I think I won... again

It's not official yet, but I think I won week 10 of the football pool. How sweet is that?!

I was ahead by one game before Mondays night game. I was anxiously waiting for the game to start so that I could see what others had picked. Not a single person picked the Bills. This is one time when it's great to be in the land of the Patriots. No one wont pick them - the loyalty is so strong. 

So before the game really got going I was the winner.  And the Bills made the Pats work for the win. At least it seemed like it from the updates I got on the score throughout my travels tonight.

This win is what I'm treasuring as I sit in an overheated shuttle bus on my way to dad and Barbros in Virginia.  Nick and I got into Dulles on time and hoofed it to our connection. Only to find they were having technical problems and had canceled the flight. Instead of flying we get to drive to the Shenendoah airport. 

And here I am - the five of us halfway there at 11 pm. Won't get in until after midnight. I'm curious how small the plane is and how bumpy a flight. I guess I'll find out in a few days on the way back...maybe.  

Pulling the Trigger

I'm standing outside the paint store Saturday morning waiting for it to open. I'm first in line, followed by several contractors all waiting to pick up supplies before a day of painting. One painter was very friendly and seemed to know everyone and commented I was first. 

I was the only one not waiting in my vehicle. Except the friendly contractor, coffee in hand, who was making the rounds. 

Well it was a bust - they didn't have my color in stock in this store. The paint is from England, specially formulated and shipped over. Luckily they had it in stock in another store. So instead of just going one town over I had to go about five towns over. Luckily traffic wasn't bad this early in the morning. And as a bonus, the guy at the other store didn't charge me for the sample I was also picking up. Makes it seem worthwhile. 

Here's the before pictures. I had nick help me move out most of the furniture. And proceeded to prep. I always forget how long prep takes. I left off patching and sanding the baseboard and windows. Figure I can work on those later. I was eager to get the paint on the walls. 

It took me about two years before pulling the trigger on this color. I pinned a million color options and even tried out a sample. What really helped was reading a blog review of someone else who had used it on their bedroom and said it was marvelous both with bright sunny light and also in the shadows. That's the problem isn't it?  The room is never in full direct light like in the fancy photos. 

Well, I was figuring out how much paint to get when I realized I hadn't finalized a ceiling color - not even close. I tried to land on something quickly and gave up. I have a curved ceiling that blends into the wall on one side. I figured I'd go for a cocoon scheme and paint the ceiling the same color as the walls. 

Well after the first color I was afraid I just threw away money on good paint. I liked Farrow and Ball because of the refined palette of colors and the richness of color - having a range of shades depending on the light. It received good reviews about being a quality paint. A bit hyped and over priced but a high quality paint nonetheless. 

I waited four hours and applied a second coat and had a sigh of relief. It was really turning into a beautiful room. As I was finishing up I noticed a spot here and there that I tried to take care of. This morning I noticed more spots and realize I should just do a third coat. I think I apply the paint lightly since I still have tons of paint left - enough for a third coat. 

Here's a not so great photo after the second coat. 

I have to wait until after thanksgiving to finish. I ran out of time this weekend. The color is Farrow and Ball Light Blue. The color is a mix between blue and grey and the name doesn't do it justice. It's a beautiful backdrop to the color of wood of my furniture and goes so well with my floors. I'm hoping to splurge on navy blue velvet curtains down the road and art frames look great on the color. And eventually I'll paint the trim in White Dove from Ben Moore. A nice crisp white. 

The sample I bought is Hague Blue a dark, rich navy blue. I was thinking it would be nice in the back room. We'll see. I have about a year before I'll decide - based on my current track record. 

Day 2

After getting a second and third opinion, we have a change in plans for Wallace. No surgery for now. But complete restriction on jumping. I carried out the transformation of the back room and it is now my bedroom. Thursday was the first day she was cooped up. Webster wanted to stay with his sister so they were both in the back room all day. 

I just left them for Day 2. This time Webster has free roam of the house but is separated from his sister. 

Most of the time it's fine - if I'm hanging out in the back room. Otherwise it's a little torturous since Wallace likes to hang out and be where the action is. 

Last night, nick and I were in the kitchen and that worked fine since I could move the barricade to include roaming in the kitchen. And just kept an eye on her jumping. Not a 100% successful since she did jump once. 

