July 2019

1st July 2019

I transfered most of the amount on my HSBC account to my Swedish account and stayed at the Internet for most of the day, because the weather was really bad – raining and around +10°C only. It is not unusual for a Swedish summer, but I do not like that weather.

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2nd July 2019

The weather was not much better this day, but a little warmer – up to +14°C. I had to make my weekly shopping and was going to the supermarket after noon by bike, but first I was to another shop, buying two new baskets for the package holder, though I could get my shopping home. Since my shopping cart broke, I have to go by bike to the supermarket.

This day I also started to make a bottle holder, which I can carry like a shoulder bag. I had bought the fabrics some days ago. The day before I had ironed the vlieseline on the fabrics. I do not have a sewing machine anymore, though I do sew by hand. I did not come very far.

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3rd July 2019

I continued to sew that bottle holder, but I made mistakes and had to re-do the seams twice. Therefore the bottle holder is not finished yet.

I was early to bed, because I had an appointment at my dentist the following day. For catching a train with a cheap ticket and also, because I have some more errands in Stockholm, I have to go by train around 10am. That is the time I often have my breakfast, but the upcoming day I have to leave my home at 9:30am. I could not fall asleep, though I was checking things and sending emails. I also send a new message to my lessor.

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4th July 2019

I was falling asleep in the early morning and very tired, when my alarm clock was ringing. Anyway I was up and taking my medicine. Before I had my breakfast, I lay the clothes for the day and also packed my bag pack – I did take a meal with me and the rain clothes, of course.  Afterwards did take a rest of around 15 minutes, even I had planned to take a shower directly after I had taken my medicine. Anyway I had time enough to take my shower after breakfast. I have had my alarm clock on 7 o’clock and 7:15am. Therefore I had lots of time to get ready. Before I left home, I checked my postbox and found an answer from the board for patients. They told me, the answer from the Polyclinic was, that they acted correct, because of a new directive in 2015. Anyway I think, they apply it the wrong way.

This month the railway company SJ is working with the rails close to the railway station Stockholm Central. They will put more rails there, because there are so many trains coming and going, that the rails they have now are not enough. By this reason, if one is coming from the South going to Stockholm, one has to change to a commuter train at Flemingsberg or Stockholm Södra. Coming from Katrineholm, one has to change at Flemingsberg. Unfortunately, there is an extra charge for the commuter train, because it is not operated by the same company. For some people it is an extra cost and I think, the SJ should fix their ticket prices, though we passengers do not have to pay more than usual.

I was going to the city center and looking for tip protectors for my trekking poles, because I had lost one of the protectors in Mexico. I was lucky and found them. I continued to a telecommunication shop. Actually, the operator for my broadband and asked about changing my subscription for my cellular phone, when the contract with the other operator is ending. I am very interested in to continue with the same number I have now. I had to wait for quite a long time until it was my turn. Anyway I have got the answer, I was looking for and will go there again at the end of the year.

There was lot of time left, but I was taking the underground to the place of my dentist. In the centre of the suburb I took a seat on a bench and ate my packed lunch. I also found a bathroom, where I could brush my teeth. Looking around in shops, not buying anything, I was waiting for the time of the appointment. I arrived at my dentist a little early. The extra time I spent in the waiting area. There were even other people waiting. Almost one of them were meeting the Qinopractic.

When it was my turn, I asked the dentist about general anesthesia, but he could not gave me that. He only could offer local anesthesia, which I also got. To remove the first tooth was not a problem and actually the other two teeth were not either, but when the dentist had removed the third tooth, he was aware, that there was a big hole in my bone under that tooth with a lot of pus. It took a quite long time for the dentist, to remove the pus. At the end, he treated it with ozon (because it does kill the bacteria) and antibiotics. At the end of the session, he also gave my the new prosthesis, which has four teeth, including the one I have not had since I was working in Germany.

I was very happy and grateful, that I started at this dentist, because he made a good work. I was thinking about, that the other dentist will have tried to fill my tooth and all the pus would have stayed inside and the bone were getting less and less. I was surprised, of course, that I have not had pain in that tooth and that I could manage to hold the pus back a little by the medicine I had taken earlier this year, even I still felt, that there were some left, before my dentist had removed it all. He was surprised, that he could come all the way to my sinus. He did not remove anything in my sinus, of course. I think, there were not pus there, either. He also gave me more local anesthesia as long as I had pain.

