Podcasts about pappa

The Homeland calls for Gunnar, And So Does Love.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.‘You are the Tin Man. This tour; is the Oil Can. Figure it out.'A recently widowed Norwegian American plans his escape from a Minnesota nursing home to travel abroad and join a ‘Christmas in Norway Tour’. While battling his fears, he meets a beautiful young tour guide and her divorced mother, who years later, still bears scars from her unfaithful husband’s affair. This story is about overcoming those fears to let healing begin. This story picks up after that, and shows the lingering effects of a husband’s extra-marital affair on his family. This is also a Christmas story, so expect to travel to locations in Norway, encounter Norwegian Christmas traditions, and maybe even get sprinkled with pixie-dust!“A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self - in the mirror of some woman’s eyes” - Clare Booth LucePrequel: The Ruined ChristmasOslo, Norway - Three Years AgoMy name is Jorunn. As a Norwegian landsby girl, Mamma and I spent Christmas week in Bergen, visiting her family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. We decided to leave Bergen two days early so that Pappa would not have to celebrate New Year’s Eve alone. During the week, while we were away, Pappa told us how he missed us.We arrived back home in mid-afternoon, just as the sun was setting, and saw our Christmas Star lit up in the window. After entering the house, we heard Pappa moaning upstairs and went up to see if he was all right. Opening the bedroom door, we saw him humping a strange woman!“What are you doing?” shouted Mamma.Pappa replied, “Leah, you’re home early.”“Who is this woman?”“She’s just a slut. She means nothing to me.”The woman yelped, “I am not a slut! I am a happily married woman.”Mamma yelled, “I can see what keeps you happy.”Pappa yelled back, “I still love you, Leah. Let me get rid of this slut. She’s only here because I was lonely. We can talk.”Mamma replied, “You can talk to my advokater. We’re through! How can I ever trust you again, you bastard? Do you realize what you have done to our family!”Mamma began sobbing and ran down the stairs.Pappa looked at me and said, “Jorunn, none of this would have happened if your mother hadn’t come home early and seen us.”I looked at Pappa and saw his slime-covered beard slick with the woman’s juices. “You’re wrong Pappa. It did happen. Mamma and I just wouldn’t have known. You said you didn’t want to be seen by us. That works both ways! I don’t ever want to talk to you or see you ever again!”I ran downstairs to Mamma, and with our suitcases still in the boot, we drove to a friend’s house.Gunnar and Nurse RatchedDecember 13 - MorningMinneapolis, Minnesota - Present DayI pressed the button on my cell phone and hung up after talking with Roger Mans, my long-time friend and attorney. My two adult children texted a few days ago they wanted to visit me here in the nursing home. I had not seen them since the funeral of my wife, Solveig, and that was two months ago. Their plan was for me to sign their power of attorney forms, giving them full control over me and my affairs. But my plan was different, and now was time to put it into place.Two years ago, at just 54 years old, I had a stroke. A devastating paralysis left me needing a lot of care, and therapy to regain my mobility, speech, and other functions.I realized Solveig was unable to care for me at our home. She tried with all her heart, but she was also fighting her own battle with cancer, and undergoing her own rigorous treatments.So I decided to enter a nursing home, while I continued to get rehab. I wanted a facility with a stroke recovery unit. This limited my nursing home choices. The only thing making life bearable here, was Solveig faithfully visiting me, and sneaking an occasional home-cooked meal past the head nurse and her staff. Sadly, Solveig succumbed to the cancer while I was still a resident at the ‘Bethel Retirement Center'. At Solveig’s funeral, my children promised to visit often, but as usual, I could never count on them for anything.Without my wife here to check on things, my decent clothes never came back from the laundry, and instead, the staff returned excuses. I put on old sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. It would do for now. I prepared myself for this day by walking the halls of the nursing home, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking care of myself without help from the staff. Still not fully recovered, but like my clothing, it would do for now.I said goodbye to Alfred, my shared roommate. He nodded, wished me luck, and said he would love to go with me. I felt sorry for him. He was a great storyteller but needed to use his walker, and physically, he required the kind of care they provided here.I walked down the hall to the nurse’s station and found Molly Turner, the rather brusque chief nurse, and her two assistants sitting behind it. “Good morning, Nurse Ratched,” I said.“Good day to you, Gunnar,” she replied.“I’m checking out,” I said.“Be serious, Gunnar. No one ever checks out of a nursing home, unless they are flat on their back with a toe tag.”I looked at her and smiled, “I only hope that will be your Fate, Molly.”“That’s not a nice thing to say, Gunnar. Now, return to your room or I will have dietary take away your rice pudding for a week.”The rice pudding here was a pale imitation of the riskrem, which Solvieg would make every Christmas. I would miss it this year. I gave Nurse Ratched a one-fingered salute, then walked toward the exit. There was a scramble of squeaky chairs and shouts behind me, and I heard their footsteps closing in on me. As I pushed the two doors open to the main lobby, there was Roger, standing next to the nursing home administrator. I walked up to my lawyer, and shook his hand, “Thank you, old friend.”I turned to see a stunned Nurse Ratched. “Allow me to escort Mr. Larsen back to his room,” she meekly pronounced.The nursing home administrator said, “That won’t be necessary, Molly. Mr. Larsen is leaving us. He isn’t taking anything with him. You may clear out his room and get it ready for the next resident.”I looked Nurse Ratched in the eye and saw the fires of hell blazing within. Then, it was my turn to smile back.All my therapists had agreed that my rehab was successful. My speech skills were quite restored. My left arm and leg took longer to restore. But it was good enough to ditch the wheelchair, then the walker, then the cane. What really set me back was the grief of losing my wife, and the guilt of not being there when she needed me most.Gunnar’s HouseRoger drove me to my house. I hadn't been there in two years. It looked pathetic. No one bothered shoveling the snow on the walkway, and I feared what my children may have done to the inside. I found the hidden key I placed under a rock years ago and used it to enter through the front door. The living room and dining room furniture were mostly gone, or should I say, stolen. They had rifled through the small office nook next to the kitchen, with papers scattered over the kitchen countertops and floor.I turned and said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Roger.”“This is exactly what you said would happen, Gunnar. Our firm will take care of it for you.”I opened a small drawer in the office nook and thankfully found my passport intact. It was useless to my children. I went to the master bedroom and saw the dresser drawers partially opened, with clothes scattered all about the floor. On top of the dresser was Solvieg’s jewelry box. I opened it, and few things remained. I was glad to see the gold charm bracelet I gave her 35 years ago for Christmas. She wore it a couple of times, then stopped, complaining it turned her wrist green as the fake gold coating wore away. But she kept it all these years. A worn-out trinket to my children, as precious as the Sauron’s Ring of Power to me. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of my sweatpants.I went into the walk-in closet and picked out some clothes, tossed them into an old gym bag, and said, “I’m done. We can go.”Roger said, “The locksmith and security company will meet me here this afternoon. Once they are done, your children will no longer have access.”“I’d rather not have an auction of whatever is left in the house. I don’t think Solveig would have liked that. Once you go through the papers, just throw everything left in a dumpster and haul it away. Whatever the two pirates plundered will be the only inheritance they will ever see from me.”Miller And Mans Law OfficeRoger and I next went to his office. I said hello to Jane, the long-time receptionist. I have always suspected that Jane knows everything that goes on here, and secretly runs the whole place, not unlike the way Nurse Ratched does in her domain. However, Jane does so with more efficiency, happiness, and joy for both clients and staff.Jane asked, “Can I get you anything, Gunnar?”“I’d love a cup of decent coffee, and an Apple Fritter if you have one.”