But then I put her back in the back room and nick and I ate dinner in the front room with Webster roaming. Afterwards, instead of hanging out with nick, I abandoned him and retreated to the back room for snuggles with Wallace. She was very appreciative and wasn't noticing being cooped up. 

I'm not entirely sure if the restriction of movement is enough. She still jumps a little from the floor to the mattress. But it's a small jump. I don't really want to put her in a dog crate but that's the ideal restriction. So far, no sign of improvement. But I remind myself it's only Day 2. Only 26+ days to go. I'm supposed to keep her confined for four weeks no matter the improvement and potentially six weeks. Ugh. 

The plan is to start painting the bedroom this weekend. I've landed on Light Blue by Farrow&Ball. It's a nice color for both sunny and shaded rooms. I think I might try painting it with a brush instead of a roller. 

I'm going to pick up a baby gate too. Right now I'm using two small bookcases stacked but it's quite cumbersome. Nick was trying to talk me into installing a door last night. But there really isn't any clear space for the door to swing in our out. The only thing that would really work is a sliding pocket door. Which is wishful thinking. One day. 

Overall both cats have been marvelous. Webster is very confused but rolls with it and I feel Wallace knows more and is being positive about it all. Lots of snuggles and only a little but of meowing.  And as Nick pointed out, this set of cars are really friendly and laid back. I keep reminding myself it's for the best.  

Orthopedic

I had an appointment this week with an Orthopedic surgeon.  The good news is that I don’t need any knee surgery.  The bad news is that my cat, Wallace does.  On both rear knees.  Common in certain breeds of dogs, she is one of the lucky few cats who also has this particular condition.  I was just getting used to the idea of bringing my cat in to see an orthopedic doctor when I was hit with the estimate for the surgery. 

It’s not cheap.  I took a big gulp and then asked the question I didn’t want to ask – is this for one knee or both?  Knowing that the surgery is done one at a time, I was not surprised to hear this was just for the one knee.  And it did not include the blood work, but did include the radiology and did not include the post-op physical therapy.  Physical therapy for a cat!  To put it into proportion – I’m estimating that when all is said and done between both surgeries, follow up visits, pain meds, etc. that I’m looking at over 4 months of mortgage payments. 

 

But what is one to do?  My options are to leave her limping and in pain and let it get worse.  Or fix it.  Or I guess put her down.  Two of the three options are horrendous on one level and it makes the other option, although horrendous financially, is not really that bad.

On the flip side, it’s been wonderful visiting the hospital – every time I go everyone is commenting on how sweet a cat she is.  And she is really sweet which is night and day compared to Winston and his monster doctor visits.  It’s so strange being complimented on having a wonderful cat.
 

It’s still sinking in.  I do feel like I’ve been getting hit financially recently between losing the laptop and the car and now this.  I’m thankful that I really have nothing to complain since I’m very lucky in life.  But still, I wish life would just space these things out a bit more.  I’m crossing the fingers that the saying that these things come in threes in true and this is all for now.

 

The rub is that I want to hold off buying a car right now since financially I’ll be a bit strapped.  But I need a car now more than ever because of all the hospital visits.  The surgeon is a 30 minute drive – two towns over.  Nick has been very gracious letting me borrow his car.  But this will be ending soon.

 

The other rub is that I’m supposed to limit her movement – no running or jumping.  She’s only 18 months old with lots of energy.  And she gets along really well with her brother.  And is a big snuggler, especially at night in bed.  I was told I need to confine her in a room or large dog crate so that she can’t jump for up to 6 weeks after her surgery.  Which just seems so cruel even though I know it’s for her own good.  I think I’ve come up with a plan that solves two things.  I’ve been wanting to paint my bedroom and think I’ve landed on a color.  It’s Farrow and Ball which more pricey than the average pain, so may need to find a cheaper knock off color equivalent at the local hardware/paint store considering my new financial austerity.  I’m going to take the sectional out of the back sunroom.  Luckily it comes apart and I can store it in the enclosed porch.  And then I’m going to move my mattress to the sun room, on the floor.  I can put up two baby gates to keep her enclosed (no door) and include her necessities (food, water, litter).  And then in the bedroom, I can take the bed apart and move all the furniture to the middle of the room and finally paint the room.  This way, Wallace and I can still hang out and she’s not ostracized.  And I can still get something accomplished which I couldn’t have done otherwise.    

