More helsinki…a little at a time
Helsinki. Random pics from Kiasma Art Museum, candy section of grocery, and Senate Square, and Central Railway Station..
You can figure out which is which.
Facebook hates me
I finally get access to the Internet and Facebook locks me out because it doesn’t think i am me!
Anyway, having a good time. Helsinki wasn’t what i expected, but I will write more on that later.
For now, enjoy the pic from a public restroom. Enjoy!
Hei, Helsingissä!
That translates to “Hello, Helsinki”, not that I’d be able to pronounce any of it.
In just under 24 hours we should be landing in Finland, beginning a nearly two week adventure. We’ll stay the first 3 days with friends of Randy rigth in the heart of Helsinki, then we’ll take a ferry to Tallinn, Estonia, for two days of exploration. I found a small hotel right in the heart of the fortified Old Town.
After Estonia, we’ll head to Ghent, Belgium, where we’ll spend 2 days exploring Gravensteen Castle, various churches, and numerous canals. Then we’ll spend a day in Bruges (or an afternoon/evening – I hear Bruges is rather small) before going to Ostend – a town on the Belgium coast, facing the North Sea. Randy will be attending a conference midweek so I’ll go off on my own and explore the area (or return to nearby Bruges) furing the day.
Finally, on Tuesday afternoon I’ll take the high speed train to Paris and hang out with my friend, Mark (who has already set up a card game night for me).
Of course, I read in the Boston Globe today that the French rail drivers union is planning a strike on the day I’m supposed to fly back to Boston. Getting from downtown to the very distant airport seems like it’s going to be a bit of a problem. ugh. Thanks, union! And all because they want to raise the retirement age from 60 (yes, 60) to 62.
It’s funny, when I booked my flights back in June, my concern was that the Iceland volcano would potentially botch our travel plans. I guess it had to be something.
Anyway, Randy and I packed last night and I managed to fit everything into my carry-on suitcase (in fact, it’s not even over-stuffed). This should make traveling much easier…and cheaper (no luggage fees!).
So, I’m not sure what my internet access will be during this trip so I’m not promising anything in terms of this blog. Though, you never know. Most likely I’ll post even more frequently with just quick texts and photos of various things.
I’m unpredictable like that.
(un)Like Riding a Bike
Today is September 9th. It is also the first day I’ve worn pants in over 3 months. I think the last time I wore pants was around Memorial Day. But with highs expected at about 70 degrees (and morning temperatures even lower), I figured I’d wear jeans today.
It’s weird. I’m not used to having any sort of fabric below my knee. It also doesn’t help that I’ve trended toward the heavier side over the past few years so my jeans most likely are a bit snug (they were also washed before the season and newly washed jeans are always tighter at first).
Stil, that’s no excuse. I suppose it’s a good thing I’m wearing them today because I’ll need to get used to it. Tomorrow we fly to Helsinki and temperatures there are expected to be even cooler, with highs around 60. Not only will I be wearing jeans, but I’ll be adding a jacket to things, too.
What a difference a few days makes.
Oh, and since we mentioned my gradually expanding (but hopefully reducing…I went to the gym three times last week) belly, a report was released yesterday that said 33% of Massachusetts students were overweight. I was rather pleasantly surprised to read that my town, Arlington, has the thinnest student body, with only 9.6% overweight.
I suppose it’s a good thing I’m not in school anymore or I’d skew our numbers in the wrong direction.
One More Time
I went down to the Cape to help my parents prepare for the “hurricane”. I knew it wasn’t likely to be a direct hit, but I must admit I was expecting (hoping) for a bit more action than what we got. The rain didn’t start until between 10pm and 11pm. And the highest wind gust anywhere in Massachusetts was 58mph in Hyannis.
We did, however, get nearly 6 inches of rain in just a few hours (until about 3am). I could hear wind whipping through the trees, but when we woke up in the morning, there was barely a twig on the ground. Oh well.
Then, Randy decided to come down to the Cape on Saturday (with our friend, Ben) and we headed up to Provincetown for one last hurrah of the season. For the first time in ages, we didn’t go to a show. Instead, we walked, talked, ate, walked, drank, walked, shopped, walked and went to the beach. All in all, a great weekend. We even bought some more art from the artist we purchased stuff from last year.
On Monday, I wanted to rest. Randy was a bit more ambitious so we compromised: we rode bikes to lunch Zocalo (sp?), a tasty Mexican place in Arlington, then biked to the Capitol Theatre to see Despicable Me in 3D. This was my first 3D movie since Jaws 3-D back in the early 1980’s. Technology has come a long way (no more uncomfortable cardboard-framed red and green glasses).