“I’ll bring them to Roger’s office. Two creams and no sugar, if I remember right.”“Perfect, as always, Jane.”We went into Roger’s plush office, and I sat down in a chair more comfortable than any I sat in for the last two years.“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Roger asked.“Every bit of it,” I replied.I signed multiple papers, removing my two children as beneficiaries from my life insurance and investment accounts. I also gave Roger limited power of attorney to sell my house and dispose of its possessions.Jane arrived with the coffee and Apple Fritter. “Norway? Why would anyone want to go to Norway in December?”“Did Roger spill the beans?” I asked.Jane replied, “Every piece of paper that comes into this office passes through my hands. I opened your travel visa when it came in.”“Jane, I can’t spend Christmas here in Minnesota. The bitter wintry weather pales in comparison to the cold hearts of my own two children. The further away from them I am, the better. I’ve never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the 'home country’ of my ancestors.”Like I said, Jane knows all. The coffee tasted great, and the deep-fried Apple Fritter, one of Nursed Ratched’s 'prohibited foods’, was outstanding. Roger slid me a packet labeled 'Gunnar - Norway’. As Jane left, I opened it and looked at the contents. As planned, there was an international cell phone with a different number, a stack of krone, and three new credit cards bearing the name of a fictitious business. I handed Roger my old cell phone.“We’ll dispose of this for you. Your children will have no idea where you are unless they hire a private detective with exceptionally good connections. Legally, they have no rights to any of your assets, so even if somehow they track you to our law office, they will not get past Jane.”I believed Roger on that.“The tour company you asked us to sign you up with seems pretty sketchy. Their contract looks like something generated off a free online legal site. We reviewed it, it is crude, but legal and binding. If you back out, they still get paid. Why did you pick this tour company? There are many larger and more reputable companies we might have booked you with.”“It’s silly, Roger. I know it’s only a one-person company, run by a young vlogger in Norway. It was terribly boring in the nursing home, so I would spend evenings watching her videos as she traveled around Norway visiting various places, and leading small groups of tourists. It looked like the people were having fun and she made me laugh. Watching her videos was one of the few things that brought me any happiness.”“Why did you reserve for four persons?” asked Roger.“I wanted to make sure her Christmas in Norway tour wouldn’t be canceled. She has a four-person minimum.”“You won’t get those other bookings back, even if more people are going.”“I don’t need the money, Roger, but I do need this tour.”“How about clothing? You don’t have many clothes in that gym bag, Gunnar. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get to the airport?”“No. I’ll travel light. It’ll be easier when going through airport security. I’ll buy more clothes when I get to Norway.”“How about after you come back?”“I’m going to someplace warm and sunny. Maybe visit a mouse in Florida. I’ll be in touch if I need anything while I’m in Norway, and call you when I get back in three weeks.”Jorunn, The Tour GuideDecember 15 – Morning, Two Days LaterI spent yesterday shopping for the new clothes I would need. The tour is a mix of city and outdoor activities, so I bought a basic wardrobe, along with good walking shoes, snow pants, a warm jacket, and gloves. I ate lunch and dinner at two smaller restaurants. The food was good, but I felt lonely eating by myself, in a city I didn’t know, in a strange country. I missed Solveig very much and wished she were here with me.The next morning, I walked to the nearby hotel where the tour group would be meeting and followed the “Christmas in Norway Tour” sign to a small room off the lobby. There she was! Jorunn. My vlogger! She was about as tall as I am, at least when I can stand straight, with long blonde hair parted in the middle, clear blue eyes, and her signature radiant smile. She wore a Norwegian Dale sweater and brown pants.Jorunn spoke to me in Norwegian. “Excuse me, sir, this room is reserved for a tour group.”I hobbled closer. “Yes, and I’m one of the people taking the tour.”“We have a pretty active schedule for the next seven days, from December 15th through the 22nd. Do you think you are well enough to take this tour?”I wasn’t sure if I was, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I won’t slow you down,” I replied.“What is your name?” she asked.“Gunnar Larsen.”She opened a small notebook and flipped through the pages. “It says here you are in a group of four. I see three other names. When are they coming?”“There won’t be any others from my group. One of the names is my recently deceased wife, the other two are my estranged adult children. I’m all there is.”Jorunn looked puzzled. “Only four people in total signed up, including you, all from your group. If the others aren’t coming, then you will be the only one. I don’t… I can’t… I mean, I have reservations I cannot cancel. You’re going to cost me a fortune whether I go through with the tour or not.”I replied, “The contract states that you have a four-person minimum. I am paying you in full for all four people. You won’t lose any money.”Jorunn smirked and looked like she was thinking. “I don’t know if you’re some kind of dirty old man, but if I agree to continue this tour, you should know that we will have separate rooms every night and there will be no sex of any kind. Judging by the way you look; I hope you can at least wipe your own butt!”“Your terms are acceptable. I had a stroke two years ago, but I have mostly recovered. I can walk, talk, and listen. I have trouble with my balance at times and sometimes slur my words. If you think something is too strenuous for me, I am willing to skip that part of the tour.”“Well, Mr. Larsen of Minnesota, you need to sign some release forms. As stated in the contract, I get to film the tour group for my vlogs, so I expect smiles when I am filming you. For now, go help yourself to breakfast. There is coffee, brunost, bread, and milk. Enough to feed four. Don’t expect me to serve you, and if you don’t know how to use a cheese sliver, learn fast.”She looked puzzled earlier but was now the confident Jorunn with whom I spent virtual evenings. I was delighted we worked this out. Smiles would not be a problem.OsloDecember 15 - MorningJorunn left the room and returned shortly with a small basket of food. “We have a lot of brunost left over, so I am going to make us a food packet for lunch called matpakke. I have a place in mind where we can sit and picnic.”“We will use the Vy app and Oslo Pass and travel by train and Metro. But today, we will mainly walk around Oslo. You will need to check into this hotel under the tour name if you have not done so. We will be in Oslo for two nights. The prepaid room is part of your tour package. I will try to cancel or change some reservations. Meet me back here in one hour.”I went back to my hotel to retrieve my belongings, then checked into the one Jorunn requested. It was not as nice as the one I left, but it was clean, and I did not want to make a fuss on the first day. I purchased a surprising amount of clothing yesterday and needed to make two trips to bring everything over. Then I returned to the meeting room and found Jorunn waiting.Jorunn and I walked from the hotel to Oslo Central Station and took a tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Jorunn told me it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, with over two hundred sculptures combining the human form with an element of fantasy. Most figures were naked, with a mix of vagueness and rather notably open precision. The most prominent sculpture was a 17-meter-high monolith consisting of 121 intertwined human figures clambering to the top, carved from a single stone block. We spent over an hour walking the grounds, and while it was interesting, I told Jorunn that I didn’t see much in the way of Christmas here.A combination of walking and a short bus ride brought us to the grounds of the Akershus Fortress. Constructed in the 13th century, it protects the waterfront and Oslo harbor. Also on the site was the restored Akershus Castle, which was formerly a residence of prior kings of Norway. Jorunn said it serves today as an entertainment and event center for the Norwegian government, and this close to Christmas was not open to the public.I found it challenging to walk the grounds of the Fortress, as there were steep inclines mixed with stone steps and cobblestone paths. Remnants of a prior snowstorm still lingered in shady areas and under arches, making the footing treacherous. We did stop at places offering magnificent views of the city of Oslo, the bay, and the fjord, and several ramparts still bore cannons. Jorunn was rather businesslike and did not seem to be enjoyin