 

She’s scheduled for blood work this Saturday and surgery the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.  That’s three weeks before mom arrives for Christmas and Nick is potentially staying with me too.  At which point I think I’ll aim to have the bedroom back in order and may not need to be as strict with confining her.  Oh, also, she is a few pounds overweight so I’m supposed to put her on a diet too.  Right now, we’re just focusing on taking the pain meds which she does not love.  One thing at a time.  Of course, throughout all this, Wallace is still her happy self, full of curious enjoyment of life.  And more snuggly.  I think it's because on the first visit to the vet hospital, after exploring the room, she snuggled inside my sweater, nicely protected from the strange smells and barking dogs and saw me in a new light - as her protector.  The doctors say it's because one of the pain meds make cats super friendly and relaxed.  I like to think it was the first reason though.

 

And that reminds me, when I brought her in initially, to the vet hospital.  I was sure she had fractured her leg and would need a cast.  Even though she didn't seem to have any sharp pain when I felt her legs.  We walk into the waiting room and the place is full of dogs with casts on.  It was comical - I had never seen so many dogs with casts.  Now I'm wishing that was what she had.  I think it would have been a lot more affordable. And here I was dreading she would need a cast.  Amazing what perspective can change things. 

Sharing Apps

I feel like I've jumped into the sharing apps this year and more recently, this month. I've used Uber a bunch when traveling, in addition to taxis. And my trip to Copenhagen was my first foray into Airbnb instead of the usual hotel route. 

This last weekend I got to enjoy this:

No, I didn't buy a new car yet but in the meantime I'm using Turo which basically connects me to people and borrowing their car. A great way to test out what cars I like. And cheaper than the regular car rentals. 

And Saturday night I had a girls night out, rather a moms night out. It was a whole different world - enjoying a night out with all these moms. We definitely have very different lifestyles. I enjoyed my night out but it also made me appreciate that I didn't have to herd the kids around to birthday parties, practice lessons and much more the next day. I got to do a little of that on Saturday. Taking Maggie to dance recital and taking pics at the end with all the other moms. 

All the moms live near each other and we used the BeMyDD service. Yet another share app where you get a car service for super cheap. You provide the vehicle and you get a person to drive you around all night. Nice and safe. 

Really an Adult

Have you heard about imposter syndrome?  Often it's related to topics in the work force and it's something everyone experiences at some level. I realize I sometimes feel like an imposter when I'm considered an adult. Or rather, a middle age adult these days. 

When I was in my early twenties, paying my bills and doing all the adult stuff, I still felt like a kid and not an adult. Ok a teenager. And I still have moments of that even now. 

This morning I was meeting up with a young engineer who had reached out to me about career advise (previous post).  And when I was diving into salary negotiations and how businesses work with salaries, I felt really grown up and experienced. Seeing my earlier self in her and how far I've come developmentally. And seeing myself through her eyes. I really am an adult adult. 

And then at work, I had the challenging task of letting go of a new staff that wasn't working out. You feel very grown up firing someone. You feel like a boss. Considering you are the boss that's not unexpected but it really drives it home. 

The third chapter of today is an email I got from a colleague, who I used to work with and still stay in touch with. He had asked if he could provide introductions between myself and a young engineer in college looking for career advise (déjà vu). I agreed and this is how he introduced me (with proper names xxed out):

"Xxx, S and I used to work together at Xxx.  S is a personal friend and is the best Sustainability person I know....she is also one of the best leaders I know."

Again, I think it's that glimpse of seeing how people see you. That different view from your regular self centeredness.  Being considered the best and a leader feels really grown up. I'm really really an adult. 

I write all this on the subway right now, on my way home after work. Looking forward to a night of making Legos. I may be an adult, and even an adult adult, but I'm still a kid too, who loves her Legos. 

Lego Time

I've got a visitor this month - Nick, while he is in transition before starting his new job next semester. 

Which means I'm eating fabulously. We agreed that we'd split up the week. One day where he makes dinner (and plans it too), three days I make dinner and the rest we fend for ourselves. 

