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Legal Alien

They sendin me to Sweden. It's this whole other country.

Ok. So when last we spoke, I was walking around Gamla Stan like any other lost tourist. Pretty sweet. I planned to visit this location again and other places of interest every weeked until I felt comfortable in the city.

WRONG ANSWER.

I got sick  - so that was not cool. It never turned into full blown Flu, but it got reallly, really close. I spent the next few weekends sleeping and barely moving. I didn't miss any work though as my fever was not that bad and I had some meds to control the other symptoms during the day. I didn't have to worry about contaminating anyone else at the office as everyone was sick too. I was luckier than most and got over it in a little over 2 weeks. Everyone else seems to have had it for 3 to 4 weeks - that sux.

I basically took Tylenol, Mucinex and some throat numbing stuff. As I slept most of my entire weekends away and drank tons of tea (everything else hurt too much), that seemed to have done the trick. Kick ass.

Yeah, you blend.

The really good news is that during this period of sickness, I got the authorization to work and reside in Sweden from the government. That is so awesome. I have worked most of my life just to claw and scratch my way to be a legal alien. How marvelous. Born in Masschusetts. Educated in New Hamshire. Live in Georgia. Work in Sweden. It's the American dream...is it not? Oh, and I so totally blend into this culture...I don't stick out AT ALL.

Give us Dirty Laundry. Kick em when they're up. Kick em when they're down.

During the weekends I was feeling better, I was doing laundry.  I am being serious. Entire weekends dedicated to laundry.  I am not exaggerating. The 'express' cycle on the machine takes about 4 hours to wash and dry.  Is that not ridiculous? MY GOD. 

What you do is put your wash in early in the morning...go walk around, have some brunch, go back and throw it into the dryer...go walk around, have some dinner. That's it. The day is over.  Sad sad sad.

Mix in how early the stores close and the weekend is OVER.

Actually, laundry is my theory as to why people are always rushing on the Subway. They are not being rude or cold when they push by you...they are trying to get home in time to put the next load in before they end up losing the whole day (vs most of the day) doing laundry.

For a country dedicated so much to conservation, 4 hours for one tiny load of laundry seems like a bit waste to me...but then again, I am just a legal alien here, so who am I to judge?

The reason for the length of time - it's a combo washer-dryer about the size of a freshman dorm room fridge....Nice.

I'm leavin...on that midnight train to Skanstull

Speaking of the subway. I have finally hit a personal goal! Since I've been in Stockholm, I set small (baby-steps) personal goals for myself. Like learning how to maneuver through T-Centralen without getting trampled, buying cigarettes without getting carded, perfectly timing using the subway pass and tucking it back into my pocket by the time I reach the escalator...things like that. Mastered those by the way - except the carded thing...

Well, the one that took me the longest seemed like the one that I should have picked up the quickest. Swedes can walk downstairs at a relatively good clip without using the hand rails - and keep their hands in their pockets. It's amazing to see. You would think this is easy but try it sometime. Seriously. Try walking down 30 - 40 steps with 5 steps per second.

Not that easy my friend - especially with your hands in your pockets....BUT...I think I've got it.  I struggle with the hands in pockets thing sometimes - too much of a clutz to do something that crazy, especially when the weather is a bit slick.

Raindrops keep fallin on my head..2..3..4

The weather was OK during this time period. This has been the warmest winter ever for Stockholm, so it has been a lot of overcast days with rain - but hardly any snow. It did snow once in the two months I've been in Stockholm. It started on a Saturday afternoon and was gone by Sunday night. It was pretty while it lasted.

The wind can get kinda mean toward the evening, but all in all, the temp has been between 0 to 2 °C. I'll give you a few moments to look up the conversion rate on Google...I'll wait. 

Right before I left for the US (business meeting), it hit 5 °C. Friggin heatwave baby!

Knock Three Times on the Ceiling if you want me

OK....I FINALLY GOT into my apartment less than one day before I started to head back to the US. The ONLY way I got into the building was that they were told I was MIDDLE-AGED and have had a job with the same company for 8 years...

Translation "OLD BORING WORK-A-HOLIC LADY WHO HAS NO LIFE THEREFORE WILL NOT BE THROWING ANY WILD PARTIES."

Dang. That hurt.

But, to be honest, it's probably true (not the middle-aged part for cryin' out loud!). I do work a lot and probably will never have any crazy parties. It's a cute apartment. You'se guys would like it.

It's not extravagant, but it is in a nice area...not to mention 2 blocks away from  a Restaurant street in Stockholm and direcly across the street from a bar which will become my local afterwork hangout (it has an outdoor heated drinking / smoking area )...ah.....HEAVEN!I was in my apartment long enough to pack and catch a flight to the US ...which, of course, has so far been it's own adventure.

NICE. Never a dull moment when I'm around.