August 2020

1st Aug 2020

The weather was really nice and I was actually going Nordic walking to the Lake of Djulö, which is an around 30 min walk in one direction. I did only wear my face mask, when I was close to people. At this point, actually the trail is very small and there were a lot of people enjoying the nature. I did not go to the bathing spot, because it was crowed there.

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2nd Aug 2020

I congratulated my son Samuel for his birthday. I did not reach him, when I tried to call him, though I sent him a message with a link to a “Happy birthday” song on YouTube. In the early evening he was calling me, though we had a talk anyway.

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3rd Aug 2020

I have got an email from my dance club about the upcoming courses. They actually plan to have all the courses, but with less participants. I think, it is not good for me to participate in the rock ‘n’ roll course because of the pandemi, but I dared to sign up for a course in line dance. It will give me some exercises, I will meet people again and I hope I will become less depressive. I actually need the social communication for being happy. I would not have dared to sign up for that course either, if not one of my girlfriends had told me some days before, that she also is participating in such a course.

I made my first try to make my own Feta cheese. Actually I did not ferment the tofu, but used nutritional yeast. It is a try and I think, even it will not become like Feta cheese, the pulp will be eatable anyway. I did not really understand either, if there is skin on the lupine seed or not, but it was possible to get it grind with the immersion blender.

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4th Aug 2020

My girlfriend Doris sent me a WhatsApp message, that my kitchen machine had arrived. She was asking me for my address as well ;-). In the evening it was raining cats and dogs. I made biff of lupin beans, though the other half of the jar did not become mouldy.

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5th Aug 2020

I had a bad sleep that night, but was more alert as usual this morning. I did sew a little more of face masks and used my time in the afternoon for creative cooking. The meal contained: Onion, garlic, aubergine, squash, red bell pepper, “cheese” of lupin beans, vegan mince, basil and spices. The “cheese” is that one I hoped will become a kind of greek “cheese”, but it was not fast enough. I could have eaten it on bread anyway, if it had not been for the amount of salt. I did not realize, before I started with my “cheese” making, that the lupin beans were in salt lake. I did not use salt for the meal and it was really delicious.

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6th Aug 2020

I needed more elastics, though I went to the haberdashery I have been the time before, but it was closed. Therefore I tried with the one I am usually going to and that was open. There I also found a nice piece of cotton scrap fabric, which I bought, even I had not planned that. The whole piece was for 50 SEK only (around 6 USD or 5 EUR). It is enough for more than 10 face masks.

My girlfriend Doris informed me, that they did send my kitchen machine the day before yesterday, but did not answer me, when I asked about the cost of freight. I think, the parcel will arrive here in Katrineholm in around a week.

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7th Aug 2020

I was by bike to the recycling station of our town. I left two broken electric items as well as some light bulbs and batteries. I also left a few items for the second hand shop there. The recycling station has an own. The income will be given to associations like the soccer club.

In the middle of the day I participated in the DigitalStrikeForClimate again. This time I made a quite good selfie.

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In the evening I was going to two supermarkets. I actually was to the one with the best papaya in town as well as to the one I usually are going to. I weared my face mask, of course. I hope, I can avoid to get the SARS-CoV-2. It is just so hard to buy my groceries without seeing them before the purchase. I use these evening hours, because there are not many people in the supermarkets. Anyway in one of the supermarket was a man, who did not care about the distance. He thought to ask the cashier something and came very close to me, who was in front of him in the line, waiting for my turn. I groused at him, that he has to hold the distance. He did not say anything, but changed to the next cash, where nobody was in front of him at that moment.

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8th Aug 2020

It does not happen anything special, but my son Marcus and me had no opportunity to chat via Skype, because at that time we used to chat he got help with his weekly shopping.

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9th Aug 2020

It did not happen anything special at all this day.

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10th Aug 2020

I did pick up a small parcel about 5 kg with food, I cannot bye here in Katrineholm, at the grocerie shop. I had the wheels of my shopping cart with me for the weight. Though I had to walk, but that is not a problem, but meating people on the sidewalk.