Sunday night I made this fabulous Italian dish with a red wine reduction and fresh pasta. Couldn't pronounce the name of the dish for the life of me but it is definitely going in the keeper pile. And as a side I made this brussel sprout salad - last minute addition to the menu. It was surprisingly good considering the bs where just blanched. You peal the leaves which I've never seen before and is a brilliant idea, if a bit time consuming. Julllianed white turnip, pomegranate seeds, apple, bacon and a brown butter sage vinaigrette. It's like a proper salad. 

Tuesday night nick made a wonderful dinner - one of his staples. It was nice to have a full dinner before my evening committee meeting. Which never happens usually - not enough time. 

Last night i made a corn bread/chili dish. While I was making it, Nick was working on another important project. Making Lego sets!  Talk about a throw back Thursday. 

After dinner, it was like the old days. The real old old old days. Nick and I at the table working on our Lego projects. I've spent time cleaning and sorting our old collections so it was easy putting together the old sets. We're almost done with one box. Thanks to nick putting together the police station while I was at work. I left the Lego out yesterday morning because I had a feeling he couldn't resist. I mean, who can resist Lego. 

We have three more boxes to go. Two more boxes full of "city" sets. And a box of "castle" and "pirate" sets. 

The goal is to get them all made before this weekend when my god kids descend on us for the weekend. They had such a fun last time with the sleepover in the spring and the Lego and we only had a few sets built then. I resolved next time I'd make them all ahead of time for the wow factor. And it keeps the Lego downstairs. Last time cam couldn't get to sleep because the Lego sitting next to his bed was too tempting and he was up late playing. 

It's going to be a tight schedule. Only two more days until Saturday. The term "sweat shop" has already been thrown around last night. 

Nice Posts

I found that my posts haven't been going through so just "republished" them again.  A good chunk of reading.  And looking at the stuff it's an interesting swing of ups and downs: between getting hit with a virus that killed my laptop to winning the football pool to losing my car.  And to end on a high note for the week, I wanted to share this nice message I got today:

 

"My name is xxx, and this may seem kind of odd but we actually met at the STEAM Symposium this past Saturday. We sat next to each other during that great chat by Meredith Walker! 

It was great to meet you and I felt like, as they said later in the presentation, you look like someone I would like to be in five or ten years -- someone that I can look up to. I would love to learn more about your own career path and to see if you have any recommendations for me, as I'm just breaking into the engineering/design/(hopefully sustainability) field.

Would you like to grab coffee or breakfast at some point? My treat!  Thank you and have a great weekend!"

 How wonderful is that?  I keep telling my younger staff that although you may feel like you are imposing in your asks, a lot of times people like the idea of helping out and providing feedback to younger professionals.  I had gone to an event last Saturday that was celebrating women in the STEAM industry (science, technology, engineering, architecture and math).  It was a good mix of highschool students, young professionals all the way to senior professionals.   And great hearing the stories and inspirational talks.  A good way to end the week.

Farewell Dear Infiniti

This morning I biked over to the auto body shop and cleaned out my dear car and said goodbye. Technically the damage is fixable. 

But it will not be 100% and the amount to repair it is just too high for the age of the car. I do have to give props to my repair guy. He was good about walking through the options and giving me his opinion - not worth it, even with the miles. He showed what the issue is and even have me time with the car to say goodbye. 

Ah, the good times we had. The weekend drives to Vermont in the New England foliage. The trips to Maine. And even the simple errands. 

Coming home from traveling for work, it was so nice to sink into the drivers seat and enjoy the last leg home in luxury. 

You were my first real car purchase. My first big indulgence. You were my "I made it in life" luxury reward. I loved that you were unassuming and not flashy but man you were sporty. 

I remember that first weekend after I had brought you home and I was entering Storrow drive. As I was speeding up, I found you had that secret spot where you went into super mode and the horsepower kicked in. The smile on my face that night as I was driving home and realized the full extent of what I had partnered up with would not go away. 

I love how your interior is subtle. No in your face screens. The GPS screen sinks into the dashboard when not in use and disappears. 

Thank you for treating me do well, like a queen, with your leather heated seats and wonderful handling. I remember one of my first trips was too Emilia's in Albany and I was surprised how fast I was driving. It was so smooth a drive and do comfortable, it was easy to speed by all the other drivers. 

And on my way home from that same trip was the first time one of your lights came on. It looked important so I pulled into a rest area on the turnpike and under the lights of the gas station I looked it up in the manual and was stunned. My car had sensors to let me know that the tire pressure was low. How fancy!  

