January 2021

1^st Jan 2021

Just after midnight, we toasted with a drink of gin, champagne and sugar water. It was OK, but I think, it is only to recommend for cheap champagne. It would be a shame to blend expensive champagne. We stayed in the house and watched the fireworks from neighbors and more far away, as much as we could see and agreed, that fireworks are very bad for the environment. Even they are beautiful, we would not mind to be without them. From the kids only Leon was awake at this time and we did not wake up Vincent for the fireworks. He did not awake of them either.

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A little later Samuel and I were video chatting with Daniel. It was planned, that also Maria would be with us, but she was not. The other day she explained for us, that she, unfortunately, had been on the loo and was not able to join.

In the afternoon Samuel and his family as well as I took a walk together. By the children, we could not go fast at all. By the way, there were lots of people taking a walk at the same time.

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2^nd Jan 2021

Samuel and I took a walk in the afternoon. We had a very good conversation. It does not happen often, that we have time for such a good conversation and he was also very open to tell me, how he experienced his childhood. Unfortunately, he had some mental problems I did not know about. He neither told me as a child nor as a teenager. I am so sad about, that I never had time to listen to them respectively they did not won’t to talk with me about their problems at that stage.

At Samuel’s home again, Tharsiny, he and I tried to solve the problems of the world ;-). We started with to talk about the Spanish language, continued with the Spaniards and invaders of Mexico and all the other countries in Central and South America and ended up by the invasions of the animals. Anyway I still think, that no people should have invaded the territories of other peoples and even less killed them or taken them as slaves. None has the right to do so!

We cared about the children as well, of course. Though we played “Ticket to Ride” with them and the youngest one won. The game was my Christmas present to the children, because it was, what they wished.

Tharsiny helped me with the marks on my back belonging to the allergy test I had done during the last month. Her pen was not document-proofed, therefore there were no marks anymore next time I was looking at my back (with the help of a mirror). Having a workshop ;-), Samuel picked over my hair – just at the end on the neck. Afterwards I helped my daughter in law with the dinner.

When Samuel cared about the children and kissed them good-night, Tharsiny and I were talking about the series “Little house on the prairie”.

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3^rd Jan 2021

Even this day Samuel and I took a walk and Samuel continued the talk we had the day before. Now I have got to know, that he had really problems with the social part of his life. He did not have any friends, but two. He added, that he has had a job as a seller by phone, when I told him about the job on Ireland, but that he did not sell a lot, because of his problems.

In the late afternoon I was going home by train again. I was going in the first class department again and there were not many people using it at the same time as me. Naturally I was walking home from the train station in Katrineholm.

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4^th Jan 2021

I wrote an email to my new landlord KFAB and asked for renting the new apartment from 25^th March instead for from 1^st April, because the 1^st April is Maundy Thursday and I will not have a nice home during the Easter holidays. I was asking for it, because I know, that the apartment will be empty from February. My landlord agreed.

I had seen similar chairs as I have in a Facebook sale group and bought two of them, because I have six of them, but it is possible to sit eight persons around the table. The chairs are used, of course and there were some small scratches on it. I know, that these chairs are very easy to scratch. My own chairs also have a few and, because of the colour, I used to take a black marker and paint them. The chairs were for a quarter of the original price. I had some problems to get them home – even they are really light-weighted. Therefore I asked my girlfriend Irma for help. She has a car, if you might remember.

Irma was happy to help me, she also took a detour around my new home and the supermarket close to it, even I had not asked for it. During the trip I also asked her for an address on the other side of the town and she drove me there, to make it easier for me to find the address, when I will go there by feet. It was also her decision, I had not ask her for it either. In the evening, I went there for buying a scratch world map. It was not used and the seller told me, because of my question, that she and her husband had planned to go traveling, but had become parents instead and no use of this map anymore. I did get it for 100 SEK instead for 299 SEK, as the normal price is and there was no need to pay for shipping. I did not put the map on my wall yet, of course, I will put it in my combined bed and working room, once I have moved.

