The Guide to Success

Great achievements never came at a low cost. What might seem like an easy win, is really the fruit of hours of dedication, hard work and determination. Or if you prefer without the marketing jargong; trying, failing, hitting head against the wall, crying, pulling the hair, lots of alcohol to forget, then trying again.

As always when it comes to life lessons, let's turn to the source of truth, the Yoda of the kindergarten, the Dali Lama of San Francisco - Miss Cupcake. 

Transportation in Style

Do you remember the first time you got onto a bike? I can still sense the overwhelming feeling of freedom, feeling the world opening up for me to discover on my red stallion that would conquer new continents with the wind blowing in my hair as blond goddesses would chant in victory - 'great, you are biking by yourself!' 

Wait, what? By myself? Quickly I was back to reality where I realized my dad had let go of the bike and that freedom was just a bit too much to handle and I crashed into the wall (there is still a dent to be found if you ever happen to be around Lagmansgatan 26 in Umea).

The Art of Seduction

Yes, the greatest mystery of all times is the survival of human kind considering how men master the art of seduction. Maybe this is also a good time to give a big 'thank you' to whoever invented red wine. 

On behalf of all men - thank you!

Because really, what are our best moves?

Kisses, Jelly Beans and Rock n Roll

As a parent, it feels important to find a good balance between encouraging your child to take activities such as art, dance or sports to tickle their imagination and have them create in whatever form they like the most, at the same time as you want to make sure it is all a game on the child's terms. This is the rational approach. 

Go with what Van Halen Says

Our 'Guides to Surviving Modern Life and its Challenges' covers all spectra of everyday trails human kind encounters from cupcake eating, pizza making, time negotiation, playground show downs and lip tango.  

You're welcome by the way. We are simply happy to help. Today, we like to cover the simple art of changing level.

Making Frankenstein

Science is a bit like women; something interesting and appealing, yet an unknown and somewhat scary practice including volatile substances prone to explode. It is something you can spend years researching without making any significant discoveries. It is a field where a test with the element that goes wrong, is a positive one as you now ruled out one of millions of ways to interact. 

Science is complicated. Not nearly as complicated as women, but still, complicated. That is why we would like to give a hand in how to approach it. 

About women, you are on your own. Just deal with it. 

Buy Time Now and Get One For Free!

No news that kids can be somewhat of a hand-full at times. And when I say 'somewhat', I obviously mean  'somewhat' in the same way as when saying 'the Chinese wall is somewhat long', and with 'hand-full' I obviously mean that I have 46% more gray hairs since I am a father, and by 'at times' I obviously mean in the '7-11' way (remember that old store?!?).




One of my favorite parts is the 'need to buy time' mode. This is pure beauty. Not even a woman getting dressed to go out (oh - burn!) can take as long as a child that knows it is about to go home and needs to buy time to stay just a bit more.

Cupcakium

First of all, do not try this at home, this is an extreme sport and done by a professional with years of experience. The blog 'A Kid From Grubbe' will take no responsibilities for any damages or injuries from trying this without previously having consulted your physician and lawyer.

Today, we will present how to get Miss Cupcake tired. Yes, if you thought that handling and controlling Hydrogen was risky, they have not come in contact with the highly electrical and durable, very durable, element 'Cupcakium'.

I repeat, please kids, do not try this at home.

K-i-s-s-i-n-g!

In our very long-term aim of becoming the new Wikipedia, currently under code name Cupcakedia (impossible to pronounce but sweet, right?), we have educated mainly around food, be that the obvious restaurants for lazy days, Cupcake eating and Pizza making, also some playground rules, music festival rules and, let's say...ehm... borrowing botanic pieces.   

Now on to one of my favorite subjects though (yes, I am getting over it, for now...) - kissing! What is better?!? So to make sure you do it, here is how to go about it; over to Miss Cassanova.

My Favorite Restaurants in San Francisco

My family is all about food. It is deeply rooted ever since I was a child. We like talking about it, reading about it, preparing it and eating it even more.  We are one of those families that when we do get together, we stand around in the kitchen instead of the living room (just in case someone gets hungry or decide to make something tasty I guess).