Farewell dear car. You were a good partner and our time together was too short. You will be missed. 

Farewell Laptop

This was supposed to have been published last week 10/12/15. 

One thing I didn't mention before my trip - my laptop was infected with a ransom ware. 

The crazy thing is that the laptop hadn't seen Internet in almost two years and then the ten minutes I use it to check why my wireless isn't working and connecting it directly is all it took. This window pops up:

I had a delayed reaction. It took awhile for it to sink in that it was real. It wasn't until I clicked on some files and found they wouldn't open that the full effect was realized. I mean, this is the kind of things that happen to other people and on TV. Not to me personally. And suddenly I felt like Carrie Bradshaw on Sex in the City when her laptop crashes. 

At least I heard of backing up but did I actually do it?  Sometimes. It's like me and flossing. (I just was at the dentist today for a cleaning - no work needed!). I know I should do it religiously for my own personal good but it's such a chore I skip it most of the time. 

This weekend, my big project was consolidating all my files and double backing up. I'm more hopeful now than I was earlier that the laptop was nearly all backed up. Of course, the first files I think of are my photos. And this weekend I came across a lot of the ones I was worried I lost. 

My last step is to go through and cross check what is on the desktop and what I have. Part of me wants to know and the other part doesn't. I still haven't read all the way through my meticulous note book of items I boxed up and put into a storage locker 15 years ago that was all lost. I should dig that up. It's been long enough to read now. 

The strange thing was after the incident and after the computer specialists said they couldn't do anything to recover the files I was listening to this Radio Lab episode as I was landing in Denmark that was about a lady in NYC that also had a ransom ware infection and went the path of paying up. The idea never crossed my mind. Apparently there is a big work force of smart, young, educated professionals in Russia who can't get 'regular' jobs and as a result this industry has grown. In the end it was a success, after an ordeal of paying the ransom the files were released. I didn't think that worked. Very interesting episode. 

Anyways, don't think I need to go that route (fingers crossed) and as the technician said, my laptop was very old anyways. So maybe it is time to upgrade. 

Now if I only can get my wireless to work. Lesson learned though, I wasn't connecting the computer to the outside world until everything was triple backed up. 

And maybe I should move to the front of my list my blurb book projects. Great program for publishing books and a good way to get your photos onto your bookshelves. 

That Escalated Quickly

This was supposed to have been published 10/29/15 but didn't go through. 

What's that saying?  Things happen in threes. I feel like I've had a series of losses recently. Having to say goodbye to Winston earlier this summer after 14 years together. My laptop of 7 years getting the virus that can't be repaired and now this.

On my way to a summer BBQ, I was at a red light and got rear ended by someone. It was a gentle tap and I didn't think much of it at the moment. Only later to discover it did some apparent "cosmetic" damage. I call the insurance to report it but held off getting it repaired for a few months. I finally dropped it off last week to get it fixed only to get a bunch of messages this week that my insurance is writing my car off as a total loss. I just went from something I thought was a minor repair to catastrophic end of my car. I'm floored. Man, that escalated quickly. I am now carless and have been given a deadline to come by and pick up my belongings before the ship my car to a salvage lot. 

I've had the car for about 6 years and although not as close a relationship as Winston, I'm still attached and totally caught unawares. I love my car. I love driving it, it's so comfortable and I jus melt into the seats. And we were meant to have a nice long relationship. I bought the best year (2006) and the mileage is ridiculous - just hit 45,000. It was a real upgrade to the luxury world - Infiniti G35 is so classic. 

And now I'm suddenly left alone and carless with a million unanswered questions. It's like someone going into the doctors with a cold and giving a diagnosis of a week to live. WTF?!

I'm still absorbing it all. Not quite ready to say goodbye. I love my cars. I love driving. And the memories from all our trips together. 

Not quite sure what I'm doing next. Not quite ready to pick out a new partner for the road. And luckily my lifestyle is not car dependent so I have the luxury of taking my time. And of course am thankful to both family and friends who have offered up the loan of their vehicles in this sudden turn of events. 

Hopefully this is the end, for now, of saying good bye for me. I could really use a break. Goodbye dear Infiniti.  Your end is too early.  You were the best car ever and will be missed. 

I won!

This was supposed to have been published 10/21/15 but didn't go through. 

