Days before christmas

As always, or even more so, days are flying past. Helene and I are enjoying the holidays and each other's company, though also spending a lot of time with my friends over here. As you can read below...

Saguaro on campus

So last time I left you Saturday night, where we cooked at home, just for us for once. Sunday morning we had agreed to meet early with Theo to go grocery shopping in Traderjoe's, mainly to show Helene another kind of supermarket, and of course, not least, to by hummus. :D In the afternoon we went for a nice walk around campus, and got some great pictures (see the December link in the menu to the right.) I had invited a bunch of friends over for dinner, and we ended up being 7 as my flat mate Ying and her friend also joined. So we had a nice meal with a mix of my Hungarian/Greek/Danish meet-stuff and Ying's Chinese. In the end we we're only Nik, Ying, Helene, and myself left around the table, and we started playing Taboo - great fun! Oh, and I shouldn't forget to mention the stupid fish, which we took care of for Jesus. Not his fish, but since he was taking care of it for a friend but himself was away for the weekend, we hosted it for a few days. Let me just say that I am not considering getting one for myself...

Monday afternoon we went into a cookie cooking frenzy, yielding a very large amount of really great cookies! And again a lot of fun in the cookie factory, with Helene and I knowing how to divide the work from years of experience, and Ying enjoying using the cookie cutters in the dough! Uhm... So good!

In the evening we had Susan and Aizhan over for Mousakka, which Helene cooked while I tried not to be too much in the way. Not too much luck with that - or well, the dish was great, but I was very much in the way. Regardless, we had yet another cosy night. (Btw: Great to have pictures from all these days, otherwise I would have completely forgotten what we have been up to!

The Cathedral

Oooook so then it was Tuesday December 21st. During the afternoon we borrowed Jesus's bike and went for a ride around the city. Areas that I have never seen before, really nice actually! And the weather was great - it hasn't been too convincing the last days actually. Some winter thing, though apparently it is actually a warmer winter than what they are used to down here. Aaaaanyway. Great bike trip, then home for some work out and a nap (yeah, thats what we do when there are otherwise gaps in my stories. At night we usually watch movies online). Tuesday night I've come to learn is wing night, so again like last week we went with Jesus to Wings over Broadway. This time I was better able to order an appropriate amount of food, and didn't leave the place rolling like a ball.

Wednesday was a rainy day, and we decided to spend it in Tucson Mall. We arrived 11.30 after a 30 mins bus ride, where we as always had the pleasure of getting a close-up of Tucson's lower part of the community. Nothing too unpleasant though. Had some nice hours checking out the shops, and got a nice lunch in the food court. Greek. Helene didn't buy anything, but I came home with a few nice things; a blue long sleeved t-shirt, a nice wrought iron thingy for jewelry, aaaaaand... A new pair of relaxing pants, since my old ones were practically loosing a leg.

Somehow, Wednesday night we we're almost out of christmas cookies, so we decided to make another batch. Also cooking a Danish dish for dinner (frikadeller) including some special cabbage (rødkål) Helene brought over, made me very happy! :D

Desert Museum

Thursday we had agreed with my professor Ernie to go to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is apparently the biggest attraction around Tucson. I had waited to go there till the weather cooled down, and at that point I figured I might as well go with Helene. :) The drive there took us through the Saguaro National Park, and was an incredible sight - huge cacti as long as the eye can reach, and in no way capturable with my camera. In the museum with Ernie as our personal guide we had a great tour around the area - a combined zoo and botanical garden, with only local species. Very fascinating! Note on the picture Helene's hat, which she borrowed from Ernie, but ended up keeping. :)

Dinner that night was in the Guadalajara Grill with Jesus guiding our choices from the Mexican menu! Great dinner, with our HUUUGE margaritas probably affecting the atmosphere a bit! ;)