Directly after the work was finished and I had paid a part of the work – an amount of 3,500 SEK (the whole work was for around 5,500 SEK), That is anyway only 50% of the real costs, because between 3,000 SEK and 15,000 SEK one has to pay only 50% of the dental work, from 15,000 SEK one has to pay only 15% of the dental work – that is related to a year from the beginning of the dental work. I was going to the underground for my way home. The train arrived and we were allowed to enter, but it was not going further, because of an error with one or two signals further on. I had a chat with two female passengers to find out, if it was possible to take a bus instead. They did not know the line, but told me, it should be an opportunity. Though I left the underground and was going to the bus stop, where I ask a bus driver, if his bus is going into the correct direction for me. He was and I had to change once – at the end of his route.

Luckily I arrived at the train station Flemingsberg in good time. It was raining now, but I was prepared and was walking from the bus stop to the side of the bus station were the restaurants are. I was hungry now and knowing I will not be back at home before 9pm, I tried to buy a hamburger at a Burger King restaurant, but there was a chaos. It seems the employees did not be able to manage the queue. I walked away and took a seat in the waiting area. Anyway I was becoming more hungry and went back just in time before I had to go to the train. It was not much better, but I did get my hamburger.

At this time of the day I had to change train, that means: The first train was going to Eskilstuna and from there a train to Katrineholm was going. I was unhappy, that I was not able to catch the train, which left Flemingsberg an hour earlier, because that was a direct train. I was very tired now and was happy, that I did not fall asleep in the train. In Katrineholm, I walked home. I would have liked to take a bus, but I would have to wait for it for 30 minutes, while I make my way home by 20 minutes. Though there was no reason to wait for the bus.

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5th July 2019

Finally my lessor “hembla” contacted me, actually by phone, to hear about my complaint. The female employee did agree with my concerns. I do not know, what will happen then. She did neither apologize nor promise anything.

Unfortunately I gained weight again. I eat more again, since I recovered from the inflammation and blisters in my mouth. Even I try not to eat too much and neither a lot of sweets nor very fat food. Anyway I feel hungry most of the time. I do not know, what that depends on.

I also checked my expenses from the month before. All was correctly kept on my accounts.

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6th July 2019

Even this day I continued with my bottle holder. I did not finish yet. I also was going to the grocery store for a stamp to send the answer for the letter from the board of patients – they were requiering and answer and also had sent an envelop.

This day I started to add ginger to my smoothies, because I have read about it’s healthiness – it says it is inflammatory. It also has a lot of vitamine E, what not often is represented in other food.

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7th July 2019

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The weather is like in autumn and it also is raining. Therefore I was answering some emails – I have more to do and finished my bottle holder.

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8th July 2019

Even this day the weather was not summery. When I was to my letterbox, I met a neighbour, even she a retired woman. She told me, that it is cold outside and that she likes the warmth. So do it, I answered her.

I also was on the Internet, looking for a doctor for allergies at our polyclinic. I tried to get an appointment, but got the answer, that there no longer is such a discipline at our polyclinic and I have to get in contact with the polyclinic in Eskilstuna, which is more than an hours drive away by train. It is anyway the closest polyclinic, but our own.

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9th July 2019

I had a really weird dream before I fully awoke and was very dizzy, when I finally awoke. I think it depends on the lower bridge in my mouth. I usually don’t have it in my mouth during the nights, but for the new prothesis for the upper jam, I didn’t take it out the evening before. I want be sure, that the upper prothesis is stayin in place and thought, it was more likely, when I had my lower bridge as well.

I took contact with the department for allergies at the polyclinic in Eskilstuna and got an automated answer, that I will hear from them within 14 days.

It is Tuesday and because of it I also made my shopping at the supermarket – it is for the 5% discount I make my shopping on Tuesdays. I also changed my menu from Monday to Sunday to begin at Wednesdays and ending on Tuesdays. Though I am not dependent on to make my shopping Tuesdays in the morning. On my way home, it started drizzle. I was happy, that it did not start raining cats and dogs instead.

