It's getting cooler here..

Winter has been relatively mild here in the frozen north, barely plummeting to -15C on the cold days, but January is almost over and it is time to turn on the charm for the Grandparents.. So for this Monday it has been predicted that the charmometer is reaching the year low at -22C to -25C.. I suppose every year we have to have a section of unbearable cold weather to remind us that it is winter here..
We had our first Meatclub this year and we kicked it forward with almost 5 pound bris(qu)et, marinated for 4 days in smoky BBQ sauce and crusted with classy ketchup sauce.. It turned out amazing, thanks to my wife.
My school year has gotten on to a start with Swedish lessons depressing me with their words you are supposed to know already but since for almost 11 years I have not uttered a word in the language I cant remember. Well I suppose with some re-learning I will make it through.. just add en or ett in front of English words.. My kindle is stuck in Finnish customs, who without notifying me have kept the packet for 3 days. I wonder what was their next move if they had one in mind?? just let things sit around for long enough and someone is going to come asking after their stuff?? I am as pleased with the customs now as I was when they held on to our wedding present.. The lady was adamant about the packet not being a wedding present and as she ripped the packet open it had our wedding date glazed on the ceramic piece.. she never even said she was sorry.. I am so glad I can buy books online to my kindle and just laugh at t he customs!!
Peregrine has started to walk and is now going a slow but steady pace around our home and elsewhere.. Outside he is not walking because all the heavy clothing makes him not able to move.. But he loves sledding down the hill near our home and anywhere we take him to sled. Perhaps this winter I will dig my skates from the storage and take my son to the ice rink.. Perhaps.
All the best for everybody where ever your winter is spent.

P

New Year again

they call it new year, but for the most of the time you live in it, it is old and already gone.. I thought about this looking at my calendar, which for some crazy reason has in numbers in every day a number pair consisting of number of days spent and still left this year.. I don't know what they are for, perhaps for giving up smoking or other new years promises made to be followed on daily basis. I think it is rather strange.. I can barely imagine the rest of the week and someone has thought about the whole year in numbers from the beginning.
For the most part I am glad the year went and am ready to only think of the year going, some really awful things took place in 2011, like my family broke and little baby died in my brothers and his wives arms. So now bravely to the new year and the blessings still hidden in it for us all.
I got myself a light for my dental loupes from US last year and they didn't work very well from the beginning, I tried to use them at the clinic, but got tired of them not turning on and off on command. Well I tried e-mail first, but got no reply.. then I called and voila, I am almost happier than when I got the original lamp.. It is something I admire in American business, customer SERVICE.. amazing.
There are presidential elections around the world, Russia, Finland and US.. I think the result in Russia is rigged, US will follow their tradition of two terms per ruler and I pray Finland has more luck this year than earlier two and gets a president with some moral backbone!
School started and tomorrow is clinical working time again, I feel overwhelmed with all the organization that goes with booking patient times and clinic space and everything. Hopefully I get enough things done to earn a license to practice next summer.
Baby is walking a bit already, amazingly he has decided that walking is after all for him and a useful way of getting around.. it was bit shaky at first, but then he got his gears more lined up and he is taking regularly few steps before falling down.. Running around our humble abode here we come! "hide everything"
Every time baby does something rambunctious Halle looks at me and says, "That's you!" I don't know if it is me, but perhaps there is some bits of me in his stubbornness/strong will..
I had a little "boys retreat" last weekend at my great aunt's as Halle took a weekend off from taking care of us two. It was fun and strange, like I was on a schedule, wake up, feed baby, eat if you have time. Morning nap, take a nap yourself, wake up baby, play with him, lunch, eat something if you can, put baby a sleep. take a break to do what ever I want, but keep one ear open to listen for baby crying. then up again, play, snack, nap, dinner.... But the little cuteness was so great, no crying after mom or anything, slept very well and all.. I think he is much crankier for Halle than to me.. I wonder why, perhaps he sees me and thinks.. "he is so stubborn, it is futile to try to cry out of this one" and just gives up and does what I make him do..
Now we are on our way to Summer already, some people call this winter, I call it the way to Summer.. only few months to go... till all the snow goes away and the -20C weather turns into balmy +15C.. and 23h sunlight. Till then, I guess I just have to shine my new dental loupe light into my ear canals to fight off depression.. (Oulu based "new" research finding that light into ears has an effect on the brain..)

Happy new Year to all!

P