I can breathe a sigh of relief – I won week 6 in our company football pool.  The irony is that I almost won last weeks, but changed my Monday night pick at the last minute.  If I hadn’t, I would have had the most points and instead it came down to the tie breaker (closest combined score for Monday night’s game) and I lost.  And then this week, I changed my Monday night pick at the last minute, but this time it worked!  It came down to the tiebreaker again and I was only off by 4 points.  I triple checked it this morning when I found out and still didn’t believe it until I received the official email congratulating me.  Now I’m on a high and envisioning getting back into the game and not only winning next week and being the first person to win two weeks back to back, but also sailing ahead in total score for the season and taking home the big pot of money at the end of the season.  Wishful thinking but one can dream.  Of course, I’m now torn.  I had done some statistical research this summer and developed a new technique.  But by week three I wasn’t doing so well so went back to my old method – picking based on location.  I pick the places I lived first, then where close relatives live (Ohio, Dallas, Phoenix, DC, Florida) and then it’s a mix of places I’ve visited, where we have offices, and in some cases what radio shows I like.  For example I’ll pick Minnesota over Tennessee, neither place I’ve really visited, but I like Prairie Home Companion which is based in Minneapolis. 

 

In other news, I’m reminded after my trip overseas that Boston is a tourist destination too.  I sometimes forget and take the place for granted.  One morning I was coming up from the subway and there was a gaggle of German tourists.  One group stopped me for directions and at the end I wished them a good day in German.  I don’t know if I got it quite right or if they were just surprised to hear German from an American – they gave me a strange look.

 

And I’m seeing more touristy stuff, like bike rentals.  There were all these bikes locked up on the bridge, which I’d never seen, and clearly was part of some tour guide thing.  And this is after noticing a few new additions to the bottom of the channel – don’t they seem like pretty decent bikes that got dumped?  Makes you wonder the back story.

 

And of course, we have the world famous corn maze in New England.  I went this weekend with Cece and the god-children.  The maze was amazing.  We were in it for almost three hours and in the end had to take the short cuts to get out, so technically didn’t finish the maze.  They have these viewing stations you stumble upon periodically, but you can’t really see the way out since the corn starts to blend together.  And the maze is huge - you can barely see the edge. Beautiful fall day and I always am reminding myself, although beautiful in my neck of the woods, it’s good to go out to suburbia where it’s full on autumn in the country – with the rolling hills and vibrant colored trees.

And Friday, a coworker who loves apples, had visited Scott farm in VT and picked me up a great selection of apples all labeled in brown bags. It's like a healthy version of a box of chocolates. Not sure what you'll get with each bite. 

Settling In

It's so nice to unpack and put everything away, in its place. Even if you don't have much. I do this when I travel, it's become a ritual. 

This time I decided to document what I have brought with me. Each time I go on a trip I wonder what I should bring. What shoes did I have in Paris. I don't remember there being an issue of sore feet so should wear them again. But what were they?

This time I'll know what I had in Denmark. I've already wished I brought my black jeans instead of my dark navy jeans. Looks like only tourists where the blue and surprisingly, black is the color rigor here. I had pulled the black jeans as my second pair but they didn't make the final cut. Also, not many locals wear sunglasses. Could have left those at home. And everyone is wearing stylish sneakers. The only ballet flats I've seen so far are mine. But the jacket I brought is perfect and I went with the right scarf. The three tops I have are spit on. 

Clothes that I packed. PJs on the left. The bottoms are 3/4 length stretch pants I can wear in public if needed. The only short sleeve shirt is the white one. Black scarf, super warm socks and underwear are all things I can leave behind if needed. Even the eye mask. Everything is packed in the black back pack. So far so good. 

I wore on the plane 3 layers which I needed at times. Not shown are my eye glasses that I quickly switched into. 

And everything else. The column on the right I plan on consuming and leaving behind. Pile in the middle are items I packed knowing I might leave them behind if needed. And stuff on the left I'm bringing back. 

And that is everything, down to the three coins a coworker gave me yesterday. I bought a scone, juice, sandwich and pizza at the airport which I consumed throughout the night. Good thing since I was loosing steam and didn't make it back outside for dinner Saturday night. 

