I’m still trying adjust to the time zone change, find myself waking up early in the mornings. I can already see the difference between sunrise and sunset. The last time I was here it the sun was already coming up around 3:30am and setting down close to 10:30pm which made super long daylight hours. It has definitely shortened as I took this photo around 6am and notice it starts to get dark around 7pm. The shot below is a rare shot with not the usual hustle and bustling crowds below. I plan on having an early breakfast and go birthday gift shopping for Bugs today.
I just had breakfast downstairs not too many in the hotel. I think the tourist season just about ending. It was still early so I took a stroll to Central Station to pickup a couple magazines to read later on tonight. As I was walking out of the station it dawned on me that i paid over $28.00 for two freakin’ magazines when it would have cost me $13.00 in the states!!! I seem to be learning more lessons this time around, don’t take for granted pricing even when its the exact same items.
Went for a walk around Kings Garden. It turns out they had a rally for a great cause, it felt good being part of this super event where thousands gathered in support of… didn’t have a clue! All the literature was in Swedish, their speeches were in Swedish, songs, buttons, freebees all in Swedish. I do know ECCO sponsored the event 🙂
This weekend happens to be election time. I’ve seen different candidates giving speeches on TV. One of them happened to be in the “Square” next to the Pedestrian Shopping Walkway. This is an abnormal election as a splinter group is trying to create a recognized party. The elections happen this coming Sunday, I’ll hear more when I go to work Monday…
After spending so much time here I sort of consider myself a seasoned subway (tuber) and train commuter :0 Well, this morning I was munching on my traditional buttered bread pastries and swiggin’ down a can of redbull when I looked out of the boxcar window and noticed this huge rolling pasture with the sun just starting to edge above the grass. Hold on! sh_t! I’ve never seen this before. It turns out I must have daydreamed right past my train station towards Voxholm and the Baltic Sea.
I ended up hopping off the next station and waited for the next train heading back towards Stockholm. One funny note, I started getting ready as I heard the train coming, got in primo calculated position where the train doors would open, roller laptop bag poised and ready for action, knowbody else budged. I didn’t give it too much thought until I see this train coming towards us so fast I thought no way in hell was that thing going to stop in time! It didn’t, blew right pass me flapping my jacket and shifting the cool shades on my head. No wonder they did’t budge. It turns out not all trains stop at all stations. Doh! That’s cool, I knew that people. It didn’t matter that I now had to stand since someone snagged my place on the single wooden bench.
The whole event added an hour to the commute if you look at it that way, I thought of it as another adventure as I got to see wide open pastures as well as heavily densed forest areas all in one trip and I learned another lesson in traveling…
Flew over to Sweden again, barely made my flights due to delays. They actually held the plane for me while I ran across the international terminal to make the flight (actually, I got a ride through most of it. That’s another story) It all started off with a hour delay leaving Sacramento and a 45 minute “hovering” pattern over Chicago until we got the clearance to land safely. At least I didn’t get stuck in the tarmac like I did the last time trying to leave Chicago for an hour. Oh well, safe at the Sheraton, can’t sleep yet, still trying to adjust…
We bought a Goldwing today! A 2005, chrome everything! I got a lot of flack from the guys in the VTX club. They all said I was too young to be riding a motorcycle like that. It’s all part of my master plan to take Lorraine across the country on a motorcycle. Take a month off of work then away we go… How much cooler can that be?
I’m traveling down South again, same old Shhhh..stuff. The trip to Southern Cal had to be one of the worse yet. Due to the heightend security precautions it took me about 2 hours to get through airport security.
Nothing new here, same ol’, same old. I have noticed that most if not all of the staff here is new. I wonder if they let all the former Wooley’s Petite employees go (it’s now La Quinta Inn). Nothing on television, time to update the blog!
Flew down to Southern California again. This shot is the all too familiar view outside of my hotel room. I’ve stayed in this place so much I can’t really can’t count the times. That many. My usual room wasn’t available but at least the one I’m in has great internet access so I can do my blog
I took this shot one morning trying to get to work early for a meeting. Even when I’m rushing around wherever I may be I try to take in what is in front of me. Like I always say, you only have that moment.
The past couple of weeks we’ve been experiencing record heat! Up to 117 degrees F. In order to combat the extreme temperatures we have to use methods like the one shown below to keep our body temperatures down. These are tough times…
We took an early morning taxi ride to the airport. The first leg of the trip from Sweden to Philidelphia wasn’t too bad. I had slept a good portion of it. While we were waiting for the connecting flight they announced they had a few 1st Class seats available for a price. I said what the heck, we deserve it! So are seats were in the very front of the plane, no worries about anybody reclining their chair onto your laps. We had so much room my feet couldn’t even touch the wall in front of me! Upon landing in San Francisco we did a parallel landing with a 747 right on our left side! That was a cool view.
Bugs and I had our last dinner at the local cafe just a couple of blocks from the hotel. Bugs scoped out the special which was Le Creme Salmon, rice and caviar. Man, this meal was killer! Probably one of my favorite meals of the entire visit. The caviar wasn’t too salty, just enough to add some kick to the salmon taste. Afterwards we grabbed a few items at the local grocery store for our midnight snacks. What an excellent way to end the trip!
Last walk in the forest…
These photos show the path I took for 3 weeks. The walk at first seemed long, after I got used to it I actually enjoyed it. I enjoyed walking along the local residents gardens. A few times while coming home I got a whiff of the local BBQ action. It turns out they bring their food out to cook and enjoy the summer evenings (if you can call it evenings)
Just pass the tree lines is where I had to walk too. It open up to a pasture where my workplace is located.
It was a rarity to ever come across another person walking the path. Once in a great while a biker would blast through but I hardly ever saw anyone else.
Finally the path clears and my building is up ahead. I really wonder how difficult it would be to travel along this same path during the cold winter months. They say the snow here is incredible. The do have public services to clear out the path so that’s good. It’s just the icy areas going up the hills that would make an interesting walk.