The Homeland calls for Gunnar, And So Does Love.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.‘You are the Tin Man. This tour; is the Oil Can. Figure it out.'A recently widowed Norwegian American plans his escape from a Minnesota nursing home to travel abroad and join a ‘Christmas in Norway Tour’. While battling his fears, he meets a beautiful young tour guide and her divorced mother, who years later, still bears scars from her unfaithful husband’s affair. This story is about overcoming those fears to let healing begin. This story picks up after that, and shows the lingering effects of a husband’s extra-marital affair on his family. This is also a Christmas story, so expect to travel to locations in Norway, encounter Norwegian Christmas traditions, and maybe even get sprinkled with pixie-dust!“A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self - in the mirror of some woman’s eyes” - Clare Booth LucePrequel: The Ruined ChristmasOslo, Norway - Three Years AgoMy name is Jorunn. As a Norwegian landsby girl, Mamma and I spent Christmas week in Bergen, visiting her family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. We decided to leave Bergen two days early so that Pappa would not have to celebrate New Year’s Eve alone. During the week, while we were away, Pappa told us how he missed us.We arrived back home in mid-afternoon, just as the sun was setting, and saw our Christmas Star lit up in the window. After entering the house, we heard Pappa moaning upstairs and went up to see if he was all right. Opening the bedroom door, we saw him humping a strange woman!“What are you doing?” shouted Mamma.Pappa replied, “Leah, you’re home early.”“Who is this woman?”“She’s just a slut. She means nothing to me.”The woman yelped, “I am not a slut! I am a happily married woman.”Mamma yelled, “I can see what keeps you happy.”Pappa yelled back, “I still love you, Leah. Let me get rid of this slut. She’s only here because I was lonely. We can talk.”Mamma replied, “You can talk to my advokater. We’re through! How can I ever trust you again, you bastard? Do you realize what you have done to our family!”Mamma began sobbing and ran down the stairs.Pappa looked at me and said, “Jorunn, none of this would have happened if your mother hadn’t come home early and seen us.”I looked at Pappa and saw his slime-covered beard slick with the woman’s juices. “You’re wrong Pappa. It did happen. Mamma and I just wouldn’t have known. You said you didn’t want to be seen by us. That works both ways! I don’t ever want to talk to you or see you ever again!”I ran downstairs to Mamma, and with our suitcases still in the boot, we drove to a friend’s house.Gunnar and Nurse RatchedDecember 13 - MorningMinneapolis, Minnesota - Present DayI pressed the button on my cell phone and hung up after talking with Roger Mans, my long-time friend and attorney. My two adult children texted a few days ago they wanted to visit me here in the nursing home. I had not seen them since the funeral of my wife, Solveig, and that was two months ago. Their plan was for me to sign their power of attorney forms, giving them full control over me and my affairs. But my plan was different, and now was time to put it into place.Two years ago, at just 54 years old, I had a stroke. A devastating paralysis left me needing a lot of care, and therapy to regain my mobility, speech, and other functions.I realized Solveig was unable to care for me at our home. She tried with all her heart, but she was also fighting her own battle with cancer, and undergoing her own rigorous treatments.So I decided to enter a nursing home, while I continued to get rehab. I wanted a facility with a stroke recovery unit. This limited my nursing home choices. The only thing making life bearable here, was Solveig faithfully visiting me, and sneaking an occasional home-cooked meal past the head nurse and her staff. Sadly, Solveig succumbed to the cancer while I was still a resident at the ‘Bethel Retirement Center'. At Solveig’s funeral, my children promised to visit often, but as usual, I could never count on them for anything.Without my wife here to check on things, my decent clothes never came back from the laundry, and instead, the staff returned excuses. I put on old sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. It would do for now. I prepared myself for this day by walking the halls of the nursing home, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking care of myself without help from the staff. Still not fully recovered, but like my clothing, it would do for now.I said goodbye to Alfred, my shared roommate. He nodded, wished me luck, and said he would love to go with me. I felt sorry for him. He was a great storyteller but needed to use his walker, and physically, he required the kind of care they provided here.I walked down the hall to the nurse’s station and found Molly Turner, the rather brusque chief nurse, and her two assistants sitting behind it. “Good morning, Nurse Ratched,” I said.“Good day to you, Gunnar,” she replied.“I’m checking out,” I said.“Be serious, Gunnar. No one ever checks out of a nursing home, unless they are flat on their back with a toe tag.”I looked at her and smiled, “I only hope that will be your Fate, Molly.”“That’s not a nice thing to say, Gunnar. Now, return to your room or I will have dietary take away your rice pudding for a week.”The rice pudding here was a pale imitation of the riskrem, which Solvieg would make every Christmas. I would miss it this year. I gave Nurse Ratched a one-fingered salute, then walked toward the exit. There was a scramble of squeaky chairs and shouts behind me, and I heard their footsteps closing in on me. As I pushed the two doors open to the main lobby, there was Roger, standing next to the nursing home administrator. I walked up to my lawyer, and shook his hand, “Thank you, old friend.”I turned to see a stunned Nurse Ratched. “Allow me to escort Mr. Larsen back to his room,” she meekly pronounced.The nursing home administrator said, “That won’t be necessary, Molly. Mr. Larsen is leaving us. He isn’t taking anything with him. You may clear out his room and get it ready for the next resident.”I looked Nurse Ratched in the eye and saw the fires of hell blazing within. Then, it was my turn to smile back.All my therapists had agreed that my rehab was successful. My speech skills were quite restored. My left arm and leg took longer to restore. But it was good enough to ditch the wheelchair, then the walker, then the cane. What really set me back was the grief of losing my wife, and the guilt of not being there when she needed me most.Gunnar’s HouseRoger drove me to my house. I hadn't been there in two years. It looked pathetic. No one bothered shoveling the snow on the walkway, and I feared what my children may have done to the inside. I found the hidden key I placed under a rock years ago and used it to enter through the front door. The living room and dining room furniture were mostly gone, or should I say, stolen. They had rifled through the small office nook next to the kitchen, with papers scattered over the kitchen countertops and floor.I turned and said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Roger.”“This is exactly what you said would happen, Gunnar. Our firm will take care of it for you.”I opened a small drawer in the office nook and thankfully found my passport intact. It was useless to my children. I went to the master bedroom and saw the dresser drawers partially opened, with clothes scattered all about the floor. On top of the dresser was Solvieg’s jewelry box. I opened it, and few things remained. I was glad to see the gold charm bracelet I gave her 35 years ago for Christmas. She wore it a couple of times, then stopped, complaining it turned her wrist green as the fake gold coating wore away. But she kept it all these years. A worn-out trinket to my children, as precious as the Sauron’s Ring of Power to me. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of my sweatpants.I went into the walk-in closet and picked out some clothes, tossed them into an old gym bag, and said, “I’m done. We can go.”Roger said, “The locksmith and security company will meet me here this afternoon. Once they are done, your children will no longer have access.”“I’d rather not have an auction of whatever is left in the house. I don’t think Solveig would have liked that. Once you go through the papers, just throw everything left in a dumpster and haul it away. Whatever the two pirates plundered will be the only inheritance they will ever see from me.”Miller And Mans Law OfficeRoger and I next went to his office. I said hello to Jane, the long-time receptionist. I have always suspected that Jane knows everything that goes on here, and secretly runs the whole place, not unlike the way Nurse Ratched does in her domain. However, Jane does so with more efficiency, happiness, and joy for both clients and staff.Jane asked, “Can I get you anything, Gunnar?”“I’d love a cup of decent coffee, and an Apple Fritter if you have one.”“I’ll bring them to Roger’s office. Two creams and no sugar, if I remember right.”“Perfect, as always, Jane.”We went into Roger’s plush office, and I sat down in a chair more comfortable than any I sat in for the last two years.“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Roger asked.“Every bit of it,” I replied.I signed multiple papers, removing my two children as beneficiaries from my life insurance and investment accounts. I also gave Roger limited power of attorney to sell my house and dispose of its possessions.Jane arrived with the coffee and Apple Fritter. “Norway? Why would anyone want to go to Norway in December?”“Did Roger spill the beans?” I asked.Jane replied, “Every piece of paper that comes into this office passes through my hands. I opened your travel visa when it came in.”“Jane, I can’t spend Christmas here in Minnesota. The bitter wintry weather pales in comparison to the cold hearts of my own two children. The further away from them I am, the better. I’ve never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the 'home country’ of my ancestors.”Like I said, Jane knows all. The coffee tasted great, and the deep-fried Apple Fritter, one of Nursed Ratched’s 'prohibited foods’, was outstanding. Roger slid me a packet labeled 'Gunnar - Norway’. As Jane left, I opened it and looked at the contents. As planned, there was an international cell phone with a different number, a stack of krone, and three new credit cards bearing the name of a fictitious business. I handed Roger my old cell phone.“We’ll dispose of this for you. Your children will have no idea where you are unless they hire a private detective with exceptionally good connections. Legally, they have no rights to any of your assets, so even if somehow they track you to our law office, they will not get past Jane.”I believed Roger on that.“The tour company you asked us to sign you up with seems pretty sketchy. Their contract looks like something generated off a free online legal site. We reviewed it, it is crude, but legal and binding. If you back out, they still get paid. Why did you pick this tour company? There are many larger and more reputable companies we might have booked you with.”“It’s silly, Roger. I know it’s only a one-person company, run by a young vlogger in Norway. It was terribly boring in the nursing home, so I would spend evenings watching her videos as she traveled around Norway visiting various places, and leading small groups of tourists. It looked like the people were having fun and she made me laugh. Watching her videos was one of the few things that brought me any happiness.”“Why did you reserve for four persons?” asked Roger.“I wanted to make sure her Christmas in Norway tour wouldn’t be canceled. She has a four-person minimum.”“You won’t get those other bookings back, even if more people are going.”“I don’t need the money, Roger, but I do need this tour.”“How about clothing? You don’t have many clothes in that gym bag, Gunnar. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get to the airport?”“No. I’ll travel light. It’ll be easier when going through airport security. I’ll buy more clothes when I get to Norway.”“How about after you come back?”“I’m going to someplace warm and sunny. Maybe visit a mouse in Florida. I’ll be in touch if I need anything while I’m in Norway, and call you when I get back in three weeks.”Jorunn, The Tour GuideDecember 15 – Morning, Two Days LaterI spent yesterday shopping for the new clothes I would need. The tour is a mix of city and outdoor activities, so I bought a basic wardrobe, along with good walking shoes, snow pants, a warm jacket, and gloves. I ate lunch and dinner at two smaller restaurants. The food was good, but I felt lonely eating by myself, in a city I didn’t know, in a strange country. I missed Solveig very much and wished she were here with me.The next morning, I walked to the nearby hotel where the tour group would be meeting and followed the “Christmas in Norway Tour” sign to a small room off the lobby. There she was! Jorunn. My vlogger! She was about as tall as I am, at least when I can stand straight, with long blonde hair parted in the middle, clear blue eyes, and her signature radiant smile. She wore a Norwegian Dale sweater and brown pants.Jorunn spoke to me in Norwegian. “Excuse me, sir, this room is reserved for a tour group.”I hobbled closer. “Yes, and I’m one of the people taking the tour.”“We have a pretty active schedule for the next seven days, from December 15th through the 22nd. Do you think you are well enough to take this tour?”I wasn’t sure if I was, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I won’t slow you down,” I replied.“What is your name?” she asked.“Gunnar Larsen.”She opened a small notebook and flipped through the pages. “It says here you are in a group of four. I see three other names. When are they coming?”“There won’t be any others from my group. One of the names is my recently deceased wife, the other two are my estranged adult children. I’m all there is.”Jorunn looked puzzled. “Only four people in total signed up, including you, all from your group. If the others aren’t coming, then you will be the only one. I don’t… I can’t… I mean, I have reservations I cannot cancel. You’re going to cost me a fortune whether I go through with the tour or not.”I replied, “The contract states that you have a four-person minimum. I am paying you in full for all four people. You won’t lose any money.”Jorunn smirked and looked like she was thinking. “I don’t know if you’re some kind of dirty old man, but if I agree to continue this tour, you should know that we will have separate rooms every night and there will be no sex of any kind. Judging by the way you look; I hope you can at least wipe your own butt!”“Your terms are acceptable. I had a stroke two years ago, but I have mostly recovered. I can walk, talk, and listen. I have trouble with my balance at times and sometimes slur my words. If you think something is too strenuous for me, I am willing to skip that part of the tour.”“Well, Mr. Larsen of Minnesota, you need to sign some release forms. As stated in the contract, I get to film the tour group for my vlogs, so I expect smiles when I am filming you. For now, go help yourself to breakfast. There is coffee, brunost, bread, and milk. Enough to feed four. Don’t expect me to serve you, and if you don’t know how to use a cheese sliver, learn fast.”She looked puzzled earlier but was now the confident Jorunn with whom I spent virtual evenings. I was delighted we worked this out. Smiles would not be a problem.OsloDecember 15 - MorningJorunn left the room and returned shortly with a small basket of food. “We have a lot of brunost left over, so I am going to make us a food packet for lunch called matpakke. I have a place in mind where we can sit and picnic.”“We will use the Vy app and Oslo Pass and travel by train and Metro. But today, we will mainly walk around Oslo. You will need to check into this hotel under the tour name if you have not done so. We will be in Oslo for two nights. The prepaid room is part of your tour package. I will try to cancel or change some reservations. Meet me back here in one hour.”I went back to my hotel to retrieve my belongings, then checked into the one Jorunn requested. It was not as nice as the one I left, but it was clean, and I did not want to make a fuss on the first day. I purchased a surprising amount of clothing yesterday and needed to make two trips to bring everything over. Then I returned to the meeting room and found Jorunn waiting.Jorunn and I walked from the hotel to Oslo Central Station and took a tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Jorunn told me it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, with over two hundred sculptures combining the human form with an element of fantasy. Most figures were naked, with a mix of vagueness and rather notably open precision. The most prominent sculpture was a 17-meter-high monolith consisting of 121 intertwined human figures clambering to the top, carved from a single stone block. We spent over an hour walking the grounds, and while it was interesting, I told Jorunn that I didn’t see much in the way of Christmas here.A combination of walking and a short bus ride brought us to the grounds of the Akershus Fortress. Constructed in the 13th century, it protects the waterfront and Oslo harbor. Also on the site was the restored Akershus Castle, which was formerly a residence of prior kings of Norway. Jorunn said it serves today as an entertainment and event center for the Norwegian government, and this close to Christmas was not open to the public.I found it challenging to walk the grounds of the Fortress, as there were steep inclines mixed with stone steps and cobblestone paths. Remnants of a prior snowstorm still lingered in shady areas and under arches, making the footing treacherous. We did stop at places offering magnificent views of the city of Oslo, the bay, and the fjord, and several ramparts still bore cannons. Jorunn was rather businesslike and did not seem to be enjoyin

