Dark and Stormy

My first week in Vitared has been "interesting". Straight off we got a storm. Branches came down, and so did my broadband. No signal for 30 hours. I tried hard to ignore the weather and get on with what I could get on with, but weather is everything. If your not sure about that and subscribe to the old saying "there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes", check your mood the next time it is dark and stormy. We get the blues in winter and that is no coincidence. Finally the sun shone and the weekend arrived. With down time I had no excuse not to get tidy, and was heartily sick of housework when Saturday "Tea time" rolled around.

The problem with cleaning a house is that you do it, and 6 months later you have to do it again!!

I am getting together with Ernst, Christian and Bertil for the evening. They have been planning the VMCK Kulture Touring for August. It's a mystery tour by motorcycle that includes a cultural element, and a stop over somewhere for the night. I will do that one. They guys finished their secret plans at a secret meeting at a secret location. As I arrived at Ernst's place they had just finished and put their books away.

Ernst can seriously cook. His creamy beef recipe (don't know any better to call it),was absolutely wonderful. Then for the evening their was grog to drink and rubbish to talk. As the grog goes down our conversation gets deep and meaningful. Still talking rubbish actually. I have a stop over to sleep off the booze, and home again in the morning, in the sunshine. Vitared is transformed with nice weather, even if my lousy mobile signal isn't. There is a 4G mast locally. I just need to find out who the operator is.

Tuesday Bodil and her sister Helena came over for tea. Helena had been busy baking. Scones, lemon cake, and a very posh smoked salmon open sandwich. She found my Beatles records, so tea time was positively surreal it was so English. Folkoping and the cheese market yesterday, and their all you can eat cheese buffet lunch. I had all I could eat.

Driving North up between the 2 big lakes we leave the forest and climb onto the Oster Gotland plain. Higher altitude and weather to match. Bleak farmland in the rain today, but at least I am exploring. Sue and Allan visit in a few weeks and I want a couple of places to take then in my back pocket.

I have cheese, and as of last night a schedule of motorcycle club activities for the season. I can sort my diary (it's actually a very "A retentive" wall year planner) now. Today is more Ikeaing. That is a new verb I made up, appropriate to my main activity just now.

eg: "Doctor, I am not Ikeaing well  at the moment". "How long have you had the symptoms Kevin?". "Since the storm arrived". "Ahh, I see. I think you will find that you will Ikea again perfectly normally given a few days of nice weather. Do you have all the furniture and stuff you need?" "No, and I have visitors in a few weeks!". "There you are then. You will be fully Ikead in due course then I am sure. You are just suffering from Ikea stress. Your credit card is probably maxed out just now. It will recover given rest".

Dark and Stormy is also a great cocktail from Bermuda. Black rum with ginger beer. Tastes great and the hangover matches the name also!

Note to self: Put black rum, ginger beer, and alka seltzer tablets on the shopping list!