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10th July 2019

I awoke very tired, dizzy and with a headache. I really have to remember to take out my lower dental bridge during the night. After breakfast I was talking a walk with my trekking poles. I was walking quite fast and took a new tour, which I thought, was for around half an hour. When I later checked my timeline on Google maps, I saw, that it had been for 33 minutes. Though it is a good tour, I should take nearly every day – nearly, because some days I have other activites, walking a lot. This day was also warmer as the days before. I did not trust the thermometer and had even a fleece jacket upon the thin sweater, but I had to take of the fleece jacket soon. It was still a little to warm with the sweater.

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11th July 2019

I had remembered to take out my dental bridge before I was going to bed and felt better this morning. During the afternoon I was to the second hand shop of the Red Cross. I left a pair of trekking poles. I had bought them many years ago, but they did not fit in my backpack. They were also to rotate for changing the length of them, which I have problems with because of the arthritis in my right hand. I did not leave a lot to the Red Cross – just the trekking poles a boules game and three used binders. They volunteering woman at the shop was very happy  about all of it. Furthermore I left back the package for the things I had bought at that place two or three weeks ago. Even that made the woman happy and it is a very good way of recycling, helping to save the planet. Furthermore I was going to the service point of the retirement authority. I had finally got the paycheck for the salary for the day I was helping at the EU-election – the amount had been on my account since the end of June. Though I showed the paycheck to this servicewoman and asked her, if it will impact my amount of housing benefit. She called a specialist at the retirement authority and told me then, that it will not. I do not need to inform the authority about it either, because I could earn 24,000 SEK/year without impacting my housing benefit. Though I was thinking, if I should try to get a temporary work for getting my economy positive again. I did not decide, if I really will do that.

In the evening I was to a music event in the town parque. I attendet at 7pm, because the two others before were for children. Though I heard a group, playing Jazz and I did understand again, that Jazz is not the music I can enjoy. Later that evening a cover band was playing oldies. The first or next was “Twist and Shout”. That actually was the only one I knew and could enjoy. Anyway I stayed there until the end at 9pm, all the time in the hope, there will be more songs I know and can enjoy. In addition to that, the singers of the cover band did not sing out, though I could not understand much of the text.

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12th July 2019

I had forgotten to take out the dental bridge of the lower jaw and was awaking late, dizzy and with a headache again. After the late breakfast, I did made a part of my laundry and updating this blog. I had planned to go by bicycle to a Lidl shop for buying toilet paper, kitchen rolls and tissues, but the weather was not nice and soon it also started raining.

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13th July 2019

I was very tired this day. Even I had planned to go by bus to Julita Manor again – this time for a tour of the old monastery, I silenced the alarm.clock and was not up in time. I actually took a “day off”, which means, that I did not even dress this day. I have to admit, that I have some problems with depression. Fortunately it is only a light kind of it. The best medicine would be to go travelling again, but this is not possible for me this year as I wrote before. Almost sunny weather would help a bit. This years weather here in Sweden is like most of the Swedish summers – they are like autumn, both by the amount of the rain and the few sunshine hours as well as the temperatures.

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14th July 2019

I had been to bed a couple of hours earlier as usual, because I had decided to go to Julita Manor. The bus would leave Katrineholm at 11:20am – though I did not need a hurry in the morning. Unfortunately I awoke after two hours of sleep and could not fall asleep again, but in the early morning hours (around 6am), which made it impossible for me to catch that named bus. The next bus would have been around 4pm, which was no idea to take, because, when arriving at Julita Manor, it would close.

Anyway I was up and dressed this day. It is really unusual for me not to dress a day, as I did on Saturday, even it takes time for me every morning to start with my routins. The weather was sunny this day and a little warmer, but I did not go out. I started to plan my next trip for Mexico instead – not really in detail and not the best way for paying as less as possible of bus fees. That I will make another time (closer to the start). I just have to hold my dream alive for not falling deeper in depressions.

If you are wondering about my depressions, I have them from time to time, but fortunately always take me out of it by my own and I never told my children about it. I usually do not tell about them for anyone.

