all men on 42 main

Here at the Nordberg household the absence of the matriarch is really being felt by all of the inhabitants. All of the rooms are filled with dirty clothes, draped over chairs, dangling from dresser draws, and piling high to obscure the floor. I know some of the men made a special trip up to the mall to purchase some socks and boxers to sustain themselves for another week. I just want to warn the reader at this point...some of the details and imagery to follow may not be suitable for those that pride themselves on keeping an orderly household. The shock and disbelief of the disparaging conditions created by an all male household may bring you to a dark place that you have never been to, nor ever imagined you would go. So please...continue at your own risk, for some of these things will make you question everything you were raised to believe. Your fragile and naive mindset may be destroyed...reduced to confusing pieces of what you once regarded as the home. Apart from the worn clothes strewn around the house, there is also the situation in the kitchen. At this point, all of the plates, cups, glasses, and bowls have been used. The china cabinet has been raided and of the contents exhausted. Every substitute for a plate has been exploited...be it a saucer plate, frying pan, skillet, butter tray, tupper ware, or serving platter. The other morning I used my mother's mixing bowl to eat my cereal. At the point when we were drinking out of vases and eating cereal out of old coffee cans, we all looked at each other and commented that this was unacceptable. When we held a meeting to discuss some solutions to our problems, an anonymous vote went up that we go to BJs and purchase plates and cups...the bare essentials to get us through a couple more days. Now, we are nearing the end of that reserve and are completely at a lose as to what the next step should be. The food condition is no better. After all of the left overs had been eaten, we turned our attention to the cookies and ice cream that remained from the holiday season. Cereal was our main staple, but we had to start eating it with water. Now that the main rations have been used up, we are getting pretty creative. This morning I had some almond chips complemented with some peanut butter. I think that tonight I may finish off the ketchup, mustard, and chocolate sauce as a combination on the last of the bread. As you can see, conditions here are pretty dim. Though some of the men's spirits are still pretty high, I know that we are approaching a desperate time. Daily we longingly gaze out of the window for the return of Mother...for only she can save the family from the certain havoc that will soon take over.

Hello Out There

Okay...well, I am back now and excited to start blogging again. As you all know, I went through a bit of a hiatus...a respite if you will...from my blog page. With some well deserved rest and a new year upon us, I feel refreshed and ready to go again. I feel a renewed sense of purpose and direction for my blog page. I feel alive with zeal for my blogger...perhaps a sensation my month-long sabbatical brought about. There is a certain 'je ne sais quoi' about me now. Now, this sabbatical I speak of did not consist of me just sitting on the couch watching Oprah and eating bon bons...no; it was filled with much more than that. I experienced NYC again--an event that never gets old. I enjoyed great times with my family. We got to watch an NHL game, clap and stomp along to STOMP, experience the Rockettes, bump elbows with the city commuters on the subway, shop along 5th Avenue, and many other fantastic things that would demand volumes to describe. From NYC it was off to Santa Fe for me. I landed in ABQ on Monday January 2nd and the wedding week festivities began. My great friend Oliver from Wheaton was getting married and I was standing as a grooms man. Quite an honor for me. A little background to this friendship: Oliver and I lived on the same floor of the Fisher and MacEvans dormitories for the first three years at Wheaton. The fourth year we bunked in together in an off-campus apartment. We also played ice hockey and roller hockey together during the four years of college. Oliver is pictured with his now wife Summer above. Anyone in attendance at my sister's wedding will certainly meet this fine chap...along with a number of other Wheaton fellows. Should be a great time...my Wheaton side clashes with my Upstate NY side. I believe I have three other pictures to address. There are two of Ethan. In one, he is showing off his talent for the violin. In the second one, he is photographed just prior to being swept away by the crowd in Rockefeller Center. Notice the fabulously large Christmas tree in the background! The final picture is of me and two other grooms men for Oliver's wedding. I believe this is part of the reception. Anyway...great times over the break. I am excited to be back. I am always open to comments and suggestions of how to improve my blog page. Until the next time...