The Homeland calls for Gunnar, And So Does Love.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.‘You are the Tin Man. This tour; is the Oil Can. Figure it out.'A recently widowed Norwegian American plans his escape from a Minnesota nursing home to travel abroad and join a ‘Christmas in Norway Tour’. While battling his fears, he meets a beautiful young tour guide and her divorced mother, who years later, still bears scars from her unfaithful husband’s affair. This story is about overcoming those fears to let healing begin. This story picks up after that, and shows the lingering effects of a husband’s extra-marital affair on his family. This is also a Christmas story, so expect to travel to locations in Norway, encounter Norwegian Christmas traditions, and maybe even get sprinkled with pixie-dust!“A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self - in the mirror of some woman’s eyes” - Clare Booth LucePrequel: The Ruined ChristmasOslo, Norway - Three Years AgoMy name is Jorunn. As a Norwegian landsby girl, Mamma and I spent Christmas week in Bergen, visiting her family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. We decided to leave Bergen two days early so that Pappa would not have to celebrate New Year’s Eve alone. During the week, while we were away, Pappa told us how he missed us.We arrived back home in mid-afternoon, just as the sun was setting, and saw our Christmas Star lit up in the window. After entering the house, we heard Pappa moaning upstairs and went up to see if he was all right. Opening the bedroom door, we saw him humping a strange woman!“What are you doing?” shouted Mamma.Pappa replied, “Leah, you’re home early.”“Who is this woman?”“She’s just a slut. She means nothing to me.”The woman yelped, “I am not a slut! I am a happily married woman.”Mamma yelled, “I can see what keeps you happy.”Pappa yelled back, “I still love you, Leah. Let me get rid of this slut. She’s only here because I was lonely. We can talk.”Mamma replied, “You can talk to my advokater. We’re through! How can I ever trust you again, you bastard? Do you realize what you have done to our family!”Mamma began sobbing and ran down the stairs.Pappa looked at me and said, “Jorunn, none of this would have happened if your mother hadn’t come home early and seen us.”I looked at Pappa and saw his slime-covered beard slick with the woman’s juices. “You’re wrong Pappa. It did happen. Mamma and I just wouldn’t have known. You said you didn’t want to be seen by us. That works both ways! I don’t ever want to talk to you or see you ever again!”I ran downstairs to Mamma, and with our suitcases still in the boot, we drove to a friend’s house.Gunnar and Nurse RatchedDecember 13 - MorningMinneapolis, Minnesota - Present DayI pressed the button on my cell phone and hung up after talking with Roger Mans, my long-time friend and attorney. My two adult children texted a few days ago they wanted to visit me here in the nursing home. I had not seen them since the funeral of my wife, Solveig, and that was two months ago. Their plan was for me to sign their power of attorney forms, giving them full control over me and my affairs. But my plan was different, and now was time to put it into place.Two years ago, at just 54 years old, I had a stroke. A devastating paralysis left me needing a lot of care, and therapy to regain my mobility, speech, and other functions.I realized Solveig was unable to care for me at our home. She tried with all her heart, but she was also fighting her own battle with cancer, and undergoing her own rigorous treatments.So I decided to enter a nursing home, while I continued to get rehab. I wanted a facility with a stroke recovery unit. This limited my nursing home choices. The only thing making life bearable here, was Solveig faithfully visiting me, and sneaking an occasional home-cooked meal past the head nurse and her staff. Sadly, Solveig succumbed to the cancer while I was still a resident at the ‘Bethel Retirement Center'. At Solveig’s funeral, my children promised to visit often, but as usual, I could never count on them for anything.Without my wife here to check on things, my decent clothes never came back from the laundry, and instead, the staff returned excuses. I put on old sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. It would do for now. I prepared myself for this day by walking the halls of the nursing home, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking care of myself without help from the staff. Still not fully recovered, but like my clothing, it would do for now.I said goodbye to Alfred, my shared roommate. He nodded, wished me luck, and said he would love to go with me. I felt sorry for him. He was a great storyteller but needed to use his walker, and physically, he required the kind of care they provided here.I walked down the hall to the nurse’s station and found Molly Turner, the rather brusque chief nurse, and her two assistants sitting behind it. “Good morning, Nurse Ratched,” I said.“Good day to you, Gunnar,” she replied.“I’m checking out,” I said.“Be serious, Gunnar. No one ever checks out of a nursing home, unless they are flat on their back with a toe tag.”I looked at her and smiled, “I only hope that will be your Fate, Molly.”“That’s not a nice thing to say, Gunnar. Now, return to your room or I will have dietary take away your rice pudding for a week.”The rice pudding here was a pale imitation of the riskrem, which Solvieg would make every Christmas. I would miss it this year. I gave Nurse Ratched a one-fingered salute, then walked toward the exit. There was a scramble of squeaky chairs and shouts behind me, and I heard their footsteps closing in on me. As I pushed the two doors open to the main lobby, there was Roger, standing next to the nursing home administrator. I walked up to my lawyer, and shook his hand, “Thank you, old friend.”I turned to see a stunned Nurse Ratched. “Allow me to escort Mr. Larsen back to his room,” she meekly pronounced.The nursing home administrator said, “That won’t be necessary, Molly. Mr. Larsen is leaving us. He isn’t taking anything with him. You may clear out his room and get it ready for the next resident.”I looked Nurse Ratched in the eye and saw the fires of hell blazing within. Then, it was my turn to smile back.All my therapists had agreed that my rehab was successful. My speech skills were quite restored. My left arm and leg took longer to restore. But it was good enough to ditch the wheelchair, then the walker, then the cane. What really set me back was the grief of losing my wife, and the guilt of not being there when she needed me most.Gunnar’s HouseRoger drove me to my house. I hadn't been there in two years. It looked pathetic. No one bothered shoveling the snow on the walkway, and I feared what my children may have done to the inside. I found the hidden key I placed under a rock years ago and used it to enter through the front door. The living room and dining room furniture were mostly gone, or should I say, stolen. They had rifled through the small office nook next to the kitchen, with papers scattered over the kitchen countertops and floor.I turned and said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Roger.”“This is exactly what you said would happen, Gunnar. Our firm will take care of it for you.”I opened a small drawer in the office nook and thankfully found my passport intact. It was useless to my children. I went to the master bedroom and saw the dresser drawers partially opened, with clothes scattered all about the floor. On top of the dresser was Solvieg’s jewelry box. I opened it, and few things remained. I was glad to see the gold charm bracelet I gave her 35 years ago for Christmas. She wore it a couple of times, then stopped, complaining it turned her wrist green as the fake gold coating wore away. But she kept it all these years. A worn-out trinket to my children, as precious as the Sauron’s Ring of Power to me. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of my sweatpants.I went into the walk-in closet and picked out some clothes, tossed them into an old gym bag, and said, “I’m done. We can go.”Roger said, “The locksmith and security company will meet me here this afternoon. Once they are done, your children will no longer have access.”“I’d rather not have an auction of whatever is left in the house. I don’t think Solveig would have liked that. Once you go through the papers, just throw everything left in a dumpster and haul it away. Whatever the two pirates plundered will be the only inheritance they will ever see from me.”Miller And Mans Law OfficeRoger and I next went to his office. I said hello to Jane, the long-time receptionist. I have always suspected that Jane knows everything that goes on here, and secretly runs the whole place, not unlike the way Nurse Ratched does in her domain. However, Jane does so with more efficiency, happiness, and joy for both clients and staff.Jane asked, “Can I get you anything, Gunnar?”“I’d love a cup of decent coffee, and an Apple Fritter if you have one.”“I’ll bring them to Roger’s office. Two creams and no sugar, if I remember right.”“Perfect, as always, Jane.”We went into Roger’s plush office, and I sat down in a chair more comfortable than any I sat in for the last two years.“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Roger asked.“Every bit of it,” I replied.I signed multiple papers, removing my two children as beneficiaries from my life insurance and investment accounts. I also gave Roger limited power of attorney to sell my house and dispose of its possessions.Jane arrived with the coffee and Apple Fritter. “Norway? Why would anyone want to go to Norway in December?”“Did Roger spill the beans?” I asked.Jane replied, “Every piece of paper that comes into this office passes through my hands. I opened your travel visa when it came in.”“Jane, I can’t spend Christmas here in Minnesota. The bitter wintry weather pales in comparison to the cold hearts of my own two children. The further away from them I am, the better. I’ve never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the 'home country’ of my ancestors.”Like I said, Jane knows all. The coffee tasted great, and the deep-fried Apple Fritter, one of Nursed Ratched’s 'prohibited foods’, was outstanding. Roger slid me a packet labeled 'Gunnar - Norway’. As Jane left, I opened it and looked at the contents. As planned, there was an international cell phone with a different number, a stack of krone, and three new credit cards bearing the name of a fictitious business. I handed Roger my old cell phone.“We’ll dispose of this for you. Your children will have no idea where you are unless they hire a private detective with exceptionally good connections. Legally, they have no rights to any of your assets, so even if somehow they track you to our law office, they will not get past Jane.”I believed Roger on that.“The tour company you asked us to sign you up with seems pretty sketchy. Their contract looks like something generated off a free online legal site. We reviewed it, it is crude, but legal and binding. If you back out, they still get paid. Why did you pick this tour company? There are many larger and more reputable companies we might have booked you with.”“It’s silly, Roger. I know it’s only a one-person company, run by a young vlogger in Norway. It was terribly boring in the nursing home, so I would spend evenings watching her videos as she traveled around Norway visiting various places, and leading small groups of tourists. It looked like the people were having fun and she made me laugh. Watching her videos was one of the few things that brought me any happiness.”“Why did you reserve for four persons?” asked Roger.“I wanted to make sure her Christmas in Norway tour wouldn’t be canceled. She has a four-person minimum.”“You won’t get those other bookings back, even if more people are going.”“I don’t need the money, Roger, but I do need this tour.”“How about clothing? You don’t have many clothes in that gym bag, Gunnar. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get to the airport?”“No. I’ll travel light. It’ll be easier when going through airport security. I’ll buy more clothes when I get to Norway.”“How about after you come back?”“I’m going to someplace warm and sunny. Maybe visit a mouse in Florida. I’ll be in touch if I need anything while I’m in Norway, and call you when I get back in three weeks.”Jorunn, The Tour GuideDecember 15 – Morning, Two Days LaterI spent yesterday shopping for the new clothes I would need. The tour is a mix of city and outdoor activities, so I bought a basic wardrobe, along with good walking shoes, snow pants, a warm jacket, and gloves. I ate lunch and dinner at two smaller restaurants. The food was good, but I felt lonely eating by myself, in a city I didn’t know, in a strange country. I missed Solveig very much and wished she were here with me.The next morning, I walked to the nearby hotel where the tour group would be meeting and followed the “Christmas in Norway Tour” sign to a small room off the lobby. There she was! Jorunn. My vlogger! She was about as tall as I am, at least when I can stand straight, with long blonde hair parted in the middle, clear blue eyes, and her signature radiant smile. She wore a Norwegian Dale sweater and brown pants.Jorunn spoke to me in Norwegian. “Excuse me, sir, this room is reserved for a tour group.”I hobbled closer. “Yes, and I’m one of the people taking the tour.”“We have a pretty active schedule for the next seven days, from December 15th through the 22nd. Do you think you are well enough to take this tour?”I wasn’t sure if I was, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I won’t slow you down,” I replied.“What is your name?” she asked.“Gunnar Larsen.”She opened a small notebook and flipped through the pages. “It says here you are in a group of four. I see three other names. When are they coming?”“There won’t be any others from my group. One of the names is my recently deceased wife, the other two are my estranged adult children. I’m all there is.”Jorunn looked puzzled. “Only four people in total signed up, including you, all from your group. If the others aren’t coming, then you will be the only one. I don’t… I can’t… I mean, I have reservations I cannot cancel. You’re going to cost me a fortune whether I go through with the tour or not.”I replied, “The contract states that you have a four-person minimum. I am paying you in full for all four people. You won’t lose any money.”Jorunn smirked and looked like she was thinking. “I don’t know if you’re some kind of dirty old man, but if I agree to continue this tour, you should know that we will have separate rooms every night and there will be no sex of any kind. Judging by the way you look; I hope you can at least wipe your own butt!”“Your terms are acceptable. I had a stroke two years ago, but I have mostly recovered. I can walk, talk, and listen. I have trouble with my balance at times and sometimes slur my words. If you think something is too strenuous for me, I am willing to skip that part of the tour.”“Well, Mr. Larsen of Minnesota, you need to sign some release forms. As stated in the contract, I get to film the tour group for my vlogs, so I expect smiles when I am filming you. For now, go help yourself to breakfast. There is coffee, brunost, bread, and milk. Enough to feed four. Don’t expect me to serve you, and if you don’t know how to use a cheese sliver, learn fast.”She looked puzzled earlier but was now the confident Jorunn with whom I spent virtual evenings. I was delighted we worked this out. Smiles would not be a problem.OsloDecember 15 - MorningJorunn left the room and returned shortly with a small basket of food. “We have a lot of brunost left over, so I am going to make us a food packet for lunch called matpakke. I have a place in mind where we can sit and picnic.”“We will use the Vy app and Oslo Pass and travel by train and Metro. But today, we will mainly walk around Oslo. You will need to check into this hotel under the tour name if you have not done so. We will be in Oslo for two nights. The prepaid room is part of your tour package. I will try to cancel or change some reservations. Meet me back here in one hour.”I went back to my hotel to retrieve my belongings, then checked into the one Jorunn requested. It was not as nice as the one I left, but it was clean, and I did not want to make a fuss on the first day. I purchased a surprising amount of clothing yesterday and needed to make two trips to bring everything over. Then I returned to the meeting room and found Jorunn waiting.Jorunn and I walked from the hotel to Oslo Central Station and took a tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Jorunn told me it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, with over two hundred sculptures combining the human form with an element of fantasy. Most figures were naked, with a mix of vagueness and rather notably open precision. The most prominent sculpture was a 17-meter-high monolith consisting of 121 intertwined human figures clambering to the top, carved from a single stone block. We spent over an hour walking the grounds, and while it was interesting, I told Jorunn that I didn’t see much in the way of Christmas here.A combination of walking and a short bus ride brought us to the grounds of the Akershus Fortress. Constructed in the 13th century, it protects the waterfront and Oslo harbor. Also on the site was the restored Akershus Castle, which was formerly a residence of prior kings of Norway. Jorunn said it serves today as an entertainment and event center for the Norwegian government, and this close to Christmas was not open to the public.I found it challenging to walk the grounds of the Fortress, as there were steep inclines mixed with stone steps and cobblestone paths. Remnants of a prior snowstorm still lingered in shady areas and under arches, making the footing treacherous. We did stop at places offering magnificent views of the city of Oslo, the bay, and the fjord, and several ramparts still bore cannons. Jorunn was rather businesslike and did not seem to be enjoyin

