Mark & The Norwegians

Not much to report today. Bulldozers tearing up houses outside my office window as they prepare the site for our facility expansion project. Weather has stayed pretty consistently pleasant. No trips or adventures to speak of other than a family (with hound) stroll around part of the Stokka Vatnet (lake) near Stavanger.

I finally have my Norwegian D-Number which means I can establish a bank account--yay! What an answer to prayer. Also our internet starter pack came in the mail, and our installation service is due to come and get us up on the net this Thursday--again yay!

Now, we just need our stuff.

Kids are busily playing computer games, making massive lego constructions, and reading books voraciously--I'll let you guess who is doing what. Actually all are doing a mixture (other than Becca and legos). Spirits are high, morale is decent. Elizabeth is doing well.

Now we're just working on the minor friction points of life in a foreign country--trash cans that are way too small and picked up every other week, a recycling system that is pretty extensive, hard/tight parking everywhere, etc. And of course, the pretty staggering cost of almost everything. We get a hefty cost of living allowance, but . . . the sticker shock will still get you. Makes you thankful for the states in a strange kind of way. Wal-Mart is kind of nice now in retrospect.

All for now . . .