I also got a message from UPS, where I could choose, if I want to get a little parcel brought to my home or will pick up at a grocery shop. I chose the first option, of course. By the way, I had ordered filing strips of a company in the very South of Sweden – in Malmö, but the parcel was from Germany.

In the evening Lotta, a woman from the climate group of the Nature Conservation Association, called me. When I answered her call, I saw that the battery in my cellphone only had 15% left, though I tried to plug it in for charging, but in the same moment the battery died. It took a couple of hours to charge it again and I could not get the phone work this evening.

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11th Aug 2020

I was thinking about to use the phone I bought in Mexico, when the display of the Swedish one crashed, but I tried one more time to start my Swedish phone and it worked! You may understand, how happy I was.

At high noon I had an appointment with an optician. I was thinking for more than a year, that I need new glasses, because I can not read with them anymore and have to take them off for that. First I did not have enough with money and than I was afraid to visit an optician because of the SARS-CoV-2. Now I decided to meet one anyway. The company was writing, that they care about the customers and their employees and have taken a lot of precautions. Though I tried and I was very satisfied. The first employee I met, asked me, if I want her to use a face mask. I think it was because of I worn one. The optician itself had an acrylic glass wall between his working space and the chair I had to use. When he told me, that I should have two pair of glasses – one for reading and one for all the other things, I asked him for varifocals, because the glasses I have now also are varifocals. Though he explained the different types he offered and also, that I have to get used to them during the first time of wearing them. I told him, that I am used with varifocals, though he added, that one has to get used to every new pair of varifocals like one has to get used to every new pair of shoes. That was the best explanation I ever have heard about it. With other words: This optician is very nice and trustworthy. I already had told, that I have 6,000 SEK (~ 700 USD or ~ 600 EUR) to spend. When I had chosen a frame, another employee took care about me and made the calculation – asking me, if I will have different supplement and told me the prices. At the end the glasses were for a little more about 6,000 SEK and I told her, that I have to check my account if I can pay them that day. Therefore she told me, that I can pay, when I will pick them up. When she printed the offer, she deleted the price for the eye exam – that is usual in Sweden, when one also buy new glasses. The new amount was less than 6,000 SEK and it would not have been a need to check my account, but know the whole process was done for paying for the glasses, when I will pick them up.

Back at home I found the notification for my parcel from Germany. I was happy, it already arrived. I took a photo of it and sent that to my girlfriend Doris, even asking her again about the costs for the freight. Now I have got an answer. It was for 22 EUR only. I had sent a little parcel in Sweden, one with a lower weight, which already was for 14 EUR. Though I told my friend, that the amount of 22 EUR was cheap.

My order of the filing strips arrived at 3pm. The driver was very nice, because he really hold the distance, when he left it to me. Unfortunately the strips are in plastic, only the part needed for the face masks is of metal. I was disappointed about the plastics, because it will be so much plastic waste. According to the pictures, I thought they were of paper, as it had been years ago, when I was living in Germany. The reason that I had ordered them online was, that we do not have these filing strips in Sweden and I could not find this metal strips another way, but in much more expensive folders.

Around 6pm I was to a parking space in town where I picked up my vegetables I had ordered by facebook. I think I already wrote about this opportunity before. This time, there were no even one plastic item used for packing. I also left back the plastic box and a paper bag from an previous delivery.

I left the vegetables at home and was to the grocery shop to pick up my new kitchen machine. Back at home I unpacked it as soon as possible, but I took photos of every moment of unpacking in case I have to send back this kitchen machine as well. I think, I will order a Pro Extractor Blades® Assembly, because if it will break again, I will not loose the entire kitchen machine.