The Homeland calls for Gunnar, And So Does Love.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.‘You are the Tin Man. This tour; is the Oil Can. Figure it out.'A recently widowed Norwegian American plans his escape from a Minnesota nursing home to travel abroad and join a ‘Christmas in Norway Tour’. While battling his fears, he meets a beautiful young tour guide and her divorced mother, who years later, still bears scars from her unfaithful husband’s affair. This story is about overcoming those fears to let healing begin. This story picks up after that, and shows the lingering effects of a husband’s extra-marital affair on his family. This is also a Christmas story, so expect to travel to locations in Norway, encounter Norwegian Christmas traditions, and maybe even get sprinkled with pixie-dust!“A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self - in the mirror of some woman’s eyes” - Clare Booth LucePrequel: The Ruined ChristmasOslo, Norway - Three Years AgoMy name is Jorunn. As a Norwegian landsby girl, Mamma and I spent Christmas week in Bergen, visiting her family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. We decided to leave Bergen two days early so that Pappa would not have to celebrate New Year’s Eve alone. During the week, while we were away, Pappa told us how he missed us.We arrived back home in mid-afternoon, just as the sun was setting, and saw our Christmas Star lit up in the window. After entering the house, we heard Pappa moaning upstairs and went up to see if he was all right. Opening the bedroom door, we saw him humping a strange woman!“What are you doing?” shouted Mamma.Pappa replied, “Leah, you’re home early.”“Who is this woman?”“She’s just a slut. She means nothing to me.”The woman yelped, “I am not a slut! I am a happily married woman.”Mamma yelled, “I can see what keeps you happy.”Pappa yelled back, “I still love you, Leah. Let me get rid of this slut. She’s only here because I was lonely. We can talk.”Mamma replied, “You can talk to my advokater. We’re through! How can I ever trust you again, you bastard? Do you realize what you have done to our family!”Mamma began sobbing and ran down the stairs.Pappa looked at me and said, “Jorunn, none of this would have happened if your mother hadn’t come home early and seen us.”I looked at Pappa and saw his slime-covered beard slick with the woman’s juices. “You’re wrong Pappa. It did happen. Mamma and I just wouldn’t have known. You said you didn’t want to be seen by us. That works both ways! I don’t ever want to talk to you or see you ever again!”I ran downstairs to Mamma, and with our suitcases still in the boot, we drove to a friend’s house.Gunnar and Nurse RatchedDecember 13 - MorningMinneapolis, Minnesota - Present DayI pressed the button on my cell phone and hung up after talking with Roger Mans, my long-time friend and attorney. My two adult children texted a few days ago they wanted to visit me here in the nursing home. I had not seen them since the funeral of my wife, Solveig, and that was two months ago. Their plan was for me to sign their power of attorney forms, giving them full control over me and my affairs. But my plan was different, and now was time to put it into place.Two years ago, at just 54 years old, I had a stroke. A devastating paralysis left me needing a lot of care, and therapy to regain my mobility, speech, and other functions.I realized Solveig was unable to care for me at our home. She tried with all her heart, but she was also fighting her own battle with cancer, and undergoing her own rigorous treatments.So I decided to enter a nursing home, while I continued to get rehab. I wanted a facility with a stroke recovery unit. This limited my nursing home choices. The only thing making life bearable here, was Solveig faithfully visiting me, and sneaking an occasional home-cooked meal past the head nurse and her staff. Sadly, Solveig succumbed to the cancer while I was still a resident at the ‘Bethel Retirement Center'. At Solveig’s funeral, my children promised to visit often, but as usual, I could never count on them for anything.Without my wife here to check on things, my decent clothes never came back from the laundry, and instead, the staff returned excuses. I put on old sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. It would do for now. I prepared myself for this day by walking the halls of the nursing home, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking care of myself without help from the staff. Still not fully recovered, but like my clothing, it would do for now.I said goodbye to Alfred, my shared roommate. He nodded, wished me luck, and said he would love to go with me. I felt sorry for him. He was a great storyteller but needed to use his walker, and physically, he required the kind of care they provided here.I walked down the hall to the nurse’s station and found Molly Turner, the rather brusque chief nurse, and her two assistants sitting behind it. “Good morning, Nurse Ratched,” I said.“Good day to you, Gunnar,” she replied.“I’m checking out,” I said.“Be serious, Gunnar. No one ever checks out of a nursing home, unless they are flat on their back with a toe tag.”I looked at her and smiled, “I only hope that will be your Fate, Molly.”“That’s not a nice thing to say, Gunnar. Now, return to your room or I will have dietary take away your rice pudding for a week.”The rice pudding here was a pale imitation of the riskrem, which Solvieg would make every Christmas. I would miss it this year. I gave Nurse Ratched a one-fingered salute, then walked toward the exit. There was a scramble of squeaky chairs and shouts behind me, and I heard their footsteps closing in on me. As I pushed the two doors open to the main lobby, there was Roger, standing next to the nursing home administrator. I walked up to my lawyer, and shook his hand, “Thank you, old friend.”I turned to see a stunned Nurse Ratched. “Allow me to escort Mr. Larsen back to his room,” she meekly pronounced.The nursing home administrator said, “That won’t be necessary, Molly. Mr. Larsen is leaving us. He isn’t taking anything with him. You may clear out his room and get it ready for the next resident.”I looked Nurse Ratched in the eye and saw the fires of hell blazing within. Then, it was my turn to smile back.All my therapists had agreed that my rehab was successful. My speech skills were quite restored. My left arm and leg took longer to restore. But it was good enough to ditch the wheelchair, then the walker, then the cane. What really set me back was the grief of losing my wife, and the guilt of not being there when she needed me most.Gunnar’s HouseRoger drove me to my house. I hadn't been there in two years. It looked pathetic. No one bothered shoveling the snow on the walkway, and I feared what my children may have done to the inside. I found the hidden key I placed under a rock years ago and used it to enter through the front door. The living room and dining room furniture were mostly gone, or should I say, stolen. They had rifled through the small office nook next to the kitchen, with papers scattered over the kitchen countertops and floor.I turned and said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Roger.”“This is exactly what you said would happen, Gunnar. Our firm will take care of it for you.”I opened a small drawer in the office nook and thankfully found my passport intact. It was useless to my children. I went to the master bedroom and saw the dresser drawers partially opened, with clothes scattered all about the floor. On top of the dresser was Solvieg’s jewelry box. I opened it, and few things remained. I was glad to see the gold charm bracelet I gave her 35 years ago for Christmas. She wore it a couple of times, then stopped, complaining it turned her wrist green as the fake gold coating wore away. But she kept it all these years. A worn-out trinket to my children, as precious as the Sauron’s Ring of Power to me. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of my sweatpants.I went into the walk-in closet and picked out some clothes, tossed them into an old gym bag, and said, “I’m done. We can go.”Roger said, “The locksmith and security company will meet me here this afternoon. Once they are done, your children will no longer have access.”“I’d rather not have an auction of whatever is left in the house. I don’t think Solveig would have liked that. Once you go through the papers, just throw everything left in a dumpster and haul it away. Whatever the two pirates plundered will be the only inheritance they will ever see from me.”Miller And Mans Law OfficeRoger and I next went to his office. I said hello to Jane, the long-time receptionist. I have always suspected that Jane knows everything that goes on here, and secretly runs the whole place, not unlike the way Nurse Ratched does in her domain. However, Jane does so with more efficiency, happiness, and joy for both clients and staff.Jane asked, “Can I get you anything, Gunnar?”“I’d love a cup of decent coffee, and an Apple Fritter if you have one.”“I’ll bring them to Roger’s office. Two creams and no sugar, if I remember right.”“Perfect, as always, Jane.”We went into Roger’s plush office, and I sat down in a chair more comfortable than any I sat in for the last two years.“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Roger asked.“Every bit of it,” I replied.I signed multiple papers, removing my two children as beneficiaries from my life insurance and investment accounts. I also gave Roger limited power of attorney to sell my house and dispose of its possessions.Jane arrived with the coffee and Apple Fritter. “Norway? Why would anyone want to go to Norway in December?”“Did Roger spill the beans?” I asked.Jane replied, “Every piece of paper that comes into this office passes through my hands. I opened your travel visa when it came in.”“Jane, I can’t spend Christmas here in Minnesota. The bitter wintry weather pales in comparison to the cold hearts of my own two children. The further away from them I am, the better. I’ve never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the 'home country’ of my ancestors.”Like I said, Jane knows all. The coffee tasted great, and the deep-fried Apple Fritter, one of Nursed Ratched’s 'prohibited foods’, was outstanding. Roger slid me a packet labeled 'Gunnar - Norway’. As Jane left, I opened it and looked at the contents. As planned, there was an international cell phone with a different number, a stack of krone, and three new credit cards bearing the name of a fictitious business. I handed Roger my old cell phone.“We’ll dispose of this for you. Your children will have no idea where you are unless they hire a private detective with exceptionally good connections. Legally, they have no rights to any of your assets, so even if somehow they track you to our law office, they will not get past Jane.”I believed Roger on that.“The tour company you asked us to sign you up with seems pretty sketchy. Their contract looks like something generated off a free online legal site. We reviewed it, it is crude, but legal and binding. If you back out, they still get paid. Why did you pick this tour company? There are many larger and more reputable companies we might have booked you with.”“It’s silly, Roger. I know it’s only a one-person company, run by a young vlogger in Norway. It was terribly boring in the nursing home, so I would spend evenings watching her videos as she traveled around Norway visiting various places, and leading small groups of tourists. It looked like the people were having fun and she made me laugh. Watching her videos was one of the few things that brought me any happiness.”“Why did you reserve for four persons?” asked Roger.“I wanted to make sure her Christmas in Norway tour wouldn’t be canceled. She has a four-person minimum.”“You won’t get those other bookings back, even if more people are going.”“I don’t need the money, Roger, but I do need this tour.”“How about clothing? You don’t have many clothes in that gym bag, Gunnar. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get to the airport?”“No. I’ll travel light. It’ll be easier when going through airport security. I’ll buy more clothes when I get to Norway.”“How about after you come back?”“I’m going to someplace warm and sunny. Maybe visit a mouse in Florida. I’ll be in touch if I need anything while I’m in Norway, and call you when I get back in three weeks.”Jorunn, The Tour GuideDecember 15 – Morning, Two Days LaterI spent yesterday shopping for the new clothes I would need. The tour is a mix of city and outdoor activities, so I bought a basic wardrobe, along with good walking shoes, snow pants, a warm jacket, and gloves. I ate lunch and dinner at two smaller restaurants. The food was good, but I felt lonely eating by myself, in a city I didn’t know, in a strange country. I missed Solveig very much and wished she were here with me.The next morning, I walked to the nearby hotel where the tour group would be meeting and followed the “Christmas in Norway Tour” sign to a small room off the lobby. There she was! Jorunn. My vlogger! She was about as tall as I am, at least when I can stand straight, with long blonde hair parted in the middle, clear blue eyes, and her signature radiant smile. She wore a Norwegian Dale sweater and brown pants.Jorunn spoke to me in Norwegian. “Excuse me, sir, this room is reserved for a tour group.”I hobbled closer. “Yes, and I’m one of the people taking the tour.”“We have a pretty active schedule for the next seven days, from December 15th through the 22nd. Do you think you are well enough to take this tour?”I wasn’t sure if I was, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I won’t slow you down,” I replied.“What is your name?” she asked.“Gunnar Larsen.”She opened a small notebook and flipped through the pages. “It says here you are in a group of four. I see three other names. When are they coming?”“There won’t be any others from my group. One of the names is my recently deceased wife, the other two are my estranged adult children. I’m all there is.”Jorunn looked puzzled. “Only four people in total signed up, including you, all from your group. If the others aren’t coming, then you will be the only one. I don’t… I can’t… I mean, I have reservations I cannot cancel. You’re going to cost me a fortune whether I go through with the tour or not.”I replied, “The contract states that you have a four-person minimum. I am paying you in full for all four people. You won’t lose any money.”Jorunn smirked and looked like she was thinking. “I don’t know if you’re some kind of dirty old man, but if I agree to continue this tour, you should know that we will have separate rooms every night and there will be no sex of any kind. Judging by the way you look; I hope you can at least wipe your own butt!”“Your terms are acceptable. I had a stroke two years ago, but I have mostly recovered. I can walk, talk, and listen. I have trouble with my balance at times and sometimes slur my words. If you think something is too strenuous for me, I am willing to skip that part of the tour.”“Well, Mr. Larsen of Minnesota, you need to sign some release forms. As stated in the contract, I get to film the tour group for my vlogs, so I expect smiles when I am filming you. For now, go help yourself to breakfast. There is coffee, brunost, bread, and milk. Enough to feed four. Don’t expect me to serve you, and if you don’t know how to use a cheese sliver, learn fast.”She looked puzzled earlier but was now the confident Jorunn with whom I spent virtual evenings. I was delighted we worked this out. Smiles would not be a problem.OsloDecember 15 - MorningJorunn left the room and returned shortly with a small basket of food. “We have a lot of brunost left over, so I am going to make us a food packet for lunch called matpakke. I have a place in mind where we can sit and picnic.”“We will use the Vy app and Oslo Pass and travel by train and Metro. But today, we will mainly walk around Oslo. You will need to check into this hotel under the tour name if you have not done so. We will be in Oslo for two nights. The prepaid room is part of your tour package. I will try to cancel or change some reservations. Meet me back here in one hour.”I went back to my hotel to retrieve my belongings, then checked into the one Jorunn requested. It was not as nice as the one I left, but it was clean, and I did not want to make a fuss on the first day. I purchased a surprising amount of clothing yesterday and needed to make two trips to bring everything over. Then I returned to the meeting room and found Jorunn waiting.Jorunn and I walked from the hotel to Oslo Central Station and took a tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Jorunn told me it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, with over two hundred sculptures combining the human form with an element of fantasy. Most figures were naked, with a mix of vagueness and rather notably open precision. The most prominent sculpture was a 17-meter-high monolith consisting of 121 intertwined human figures clambering to the top, carved from a single stone block. We spent over an hour walking the grounds, and while it was interesting, I told Jorunn that I didn’t see much in the way of Christmas here.A combination of walking and a short bus ride brought us to the grounds of the Akershus Fortress. Constructed in the 13th century, it protects the waterfront and Oslo harbor. Also on the site was the restored Akershus Castle, which was formerly a residence of prior kings of Norway. Jorunn said it serves today as an entertainment and event center for the Norwegian government, and this close to Christmas was not open to the public.I found it challenging to walk the grounds of the Fortress, as there were steep inclines mixed with stone steps and cobblestone paths. Remnants of a prior snowstorm still lingered in shady areas and under arches, making the footing treacherous. We did stop at places offering magnificent views of the city of Oslo, the bay, and the fjord, and several ramparts still bore cannons. Jorunn was rather businesslike and did not seem to be enjoyin