The first night was a bit rough. Ended up going to bed a bit early and then woke up around midnight. The apartment is not quiet. The creaky floor boards above aren't that bad, it's the courtyard. About four buildings share it and last night there were two quite loud music sources. I gave up trying to go back to sleep and watched a movie. I love checking out netflix in new countries. The selection is always different and some nice treats. Including two movies I had started watching (one on a plane and another on YouTube) that I wanted to finish but would require paying back in the states. About 3 am the music finally stopped and I fell asleep. I'm hoping it was a Saturday night thing and the rest if the time it will be peaceful. Luckily I did sleep a good chunk into the late morning. Which meant a late start but I've still been able to squeeze a bunch in. 

I've Arrived in the land of Lego!

First guy that catches my eye in the airport is Larry the Lego Tourist. 

He was so welcoming. I just had to name him - and take a twofie. 

I picked up some cash, bought my Copenhagen card (5 day) and bought a metro ticket (never used it - guess they do spot checks). It took me a little bit to figure out where I was going. I've gotten so lazy at prepping for trips. Figure I'll wing it and it usually works out. 

Think I'm on the right train - everyone got on and rule number one is just to follow the masses and you'll usually end up close to where you need to go. Usually. 

When I came up from the metro into the city center I was struck by the bikes. Now I knew this is the biking capital of the world and I've been in European cities that had a lot of bikes (Gottingen comes to mind being a university town). But this was beyond everything I've seen, combined and multiplied by a million. Bikes as far as the eye can see. 

I go to the other side of the station and there are even more bikes. 

I can't find my bus stop but I find more and more masses of bikes. I gave up taking pictures of it all because it would be just a boring blog of parked bikes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be one or two more photos posted of masses of bikes I stumble upon before the end of my trip. 

And then I see it. My bus is driving down the street and I run to catch it. Again no checking of ticket. I sit down, pull out the map and try to figure our where I'm going and where I am. Thank goodness for the parks since my map is from the library and is light on street names. I realize I'm on the right bus, going the wrong direction. But got to check out the location of two museums I want to visit. 

The art museum, aka SMK. And a geology museum. 

I take a seat on the bus bench next to an old gentleman and wait. 

And wait. Enjoying the view across the street. 

Copenhagen has a distinctive feel. Definitely not like London or Paris or Berlin or Madrid which are more crowded. Although similar to Stockholm it's different some how. Haven't put my finger on it yet. My gentleman friend abandons me and calls a cab. I wait some more and the bus finally arrives. I don't know how, but I get off at exactly the right stop and descend on my Airbnb host. They are not ready until 4 pm but said I could swing by and drop my bag off. The whole building (I'm guessing 10 units) are painting doors, gardening, cleaning. All very young and frankly they all look so similar. I meet my host who is very nice and has impeccable English (I need to learn some Danish words). I grab a few things from my bag and head off for a stroll of the neighborhood. I walk up to the next busy cross street and am thrown into a buggy promenade. 

The sidewalk has tons of strollers. I feel like I'm in some strange neighborhood and am overcome with a sudden need to find a buggy to push and blend in. I meander along, not really paying attention and see a pair of buggy pushers just ahead of me go into this little door in a brick wall. Without thinking I follow and am transported into another strange kingdom. 

The boxwood smell is everywhere. At first I thought I was in a very French, stylized garden. I wasn't sure if it was public or private. And then I look closer at one of the boxwood spaces and realize...

I'm in a cemetery. And it seems public. It's like nothing I've seen before. A little like the famous Paris cemetery but more gardeny and a lot more trees. The trees are amazing. This pair just "hugs" you as you pass under. 

I do feel like I'm in some strange noir film. It's me, and these trees that are very amorophic and seem like they will take a step, and the buggy pushers that I glimpse here and there darting down the pathways. And the cemetery plots. They are strange - none are old. Almost all have died this millennium. The oldest one I can find is 1988. And clearly the landscape the envelopes the new headstones are much older. 

And in some, it seems like more headstones then bodies that can fit in the space. Are these just memory plots?  Or maybe it's ashes that are buried. And there are several plots that are empty, stripped of any green with just a number. 

I don't understand it but it's beautiful and I like it. I find a bench in the dappled shade and take a break to plan my adventures, share my stories and enjoy the view. 

Even though I'm very tired. I'm surprised I'm doing so well being it's after 9 pm Boston time and I'm guessing I got about 3 hours of sleep. 

Can you tell I'm tired?!