We would have thematic dinners where we would try food from one country, and we even have a professional cook in the family. And most important; we are the family who introduced the concept of 'the second breakfast'. Yes, the brunch is so cool for all you hipsters out there, but there is nothing that spells 'life quality' as to wake up in the morning, have breakfast, go back to bed and get up one hour later and have breakfast again all together.

The second breakfast. You heard it here the first time.  

Pizza Cupcake with Extra Cheese

North Beach is also known as the Italian area of San Francisco. A lot of Italians were attracted to the area looking for work when they re-built it after the 1906 earth quake. Even Italian super stars such as baseball legend Joe Di Maggio (now I know why the playground is called like this...) lived here. If you do not know him, you might have heard of his wife, a certain Marilyn Monroe.

This is not really why we decided to make pizza the other day, but let's say it was otherwise the first entire paragraph does not make much sense. Don't know how to make a pizza. Don't worry. We are here to help! Over to my assistant, Senorita Di Cupcake. 

Miss Cupcake on Cupcakes

We continue to inform and educate here at the Kid From Grubbe blog, and today we want to touch on a subject that is causing a lot of stress and confusion out there - how to eat a cupcake. Here to help me I have Miss Cupcake, PhD in Cupcake Engineering from the University of McMuffin Frostington. 

You have surely been there; a long day at work, you come home, kick off your shoes and sit back to enjoy that cupcake that has been waiting for you all day, it has been wandering your mind all day and now the moment is finally here - but where to start?!?

Captain's log: crossing the Atlantic

Captain's log - 5 pm

The year of the lord 2011. We have entered international waters on the way to the old continent in the search for spices, gold, virgins and grandparents. The winds are pushing us forward and the faith of the crew is good in spite of the terrible proviants provided. 

I have ordered sleep to prepare the crew. 

They follow orders.   

Outside Lands - Day 1

I went to my first music festival in 1998, I think. My dear friend Andreas and myself headed up to the vibrant city of Skellefteå for what is nowadays called 'The City Fest'. We drove up in a beaten up Volvo station wagon, that in our minds represented a hippie Volkswagen bus (we actually ended up buying one years later, painted it blue with flowers on it and went to a music festival in Denmark, but that is a different story kids).


We slept in the back of the car on the parking lot of the golf course  for some reason and partied to, I think, amongst others Iggy Pop. I had just started university, we were young and cool and nothing could stop us. 

Cupcake Columbus

I am actually not referring to the private detective in the 70:ies TV show, even though the do have the trench coat in common. No, I am referring to the simple fact that it is easy to forget that for Miss Cupcake everything is new, which means that everything needs to be thoroughly investigated, each detail controlled and noted, kind of like how Detective Columbo at the LA PD works...

Today: egg cartons.

1. Seems safe... a bit rugged maybe

2. It tickles!

3. Ok now, careful...
4. Yeah!

Blomma means Flower

This blog is first and foremost a way to keep in touch with our family and friends, and also a diary that some day will be passed on to Miss Cupcake so she can say "Oh my god, what are you wearing dad?!?".

However we want to educate as well, we have taught you the Couch game and given you A Guide to the Playground. Today, we are touching upon a problem that you surely step across daily - how to steal flowers. No worries, we are here to help. Now, over to my assistant that will take you through the process.

1. Check that no one is watching

2. Check the quality, you don't want to come home with some low quality crap.

3. Make sure the flowers fit your outfit

4. Grab a flower that is at least double your size

5. If they catch you - ruuuuuuun!!!!!

The Couch Game

What you need:

1. A couch
2. A kid
3. Two adults

How to play:

1. Place the kid on the backrest of the couch
2. Place the two adults in front of the couch
3. Have the adults raise their hands, while going "ohhh" that starts in a low key until getting higher and higher
4. Wait for the kid to a) laugh and/or b) fall off

Preparation

Ready to start

Go crazy!!

Guide to the playground

Most of you who reads this blog has not played on a playground in some years now, and if you have, good for you! Because playgrounds separate worlds where the kids make the rules, and where you as a parent should be swept away and scream while you rush down the slide. My favorite playground is the Joe DiMaggio Playground in North Beach, mainly because of the wonderfully mafia-sounding name.

Don't remember how it goes? Follow this simple guide:

1. Warm up on the swing.


2. Stretch your legs on the stairs

3. Define gravity on the slide


4. Shake your moneymaker on the duck