Som vuxen får Robin en juldag veta att han och hans brors biologiske pappa egentligen är en donator. Nu ger sig Robin ut för att ta reda på hans namn. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radios app. Barn i Sverige som blivit till med hjälp av en spermiedonator har sedan 1985 rätt att få tillgång till sin donators identitet. Robin är ett av de få barn som utnyttjat rätten. Här berättar han om resan från att som vuxen få reda på att han är ett donatorbarn till att söka sin donators namn. Finns det fler halvsyskon därute?Har du avslöjat en familjehemlighet som förändrat ditt liv? Hör då av dig till programmet och Gunilla Nordlund så kan din berättelse bli ett nytt avsnitt av serien. Maila till familjehemligheten@sverigesradio.seProducent för serien är Ola Hemström.

Una ricetta della tradizione toscana raccontata da Chef Dona, anima del ristorante Carboni's Italian Kitchen di Ballarat. "Un piatto da bosco e da riviera", nel quale il pane raffermo e il pomodoro raccontano la storia della cucina povera e della cultura italiana.

Marius Borg Høibys pappa håller i låg profil, nu har vi nåtts av ny information och berättar allt om Morten Borg. Vi pratar även om prinsessan Madeleines nya videohälsning och varför den väcker kritik. Meghan har fått ett mycket tråkigt besked och vi går igenom hennes affärsverksamhet. Och så berättar vi om drottningens “blå förbannelse”. Med Jenny Alexandersson och Maria Bjaring Producent: Jessica Johansson Kontakt: kungligt@aftonbladet.se Ansvarig utgivare: Lotta Folcker

Nytt avsnitt och ingen mindre än en av poddens huvudkaraktärer pappa Hans gästar! Vi pratar om vem av oss som är latast, om vad som behövs när man har en hästgård och avslutningsvis kör vi även "åsiktsmaskinen". Där diskuterar vi kandar, att rösta i valet och bränsleval på bilen.Ni hittar oss på Instagram: @systrarnaelfstrand @emmaelfstrand @annaelfstrand Vår TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elfstrands?_t=ZN-8wH0W5fzlPm&_r=1Vår Youtubekanal: https://www.youtube.com/user/EmmaElfstrandEftersnacksgruppen på Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2188017021356231Länk till vår merch: https://shirtpod.se/collections/systrarna-elfstrands-hastpodd/Systrarna-Elfstrands-H%C3%A4stpodd?fbclid=IwAR1tE0cWUz5YGnsO-FxwapBXitw_Cim-cC6mKU7zy3RT6HlBOrK3j3khFX4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy Westerheim er grunnlegger og CEO av den ideelle organisasjonen The Human Aspect, som siden 2016 har samlet digitale livshistorier fra over 100 land for å bryte stigma rundt psykisk helse. Som Ashoka Fellow siden 2022 og vert for den populære podkasten "Hverdagssyken", reflekterer Jimmy over å omdefinere utfordringer som en naturlig del av det menneskelige. Han deler åpent om sine egne selvmordstanker som 13-åring, traumer fra oppveksten, identitetskriser og veien gjennom kriser som ryggskade og arbeid i krigssoner.Vi dykker ned i nervesystemets rolle i psykisk helse, utfordringer i skolesystemet, likestilling, overstimulering fra digitale medier og hvordan community-bygging kan motvirke isolasjon. En episode full av innsikt om å utfordre subjektive sannheter, investere i forebygging og finne mening i endring – særlig relevant i dagens debatt om ungdoms psykiske helse og digital påvirkning.Trenger du noen å snakke med etter denne episoden kan du ringe Mental Helse på 116 123► DONASJONER* Vipps: Søk opp “Snakk med Silje” eller bruk vippsnummer: 806513* Bitcoin lightning adresse: psykologsilje@bb.no* PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LZBFC3PKM8ECA► SOME* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psykologsilje?igsh=MW84MDE0MWplc2FwbA==* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@psykologsilje?_t=8oc3HBC1r4z&_r=1* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psykologsilje* Twitter: https://x.com/Silje_Schevig► KAPITLER00:00 Intro03:21 Hvem er Jimmy Westerheim?04:22 Oppstart av The Human Aspect05:10 Identitetskrise etter ryggskade06:10 Traumer fra oppveksten og mobbing07:05 Selvmordsforsøk som 13-åring08:22 Idrett som redning og identitet10:16 Isolering og offerenergi11:07 Lyn fra klar himmel-selvmord12:15 Selvverd knyttet til prestasjoner13:02 Korthuset som raser14:04 Selvmordsstatistikk og myter15:44 Motivasjon gjennom Leger uten grenser16:42 Opplevelser i Afghanistan17:32 Bombing av sykehuset18:38 Krig som fienden19:14 Privilegium og fellesskap22:08 Oppstart av Human Aspect23:35 Hjelpetelefon25:15 Myter om irrasjonalitet i selvmord26:35 Tydelig kommunikasjon og fagpersoner27:52 Tunnelsyn i selvmordstanker28:51 Følelse av manglende verdi som barn29:09 Dualitet i maskulinitet og femininitet30:30 Pappa-relasjon og avvisning31:13 Stefar og familiedynamikk32:16 Avvisning fra bestefar33:16 Takknemlighet som påtvunget følelse34:13 Skam over følelser35:31 Krangling og følelse av byrde36:56 Logikk bak selvmordstanker37:31 Behov for å bli sett38:27 Råd til foreldre med slitende barn39:40 Utforsk overreaksjoner40:21 Unngå takknemlighetsnarrativ41:23 Tilbring tid med barnet42:27 Spør om observasjoner43:03 Barn har ikke overreaksjoner44:03 Utfordringer i elevsamtaler45:14 Uro, ADHD og traumer47:02 Mestringsstrategier uten diagnose49:25 Kosthold og aktivitet for uro50:02 Fokus på symptomer53:02 Medisiner som siste utvei53:55 Traumer vs. nevrodivergens56:08 Spektrum-tenkning57:11 Skam og offerrolle i diagnoser58:10 Forklaringer uten label59:13 Skolesystemets normativitet01:01:30 Nervesystem og overstimulering01:02:20 Serier og barns utvikling01:03:13 Pearl Harbor-eksempel01:03:32 Overlegen på nervesystemet01:04:04 Sympatisk vs. parasympatisk01:04:45 Energi vs. overbelastning01:05:17 Tillit til seg selv01:06:00 Utbrenthet hos unge01:06:33 Mobilforbud i skolen01:07:05 Polariserte debatter01:07:39 Likestilling og forskjeller01:11:36 Investering i forebygging01:15:17 Skole og barndomstraumer01:17:34 Hverdagspsyken-podkasten01:18:45 Digitalt som aktivator01:20:30 Kongress i Canada01:21:09 Digitalt vs. fysisk01:22:27 Inspirasjon fra andre kulturer01:23:16 Fellesskap og endring01:24:19 Ekokamre og uenighet01:27:16 Arbeidsledighet og uføre► REFERANSERThe Human Aspect: https://thehumanaspect.com/noHverdagssyken-podkast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5d7o2j0q1bZ1pK8iG0s0lB

VEM: Per AnderssonYRKE: Skådespelare/komikerAVSNITT: 716OM: Mannen bakom clownmasken, lusten efter allvarligare roller, att leva upp till sin offentliga persona, nattliga manuspass, tågfest med främlingar, bokmässans shotregn, kamikaze-revyn Kardborreshowen, introspektionens 2026, barnboken Det stora kakbraket, singellivet utan dejtingpanik, shotta rött, den ambivalenta rollen som vuxenbarns-pappa och givetvis en hel del när han beställde ”drinkar till alla” (310, för att vara exakt) utan att ha koll på barens egentliga storlek. SAMTALSLEDARE: Kristoffer TriumfPRODUCENT: Mattias ÅsénKONTAKT: varvet@triumf.se och Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laila kör drömtydning i studion med hjälp av AI, och Roger har fått nya uppdateringar om sin stulna klocka.

En dikt ska kasta ut honom på sitt livs äventyr genom 19 länder och förändra allt. Men i sista backen slutar bromsarna att fungera. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radios app. Reporter: Alice EdwardsProducent & ljuddesign: Gustav AsplundSlutmix: Krister Orreteg

Kan man driva sin släktforskning ända därhän att man ställer en annan människas liv på ända genom att komma med överraskande information? Det undrar Bo i veckans brev till Anna-Karin Wyndhamn. Inläsare: Staffan Dopping

Patrick skal bli pappa! David hater bussjåfører. Og aldri mer julemat, eller aldri mer julegaver? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul! Det blir tidernas mörkaste julspecial. Död, hämnd, hat, sjukdom. Så verkar kafferepetlyssnarna fira sina jular. Och nu får ni vara med! Har du ett skvaller som fler borde få höra? Maila det till kafferepetpod@gmail.comMissa inte vår månatliga systerpodd Cigarrummet. Bli prenumerant på www.underproduktion.se/cigarrummet6:45 - Picassos pappa14:45 - Hämnden är jul24:45 - Julfesten28:25 - En öl33:20 - Pappa gangster förstör julen39:15 - Den vise mannen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marcus berättar om en galen mördare i Umeå som Christoffers pappa har träffat, men Oknytt ringer upp Christoffers pappa för att få lite mera skvaller om Umedalens Mentalsjukhus och hur man behandlade patienterna. Tydligen gick man på djurpark med mördare.   Stöd Oknytt på Patreon för att öka kvalitén på avsnitten och ta del av bonusmaterial: https://www.patreon.com/oknytt Följ Oknytt på sociala medier!  Insta: @oknyttpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oknyttpod  Har du en berättelse du vill att vi ska ta upp? Maila den till: oknyttpod@gmail.com

Ekonomer hatar julen, men varför då? Repris från julen 2024 om världens tråkigaste ekonomiska teori. GOD JUL ALLA LYSSNARE!

