antonsson writes then I am utterly disappointed in Liza Marklund. I have to say that I didn't like her crime novels very much and her politics were never my cup of tea. I did however respect her as a media person an an opinion maker of rank in Sweden. I don't want to judge and be biased against her but let's hope Monica Antonsson is wrong but the way it looks I highly doubt it.

Not much fishing going on with the temps in the single digits overnight. I have tied some wooly buggers lately and I'm soon going to do some soft hackle "Spiders". If I can get off the internet that is.

Another Swedish TV series and a book

I began watching another Swedish TV series "Mäklarna" It's starring the great Kjell Bergqvist who is so expressive in his whole being. No one can show emotions, feelings, and general despair as good as Kjell. I have loved him ever since I saw the great "Den Bästa Sommaren" in 1999. Mäklarna is a crazy comedy type of deal directed by Ulf Malmros, who directed "Smala Sussie" among other films. Smala Sussie is actually availalbe in the U.S. as an import if anyone is interested.

Mäklarna is kind of related to the American TV series"The Office" in the way it presents the story. In this show, we are in the world of real estate instead of the newspaper business. It begins in earnest, when Kjell loses his job, his wife, and his mom, all in the same day. He seeks help from an old real estate friend and soon after the friend dies. In the meantime, Kjell gets involved in a deal to help the friend with his daughter who also works in the real estate firm. The problem: She can't do anything right and our misfit Kjell has to take charge. Obviously this is not going to be easy. I don't want to write a review since I don't do reviews but let me say this: If you like bizarre crazy comedies you will love this. I doubt it's available in the U.S. though but if you are ever in Sweden or if someone makes a trip over there. Be on the lookout for it.

As for reading. I am currently reading the first book in the "Ann Lindell" series by Kjell Eriksson. It was published in 1999. I don't understand why his American label, published "The Princess of Burundi" first since it is actually in the middle of the series. I have noticed that a lot of translated work is not put out in chronolgical order. This is irritating to say the least. The first book is called "Den Upplysta Stigen" Which means; The shining path. Yes it is in reference to the Peruvian rebel group . It will probably be translated eventually into English. I have read about halfway through it and so far so good.

That's about it. Next weekend will be a very busy one. I have to take my truck to the shop for new tires and new spark plugs. I am also going to shampoo our carpet in the house as well as clean the entire house. Phew! I'm tired just writing about it. Until later.......

John Fogerty

I have to admit most Swedes have a love affair with John Fogerty. He has been huge in Sweden even after he left Creedence Clearwater Revival. I remember in the eighties, people driving hours from my hometown in Småland to Göteborg (Gothenburg) for you English speakers out there to listen to him in concert. He had a good album with the song "Centerfield" in 1985. The 1986 album "Eye of the Zombie" was a dud. It had it's point with the references to the Reagan Years, but altogether it was a bad album.

Many years went by, I moved to the states permanently in 1994 after a couple of brief stints 1990, 1991-1992. After three years in Knoxville, I heard on the radio one day that John had a new comeback album. It had been ten long years and he had settled the legal mattes with Mr. Zaentz and Fantasy records. Any fan know this injustice done to John so I won't go in to it here, but anyway, the album came out in 1997 it was called "Blue Moon Swamp". In fact people in Sweden refer to John's music as Swamp Rock. It was a pretty good album with some blues, rock and of course some swamp rock.

Where on earth is this going you ask, well let me tell you. I sat done a while ago to tie some fishing flies and I needed some music. I found John's latest "Revival" from last year and the overlooked 2004 album "Deja Vu All Over Again" There are two standout songs on this album in my opinion. The title track "Deja Vu All Over Again" The listener feel the eerie feeling of CCR again and a feeling of Vietnam all over again. We have to remember this song was done at the peak of the Iraq war. If you were against the war publicly back then, you were considered unpatriotic. John sings about the mothers, sending their kids to a war with no end in sight. This song speak to me for some reason. I guess it's appropriate now since the current administration is on it's way out. The second song which stand out in my opinion is the song "Nobody's Here Anymore" It's about how we get lost in our technology and forget our fellow human beings. It's like we think we can eat our mp3 players. The kid is sitting in his room with all the latest computer gear and a stack of Twinkies. It has to be heard to fully be appreciated. Back to tying flies.

New Year and New Hopes

Hope you all had a great New Years Holiday. I have mainly hung around the house doing chores, eating and watching movies. We finished (my wife Lisa and I) another Swedish TV series on DVD which mom brought me back in Sept. It was called "Talismanen" by Jan Guillou and Henning Mankell. Mankell is known widely here in the states as he is the writer of the Inspector Wallander series. They have filmed all the books and made some new for TV as well. Anyway, Talismanen was an entertaining but not ground breaking story with some superstition built in with crime stories. I don't think it's worth running out to try to get a copy but it has great actors from Sweden in it.

I'm going to try to build up my fly collection since I managed to drop my sulphur box in the South Holston River a few months back. I really should be tying instead of blogging. See ya.