Will sue to avoid goblins

Håkon Robertsen has refused to tear down a condemned barn for fear of reprisals from 'little people' and is ready to sue local authorities to protect the building.

Robertsen continues to resist a local order to tear down the derelict structure, and is currently being fined NOK 300 (USD 47.50) a day until he flattens the barn. Local authorities first ordered the barn demolished in February 2005 after complaints from Robertsen's neighbors and a new order was passed this autumn.

Robertsen fears the consequences of tearing the building down.

"I don't believe in ghosts, but underworld creatures have taken up residence in the building," Robertsen told newspaper Nordlys, referring to a term used for the fairies and goblins of Norwegian folklore.

Robertsen would not go into detail about his experiences, but said he was convinced that to comply with the order would have serious consequences for his life and health.

"A while back I removed the top of the building and that is an experience I will not repeat," he said, and points out that the barn is built on an old Viking site.

Okay, I'm feeling all efficient this morning.

I took 6 bags of clothes to goodwill and dropped a package at the post office.

GO TEAM ME. Now I think I'll make a grilled cheese sammich.

Yay, for Jessica! Yay for brenda! Yay for efficient Kat!

And, um, yay for me too, since not only have I started my diet this week, but I started working out last night! Just 10 minutes of arm/floor work and walking in place, but I did it again this morning.

Go team me, too!!

We don't get Columbus Day off working with Native American kids, 'cause, duh. Kind of a loss, that one.

Emmett's pre-school celebrated Indigenous Persons Day on Columbus Day. This is a not-uncommon trick out here in Northern California.

Go you, Kathy!!

Now I'm looking at my holiday calendar, and I hate when July 4th is on a weekday! It's lame that the main celebration of the holiday happens at night, but then you have to work the next day. LAME, I say!

At least one school in my neighbourhood celebrates a before-Columbus day instead.

They're giving us two days for July 4 (both Wednesday and Thursday, the 5th), so most of the company will probably be adding Friday the 6th to that as well.

Canadian Thanksgiving, people. Multiculturalism without all the scary new traditions.

We Canadians don't have any holidays between New Year's and Easter, so I would very much like to appropriate your MLK day and your President's Day for myself. You can totally observe our Canadian thanksgiving.

I've got MLK day off, and for the weekend I am going up to a house Northern Vermont to an annual event a friend of a friend has called "Baconfest". No, I'm not kidding.

However, I will be coming back Sunday early because (a) I want a night where I don't have to be up the next day, (b) to beat the craptastic weather we're supposed to get Sunday into Monday and (c) hopefully watch the Pats beat the Chargers and advance to the next round of playoffs (otherwise I'll watch the Chargers advance which won't be AS fun, but I can kinda root for them too).