Off the hook

I'm actually a mediocre photographer. I have a awful lot of pictures from the cruise, most of them rather bland. I still haven't gone through all of them.

For now, I present you this picture of the ship's garden

( This the garden, probably taken from the pool deck )

I a week I'm going for a cruise on the Mediterranean with Ljungandalens kammarkör. It was a very sudden decision about half a year ago, mostly because we got an affordable offer. So, here we go. We are going to sing at the Swedish Church in Rome, as some kind of excuse for going.

I have packed most things, dyed my hair, removed the hair on my legs. Now I have to remember that we still have practice on Wednesday. There's plenty of time to get nervous.

The trip to Storhogna (750 m above sea level) last weekend was very pleasant and relaxing. We arrived at about seven, found our key and our room, and took our things there. The restaurant was still open, so we tried their buffet, which was delicious.

I followed the advice to get up early and take a swim to elevator music before breakfast. Afterwards, M and I had planned to go for a walk, but there had been a little snow, which had melted and left the paths a little slippery. We still were out for an hour and a half, or so, checking out the surroundings of the hotel. Beautiful, if a bit misty.

After lunch, we tried the swimming pool again, and then the bubble pool. I haven't swum for ages, but I felt like I was getting the hang of it.

Before we went home, I practised some inner stillness. I'm not sure if it worked, but I felt relaxed, and I think I got some body awareness, so that part was probably right.

I have booked a train to Uddevalla in late July, for about a week in Bohuslän. I think this is the first time I go away somewhere without M, and it feels a little peculiar.

We're going for a vacation together in September instead.

M had seen a server cabinet with some auxillary, most importantly a UPS, for sale. The price was 3000 SEK, which made it an acceptable extra cost to drive to Nyköping to pick it up.

We set off at half past five, and reached Stockholm traffic at about ten, so we probably missed their lunch hour. I wouldn't have guessed. Anyway, we emerge from it unharmed, and managed to find our way to a nice little former vicarage, where the UPS was waiting for us, along with the rest. The seller himself wasn't there, but his brother helped us load everything into the car, and his mother offered us some lemonade (delicious).

We have a large car, but to fit the cabinet into it we had to move the seats forward as far as possible. Now imagine us crouching over the wheel, with this giant metal box behind us. We looked hilarious (we have pictures). Then we drove back home, stopping only at Max[1] in Bollnäs for a quick meal.

Now it's in our basement, and likely to remain there. We removed everything in it, and carried it inside between us, then we had to cause some damage to the ceiling (no, nothing serious) raising it upright. The UPS will do duty as UPS, and the server cabinet -- I'm sure we can use it to keep servers in, or something.

[1] Note for non-Swedish people: Max is a hamburger chain. Exactly like McDonalds, except that it's no different at all.