End of 2020 - start of 2021

2021 - time to lose weight, photo by Maria

So, I see I have been waiting for too long with updating the blog. I have come up with a solution to ensure timely, detailed and frequent posts. I will not share any details of my plan.

On the 22nd we drove to my parents place. It was Titus, Maria and me.

23.12 Wednesday

In Lidl, photo by Maria

We went for Christmas food shopping and that included Lidl, Prisma and K-City market. We drove back and prepared Christmas foods. Casseroles and ginger bread. We brought in the Christmas tree and decorated it. Earlier in the morning we also covered the motor boat in the garden for the winter. We played Koehandel in the evening. 

Make making his traditional bread

Preparing for Christmas

Gingerbread in the making

Entertainment by Titus, photo by Maria

IT-support

24.12 Thursday

Christmas Eve! That is fun but I have to admit that I have worked so hard that I didn't have enough time to slow down for Christmas. My dream is to start enjoying Christmas already on the 1st of December. 

We had a light breakfast and then my older brother and his family arrived. I sent my last work email 11:59. Then the traditional Christmas peace was declared on the radio. We had some rice porridge and I got the almond so I had to wash up. After that Isak, Titus, Maria and me went for a walk in the forest. The kids declined. We saw some forest and some fields. There was a nice mist laying low over the land. At home we had some bulla and other sweet things. We went to sauna and after sauna we had our Christmas dinner. Everything was the same as previous years and it was lovely except the herring was rotten. Father Christmas arrived (me) and all presents were handed out. We danced and then the kids and grown ups unwrapped their gifts. I got too much sweets. 

Reading a letter from the past

Father Christmas

Christmas dinner table

After the food 1

After the food 2

After the food 3

25.12 Friday

Christmas day. We woke up and had a traditional breakfast that included different patés. After breakfast we went for a walk to Masaby. There we found a ball and played football. It was a real match and it was the highlight of the Christmas. We walked back and had lutfisk (google it if you are interested). After that we had some tasty dessert. 

Breakfast time

Fixing problems

Need for speed

Need for speed 2

Need for speed 3

Isak hurt his knee

About 96 kg in air

Official team picture

Walking home after football match

Isak and his family went back in the evening.

26.12 Saturday

The next day we went to the Meiko area, which is a natural park, kind of. We walked around the lake and it got dark before we came back.

Here we come 2021

Project man

Pristine nature

Taking time off

Snack time

Snack time

We walked to the car and drove back home. We had Christmas left overs and it was delicious.

27.12 Sunday

On Sunday Ellen's parents visited us.

Childhood landscape

Presenting to the world - my parents bedroom

Me. Photo by Maria

After the visit we relaxed. We went for a walk and looked at a house Titus would like to buy. In the evening we played Ticket to ride. I got last. 

Recovering

Inspection

My hometown

 Narrow escape

When we come home the walk a tasty turkey was waiting for us, dead.

End of days

28.12 Monday

It was Pekka's birthday and we woke up early. We sang for him and then we drove to our parents cottage in Fagervik. We fixed on the place the whole day. We cut down some treas and we cut the hedge. A lot of good work done.

Preparing for a days work

Lunch break

Barbered hedge

When we came back Isak and his family was waiting for us. We made quickly some pizza. Titus had made the sauce and dough the day before. It was tasty. Isak and Jonna left but the kids stayed with us.

Reading a book about fishing

Contemplating the wonders of life

Brushing teeth

29.12 Tuesday

We woke up in the morning and after breakfast and cleaning up and attaching the boat cover properly we were going to Helsinki. We packed up, ate tortillas and sat in front of the TV.

Breakfast time

Breakfast time 2

Breakfast time 3

30.12 Wednesday

We decided to go to my parents cottage in Porkala for the new year. We got in the car and drove to Kirkkonummi. We got the key at my parents place and had a big feast at Mc Donald's. We had little inspiration for food but bought some thing.

Driving in Helsinki

At the parking lot

We heated the house, threw out 3 dead mice and dried the sheets and mattresses. We went to sauna and swimming in the cold sea. Time to sleep.

31.12 Thursday

I went for a long rowing trip to open sea. I felt someone was watching me and then I heard breathing. It was a seal. It was a connection with nature. I only saw to other small boats. It was raining and I was fishing but I got nothing.

The seal

No fish

The cottage

The swans were fighting in the bay. We went to sauna and swimming. For new years dinner we had a three course meal.

1.1 Friday

It was a new year. We went for a rowing trip to the island Linlo. We saw seals again. They are curious when it comes to people rowing. 

Maria rowing

Pause

We went to sauna and had dinner. Relaxing indoors is cozy. 

2.1 Saturday

We drove back to my parents place after having cleaned the place, including emptying the toilet. We stayed over night at my parents place. It started snowing in the evening and it felt finally that winter was coming. We went for a walk and enjoyed the snow fall. 

Winter is here

Urban's cozy place

We also checked a place that I am a little interested in.

3.1 Sunday

We went back in the morning to Helsinki. I went on my first run of the year, 4.69 km

4.1 Monday 

This was the first day back after Christmas holidays. The day was spent in the office and in the evening we went for a walk, 6.44 km

5.1 Tuesday

On Tuesday we recorded a new episode for the blog. In the evening I went for a 2nd run, 8.59 km.

6.1 Wednesday

7.1 Thursday

8.1 Friday

On Friday we went shopping for supplies for the office. We bought some lunch and had a pizza party at the office.

Secret celebration

The rest of the day and until late, like 22:30 we were fixing the office.

9.1 Saturday 

Yesterday was the last day of fully fledged renovation mode. We finished most of the things. I ruined a lock that we were installing so I need to find the piece I broke. After some longer sleep we arrived at the office with car and Maria and Ellen started making curtains. Titus and me drove to Mall of Tripla to buy some construction supplies. We drove back and renovated until 19:00. We had some tasty soy-honey fried salmon with beans and rice and watched a cool documentary about USA and Elvis Presley. Then ice cream, tired and sleeping.  

10.1 Sunday

Woke up at around 09:00 and wondered where the world is going. We had some nice and slow breakfast with grapes, rye bread, white bread, honey, tomato, cucumber, tea, strawberry jam and cheese. After breakfast I continued to select photos here. We went for a walk, 13.10 km, 2 h 35 min. We had some miso soup, dumplings and pork bao. The Kamppi mall was dead, like a quiet airport late at night. We walked home and went to sauna and had some dinner. Since then I have more or less been writing.