A lot of people from my college class and I share a Whats App group. This evening one of our mates, still living in my hometown, sent a link for an episode of the Father Brown series. It was about Kassel, our hometown and also about raccoon. After I have seen that episode (I love the Father Brown series) I was on Google, searching for raccoon and Kassel. It is really true, that there are raccoon in Kassel and they become more and more. When I was living there, there were no raccoon. Though I did not know about it. My first raccoon I have seen was in North America. Anyway, I never have seen a raccoon in Europe, but maybe in a zoo. By the way, the link above is for the German version.

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5^th Jan 2021

I did get my new contract for my new apartment as well as a bill about 1200 SEK, that is exactly the amount for the extra days in March. They also had added information about the electricity companies and a form for direct debit of the rent. I had got that information and form before and I did not know, that it was such a hurry to fix the change of my address at the electricity companies and to send the form about the direct debit. Though I filled and signed the form as well as I took a walk and put it into the post box of the landlord.

In the evening I finally started with knitting of a fake turtleneck collar. I continued until I ran out of yarn. Unfortunately this day was “Twelfth Night” after Christmas and the yarn shop will be closed the upcoming day.

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6^th Jan 2021

I am worried about my daughter Maria. She had not answered my messages and phone calls since New Years Day. Though I sent a message to her former boy friend, because he still cares about her. He has had contact with her and I was happy, that all was OK with Maria.

I managed the change of my address at my electricity companies. I also had in mind to update my blog, but I was too tired.

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7^th Jan 2021

I had asked for offers about moving my furniture and other household goods and did sign a contract this day. The company I choose offered the whole move for 2,630 SEK. I was close to write a contract with a moving company for 3,700 SEK, but Samuel told me, that his parents in law did get there goods moved for around 2,500 SEK. Therefore I searched more on the Internet and found a website, where I could ask for offers. By the way, the highest price was 5,700 SEK. It was of a company, who had an add at Facebook. I think, the difference is by the distance, where they are coming from (have their office and the trucks). In the adds, I could not see that, but by the offers. The one I chose, which I hope will be as good as they told me, they are, employs only men from the EU, but not from Sweden, like it seems on their homepage – but, maybe, they are refugees from outside Sweden, because they do not write about that. These men look all similar and therefore I guess, they are from Romania. I really hope, I took the right choice. By the way, I had another similar offer like the one I took, but they did not have a good homepage. Anyway, I could understood, that the employees were new-Swedes or from other countries of the EU. I do not care, where the come from, but about how good the work is, they are doing as well as I hope, they will get a fair salary.

I had been at the yarn shop and bought more of the burgundy yarn for my first fake turtleneck collar. I finished that and also started to knit another fake turtleneck collar. That one in white. Furthermore I had bought black yarn for a third one. Though I have matching fake turtleneck collar to my wool hats and my gloves. I really enjoyed the knitting and was listening to music meanwhile I was working on the fake turtleneck collar.

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8^th Jan 2021

Actually it was this day I discovered, that the marks on my back had gone away (I wrote about it on 2^nd Jan). My girlfriend Irma was on her way to the supermarket and picked me up, though I could buy a ladder with three transoms. I need it for changing curtains and taking down my lights as well to clean above my wardrobes. I don’t really reach up to them, standing on my household ladder with only two transoms. I also bought some smaller moving boxes for my books and my dishes.

Before I continued with the white fake turtleneck collar, I finished my little crocheted bag. I had done it at Samuel’s home, but now I had to make a cord and take it through on the upper line, though I could both close it and also hang it around me wrist.

My daughter Maria was finally answering me and told me, that he did not answer because of her circadian rhythm. She was awake during the night and sleeping during day hours. She tried to get it right again.

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9^th Jan 2021

I tried to call Maria, but unfortunately the battery of my smartphone got empty. I chatted with my son Marcus by Skype. I nearly always do it using my notebook, though I did this Saturday.

I finished me white fake turtleneck collar and started with the black one.

