Day 263: Ingenuity

Out for a winter walk today, I passed by the ice skaters at Kungsträdgården. A happy sight, don't you agree?

Oh, and this bit of Swedish ingenuity also brought a smile to my face; baby carriage duplex parking at Kulturhuset (the Stockholm Culture Center). Gotta love those Swedes!

Day 262: Frozen treasures

As northeastern U.S. prepares for the freezing temperatures of a snow storm, I raided my freezer where, to my delight, I found homemade chili and the best saffron buns (also homemade, a holiday gift from a good friend). Yummo!

Happily ensconced on my sofa, I eat with relish and delight.

Day 261: The little things

My internet is working again. Every once in a while, for reasons I do not fathom, the wireless connection at my place simply dies. Usually, I can resurrect it by rebooting both the modem and the router but last night that did not work. Fortunately, unlimited internet access is included in my cell phone plan and this fall I learned how to create a personal hotspot using my iPhone. Sanity restored.

This afternoon, just as mysteriously as it disappeared the connection reappeared.

Yup, folks, it does not take much to make me happy!

Day 260: Efficient

When the systems I set in place work, it's pure joy! Sometime last year, I put reminders into my calendar to renew my passports. I have three so keeping track of when each expires is a challenge. Rather than risk discovering that my passport had expired when I was on my way to the airport for some future trip, I scheduled renewals a couple of months before each expiration date.

Today it was time to renew the Swedish passport. This being Sweden, you can make an appointment to renew your passport via the internet. Unfortunately, I missed my appointed time as I took the wrong subway line, so I wound up getting a drop-in number. Just forty minutes later, it was my turn. The police officer checked my height, asked whether I wanted my current passport canceled now or when I pick up the new (I chose the latter), asked for my cell phone number so they can text me when the passport is ready to pick up and then took my photo. I signed on-screen, paid by credit card and that was. The whole procedure took less than five minutes.

Gotta love them Swedes!

Day 259: Jet lag no more

Great cure for jet lag: go to the theater at 11 a.m.! You have to get up at a reasonable hour and stay awake through the performance (especially if you get a seat in the second row where you are as visible to the actors on stage as they are to you!). If you're lucky and it's a good performance, you'll leave the theater feeling energized.

My day continued with a trip to the grocery store to restock the fridge which was followed by vacuuming my flat and fixing my printer. Next on the agenda is a co-op board meeting. By the time that's over, it'll be bedtime and voilà I'm back on schedule.

Theater at 11 was the key :-) And today it was also free at the Royal Dramatic Theater (dress rehearsal for Les Liaisons Dangereuses).

Day 259: Burst of energy

Everything's in its place. Not only did I unpack, but actually reorganized one of the closets to accommodate the growing number of board games. And I found bread, milk, cheese and juice in the freezer, so food for the day solved without an outing to the grocery store.

Then I discovered that my American Netflix account works in Sweden now that Netflix has expanded to Europe. At 25% less than the Swedish price per month. Sweet. It simply adjusts the selection of movies and TV programs to the local market.

And to cap it all off, the spring 2013 issue of The Sondheim Review arrived in today's mail.

Happy camper.

Day 258: Home sweet home

Lost a day of blogging to the long trip home. Trip was uneventful and I spent most of my time sleeping, just the way I like it.

Luxurious to be picked up at the airport and thrilling surprise that my Sweeties were also there to greet me. Got a big running hug so you know I'm happy. Then off we went to a cupcake decorating session in honor of Dr. Levál. Such fun. And yummy.

Very nice homecoming indeed!