Finally I called Lotta, asking her for the reason, she called me the day before and explaining, why the call was interrupted. She told me, she want a face mask for a woman, she makes the shopping for. We also were taking about the broken kitche machine and my nearly broken smartphone. She explained, that there is a man in a community close to Katrineholm, who repairs electrical items, especially phones. We were also talking about, how lonely I feel by the isolation for the SARS-CoV-2 and she invited me to her, sitting in her garden and having a chat.

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12th Aug 2020

I chatted with my son Marcus by Skype. The new face mask has arrived at his’. That it tooks such a long time, depended on, that I had written wrong address. He did not tell me, what I had written instead of Magnoliagatan i Helsingborg and I am sure, that I had written just that street name. I also had written wrong number of his apartment, he told me and that it is not necessary at all to write the number of the apartment.

In the afternoon I visited Lotta, who is a member of the Swedish Conservation Association. We were sitting in her garden for two hours chatting about different things. She is easy to talk with, but I think, she only invited me, because she is a kind person and would like to help me. She has a full-time job and family to care about as well. Though it feels for me like I steal her time. Before I left she gave me some used magazines as a gift.

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13th Aug 2020

I was assumed to the line dance class. It will start 9th Sept. I also started to write a food diary. I want to check, how many kalories I eat a day. So far I just have the feeling, that I do not eat a lot, but it is better to check it up. Maybe I find a simple explanation for my weight gain. Fortunately between the two lasts when I weighed me, I had the same weight. Anyway I will check it up.

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14th Aug 2020

I was shopping at two supermarkets. I did it during the last hour, before they were closing down for the day. Though there were not so many customers and I used one of my face masks, of course.

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15th Aug 2020

I did some paper work, that means I started to write down my shopping for the face masks. If I will sell some, even do not earn a lot by them, I need to have a diary about my expenses as well as my income.

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16th Aug 2020

I updated my notices about how to wear face masks. I had done them for private use only. Now I wrote them for public use. If I can sell face masks, I will send such a notice with each of them.

I installed MS Teams again. I had deleted it, because it makes my laptop very slow to start. Unfortunately there are associations, who use this software for online meetings.

In addition to that, I tried to install the driver software for my negative scanner, but I did not find that link anymore on the homepage of the manufacturer. I sent an email to the manufacturer, explaining the situation. I know, I should have installed the driver software a long time ago, but I am not myself by the pandemy and all takes such a long time. On the other hand side, I have become good in doing nothing or better, nearly nothing.

Already using my laptop, I finally did update my blog somewhat.

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17th Aug 2020

There was already a reponse to my email to the manufacturer I wrote to the day before. The email had a link to a dropbox account and directly to the software I need. I was very happy about this good customer care, even I had not bought the hardware from them. After I had installed the driver I checked, if the scanner is working – and it is! Unfortunately my photo negatives are quite old, though the colours are not very good anymore, but with the help av GIMP, a picture editor, I could nearly fully recover the two photos I scanned. Anyway it took a lot of time.

A doctor from the polyclinic should call me at 3pm, but he was calling more than half an hour later. He talked with me, but already at the very beginning he told me, that my doctor will be back in a week and I should ask him all the questions I have. During the conversation I became aware, that it is a real disadvantage, that I have done some examinations of my health as well as the surgery of the thyroid cancer outside Sweden. They do not really care about the papers I have from the other countries. They only care about, what they have in their computer system. He asked me to get the journals from other places I lived in Sweden, but they already have them. By the way, after two or three years, it is not longer possible to see the health history in their programs, if one not is going to the same GP. Our Swedish system is only good for people, who do not move or do not need a doctor.

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18th Aug 2020

I felt better this morning and had more energy. I did not read either before I left my bed. After breakfast I sewed four face masks and cut fabric for five more.

There was a notice, that our landlord will send a plumber to check our waterpipes, because there is much more water used in our house than in the other houses and the landlord suspecs, that there is a water leak somewhere in our house. I did not think about, that it was only the upcoming week, when the plumber will come, though I already wrote a sign about, that only people with face masks are allowed to enter my apartment.

