Guitar fingers and tired legs

I'm updating (yay!), it's been a while now! It's a slow day at work so far (famous last words? We'll see), and I've gone through three mugs of tea and some biscuits while reading up on some local geography to be able to better inform the people coming by (Oh, yes, I probably should've mentioned which work I was talking about, what with my, is it five jobs now?) the tourist information.

I've been filling in for a collegue who's out on paternity leave (It's mandatory with a three week leave for daddies in Norway), and will continue to do so until the 8th of April. Then we'll see. Hopefully I'll keep working here a few days a week, I know I'll at least have Saturdays. Still working twice a week at the bookstore and filling in at the university standard when needed. Oh, and the first cruise ship was here, the 25th of March - MS Saga Ruby with British people visiting the city. Felt great to be out guiding again, I'm glad the season's begun, and I am not waiting (rather impatiently) for my work schedule this summer so that I can update the Guide Service people on when I'm available for assignments. Fun, fun, fun!

So what have I been up to during the month of March except for working? Well, the biggest news is my new baby - I bought a guitar!!! ♥ It's an acoustic guitar with steel strings that can be plugged into an amplifier if needed, and it comes with an in-built electric tuner. The model is an Ibanez 8 AEG TRS. I'm going to post photos of me playing it, but in the meantime, here's one from the provider's homepage:



I've been playing and playing, my finger-tips have just about stopped being sore and started growing thicker skin. At the moment I'm rehearsing hammer-ons and pull-offs to increase my left-hand dexterity, practicing quick chord changes and trying to learn some simple songs. I can recommend this site to ALL guitar players no matter what level you're at. This guy gives thorough video and text lessons, and all for free. I'm donating to support him as soon as I get this month's pay.

I've been watching Firefly again, and I really love the music there, so I've been rehearsing the theme, The Ballad of Serenity:



In other news, I started watching Rome with a friend of mine, and we've already been through the first season and started the second. I really love that show, and not only because of the eye-candy. But boy, is there eye-candy! Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, James Purefoy and others. A girl could be happy with less, but I am not complaining. Good company while watching it has been fun too.

However, I haven't just been sitting at home this past month! I've also signed up for the 10 km run ("The Adidas Mile") that's part of the Midnight Sun Marathon this summer in June. I don't know how well it will go, but I'm telling everyone I know, so that I simply'll HAVE to see it through. Gives me an incentive to actually work out, I haven't had that much motivation lately. Two days ago I walked the track where the mile will go, just to get a feel of it. It went surprisingly well, except for the fact that I came home with blisters the size of the sun (in spite of rather good shoes).

Knittingwise, things have been quiet. I'm working on my cabled scarf, but that's about it. Not worried, though, these things come and go. I've been drawing, reading, playing guitar and writing poetry, so there's no lack of creativity!

My birthday is coming up, I'll be turning 25 the 11th of April. Will be celebrating the 18th and I hope a lot of people will come. Feels weird to be 25 soon, I remember thinking that my sister was ... like.. a grown-up, back when she turned 25 and I was, what, eleven? Oh, how time flies - luckily the turbulence hasn't been too scary so far...