With a newborn baby in the family, the roles Kristin and I play in taking care of Svea are very different from each other. We’re both on the same team, but…
My Role:
0-3-1, .885 GAA, 3.02 SV%
Kristin’s Role:
27-16-2, .918 GAA, 2.39 SV%
I have been a fan of crokinole for quite some time; I think it is the ultimate cabin game and I feel every rural slumber should have it handy to play. But, for me, being crowned the 2006 British Columbian Crokinole Provincial Champion at Deka Creek (destroying Adrian Conradi 7 games to 0) has elevated my love and respect for this great game. Now, I am not sure who this guy is, but the following video clips (more will follow) highlight some excellent crokinole shots by this obvious master. So please, sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty and precision of this great Canadian game!
For those of you who do not know, my cousin Jason is currently enrolled at a very prestigious Culinary School in Vancouver. From everything I have heard, he is doing very well and loving every minute of it. Now, a current blog post he made established the menu for his concept restaurant, click here to check it out. Anyways, the menu looked fantastic and we here at The Engleson Files wanted to help bring this idea to light with a Chaise Lounge promotional video - enjoy!
Right now, I am steaming mad at the Wrigley Corporation for years upon years of low-down dirty schiestering of the general consumer public! This madness must stop and I think it is time for all of us to stand up and take action! Every year since I can remember, Santa Claus has always brought to me the Lifesavers Storybook and put it in my stocking. It was pure joy to wake up on Christmas Day and dig inside my big sock and enjoy the many varieties of lifesavers candies inside. Well, I have noticed over the years that the bastards down at Wrigley’s are cunningly cheating the general public with a) less options and b) less stock. Their first trick was to take out the more popular fruit variety rolls and place instead the assorted peppermint candies. So normally one package would have had 6 fruit options (which were all different) alongside 2 perppermint’ish options, but then they decided to put in a 4:4 ratio with the fruit and peppermint - and, really, who wants that? So that was the first step. But now, there are only a total of 6 assorted rolls inside giving the consumer 4 fruit options and 2 peppermint, and then to add insult to injury, 2 of the fruit options are the same - so now, really, we are down to a 1:1 ratio! Ladies and gentlemen, this is simply outrageous! And then to top it off is they way the Wrigley Corporation cleverly packages this product the same as it always has in order to create the illusion that everything is the same - until you open it up, and then you can see inside how they have altered the box to only accomadte 6 packages. So they are duping the consumer through disguise and deceit. People, there are times in one’s life where we all have to take a stand and stand up for what is right, and I feel this is one of those times. What they are doing down at Wrigley’s is sneaky, it’s dirty and it is downright wrong! So, I want all of you to a) boycott all Wrigley products and then b) call their 1-800 number and tell them that this disgrace must stop! People, this is for the betterment of our children and, really, our society as a whole, so lets take a stand together!
1-800-Wrigley, that’s 1-800-974-4539
Notice the stoppers on each end of the package. This used to be filled with extra candy at one time! And they thought we wouldn’t notice!
Now, just because we are instilling Svea with a sense of Swedish refinement does not mean this will be tolerated!
So, I figured many of you might be asking the question: “Why Svea?” Well, when naming our children, both Kristin and I wanted to do our best to give them unique names based in folklore (me especially) and to try and embrace both our family’s heritage. So, Magnus Bjorn took on the Icelandic portion of the Engleson side, and now Svea Elina embodies the Swedish heritage of Kristin’s family. Svea is a Swedish female name and was, in fact, a very popular girls’ name during the first half of the 20th century. Svea is also the name of the Swedish national emblem, Mother Svea. Also, in researching, Svealand was the original center that made up Sweden, both geographically and emotionally, and is basically (to the Swedes) the historical core of the country. So, there you go - Svea!
This was the sign just outside of the exit doors at the hospital where Svea was born; I think it sums it up just right!
Well folks, sorry for the delay, but Kristin and I have been stuck in the hospital for the past four days and the internet service is still horrible over here. But, here she is! On Friday, January 19th, 2007 at 9:33am, Svea Elina Engleson was born weighing in at 3.5 kg (7.7 pounds.) For as young as Svea is, she is already a survivor. While in the womb, Svea managed to escape two assisination attempts (abortion requests by chinese doctors), she overcame short legs syndrome (one chinese doctor’s prognosis of Svea) and battled through a weak and damaged placenta (another chinese doctor’s concern.) But, as of right now, she is a happy and healthy girl! From the four days spent with her in the hospital, this is what we know of Svea thus far: she loves Mom (surprise, surprise), tolerates Dad, loves the booby, sleeps all day and is awake all night! (Great, here we go again!) She is a beautiful little girl and we are just so happy and proud to have her with us! So please, help us welcome Svea Elina!
Here we are at the very beginning of the day getting all the I’s dotted and T’s crossed. This was quite strange in that the doctors are very upfornt (too upfront, in my opinion) about what could possibly go wrong in the operation, and then knowing all this information you must then sign the papers to get it all going. Here, Kristin is with Sandy and the doctor is translating all the detail of the upcoming festivities. (Sandy, by the way, was a huge help to us in everyway and we simply could not have done it without her - thank you so much Sandy!) Then, from here, the doctors came and checked Svea’s heartbeat, Kristin changed into her clothes, and then we were off. T-minus 45 minutes until birth, here we go!
Unlike with Magnus, I was not allowed to go into the operating room with Kristin for the birth. The Chinese standard basically forbids anyone to go into an operating room while any procedure is underway. While I have no qualms with this reasoning, it did not make the waiting any easier; in fact, not being with Kristin made the whole process far more stressful for me. All I got to do was wait and wait, and then watch this damn silver door slide back and forth ready to present to all us family members our new arrivals; we were like a pack of Pavlovian dogs awaiting our own belltone - it was absolutely painful! So while Kristin was inside having Svea, these were the images and memories I will get to take away from her birth.
Just days after being born, the nurses at the hospitial felt it was time for Svea to take a little swim. Now, I have never seen such a thing as this…green water thingy, but, it was just goofy enough to give it a go. Basically, this is what you do: you put a large waterwing around the child’s neck, place them into the water and then let them go at it! Yes, brochures for this contraption were everywhere at the hospital and for 2400 RMB ($350), you too can have this kiddie spa at your house. As you can see, Svea just loved it!
“That was fun, can we do it again!”
Here’s big brother Magnus holding his little sister for the first time. Yes folks, precious family moments captured here at The Engleson Files!