This day I have got a sore throat and the Conversation association has a meeting – in Lotta’s garden. I called and told them, that I won’t come because of my sore throat. I do not know if it is “SARS-CoV2” and I will not risk to infect someone.

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19th Aug 2020

I was up early this morning and dressed before breakfast, because I was awaiting the plumber at 10am. Fortunately, I have seen in time, that there was another date named and I only kept that sign about wearing face masks in my apartment.

I did sew the five face masks this day.

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20th Aug 2020

I had a bad night, I had the feeling, that I had to throw up. I was lucky and did not. By the bad night, I was up late this day, but I ordered a COVID-19 test at the hospital.

I ordered food online at my supermarket. I did order a lot of real cheese. I was so peckish for all the soft cheese, there are. That is the problem with being vegan. There is no vegan cheese, which can reach up to cheese made by milk from cows. I think, I will go back to eat vegan, when I have eaten that cheese. I might be lacto-ovo vegetarian twice a year for a short time.

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21st Aug 2020

The Swedish Health Authority is saying, that no all COVID-19 cases, which were reported may be COVID-19 cases, therefore all the respective authorities should check their journals. I think, it looks like they are interested in to make the registration of COVID-19 cases more positive, even it might not be true. It seems to have to do with the critics the Swedish authority has got from other countries and our high numbers of COVID-19 deads compared with the other Nordic countries.

I made a COVID-19 test at the hospital. First of all, the place for the test was hard to find. The address named was a usual apartment house with only a few apartments. Closer to the hospital, there was a container, where the test was done, which I finally found. I hoped, that one can get help with the test, but I had to make it by myself. I also thought it will not be easy to poke a long pin in my nose and my throat by myself – and it was not. I am not sure, I was all the way in. Anyway, one had to leave a saliva sample as well. All had to go into the same tube and I had to do that by myself as well. The pin had to be spinned around in a liquid in the tube. When I had left the tube to the nurse, I was told to take all the material used home. It seems to me strange, because I think, they have better posibilities to destroy them. I might contaminate things on my way home.

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22nd Aug 2020

I read my letter to the editor about face masks in my local newpaper. Later I picked up my food from the supermarket. I had taken with me two extra bags, which I also needed. It was not so easy to go by bike with them, but I did it. If it would have been harder, I would have walked the bike.

I have to cross the center of Katrineholm on my way home, because of street works. When I was close to a McDonald’s, there was a car staying halfway over the pedestrians walk (which also is allowed to use by bike, but with a speed of not more than six km/h. When I came, I saw two young men coming and they were talking with the driver of that car. I had seen, that there was space enough in front of the car and was going further by bike. When I was very close to the car, the driver just started driving – and turn into the McDonald’s drive in. I just managed to stop in front of the car, but I hurt one of my ankles. I shouted “idiot”, I had no other works at that moment.

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23rd and 24th Aug 2020

It did not happen anything special.

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25th Aug 2020

I picked up and paid for my new glasses. First at home I felt, that they are looking like wagon wheels. I did not see that at the optician, because most of the glasses were big. Without the edged glasses, I did not see them so well either. I have to live with them for years.

In the afternoon I meet two women and took a walk together with them. I did not know them before. They started a group namned “Nya vänner i Katrineholm” (New friends in Katrineholm). There live a lot of lonely people in our town, I learned now, but it is not very easy to find some with the same interests – even by that group. There are more than we three, who are kean in taking walks, but some are early birds. One of the women I met was going with her little dog and the other one with her walker. Though it was not much of exercise for me, but company. Unfortunately an insect was creeping into my trousers and stinged me – not only once. I had six stings, when I came home, even I had killed the insect inside my trousers. I put some vinegar on the stings. By the way, my knee is still thickened and I still can see the stings, when I write this on 30th Aug.

A quarter past six I picked up my vegetables from the farmers (I have written about this posibility before).