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15th July 2019

I was sleeping for too long this morning, but was still up before noon. The sky was grey again and off and on it also was raining. Therefore it was another day, when I did not take a walk. Finally around 6pm the sun came out, but I did not have the energy to take the “daily” walk at that time.

I did check my shopping list for the supermarket and completed it. I also completed my next route for Mexico and to read about Guatemala. I did not came as long as writing down an itinerary for Guatemala, but will make that soon.

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16th July 2019

Tuesdays are my shopping days at the supermarket. I already wrote about the reason. This tuesday it was raining most of the day, but in the early afternoon it stopped for a while. I dressed for the rainy weather anyway and started to go by bicycle to the supermarket. On my way home it started raining again and I was very happy I was dressed for it.

During the morning I did iron my kitchen towels and napkins. I used paper napkins before, but I remembered, that one of my round table clothes came with napkins and I like to reduce my impact on the environment, though I had decided to use them instead for the paper napkins. I save money that way as well, of course.

Furthermore I checked one of my shelfs for the papers I had put there. So I found maps from Mexico, which I thought I had left there. One of them was about the “El Mundo Maya” (The world of the Mayas). I checked, where all the Maya ruins of Guatemala are situated and if there are som in El Salvador. There are almost ten Maya ruins in Guatemala – to much to visit. Though I have to chose a few of them, among them the well-known ruines of Tikal. For El Salvador no ruins are shown on the map.

Surprisingly Göran E. was calling in the afternoon, asking me, if I would like to go and dance. I declined for the reason of the weather – as I discribed before, the dance floor is at the countryside and even it is a roof above the dance floor, there are no roofs around it. Later I started reading on the Internet about El Salvador. I found an interesting site, written of travellers, who are travelling similar to me, but they are much younger than me. There blog you can find by the following link: https://diytravelhq.com. You can also read: https://theculturetrip.com/central-america/el-salvador/articles/the-10-most-beautiful-spots-in-el-salvador/. While even the Swedish Embassy is warning for visiting the country, the writers of DIY Travel HQ have done it and they tell another story, similar to what I experienced in Mexico.

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17 July 2019

The morning I was busy with cooking. I had bought 500g of minced beef the day before and did cook “minced beef paj”. For the first time I made the paj dough with egg. It is a good one and easy to handle. I really love it. I also cooked a cold cucumber soup. Actually it should have been that, but I had left overs of a mixed salad and added that. The soup includes avocado as well. I have not tasted it yet. I hope, it is eatable.

After lunch I did throw away the papers for the geocaching “hitta ut”. I have got an adverse attitude against it, since the last time I was out for trying finding some checkpoints and I had to look for them in the nowwhere, which means, there was no path at all to the checkpoint. I do not need to follow, what people devise for getting more members for a club or similar. There were small prices announced, but the likelihood to get such a price is very low and also the amounts were it (e.g. 250 SEK = around 25 EUR) for food at a special grocery shop, which is not close to my home).

This evening I wrote down an itinerary for Guatemala. I had already written down the most important places of Guatemala, but on that website/blog “DIY Travel HQ” I also found a site about Guatemala. Though I wrote down, what they recommend to see. Later I will adjust it for my interests, e.g. where I will start. The blog DIY Travel HQ I really can recommend, because they also describe, how to go to the different places – about the camionetas, aka pick-up trucks etc. By the way, I do not get paid for recommending this blog ;-).

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18th July 2019

Before noon I started a washing machine. While I waited for it, to get finished, I updated my blog. The weather is nice and I decided to talk a walk after I hanged my laundry. So I did. Unfortunately, the sky was very cloudy. It seemed it will come a thunderstorm, but I was lucky and was home again, long time before the thunderstorm, even I walked for 45 minutes.

At home again, I ate of the green 😉 soup. It had a strange taste, but the taste was not bad. Anyway, it was so much, that I had to freeze half of it. For this I had to take the ice cream out of the freezer, because there was not space enough for the ice cream in the freezer. Though I also had a dessert. I think, apartments for single persons should have bigger freezers, that single persons not need to eat the same meal more than once in a row. Most food, one can buy, is not for single persons and it becomes cheaper per serving as well, if one buys more at the same time. It is also more environment friendly to cook more at the same time.