Oh, but I did involve myself with a little manual labor on Labor Day: laundry. With just three more days until we leave for Helsinki, it’s time to wash those clothes. Unlike the 85 humid degrees we’re expected to get today, Helsinki should be 59-63 degrees…with drizzle nearly every day. Brrrrrr!
Aren’t They Abundant Yet?
I have fond memories of climbing up and down sand dunes as a kid. At the time, they felt like mini-mountains to me, offering spectacular views of the ocean, but even more fun when you were in the middle of the dunes and surrounded by sand in every direction with no way of telling which way the ocean was. It’s what I thought a desert would be like. We’d leap from the tops and land in the sand then tumble down – our own version of summer sledding.
Minus the sled.
But then came those piping plovers. Or, more accurately, there went the piping plovers. Apparently, our childlike behavior was disturbing these tiny birds’ nesting habitat and they were bordering extinction or something. Then it seemed every beach in Massachusetts blocked off the sand dunes and made them forbidden territory.
Twenty-five or so years later, that’s still the case. Yet every time I go to the beach I see gazillions (yes, that’s a scientific quantity) of those damn piping plovers. They’re out there mocking me…non-verbally telling me that I can’t go for a walk in the dunes, or re-live childhood memories of climbing and jumping.
Are they seriously still near extinction? I mean, seriously, it’s been a quarter century and I really do see a lot of them every time I go to the beach. Hasn’t the population bounced back yet?
I suppose you can tell where I’m going with this: Randy and I went to the beach this weekend. We tried going to Crane Beach, but the parking lot was full. We instead kept going up Route 1A and ended up on Plum Island. The beach wasn’t as nice (the dip into the water was steeeeeeeeeeeeep). But it was a nice day overall. As we were leaving some guy fishing said that there had been a shark sighting. I’m not sure I believe him, but it’s a fun story.
It’s All About the Food
Yet I’ve neglected to take a single photograph of any of it.
On Sunday, our friend, Ben arrived for a business trip so we met up with him at his hotel (the Taj…beautiful room overlooking the Public Garden and skyline), then walked over to Davio’s for some grub.
Then I got together with a friend of mine on Wednesday night and headed to Pasha – a Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant in Arlington, before coming home and joining Randy for some games.
Now yesterday was Randy’s birthday so we got together with Ben again, along with his wife, Sandy, and walked to Tryst, also in Arlington. YUM – since it was Restaurant Week we got the three course meal, and mine was proscuitto de parma with peaches and arugula to start, chicken with fresh carrots, beans, and some sort of whole grain, then an AMAZING flourless chocolate torte with real mint chocolate chip ice cream (it tasted like ice creamed pulled from a garden…but without dirt).
But despite how tasty each meal was, I think I’m restauranted out.
And speaking of wishing to be out of something. I wish our country was out with Sarah Palin. Seriously, why does she seem to be sticking her nose into ever single issue (and non-issue). Most recently, she was complaining about how Alaska would never stand for a Republican like Scott Brown. Oh really? Well, then perhaps just as she is proud he’s not from her state, I would summise that 95% of Massachusetts is proud that she’s not from ours.
I mean, she’s complaining that he’s ignoring conservatives wishes. Well, last I heard, Massachusetts was not a conservative state. He ran more as a moderate Republican and whether we like him or not, he does seem to be voting fairly moderately. And that’s pretty much how Massachusetts would want him to vote. So, what she’s considering his “compromising” on issues, I would say is more him actually representing the state in a manner in which he believes the residents would like him to. That’s not compromising, that’s following your constituency.
By no means am I a Scott Brown fan, but I respect him for not always voting with his party.
What a Difference Four Days Make
Up until now, we’d been blessed with a rather sunny summer. Granted, July was hotter and more humid than I would have liked (resulting in an electric bill $80 more than normal), but generally we’ve had nearly non-stop sunshine all summer.
Which is why I rather welcomed some gloominess approaching on Saturday afternoon, and some light rain on Sunday. But as Monday, Tuesday, and now Wednesday have arrived with nearly identical weather, it makes my mind feel as if the entire summer has been a wash-out. It doesn’t help that this morning is the wettest we’ve had this week.
After four days, it all just seems so familiar…and permanent.
But those talking heads on the TV keep promising that the heavy rain will cease by midday, and that tomorrow ill be 80 and sunny. I’ll believe that when I see it.
In the meantime, my shoes are sitting on the HVAC vent trying to dry off, my khaki colored shorts are nearly transparent from the soaking I got during this morning’s commute, and my office is humid as hell because Harvard has gone all environmental on my ass and decided that if the temps to reach a certain level, they don’t provide cooling to sufficiently make my office comfortable. Consequently, my HVAC vents are blowing warm (WARM) air and my office is humid and miserable. I can’t open the windows for ventilation because I left them open last night after attempting to cool the space and I arrived to pools of water on the window sills and carpet surrounding the windows.
