Work nightmare

My part-time return to work has been nothing short of a disaster and today it reached a new low. My boss called me into his office to discuss my work hours from February on and as I was already there he let me know that 2 people had complained about me being rude to them. He now wanted me to think about this for a week and then, at another meeting, present to him and our administrative supervisor in which way I intended to change my behaviour and how I would achieve that change. He really felt that this was important and if it "couldn't be solved to his liking" he would need to involve the union, the employer's association and a bunch of other people and then things would get really unpleasant. When I asked why the people I offended did not talk to me first (or why he did not suggest that) I was told that they were (probably) afraid of me.

I was stunned. Honestly stunned. I have no clue what he is talking about. He also would not give me any further info, not who I had insulted or in which way I had insulted them. I mean, you'd think that if they go to the boss with their complaint it must have been something serious, right? Shouldn't I remember that? I don't understand anything. I work 2 days a week and have so much to do that I more often than not do not even manage to eat lunch, leave alone take the time to talk to a lot of people. How did I supposedly manage to offend not only one, but two people to a degree that they would complain about me? I don't know what to say. Not now and probably also not next week. What am I supposed to apologize for? Which behaviour am I supposed to change? If you understand it, please explain, because I just don't.

Over time I have heard the most from my boss:

- that as a mother I am no longer a "real", "full" employee (because as a mother you work less hours and have to stay home with the kids when they are sick)
- that from an employer's point of view the 2 days a week I work at the moment are nothing
- that I ruin the working atmosphere for the whole department by being negative (he told me everyone suffered because of my bad attitude but it turns out that "everyone" had not noticed anything like that and didn't agree)
- that he did not want to use my pregnancy hormones as an excuse for my behaviour anymore (I am just as clueless about that comment).

And now this.

I think he is working really hard to get rid of me. Maybe that is what he really wants to hear from me next Wednesday. There is just so many good reasons not to want me around anymore: I am one of the top earners among the assistants, because I have been there longer than most of them. I am not interesting to him as an employee anymore (THAT I understood clearly!). I cause extra work by (shamelessly!) demanding a correct calculation of my vacation days and pay and turning to the union for help if necessary. Why put up with that when you can get someone fresh and young without "obligations" (= children) for less? He himself does not need to train those people, so what does he care?

Maybe you think I am delusional. Or senile. Or unfriendly so often that I don't even realize it anymore. But I am not. I talked to some people and the reaction was disbelief. Some also made a dismissing hand motion or said right out that it was very well possible that there hadn't actually been a complaint or at least no direct complaints about me the way he claimed. That's how much people like and trust him.

I don't know what the truth is. What I can say is that I honestly don't know what I did and to whom. Don't I have a right to know that if they make such accusations?

I have seen how it went for others who had children while being employed by my company and I don't want that for myself. I so deeply regret ever having returned to work. In the last 3 months I have apparently turned from an efficient model employee into an abusive, offensive monster that is out to crush everyone's soul. All that while doing 3 days worth of work in 2 days at the same time.

I take solace in the fact that for each person he says complained about me I can easily find 3 people that will gladly confirm that I am a friendly, fun and helpful colleague. But that's not really what this is about anyway. He does not care.
Well, I will take the time I have until the next meeting to think about if I really should return to work before "Player 2" is born. I honestly just want to stay home and enjoy my time with Pontus (which I should have done from the beginning) and later with the two of them. And MUCH later, when "Player 2" is old enough to go to Kindergarten, I can look for a new job to return to.

But why does it have to be like that?

Player 2

Yesterday we had an ultrasound to thoroughly check "Player 2" (yes, we are computer nerds). Just like Pontus this is a very active baby, constantly spinning, kicking and waving. That did not make it easy to examine "Player 2" - and downright impossible to find out whether we're expecting a boy or a girl. We'll just have to stick with calling the baby "Player 2" for the moment. Everything looks fine though and that's all that really matters, isn't it?



The estimated date of birth has been moved forward to May 4th, 2009, which means I am now in week 19 and almost halfway through the pregnancy. Everything seems to go a lot faster this time than it did with Pontus...

Passion for paint

Last weekend we FINALLY finished the work on Pontus' room that has been a total ruin for as long as we (and he) have lived here. Well, when we moved in it was actually a decent looking room with shabby wallpaper. In a first eager and motivated effort we tore down the wallpaper (more or less), just to never continue. Especially after Pontus' birth the work came to a complete stop.

For several months our son has been sleeping in a room that makes Saddam's bunker look like a 5-star hotel and now that he is getting older we were afraid he would notice and felt ashamed. Ashamed enough to finally get on with it.

New wallpaper and a fabulous paint job later Pontus now has a room that he can show off to his little friends. Okay, so there are no toys or decorations or even a lamp (unless you are one of those people who call a single lonely lightbulb dangling from the ceiling a "lamp"), but hey, you can't have everything at once. We're getting there. Slowly. He won't have to wait for another year though, I promise.