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10^th Jan 2021

I used twitter for a lot of hours this day, men also was looking at IKEA’s homepage for kitchen tables and chairs. I thought, that three of them were OK and not so very expensive and wrote a note about them. Anyway, I will try to find used ones. I think, that is always a better option, thinking about the environment. In the evening I continued with the black fake turtleneck collar.

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11^th Jan 2021

It was snowing most of the day and became a very slow day, I was mostly using social media and found four kitchen chairs of pinewood. They were for free and to pick up next street. I did not fetch them this day, because of the weather. I decided not to ask Irma as well. I did not have a good conscience to ask her driving in this weather. Though I postponed to pick the chairs up.

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12^th Jan 2021

I was leaving my bed at 9am after a dream and having a cramp in one of my legs and the foot as well. The day was sunny and try, but quiet cold (-4°C). The streets and roads were covered by snow and ice.

Around 11am I did pick up the chairs by walking. I was taking two at the time, but they still were too heavy for me and I had to carry one at the time. Though I had to go back and forth a lot of times, because I could not go longer than I could see the other chair, I was not carrying. Anyway I made it, even it took a whole hour to take them home. I also got some light cramps in my feet on the street. I put them in my storage room, but had to rehash the things in the room – mostly empty moving boxes. Though I remembered the moving box with the folders, which I have to empty. I have to do that before moving to my new apartment.

I announced the next demonstration of #GrandmasForFuture on the Facebook billboard for Katrineholm and sent a message to Irene. In the evening I participated in a Zoom meeting with the Association of Nature Conservation. Before going to bed I was to a supermarket called Willys and picked up my ordered groceries.

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13^th Jan 2021

In Sweden this day is called “twentieth Knut” and it means, twenty days after Christmas and it is the name day for Knut. This day is the official day to take down all the Christmas decorations and to throw out the Christmas tree. Though I did, but I saved my Christmas tree in my storage room, because I have a plastic tree for my allergy against resin.

I fixed my papers, mostly regarding to my lease. I also called my girlfriend Irma. Furthermore I ordered groceries at the ICA supermarket. I cannot get them before Monday, because there are so many people ordering their groceries at this supermarket. I checked some groups on Facebook as well and was one of the partners in Lotta’s attempt to get a new account on teams for the Association of Nature Conversation to work. She did not make it, though we have to find another solution. – We usually use Zoom, but the member with the Zoom account announced, that he cannot participate in all of our meetings.

Before going to sleep I watched ARN Tempelriddaren (Arn – The Knight Templar – a Swedish series after a book of Jan Guillou). I have read all the books about Arn as well as the sequel. I owned the books, but they also are among them I lost by a flooding.

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14^th Jan 2021

I awoke late and was leaving my bed even later. I scanned my new lease – the one I have got by mail and is signed by the landlords secretary. Afterwards I sent a message to the Swedish pension authority about the lower rent from 1^st April this year, because the authority also is responsible for the housing supplement, which I get because of my low pension. Unfortunately I could not add a copy of my new lease. I think, they will request the lease later by email.

I put payment instructions for the 1200 SEK of my rent for the week in March in my bank account, payable 22^nd March. The landlord requested to get it at least 24^th March. I will show them, that I won’t be late with my rent.

I also got in contact with the hearing clinic, because my hearing aid for my left ear is out of function. It went quiet a few days ago.

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15^th Jan 2021

This day we have -15°C and we did not demonstrate for the climate. The weather was just too cold, even the crisis is a fact. I was reading my emails, voted for the board of Skandia – where I get a small pension from (about 10 EUR/month). The rest of the day I was using social media mostly Facebook, where I was looking for used kitchen tables etc.

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16^th Jan 2021

I had a phone call with my girlfriend Irma around noon. Later I asked for offers for cleaning of my now apartment, because I am not longer interested in crawling on the floor to clean my floor moldings.

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17^th Jan 2021

I congratulated my son Daniel to his birthday, chatted with my son Marcus by Skype and got the first offer for the cleaning of my apartment. As I saw later, was this the most expensive one. The rest of the day I was on social media again and watching a movie by my notebook before going to sleep.

