Mobile update - enjoying the sun

Enjoying the sun

We humans are not the only ones enjoying the sun. My small little neighbour friend, the little dog living on the ground floor, in the back garden, had carried his sleep pillow onto the roof of the neighbouring building (via the stairs) yesterday and was lying in the sun. Sweet :-)

The picture is from another time but this was where this little guy was sunbathing. His big pal, the Grate Dane, was as usual at the top of the stairs. I don't think he is as keen on the sun as the little guy. Nor is he as curious...

It has been a while - been keeping busy

It's been a while, I have been keeping busy.

This week I am back home, in Düsseldorf. Love this city, so vibrant, so full of life. To bad that I don't have time to enjoy it myself. Not right now, anyhow, a little bit much to do at work right now.

Today I had time to do some exploring though. Just in the nearby but anyhow, it was nice. My legs are really really sore after having played badminton yesterday, so I took it easy. I know the best way of getting rid of this kind of ache is to move more but I didn't feel like that today, instead I just went for a stroll. Finally tried out the French cheese shop on the shopping street ten minutes from here. GOOD thing they aren't open on Sundays otherwise I would be back tomorrow. Beautiful place! Not as good as Jaques Ost in Kungsbacka, but that is probably more due to language - I can't chitchat quite as well in German as I can in Swedish and it is trickier to ask for tips etc. But I am getting better and better so soon I will be able to appreciate the shop to its full extent. On the other hand, the language of cheese is international, isn't it, so I got what I came for anyhow - plus some more. Good!

After my tour at the cheese shop I walked towards the Turkish shop where I know I can get yogurt the way I like it (Neutral, without any added flavours and with 3.5% fat (for breakfast, 10 in the kind that I use for deserts etc), nice vegetables and so forth. Decided not to go in however, but to pass it first, i e I wanted to walk a bit further, my plan was to also find some kind of beauty salon. I did. The first didn't have any slots, but the second that I found (second that did what I wanted from them) had plenty. She could take me straight away. She told me she had another appointment 3 hours from when I came in, but couldn't see how that would be a problem. It wasn't. But it could have proven to been! This was a new place, they have only been open for three weeks, and believe me, I'll be back. New time for a foot massage, or a facial, or perhaps a normal massage or a pedicure or manicure. I see no reason why I couldn't go there and waste money EVERY weekend, so you? Or can it even be considered to be waste to spend on myself? I think that is an investment, that is what I think :-)

How to open a door with greasy hands

I am thrilled to see that so many US buildings seem to - at least in California - be switching to "proper" door handles, the European type, the one you can open with your elbow if your hands are for example greasy. Who thought it was a good idea to put door handles in the form of knobs that you have to turn to get out? Ever been in a bathroom, hands wet from washing them, or perhaps with some hand cream on them - and almost not being able to get out? I have. Very annoying!
Guess one gets used to it but personally, if I were to live in the US, that is the first thing that I would arrange for, European style - or should I say Scandinavian style, I am not sure that the whole of Europe uses the same kind - door handles.

It is the little things that makes a big difference...

The earth moving

Had an earthquake yesterday. The tiniest little one, but still, it was an earthquake: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/special/San_Francisco.php

I wouldn't have guessed that it was what it was if it hadn't been pointed out to me though, felt more like a big truck passing somewhere close, or like someone not being able to sit still and therefore vibrating the sofa I was sitting on...

The earthquake, even though a small one, got us talking about how you have to be prepared here in California for it. Those with children in school have to list who can take care of their kids in case of a quake if the parents can't be reached, and so forth. Also most of the hotels has info on what to do in case of an earthquake (don't run out on the street - risk of falling objects - seek protection under sturdy furniture, do not try to use the telephone after the quake, don't use lighters and matches and so forth).

When I grew up the Swedish telephone books used to contain a page on "what to do if the war comes". I used to read it with fear, remember that I grew up when the cold war was still on, we had "peace days" at school where we wrote letters to the US and the Soviet leaders on the topic "no more nuclear weapons" and so forth, so even if Sweden hadn't been at war for a long time, we were all aware of this. Since the wall between east and west came down the "What to do in case of war" pages have been gone, and I hadn't given them much thought until I came to draw the parallel between the "What to do in case of an earth quake" and the Swedish pages...