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19th July 2019

For some weeks, I was thinking about to buy a hanger for my new skirt and this day I was checking Internet, if it was possible to buy it at one of the local stores. I found one, but it was in the outer shopping area, though I was taking my bicycle to go there. I should have looked for a basket for the front of my bicycle, but dit forget that. I did not turn around, when I remembered it, but was thinking, that it is a good reason to take a bicycle trip another day. I also got a very pain in my right wrist this day. I think, it belongs to the gear shift of my bicycle, because I have to switch it around and it is working quite hard. Though I decided to rest my wrist.

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20th July 2019

I was finally out taking a walk again and I did the bigger round. On my way home I did buy eye drops at the pharmacy. I did not do much more this day, but reading about Costa Rica and Panama as well as I later that day watched movies.

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21st July 2019

After all information I had read the day before about Costa Rica and Panama, I wrote down itineraries for both country. I will work further on all of them later.

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22nd July 2019

I did not feel well this day. It already started in the morning, before I was out off the bed. I had not only pain in my stomach, but also felt, if I needed to vomit. Fortunately I did not. Anyway I decided to change my menu for the upcoming week and only have the chia porridge and almond drink, smoothies, water, avocados and maybe eggs. As well as I hoped I would eat less by this decision. Unfortunately I ate meatballs in the evening as well.

Anyway, I did write some lines about my time living in Lycksele, County of Vasterbotten. You can follow the link for reading it. As the other pages about my earlier life, I may update them from time to time, when I remember more situations.

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23rd July 2019

My new menu worked well this first day, even I was to the supermarket for my weekly shopping of groceries. I bought bananas and papayas as usual and also a cantaloupe melon. Furthermore I bought seven avocados – one for each day of the week. I also remembered to buy a birthday card for my aunt Margarete, the only aunt of mine, who is still alive. Her birthday is 31st July and to be sure, that the postcard will reach her in time, I already bought it. By the way, before I was to the supermarket, I was going further and bought another basket for my bicycle – to have at the rudder. I did not get it on outside the shop and ask a man around to help me with it. He saw, that it is not possible, because the rudder is not made for the usual baskets. I anyway took the basket home, in the hope, I could find a way to fasten it anyway.

In the evening I became more hungry than expected and boiled eggs. I ate two of them and I felt fine.

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24th July 2019

After breakfast I walked with the birthday postcard to a post box. Then I decided to leave the basket, I had bought the day before, back to the shop, because I did not find a way to put it on the rudder of the bike. That was not a problem and fortunately, also my wrist was better and did not hurt anymore. Anyway I was thinking about, that I would not need six gears on my bicycle, it would be enough with three. Though I felt stupid, that I a couple of years ago had bought just this bike. In addition to that I was wondering, if I could sew or crochet a kind of basket / net to have in the front of the bike, because my two back baskets are slightly too small for all I am used to buy during my weekly shopping and the basket, which I can fasten upon the carrier at the back, has the wrong system to fasten, when I use the two side baskets. I have not decided yet.

Most of the day was going well with my selfmade cure, but I became so hungry in the evening, that I ate a boiled egg again. When I finally was going to sleep, I had problems to fall asleep again – actually, not by the eggs. I really feel well by my cure, but I was so hungry at that time, that I did take some yogurt with cinnamon and sugar. I slept very well afterwards and had no problem in the upcoming morning as well.

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25th July 2019

While the weather had been up to lovely +28°C (82°F) for the last two days, it was getting warmer today. Though I decided to take a longer walk – to the Djulö lake. While preparing, I had my smoothie, but also a boiled egg. Afterwards I felt really satisfied, which I had not been after my breakfast. Around 11am I filled my waterbottle with water, spiced with lime, took my walking sticks and started my walk. It was already +30°C (86°F) this time. I felt well and was walking all the way to the lake, where I did take a rest on my favorite bench. I could have taken swim wear with me, but I was not in the mood, though I did not go further to the beach. From time to time I was drinking some water and when it was time to pee, I did take a detour to the bathroom and continued back home, where I had another smoothie and another boiled egg. For the evening I did take a slice of roast meet out of the freezer to have together with an avocado and a glas of water, nothing more. I spent the evening as usual.