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18^th Jan 2021

In the morning I sent a message to my girlfriend Irma and congratulated her to her birthday. Afterwards I was going to the supermarket, picking up mig order.

In the afternoon I took my gift for Irma and was going to the house, where she lives. Because of the port code, I called her by my smartphone. She answered, that she did not feel well and that her son and grandson will come soon and lend her car. I asked her, if she has got COVID-19 and she denied as well as she told me, that I should not come up to her, even I had told her, that I won’t stay. Though I was waiting for her son and grandson a while, but they did not arrive. Instead a young woman came and I asked her, if she know Irma Andersson and could leave my little box in front of Irma’s door. She told me, she lives on the same floor and she will be happy to help me. Directly after that I went home again.

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19^th Jan 2021

In the morning I have got an email of an employee of my now landlord, asking me “not to be home”, when they will show my apartment for someone interested in it, because of the pandemic. She wrote like she already had someone to look at it. I answered her, that I am not willing to leave my apartment, but into the stairway of the house. I think, I have not to leave my apartment and take a walk in the cold.

Another employee of my now landlord did made a pre-inspection of my apartment a couple of hours later. This inspection was announced and I was not asked for leaving my apartment during the inspection. This pre-inspection they do, that the tenants get to know, what the landlord expects to be fixed before moving out. She told me, that I can leave the extra shelves in one of the wardrobes in the room as well as I can leave the shelves for the spices. I told her, that I might leave the curtain rails in the room as well and she was OK with it. By the way, she told me, that I had been living in this apartment for quite a long time. As you know, I only lived here for two years and I was wondering by myself, how often people are moving out from these apartments. I think, it depends on the high rents.

I had forgotten to ask her, if I have to take away the electricity cable under the ceiling for the ceiling lamp as well as I had forgotten to tell her about the damage caused by damp in the storeroom. Therefore I wrote her an email.

In the late afternoon I tried to use my Christmas present – a laptop stand with a fan. Unfortunately the contact for the cable between the laptop and the stand broke at once. I contacted my son Samuel, because he had bought it, even on behalf of my son Marcus.

When I was on Facebook, I saw that my girlfriend Irma had written a “Thank you to all people, who had remembered my birthday”. I asked her, if she had got my birthday present.

Finally in the evening I was picking up the eggs I had ordered from the “Reko-ring” (I wrote about it before).

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20^th Jan 2021

The snow is melting. My girlfriend Irma wrote a short “thanks” as an answer on my yesterday question.

I was a while on the Internet, among others, I was looking for curtain rail attachments, because I do not like the kind I have now. They are very tough to use, when I or a helper change curtains. Luckily I found some and because Irma had told me before, that she is looking for this kind of attachments as well, I messaged her about them.

Samuel did send me a photo of the receipt for the laptop fan and I answered him, that I should need to go to Stockholm for it, because we do not have a branch of that shop close to here. Though we agreed, that he will take it with him, when he will come to my new apartment, helping me with curtain rails, plugs, lamps etc.

The social department of Ireland had sent me a letter about, that they are changing the bank for their payments and if I have to pay a fee by this, the apologize, but I should have to take it with the bank, which is “Danske Bank” (Danish Bank). This letter made me wondering, why they did not use on of the Irish banks anymore and what I could see, it was mostly for, the corruption, they are exposed to. It surprised me.

The rest of the day I did not do much, just read a lot of news, some interesting and some totally useless, until I watch a Swedish series on my laptop, called “Rederiet” (The shipping company).

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21^st Jan 2021

I was on twitter more than usual and even checked Facebook for used furniture. I did get a Whats App message of my German girlfriend Doris – an answer on my question about FFP2 face masks. I had read about them on twitter, but did not know anything about them.

I made a real cooking this day and also baked a cake with saffron, but the cake failed. Too late I remembered, that my girlfriend Irma, who I had gotten the recipe for the cake from, had told me, that I have not to take such a high amount of liquid as it is stated in the recipe. The cake was not really unhealthy, though over time I ate it anyway.

