Chapped

« A red granite statue in Gamla Stan, Stockholm. I vaguely remember it being marked with a date around 1914 and a name like 'sea god', but I love the pervy smirk. The sun came out for about five minutes as we were killing time in Stockholm waiting for Otava to arrive and I'm glad it was while we were next to this rather odd piece of statuary. »

Is it Friday yet? Every system has decided to be a pain in the ass this week and I've been daydreaming about collecting the parts required for building a giant electromagnet. The rather cold weather we have had lately has left me looking like a dry skin superhero (if such a superhero existed) who could destroy opponents by having all their skin crack and bleed. I'm going to have to start wearing gloves indoors just to hide my red, cracked, and bleeding sandpaper hands.

In Finland, I usually call the season very loosely named 'spring' the grit season since you don't really notice any warm weather or lack of snow, but the grit from the months of gravel being ground into a micro-fine dust is omnipresent. There's nothing like a grit tornado whipping down the street, passing by/through you and afterwards feeling the patina of grit in your mouth. If the amount of grit that Otava is tracking into the house already, before the thaw, is any indication we're going to have a very, very gritty next few months.

Otava has been particularly restless and petulant the past few days. I noticed his chew toy had some blood on it so I had a look inside his mouth and it seems he is loosing his baby teeth. I imagine that the process isn't any more pleasant for puppies than it is for humans so I'll cut him some slack when he is feeling generally cranky, pissed off and decides to gnaw on me. When the other puppy owners in the dog park ask what Otava has destroyed, after listing their own puppy's scorecard, they look at me rather incredulously when I tell them that he hasn't wreaked any havoc yet. Yet.

Easter must be approaching as we noticed the Fazer Mignon Eggs in the grocery last night. I should get a packet of rye seed and grow a plate of grass [love the mämmi dog turd. :)] since all our plants died last year in the great darkness that was the ulkoseinäremontti and a spot of green would be welcome. Repopulating all the empty pots on the window sills is an idea, too.