Jessica och Frida Björnhems pappa hette Michael Björnhem (1961-2019) och hade Mickes Fisk i Tyresö Centrum. De berättar för Ann Sandin-Lindgren om sin pappa som levde för sina kunder först med egen fiskaffär bredvid Systemet och sedan inne på Coop innan han flyttade till Port 73. Numera jobbar de båda med fisk och delikatesser och Frida kan man idag träffa vid delikatess-disken på ICA Kvantum i Tyresö Centrum där man gör Mickes goda Tyresöröra. Intervjuer med Micke Björnhem: 2007 i Tyresö Centrum av Åke Sandin 2015 i Port 73 av Gunnel Agrell Lundgren

Zum Jahresende wagen wir einen persönlichen Rückblick aufs Jahr 2025 und sprechen dabei über Neu- und Wiederentdeckungen, besondere Kinoerlebnisse, die Arbeit der Labels und TV-Sender und teilen unsere cineastischen Wünsche fürs neue Jahr. Darüber hinaus gedenken wir Verstorbenen aus der Filmwelt, berichten über filmspezifische Reiseerlebnisse und klären offen gebliebene Fragen aus der zurückliegenden „Rückblende”-Staffel. Außerdem beantworten wir Hörerfrage und verraten, mit welchem Film es in der neuen Staffel weitergeht.Timecodes:00:03:10 Fazit zu ”The Running Man” (2025) im Vergleich zum 80er-Jahre-Film00:13:30 Persönlichkeiten, von denen wir 2025 Abschied nehmen mussten00:22:30 Cineastische Reiseerlebnisse in Frankreich, Portugal und Italien00:47:20 Das Jahr in Sachen DVD, Blu-ray, TV und Streaming01:09:00 Sonstige Neu- und Wiederentdeckungen01:25:30 Das zurückliegende Kinojahr 2025 inkl. Wiederaufführungen01:45:10 Hörerfragen01:48:20 Vorschau und VerabschiedungBericht aus Turin zur Austellung Angelo Frontoni:https://www.retroboost.de/2025/11/21/die-pop-ikonen-des-angelo-frontoni-posen-einer-epoche/ Filmbesprechung „Alle Mörder sind schon da”:https://www.retroboost.de/alle-moerder-sind-schon-da/Verweis auf Weihnachts- und winterkompatible Folgen: #07 Lethal Weapon - Zwei stahlharte Profis#11 Leichen pflastern seinen Weg#12 Die Feuerzangenbowle#21 Der rosarote Panther#29 Ein Herz und eine Krone#40 Loriot & Pappa ante portas#42 Im Geheimdienst Ihrer Majestät#53 Schöne Bescherung Kontakt: podcast(at)retroboost.de

Era bästa fars främsta feltänk. Den mörka historien om den rabiata tuppen. Pappan som sket i plånboken. När Hanna såg rakt in i sin pappa. Natasha Azarmi om livemusik-året 2025 och varför de stora artisterna väljer att spela i Sverige igen. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radios app. Programledare: Christopher Garplind & Hanna Hellquist

Hvordan fungerer veiledningstjenesten til Akan kompetansesenter? I denne episoden møter du to av rådgiverne våre som til daglig svarer på spørsmål som kommer inn på veiledningstelefonen. Du får svar på noen av de vanligste spørsmålene vi mottar fra arbeidslivet. Husk at du kan ringe veiledningstelefonen vår anonymt: 22 40 28 00. .

Peter, Glenn och Linus sätter sig ner med en honest to god filmpod, vi ska avhandla avsnitt 2 av Fem Plus-Klubben. Förra gången avhandlade vi 50-talsklassikern Rear Window, nu har vi kommit fram till Woody Allens romantiska komedi Annie Hall. Kan en komedi vara 5-plus, eller sätter tidens tand sitt bitmärke i humorns kött för fort? Går det att dela på verk och person? Är Annie Hall en perfekt film? Just ja, vi snackar lite spel också. Och vilken Wrapped man inte vill ha. Glenns problematiska pappa nämns. Ett avsnitt!

Vi er tilbake etter at.Niklas mistet faren sin, denne episoden handler om sorgen Episoden kan inneholde målrettet reklame, basert på din IP-adresse, enhet og posisjon. Se smartpod.no/personvern for informasjon og dine valg om deling av data.

HELLO & WELCOME BACK TO MOMENT OF SILENCE — aka the safest space to complain about family without your chachu finding out.This week we're diving into embarrassing relatives, jealous cousins, property feuds, toxic aunties, outfit policing, and all the generational drama that makes every Indian family feel like a full-time reality show.Fit from @cava_athleisure who get all our athleisure era It-Girl fits! Get our fits here: https://bit.ly/4qaTXZ9Comment below: Which relative would you pick to escape from — or survive a full day with?Chaptering:(00:00) – We're back & already stressed by our families(00:53) – Embarrassing relatives roll call (drop yours)(02:03) – CAVA time: It-Girl athleisure, premium fit, elite fabric(06:03) – Relatives policing your outfit(07:31) – Sindhi community… please stand up (Sakshi's nickname exposed)(09:35) – Pappa vs Papa: Choose your choice(11:00) – Jealousy olympics in Indian families(13:00) – Parents, grandparents & the great property wars(16:05) – Skipping family functions (identify your villain)(18:00) – Family fight or family swallow?(19:45) – French kiss at an Indian wedding… AND blocking relatives(25:00) – Why your presence gives your parents anxiety(26:58) – Joint family vs Nuclear family (battle royale)(28:58) – Therapy: the cheat code to surviving relatives(33:03) – Sakshi's iconic “sorry” tutorial(35:51) – Papa loans money to EVERYONE… except me(45:33) – Editing parents' will: Sushi inherits everything(47:11) – Game time: Pick Your Relative(51:11) – Website gossip corner(51:30) – Subscribe, babesAlso don't forget to visit our website- https://mos-pod.com/Password : mospod4evaAlso… consider this your gentle-but-not-really-gentle reminder to watch our first ever MOS Vlog- https://youtu.be/IBKqUmMtwy0Follow MoS on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/momentofsil...Credits:Naina Bhan - Co-host and certified overthinkerhttps://www.instagram.com/nainabee?ig...Sakshi Shivdasani - Co-host, balancing out Naina's overthinking with a healthy dose of not thinkinghttps://www.instagram.com/sakshishivd...Produced by Handmade - Our personal cheering squad https://www.instagram.com/thehandmade...Creative direction by Tinkre, Keeper of MoS' signature “Pookie” energy Natascha Mehrahttps://www.instagram.com/tinkre.in/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/natascha.zip/?hl=enResearched by our very own curiosity engineer - Aashna Sharma https://www.linkedin.com/in/aashna-sharma-913146179Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are for entertaining purposes only and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts, the production team, or affiliated brand. We don't claim to be experts- just two people with Wi-fi and feelings. While we encourage open dialogue, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information shared. Listener discretion is advised — especially if you're allergic to strong opinions.

Mail: likaolikapodden@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I det här avsnittet från 2021 språkar vi frejdigt om föräldrars roll i samband med arbetsmarknaden. Vilken roll har staten i att landets befolkningsmängd inte krymper ihop till ingenting, och vad har man historiskt försökt göra för att underlätta situationen för familjerna? Här omformas torra paragrafer till blöta blöjor, häng med!För att lyssna reklamfritt och med månatligt extraavsnitt - bli en Grimbergs utvald för 36 kr/månadenhttps://historiepodden.supercast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining the League Of Comic Geeks social network is talked about, then we go into books we found by accident. Life is full of surprises. DOWNLOAD Pappa, Created And Written By Phillip Russertt.Cover By Ricardo Silva And Febri Ferdian. Pappa … Continue reading →

På fars dag pratar vi om livet som pappa. Det kan vara omtumlande att få barn, många känslor, frågor och kanske minnen av ens egen far väcks. Om hur det är att vara pappa. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Att vänta och få barn är en process där det nog ofta är mammorna som hamnar i fokus. Men det är ju såklart en process även för pappor och nu undrar vi hur det varit för dig att bli - och vara - pappa.Ett liv med barn rymmer mycket kärlek och närhet, rädsla och osäkerhet. Klarar jag det här, hur gör jag och vem är jag själv förutom att vara pappa? Hur blir relationen till mamman? Eller är du kanske ihop med en kille så att ni är två pappor?Ring oss och berätta om ditt liv som pappa, om vilka känslor som dyker upp, om vad det ger dig att ha barn och kanske också om hur relationen till din egen far påverkats av att du själv blivit pappa.Programledare: Li SkarinProducent: Helene AlmqvistTelefonnumret är 020-22 10 30! Det går också bra att skriva till oss på våra sociala medier eller mejla till karlavagnen@sverigesradio.se. Slussen öppnar som vanligt kl 21:00 och programmet börjar 21:40.

Vad hade du gjort om det av någon anledning plötsligt kom massa läskiga barn till ditt hem och krävde godis? Eller om din fader blivit gravt beroende av memes och brainrot? Skicka in era frågor till oss på Instagram, så kanske de kommer med i framtida avsnitt!

Avsnitt 299 är här och vi har varit på Jönköping Horse Show i helgen! Det blev full rulle med jobb, både poddinspelningar och foderseminarium. Pappa har i vanligt ordning lagt några fina citat den senaste tiden, Anna och Gina har varit på Pay and ride och vi pratar om dressyrens utveckling de senaste 10 åren.Ni hittar oss på Instagram: @systrarnaelfstrand @emmaelfstrand @annaelfstrand Vår TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elfstrands?_t=ZN-8wH0W5fzlPm&_r=1Vår Youtubekanal: https://www.youtube.com/user/EmmaElfstrandEftersnacksgruppen på Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2188017021356231Länk till vår merch: https://shirtpod.se/collections/systrarna-elfstrands-hastpodd/Systrarna-Elfstrands-H%C3%A4stpodd?fbclid=IwAR1tE0cWUz5YGnsO-FxwapBXitw_Cim-cC6mKU7zy3RT6HlBOrK3j3khFX4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

När Pia är 9 år flyttar pappan och hennes syster ut. Hon får reda på att den som varit hennes far inte är det. Nu börjar ett 50 år långt sökande. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Har du avslöjat en familjehemlighet som förändrat ditt liv? Hör då av dig till programmet och Gunilla Nordlund så kan din berättelse bli ett nytt avsnitt av serien. Maila till familjehemligheten@sverigesradio.seProducent för serien är Ola Hemström. Programmet är gjort 2025.

De tre musikalälskande, visualnovel-dyrkande och seriebokslukande musketörerna möts igen: podd med Anna, Pajlen och Siri levereras denna vecka!

Äntligen ett riktigt El Clásico! Finfina Jude Bellingham! Pissluffaren Vinicius Junior! Psychot Mikkjal Thomassen! Slutsnackat, Arne Slot!

Kan du inte vänta tills måndag eller torsdag? Vill du ställa en lyssnarfråga? Gå in på Instagram och följ Ellinor och Melina på:@melina.criborn@ellinorlofgrenProduceras av More Than Words Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even more than comfort food, music is food for the soul. Credits : “Pappa col pomodoro” by N. Rota / L. Wertmüller (1964)  -  “A çimma” by F. De André (1990)  -  “Gelato al limon” by P. Conte (1979)  -   “Rossetto e cioccolato” by R. Pacco / O. Avogadro / O. Vanoni (1995)Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pillole-di-italiano--4214375/support.

Inläst: En dag fick författaren Nina Wähä veta att hennes pappa hade rånat en bank. Som vuxen närmar hon sig honom via gamla polisförhör. Och till sin förvåning ser hon hur vissa av hans drag går igen hos henne själv.