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26th Aug 2020

The plumber of my landlord was coming. I had put the sign about wearing face mask on my door and put face masks in a plastic bag in the open newspaper box. The plumber really used it, even he did not adjust the metal strip on the upper side. He checked the bathroom and the kitchen and was ready to go, though I opened my walk-in warderobe and told him, that there are waterpipes as well. He told me, I was right, after he had checked them. I was surprised, that he did not know that from the beginning. He was on his way out, when I asked him for the face mask, he had used and held a pot close to him. He took of the face mask by the elastics, but took then in the middle of the face mask to put it into the pot. I offered desinfection, but he told me, that he has in the car. Though I am convinced, that he did not really know, how to use a face mask.

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27th Aug 2020

I had ordered a book in Spanish some weeks ago, or better, I had been looking for it a while ago and could not find it anywhere but at an online bookshop in Spain. That shop was not sending books outside Spain. Later I found a copy on Amazon. I ordered it and paid, but after a few days I have got the answer, that the book is not in stock and I did get my money back. Fortunately I then could sign up for a copy at a Swedish seller. When it was in stock again, I ordered it. Why just that book? I read about a Mexican writer, who died in cancer in an age of 45. His books seemed to be interesting. I had a chat about the writer and the book with a Mexican friend (woman) and decided to buy just that book. This day it finally arrived. I read some pages in it and was happy, that I could understand so much. Actually my learing with the app Duolingo my Spanish vocabulary extended.

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28th Aug 2020

It was Friday again and I participated in the Digital Climate Strike as usual. In the late evening I was to the supermarket, to buy some food.

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29th Aug 2020

It should have been a shoe strike this day again, but the weather forecast announced heavy rain for the entire day. I had announced our (GrandmasForFuture) participating in this event on last Sunday by different chanals. The Conservation Assocation would be with us as well and they had already the afternoon before send an email, that they won’t have the event because of the weather forecast.

Actually it was not raining, but the sky was very grey until 1pm. Though we could have had this event anyway. I was disappointed about myself, disappointed, that I did not try. Irene, the other active GrandmaForFuture called me half past 10am and told me, that there were no people and no shoes in the center. She had not read my notises. Anyway, we agreed to start with our usual FridaysForFuture event the upcoming Friday in front of the Municipalities office.

Later I saw a photo with text at Instagram under the Conversation Association’s flag showing a pair of boots on a ground in the rain and a wet paper sign with the text “Shoe strike”. The text was somehow like “Shoe strike even in heavy rain”. I was so disappointed, though I put a comment under the photo about, that the event was cancelled of the association. I did get an email of the member, who runs that account, telling me, I should have taken contact with the members of the association instead and that she had taken the photo at her home as well as she thought, there must something done but the weather. She also wrote, that she did delete my comment. When I checked, she already had deleted it.

I was so angry, how she handled that. It was a lie, what she posted and to delete a uncomfortable comment is not better either. With this members of the association I am not happy to join their meetings in the future. Anyway, before I make anything more, I slept over it, but it did not change my mind. Maybe I overreact, though I think, I will talk about it with Irene, when I meet her next Friday.

In the evening I did get a call from the helpers, where my son Marcus is living. I was told, that they are at the hospital, because Marcus has a lot of pain in his stomach and his left side. I was also told, I will get further information. Later I have got sms, that he has gallstones and an ultrasound will be made the upcoming day.

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30th Aug 2020

I did not make anything special, but changed the covers in my bed. I use the winter cover now again.

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31st Aug 2020

I cut my hair and used the hair trimmer for it, which I had bought a couple of weeks ago. I was not really sure about it, but gathered all my courage, thinking that it will grow again. I had decided to cut my hair really short month ago, because I loose so much hair. It is disgusting! I hope, it will look less sparsely, when it is real short. If it will get very bad looking, I can use a hat or scarf, when I am leaving my home. I think it is OK, how it looks now.

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In the afternoon I updated my blog. During this I have got a phone call about my son Marcus and was told, that he will have a surgery the upcoming day. I hope, all will become well.

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If you like to follow me further, please use the link for September 2020.