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26th July 2019

I made my files after breakfast. Yes, I still make my files to see, how much I am using for food, the household etc. It helps me as well, not to waste money. I also checked my receipts against my bank accounts.

This day it was time for cleaning my apartment. If you are wondering, I really do not clean it every week. It is not necessary. When there is any dirt, I see between my cleaning days, I do take it directly. With this cleaning days, I take all, but the windows. Though I also pull out the hob from it’s place. I am actually very bad in cleaning windows. Luckily, even I am living on the ground floor and my both windows are facing the street, they do not get very dirty, because our street has not a lot of traffic. – I also made some laundry.

By the way, we have +30°C (86°F) this day again, but only on the middle of the day. Though I decided to take my walk around 6pm. Meanwhile I was waiting, that time would go by, I did update my blog and answered emails.

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27th July 2019

I had planned to go to the Julita manor again, but was too tired again to go there by the 9:20am bus. The next one was first in the afternoon – it always is on Saturdays. Though I had to skip it. There should have been a possibility to go there by bicycle, but it takes around two hours, what I think is too much for me.

Insteas I used lots of hours looking for a part-time temporary job, because I have so much time to spend and such a job would be helpful for my social life as well as for my economy.

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28th July 2019

I had decided to join coffee time for retired people. There are some unions for retired people in Sweden. I am yet not a member of one of them, because I still feel too young for it. These unions share a building central in town and because I have not a social life yet in Katrineholm, I was going there this day. The event started at 2pm and was said to end at 4pm and so it was. When I arrived there some minutes past 2pm, I asked, if also retired people, who are not in one of the unions, are welcome and was told, they are. On the other hand, they told me first, that I actually would be too young for the group, but was allowed to stay anyway. When I told them, that I am 68 years old, I was 100% accepted and I was wondering by myself, if early retired people (for healthy reason etc) are not welcome.

In the middle of the coffee time, we were around as much people as they were places to sit. Some arrived a little later, others were leaving early. Though there were not so many all the time and explaining many for you: There was space for around 40 people. There was an entrance fee of 30 SEK (~2.80 EUR resp. 3.15 USD), which included coffee or tea and biscuits. I was happy, that the other people around me dit have a conversation with me and so I found out a lot, e.g. that most of the people present were members of the union SPF Seniorerna and one also picked up a program for August 2019 to March 2020 and gave it to me. I had a nice time there and I am thinking about to attend their other meetings as well, but I will see, how it is next time. By the way, I did not have any cash with me, as usual, but one of the participants told me, that I can pay by “swish*” to one of the unions and he will pay with cash for me. I think he is the treasurer of that union.

*Swish is a system here in Sweden, with which we can pay by our smartphones. The money is taken from our bank accounts and send to the receiver’s bank account. For this we use our cellphone numbers, that means the sender as well as the receiver are connected to Swish by their cellphone number. It does not matter, at which Swedish bank we have our bank account, but we have to sign up with our bank, of course, before we can use the system.

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29th July 2019

The nice and warm weather is gone again. At the middel of the day we only had +14°C and it was very cloudy, with really dark clouds from time to time. It also was raining before noon. I did take my 30 minutes walk anyway. Unfortunately I do not make it everyday.

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30th July 2019

It was time to make my weekly shopping and I was going there by bicycle again. I was happy, that the weather was a little better than the day before. I took my rain jacket on, but did not need it and I became warm as well, because I also was dressed in a sweater and it became +18°C on my way home. I did not buy a lot of thinks, only healthy beverages and fruits. I still have a lot of food in the freezer and I try to eat different as before, what means, more fruit / smoothies and less meat and carbohydrates (that means not so much pancakes, waffles and porridges).

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31st July 2019

I was not going out again, because of the very grey weather. It always makes me low and I have problems that days to leave my cosy home. I was looking for more jobs to apply for, but did not decide to look for one. I think I will wait for the results of the job applications I had sent before.

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If you wish to follow me further, please use the link for August 2019.