Pappa har fem barn med fem olika kvinnor.

In this special Side Talk episode of the Say What Again Billy? Podcast, Billy is joined by his father for a heartfelt conversation about the origins of his paranormal journey. Together, they revisit the night in 1995 when their family witnessed a UFO over Janelle's Towers in the Bronx — the moment that turned Billy into a believer.They share stories of family trips to haunted hotspots like Gettysburg and Salem, and Billy's father recounts first-hand experiences standing side-by-side with him during investigations. The two open up about their personal beliefs in the supernatural in this one-of-a-kind father-and-son episode you won't want to miss.

Hör hela avsnittet som prenumerant. underproduktion.se/dellamonde

Pappa Rodger and Kohberger: How Pappa Rodger Mirrored Kohberger's Survey Questions (And EVERYTHING Else!) If Segment 1 introduced the Pappa Rodger mystery, Segment 2 takes us straight into the details that make it impossible to ignore. The most unsettling? Pappa Rodger's prediction about a knife sheath before it was ever public knowledge. That wasn't a casual guess. That was either inside information or a voice speaking with terrifying precision. In this segment, Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer break down the eerie overlaps between Pappa Rodger's online posts and Kohberger's criminology work. The survey questions, the fixation on entry points, the obsession with why this house was chosen — the parallels are chilling. Even down to specific vocabulary. Coffindaffer highlights how Pappa Rodger used the word “dolt” — a term uncommon enough to feel like a signature, and one that mirrors the academic arrogance Kohberger displayed in real life. And then came the confusion: Pappa Rodger disappearing from one group, only for a “copycat” with the same profile picture to appear. Was that Kohberger trying to cover his tracks, or someone else hijacking the persona? The ambiguity has fueled speculation for years. Law enforcement says it wasn't him. But then why do the words sound like his? Why does the timeline match his behavior? Why do his online arguments mirror how he treated students, professors, and acquaintances in person? This segment digs into the forensic linguistics, the digital breadcrumbs, and the bizarre coincidences that make Pappa Rodger one of the most enduring mysteries in the Kohberger case. If it wasn't him, then someone out there was haunting these forums with uncanny knowledge. And that may be the scariest possibility of all. Hashtags: #PappaRodger #IdahoMurders #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #JenniferCoffindaffer #KnifeSheath #ForensicLinguistics #TrueCrimeAnalysis #Idaho4 #CrimeCommunity #CopycatKiller #TrueCrimePodcast Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Pappa Rodger and Kohberger: How Pappa Rodger Mirrored Kohberger's Survey Questions (And EVERYTHING Else!)  If Segment 1 introduced the Pappa Rodger mystery, Segment 2 takes us straight into the details that make it impossible to ignore. The most unsettling? Pappa Rodger's prediction about a knife sheath before it was ever public knowledge. That wasn't a casual guess. That was either inside information or a voice speaking with terrifying precision. In this segment, Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer break down the eerie overlaps between Pappa Rodger's online posts and Kohberger's criminology work. The survey questions, the fixation on entry points, the obsession with why this house was chosen — the parallels are chilling. Even down to specific vocabulary. Coffindaffer highlights how Pappa Rodger used the word “dolt” — a term uncommon enough to feel like a signature, and one that mirrors the academic arrogance Kohberger displayed in real life. And then came the confusion: Pappa Rodger disappearing from one group, only for a “copycat” with the same profile picture to appear. Was that Kohberger trying to cover his tracks, or someone else hijacking the persona? The ambiguity has fueled speculation for years. Law enforcement says it wasn't him. But then why do the words sound like his? Why does the timeline match his behavior? Why do his online arguments mirror how he treated students, professors, and acquaintances in person? This segment digs into the forensic linguistics, the digital breadcrumbs, and the bizarre coincidences that make Pappa Rodger one of the most enduring mysteries in the Kohberger case. If it wasn't him, then someone out there was haunting these forums with uncanny knowledge. And that may be the scariest possibility of all. Hashtags:  #PappaRodger #IdahoMurders #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #JenniferCoffindaffer #KnifeSheath #ForensicLinguistics #TrueCrimeAnalysis #Idaho4 #CrimeCommunity #CopycatKiller #TrueCrimePodcast Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?  Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Pappa Rodger and Kohberger: How Pappa Rodger Mirrored Kohberger's Survey Questions (And EVERYTHING Else!) If Segment 1 introduced the Pappa Rodger mystery, Segment 2 takes us straight into the details that make it impossible to ignore. The most unsettling? Pappa Rodger's prediction about a knife sheath before it was ever public knowledge. That wasn't a casual guess. That was either inside information or a voice speaking with terrifying precision. In this segment, Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer break down the eerie overlaps between Pappa Rodger's online posts and Kohberger's criminology work. The survey questions, the fixation on entry points, the obsession with why this house was chosen — the parallels are chilling. Even down to specific vocabulary. Coffindaffer highlights how Pappa Rodger used the word “dolt” — a term uncommon enough to feel like a signature, and one that mirrors the academic arrogance Kohberger displayed in real life. And then came the confusion: Pappa Rodger disappearing from one group, only for a “copycat” with the same profile picture to appear. Was that Kohberger trying to cover his tracks, or someone else hijacking the persona? The ambiguity has fueled speculation for years. Law enforcement says it wasn't him. But then why do the words sound like his? Why does the timeline match his behavior? Why do his online arguments mirror how he treated students, professors, and acquaintances in person? This segment digs into the forensic linguistics, the digital breadcrumbs, and the bizarre coincidences that make Pappa Rodger one of the most enduring mysteries in the Kohberger case. If it wasn't him, then someone out there was haunting these forums with uncanny knowledge. And that may be the scariest possibility of all. Hashtags: #PappaRodger #IdahoMurders #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #JenniferCoffindaffer #KnifeSheath #ForensicLinguistics #TrueCrimeAnalysis #Idaho4 #CrimeCommunity #CopycatKiller #TrueCrimePodcast Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

EXPOSING NEW Pappa Rodger Clues About Kohberger With Ret FBI Jennifer Coffindaffer The Idaho murders case has a digital ghost haunting it — an online persona known as Pappa Rodger. From the moment the crime shocked the nation, this mysterious account was posting eerily accurate predictions. The sheath, the weapon, even the patterns of behavior — it was all there before the public knew. And the question has never gone away: was Pappa Rodger really Bryan Kohberger? Law enforcement has insisted the answer is no. They claim after a “deep dive,” the account was ruled out. But retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer isn't quick to close that book. In this conversation with Tony Brueski, she digs into the contradictions: the combative tone, the obsessive need to prove superiority, the survey-like questions that echoed Kohberger's criminology work. VPNs and masked IPs make it nearly impossible to prove definitively. So should we really take “not him” at face value? The overlap is unnerving. Too precise to be coincidence, too familiar to ignore. If Pappa Rodger wasn't Kohberger, then who was it? Someone with an uncanny insight into the murders? A lucky guesser? Or another figure entirely with access to information they shouldn't have had? This isn't just about one case. It's about the way anonymity online can blur into real-world horror. Pappa Rodger may be gone, but the mystery lingers. And until the evidence is made public, we're left asking: how do you ever really prove a digital ghost isn't who you think it is? Hashtags: #Pappa Rodger #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #JenniferCoffindaffer #Idaho4 #TrueCrimePodcast #CrimeAnalysis #KnifeSheath #Pappa RodgerExposed #TrueCrimeCommunity #FBI Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

EXPOSING NEW Pappa Rodger Clues About Kohberger With Ret FBI Jennifer Coffindaffer The Idaho murders case has a digital ghost haunting it — an online persona known as Pappa Rodger. From the moment the crime shocked the nation, this mysterious account was posting eerily accurate predictions. The sheath, the weapon, even the patterns of behavior — it was all there before the public knew. And the question has never gone away: was Pappa Rodger really Bryan Kohberger? Law enforcement has insisted the answer is no. They claim after a “deep dive,” the account was ruled out. But retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer isn't quick to close that book. In this conversation with Tony Brueski, she digs into the contradictions: the combative tone, the obsessive need to prove superiority, the survey-like questions that echoed Kohberger's criminology work. VPNs and masked IPs make it nearly impossible to prove definitively. So should we really take “not him” at face value? The overlap is unnerving. Too precise to be coincidence, too familiar to ignore. If Pappa Rodger wasn't Kohberger, then who was it? Someone with an uncanny insight into the murders? A lucky guesser? Or another figure entirely with access to information they shouldn't have had? This isn't just about one case. It's about the way anonymity online can blur into real-world horror. Pappa Rodger may be gone, but the mystery lingers. And until the evidence is made public, we're left asking: how do you ever really prove a digital ghost isn't who you think it is? Hashtags: #Pappa Rodger #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #JenniferCoffindaffer #Idaho4 #TrueCrimePodcast #CrimeAnalysis #KnifeSheath #Pappa RodgerExposed #TrueCrimeCommunity #FBI Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

EXPOSING NEW Pappa Rodger Clues About Kohberger With Ret FBI Jennifer Coffindaffer The Idaho murders case has a digital ghost haunting it — an online persona known as Pappa Rodger. From the moment the crime shocked the nation, this mysterious account was posting eerily accurate predictions. The sheath, the weapon, even the patterns of behavior — it was all there before the public knew. And the question has never gone away: was Pappa Rodger really Bryan Kohberger? Law enforcement has insisted the answer is no. They claim after a “deep dive,” the account was ruled out. But retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer isn't quick to close that book. In this conversation with Tony Brueski, she digs into the contradictions: the combative tone, the obsessive need to prove superiority, the survey-like questions that echoed Kohberger's criminology work. VPNs and masked IPs make it nearly impossible to prove definitively. So should we really take “not him” at face value? The overlap is unnerving. Too precise to be coincidence, too familiar to ignore. If Pappa Rodger wasn't Kohberger, then who was it? Someone with an uncanny insight into the murders? A lucky guesser? Or another figure entirely with access to information they shouldn't have had? This isn't just about one case. It's about the way anonymity online can blur into real-world horror. Pappa Rodger may be gone, but the mystery lingers. And until the evidence is made public, we're left asking: how do you ever really prove a digital ghost isn't who you think it is? Hashtags: #Pappa Rodger #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #JenniferCoffindaffer #Idaho4 #TrueCrimePodcast #CrimeAnalysis #KnifeSheath #Pappa RodgerExposed #TrueCrimeCommunity #FBI Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Domen mot Biancas stalker har äntligen kommit. Känslan av lättnad sprider sig över Casa Pinja. Vi lär oss nya ord, som Skibidi, Tradwife och Delulu. Sofia funderar på att operera ETT bröst och Pernilla överväger att bli Tik-tok stjärna. Vi pratar pm Pappa-skottning och Mamma-letning. Könsroller som är svåra att rucka på. Och vad hände egentligen med Sofias lamm Emma och kaninen Stampe? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parent Corner är här! I veckans Livsrådet svarar vi på en fråga från en lyssnare vars 3-åring verkar ogilla sin pappa. Vilket i sin tur har blivit en ond spiral då pappan tar det personligt och drar sig undan. Hur ska lyssnaren lösa situationen? Som två farsor med fem barn mellan oss har vi självklart svaret! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Många i Sverige oroliga för släkten i Gaza / Sverige sämst i Norden på hbtqi-rättigheter / Pappa får hjälp av dotter att hitta ett rockband Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Reportrar Jenny Pejler och Nina Muossa.

On this episode of First Date, Lauren sits down with comedian Yannis Pappas to talk about: - Why jerking off might be the key to a successful marriage