Usually our home improvement projects follow a strict pattern: I find something I don't like, I communicate how I want things to be, I nag until the work gets done and then I critically evaluate the result, while my husband does all the actual work. But this time I actually did some of the work myself. Real hands-on manual labour - I helped paint the room. And it turns out that I have a secret fetish for painting walls (like Muddiz has a secret fetish for tucking Björn Gustafsson in at night)! It is so calming, so "wax on, wax off" (no, this is not the paint fumes talking). Evenly covering a surface with a layer of paint requires Ordnung and accuracy and attention to detail - in short: me. I have found my true DIY calling!

I'm dreaming of a pink Christmas

With December quickly approaching I am now busy putting together everything I need for the perfect pink Christmas.

What I already have:

- a large, hot pink Christmas tree (210 cm)



- another, smaller Christmas tree (60 cm)



- 2 adventsljusstaker (traditional Swedish advent lights you put in the window)



- some Christmas tree decorations from last year, including a wonderfully tacky glittery white bird with feathers and sequins that I got from one of my colleagues

What I still need:

- many more wonderfully tacky Christmas tree decorations, such as these:



- an adventsstjärna (another traditional Swedish Christmas lamp you hang in the window)



- yet one more pink Christmas tree, this one even smaller than the ones I already own and made of feathers



I am sure that there's more. There's always more.
Pink is the new Christmas!

Babushka lamp

I saw this lamp in a magazine yesterday. My wishlist just keeps getting longer...

Meaty specialties

There is so much delicious German food that I can not get here in Sweden, especially various meat products.

Just take a look at these wonderful Mettbrötchen, for example:



Mmmmmh, Mettbrötchen...
For those wondering: Mett is raw minced pork meat. Yes, I said "raw", as in "fresh off the animal". Put it on a crisp roll, some fresh onion rings on top, maybe a hint of paprika and get in touch with your inner carnivore. It's pure meaty goodness.

I would also do just about anything to get my hands on some decent Bratwurst:



Dear people of Sweden, this is what real Bratwurst looks like and you might find that it does not resemble those pityful excuses for a sausage that you call Bratwurst at all. Real Bratwurst does not contain finely ground meat, it is chunky. And savoury. It does not taste like a miniature-sized falukorv. Oh, how I feel for all of you who will never know the difference...

Is there a way to improve the tasty dream that is the Bratwurst? Why, yes there is. Meet the Currywurst!



It is a Bratwurst in a tomato-curry sauce, usually served with fries and some mayonnaise on the side. Finding a place that makes really good Currywurst can be difficult. A lot of people make it easy for themselves by just using plain tomato sauce and putting some curry powder on top (and sometimes not even that), but a real Currywurst has to have a warm curry ketchup sauce. And mayonnaise to go with the fries of course. Hey, if you are already eating a Currywurst you can't be too concerned with your weight or health anyway.

Is it all meat, you ask? Do we live on pork alone? Well no, we eat lots of candy too, especially around Christmas. And I already have a whole long list waiting for you...

First snow of 2008

This is probably not the most spectacular news to end my month-long blog abstinence, but, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you:

The first snow of 2008!



In November, that's right. Welcome to Sweden!

Kindergarten

Much earlier than expected we received a letter that Pontus will get a place in the kindergarten of our choice from beginning of December. We had applied very early because we thought that there was no way we would get a place right in time for his first birthday (which is the required minimum age to attend Kindergarten here), but they did the impossible. My husband had wanted to stay home with Pontus in December and January so we will have to discuss what we are going to do now: take the place but maybe only have him there for a little while every day or ask to be assigned another place later on.

I own a what?

If I wrote a post every time I find something in our household that I did not know we had or rediscover something that we haven't used for years in some dark corner, this blog would be one of the most updated worldwide. I seriously can't believe what kind of and especially how many things we have bought over the years. Whatever their original purpose was, their only function now is collecting dust.

There is, for example, the lint remover (noppborttagare) I discovered in a box in our walk-in closet. Why ever do we have a lint remover? For the many wool sweaters we don't own?



Another great example for a machine that is just too useful to ever actually be used is our hot dog maker. Yes, we own a hot dog maker. And it was me who bought it, when I was still living in Germany. For some reason the idea of buying a machine that would heat the sausages and the hot dog buns at the same time made perfect sense, even though I never liked hot dogs. The hot dog maker now is my husband's favourite. Not to make hot dogs, no - just to laugh about it and the fact that it was ME who bought the thing.


I could continue with this list for a very long time, but I must go now. I have to remove some lint and eat a hot dog or two. Why? Because I can!

Flavour combinations

I cooked potatoe soup today, but when it was time to eat the mere thought of it (especially in combination with the word "chunky") made me sick to my stomach, so the whole big bowl is now standing in our fridge. Instead I got the idea that I wanted to eat cucumber sallad with dill, like my grandmother used to make it. And Kellogg's Smacks. Unfortunately my husband had never heard of Kellogg's Smacks and some research on the internet showed that they are not sold in Sweden. Obviously, without the Kellogg's Smacks I didn't want the cucumber sallad anymore either. I mean, who would eat cucumber sallad without Kellogg's Smacks on the side? Seriously.
One less nightly trip to the supermarket for my husband...