Robyn and Joel's Blog: Chronicling our Copenhagen Adventures

Yes, we're that interesting.


Monday, November 17, 2008

Let there be light!

As a way of preparing for the onset of winter here in Denmark--in other words, lots and lots and lots of darkness--Robyn and I recently purchased a sun lamp. Hopefully, this (pricey!) contraption will lead to elevated spirits, a new-found abundance of energy, and more frequent and interesting blog entries all winter long. 

Here are some shots of Robyn enjoying an inaugural "light bath":



Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Shout out to Mom and Dad!

I want to take this opportunity to give a shout out to my parents, Ron and Kathy,



who are currently the guardians to our doggies, Lola Mae and Bodhi.

Our dogs are precious to us and I miss them very much. But, as much as I want them to come over to Copenhagen, Joel and I have decided to keep our doggies with my parents because we know it is best for them. Bodhi and Lola Mae have a huge backyard to play in, a large house to rule, and plenty of lovely couches, pillows, and rugs on which to chew. My parents spoil them rotten. In fact, when we first arrived in Austin at 3am after driving from Carbondale, my parents greeted the doggies with the biggest box doggie treats I’ve ever seen.

Recently my parents experienced a long night. No, they didn’t stay up watching the election results… they roamed their neighborhood looking for Bodhi, who earlier decided he needed to visit a few nearby friends. Shiba Inus are not like other dogs who will come when you call them. Shibas are fiercely independent and love a good game of tag. And, apparently that is what my parents played – for hours – the other night. Finally, they gave up and went to bed, but left the latch to the backyard gate open in case Bodhi decided to return. And, like a good doggie, he did… around 3 in the morning. While my parents weren’t thrilled with Bodhi’s adventure, I think they should be pleased. Much like they did with their own children, the are helping to grow a puppy into an independent young dog who has the self-confidence to go explore, knowing that my parents will always leave the gate unlatched for when Bodhi wants to come home. And, clearly, he has a good home. You should be so proud!

Many thanks to my parents who take great care of my doggies… we miss you all!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Yes We Can!

Today is the day before the election that will determine the next president of the United States.
You would have to have lived under a rock for the past two years to not know the significance of tomorrow’s vote. If nothing else, we can all stop talking about the campaigns in just a few hours. As I mentioned in earlier posts, the Danes are watching the US Presidential election very closely. I think all of Europe is following the election. Europe is definitely pro-Obama. But, Europe doesn’t get a vote. But, what if they did?

The Economist Magazine has an interesting article that demonstrates who would win the election if the entire world had a vote. They go so far as to create a “world electoral college” to determine the winner. You can read the article at http://www.economist.com/vote2008/index.cfm. If the world voted, Obama would win with 9,115 votes to McCain’s 203. I find myself wondering what the rest of the world sees that we Americans do not. In other words, why is the race so close in the US while the rest of the world so clearly supports Obama? Now, when Joel and I began this blog we agreed that we wouldn’t use it for political purposes… the blog is just our musings about our daily lives. And I am not straying from this with purpose with my question… I am truly perplexed. Why does the rest of the world support Obama when roughly half of America supports McCain? Why/How is the US different from the rest of the world? And, should the opinion of the rest of the world factor in our decision-making process as we chose which candidate to support?

Regardless of who you support, I encourage you each to fight the lines, rain, or whatever else will get in your way and go vote. I sent my ballot last week and now all I can do is hope… because YES WE CAN!

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