But life is good otherwise! We had an enjoyable weekend with friends, I’m nearly done with my final annual report, and I’ve realized that our flight to Helsinki is just over two weeks away!
Why Don’t They Just Listen to Me?
Yesterday I received something in the mail from Harvard’s flexible splending plan administrator describing some changes that will take effect next year. Primarily, over-the-counter medications (such as aspirin, cough medicine, and allergy-relief pills) will no longer be covered as a result of the health care overhaul implemented by, as FoxNews would say, “the democrats.”
Now, my understanding of this program was that it was supposed to improve (or provide) coverage for many who are not covered adequately, but I didn’t realize it was supposed to take away coverage from those already PAYING for their health plans through payroll deductions. Still, I can accept that. I mean, the way flexible spending works is that you have money withdrawn from your paycheck each payperiod and you can use that money pre-tax to purchase your over-the-counter medications. That’s like a 30% discount. And considering 30% off a $3.00 bottle of generic aspirin is only 90 cents…I am willing to let the government keep that little bit of savings to help those in need.
But then I read further into the document and it said that Band-Aids and saline solution will continue to be covered. Huh? Why do they need to complicate things? Why can’t they just say “No over-the-counter” drugs are included. Whenever they allow exceptions like this it just leads to confusion. And why such random exceptions like Band-Aids and saline solution? Exclude all or nothing. No inbetweens, please.
It’s just like taxes. I have no problem paying taxes. Generally speaking, I think we’re undertaxed and with proper taxes (and a necessary reduction in state and federal employees), we wouldn’t be having so many issues with failing infrastructure (come on…3 bridges in Massachusetts crumbling just this past week alone? an under-funded public transit system in the red every single year?).
So why in the hell can’t we just have a flat income tax? I’ve read reports that over 50% of the population doesn’t pay any tax at all because they make less than the allowable thershold. That means less than half of the country is paying for entire country’s upkeep. That’s just wrong.
Instead of all these insane tax credits and tricks that benefit some and not others (homeowners can claim mortgage interest in their taxes while renters can’t claim their rent), people receive tax credits for having kids while they should be paying MORE since they’re using more of the programs), people stop contributing to social security after they reach a certain threshold (somewhere around $100,000) meanshile social security is in such dire straits everbody should continue contributing to it? That money would do a lot of good.
Long story short….I say charge everybody the same flat tax rate for all income: salary, investments, capital gains. The tax forms would be a helluva lot easier to read. And either allow ALL over-the-counter drugs to be approved for flexible, or none at all.
Why do we insist on complicating things that just don’t have to be?
Timing is Everything
…and I’ve got horrible timing.
I’ve experienced a few very minor earthquakes in my time (once as a child my brother and I felt something on the Cape, and when I lived in San Francisco I felt a small rumble one night while brushing my teeth). Very minor stuff, though. Now, I don’t want another Haiti or San Francisco of 1906 earthquake to hit while I’m present, but I would love, just once, to experience a massive rumble. I’ve been through hurricanes and blizzards…this is just another of nature’s miracles I’d like to witness.
Randy and I have been to California numerous times over the past few years and on more than one occasion, an earthquake has occured a day or two before (or after) our visit. Even more frustrating, we visited San Francisco once then drove to Mendocino (many hours north) only to arrive in Mendocino to watch the news and find that an earthquake had struck San Francisco just hours after we left. I missed it by mere hours!
Well, I learned today that I’m going to miss out on something else. Last year JetBlue offered an amazing deal for October: an all-you-can-jet ticket. You buy a ticket (last year I thought it was about $500) and you would have unlimited travel for 30 days. Alas, Randy and I were closing on our condo in October (and had already booked a trip to Puerto Rico for mid-October) so we weren’t able to take advantage of the deal.
Then I heard they were offering the same promotion again this year (though, for $699 this time around). Excitedly I looked at the dates. Then ugh. We’re going to be in Europe for 2 of the 4 weeks of the promotion. Sigh.
Now, I’m thrilled we’re going to be in Europe. But I wish the promotion were just one month later. Maybe they’ll offer it again next year (note to self: don’t plan any trips for September or October). I have so much vacation time banked that I could take the entire month off. My schedule would be completely open to visit friends in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Fort Lauderdale. And I’ve been curious about Bogota, Colombia. Perhaps Aruba? I’d love to explore the rest of the island of Puerto Rico.
Maybe next year.