In the evening I watched more episodes of the series Rederiet.

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22^nd Jan 2021

It was Friday and I should have demonstrated about the Climate Crisis, but it was raining, though I stayed at home and used the Internet instead.

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23^rd Jan 2021

Marcus and I were chatting by Skype, but first I had forgotten, that we should. Therefore Marcus reminded me by email. We chatted with each other more than an hour, what is not unusual for us.

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24^th Jan 2021

It did not happen anything special, but I was a little depressive, even the sun was shining. I have days I despair, because of the pandemic. I think, in such a situation it is much better to live together with someone.

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25^th Jan 2021

The same as the day before, but the sky was grey.

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26^th Jan 2021

I found the minutes of the pre-inspection of my landlord in my letter box. I had to sign it and send it back, but there was no copy. Luckily I have my own multi-printer and could copy the document myself. I did sign the document, when I had read it very carefully, of course. There was nothing written about the hooks on the tiles. Though I think, I can leave them there. I took the opportunity to check my keys, because I have got a lot of them – and they are all still here. Anyway I have got one more than it is written in the document, which I will leave back as well, of course. Furthermore the keys for the letter box and the tags for the laundry room were not stated, but I remember how many I have got and they are all there as well.

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27^th Jan 2021

The sun was shining, but I was in the mood to update my blog, though I did not take a walk, but wrote the text for the entire December 2020. Unfortunately my laptop crashed, when I only had written about day 1 to 10 and I had no other choice, than to use the recovery option.

Meanwhile I was waiting for the recovery, I messaged my girlfriend Irma, because it was an unusual long time ago I have heard of her. She was angry at me. She told me, that I had asked her on her birthday, if she had been drinking the day before and therefore did not feel well. She also wrote, that I should have laughed spiteful. I do not remember that, especially I did neither remember, that I ever have laughed spiteful nor, that I did it on her birthday. She had told me, she will be out with one or both of his sons and families on Sunday. Though I might have asked her – as a joke, if she had been drinking. I also told her, that it may be a cultural misunderstanding, because in Germany it is a usual joke, not offending. Her answer was surprising, because she did not believe, that Germans do so. Even I have apologized a thousand times, she remained angry with me and terminated our friendship. I was thinking, that I do not need a friend like her and also, it might be true, that she had been drinking a lot (hit dogs bark). Why should she otherwise had been overreacting.

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28^th Jan 2021

It was snowing and I finished the update of my blog for the month of December 2020. In the evening I watched a documentary about country music.

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29^th Jan 2021

I put the signed document from my landlord in their letter box. I think, I do not need to send letters for addresses in Katrineholm by mail.

Between 11am and high noon, Irene and I were demonstrating about the Climate Crisis and during this time I told her about my new apartment and my former girlfriend Irma. Irene knows Irma from my birthday. For the apartment, Irene advised me, were I can buy used furniture, because I had told er, that I need some more. She also was surprised about Irma’s reaction, especially about her sentence, that she do not believe, that Germans do like I did.

Meanwhile it was snowing all day long the 28^th, it had stopped around 3am and workers were shoveling snow – mostly with tractors. There were a lot of walkways left to clean from snow, but the worst was, that at some places, they had put a lot of snow in front of the pedestrians way and by that it was not possible to cross the street. I cannot understand, why workers can do that.

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30^th Jan 2021

I have got a new friend on Facebook, a member of the Association for Nature Conservation. We have not met in real yet, because of the pandemic and I do not know, if we will. Anyway, she told me, that she has plans to emigrate to Ireland and was asking me for information. I tried to send a link to my blog, but by that I did see, that I have not filled anything on those pages and started to do so. For shortening her waiting time I sent her my letters I had written home, when I was living on Ireland and, which I, luckily, had saved. They also became the framework for the text on my blog.

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31^st Jan 2021

I updated the pages about Ireland on my blog, but did not even make it halfway.

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If you will follow me next month as well, this way → February 2021