News and More!

I have some good news and some bad news. 

Good news #1: Yesterday, I patted a black lab who was sitting on the stoop of a cigarette shop. We've also spotted at least one fat tabby slinking around the streets. Naturally, I tried to approach him, but he does not seem to want to be friends. Here is a picture of the tabby in question trying to get away from me.

Good news #2: We got word that we'll be able to officially move into our permanent apartment nine days early on March 23.

Bad news #1: We have to move out of our temporary apartment on Thursday and into a hotel room, then back into the temporary apartment on Sunday. Still counting? That will be a total of seven moves when it's all said and done. We've accumulated more stuff since our last foray in the hotel (remember that trip to IKEA?), and the rooms are a bit of a tight squeeze for all of our suitcases, things, and bodies. Alas. I am trying to stay positive and focus on the fact that we'll be in our final Swedish living space within two weeks, but Erin has had to give me a few pep talks. The idea of packing and moving all our crap again and again makes my insides groan.

Other stuff: This past weekend was all about walking and enjoying some weather we Michiganders have not experienced in quite a long time. Sunday hit 50 degrees and the sun was actually shining for more than 10 minutes, so we were out and about as much as possible and spent much of the day walking along the water while periodically stopping for wine. I also had the greatest meal of my travels so far: a Quorn meat-free chicken fillet burger with pickled onions, some kind of spicy cream sauce, and potatoes. It tasted like heaven on a plate and I ate all of it.

Odd Swedish observation #432: Early calculations show that approximately 6.2% of the population uses ski poles while they're out walking. More analysis needs to be done, of course, but I've been far too busy with the hair salon study. 

If the weather is good, we intend to take the ferry to Denmark this coming weekend to visit Kronborg, a castle in Helsingør that Shakespeare wrote about in Hamlet. Until then!