The longest day of the year

Today is summer solstice, the longest day of the year 2008. From now on it´s downhill; every day is going to be shorter than the day before until we reach winter solstice on December 21st.

Back in Finland this weekend is an official bank holiday weekend. Everything is closed. In all official buildings and homes flags of Finland were hoisted at 6 pm on Midsummer Eve (yesterday) and flown all night till 9 pm tonight. Finland is full of festivals and happenings. People are celebrating the light. Traditional bonfires can be seen all over the countryside. In region Lapland people all over the world come to see the midnight sun.

I´m thinking all of this now, sitting alone here in our second home in Solingen. I came here a few days ago to work a little; Angie is on her way arriving later this afternoon.

We´ll get visitors from Finland tomorrow morning. My sister Maukka and brother-in-law Arska are coming to a late honeymoon. The wedding took place in Salo, Finland, on February 16th but only now could they take some days off from work and kids. The all-inclusive trip was our wedding gift to the newlyweds.

It is really nice to have my sister here. Too bad the visit is so short, they´ll stay with us only five days. We will pick them up from Düsseldorf Airport tomorrow at noon, staying here until Tuesday afternoon and then drive through Germany to Leipzig to show our real hometown. Thursday evening I´ll take them to Berlin, only an hour and half’s drive from Leipzig, where they stay a few days by Claudia. She´s the German exchange student who spent a year in Finland by Maukka´s home a couple of years back and is now considered as one of her own kids, sister for Aino, Venla, Santtu, Eero and Lauri. Maukka and Arska are flying back to Finland from Berlin Sunday week from tomorrow.

Claudia is by the way the only German I know who speaks perfect Finnish! She´s finishing her school this week (abitur in German, about the same as A-levels or High School Diploma, or YO-tutkinto in Finland). Maukka and Arska decided to come now so they can have a few days with us and then celebrate with Claudia.

I like my sister a lot. I think in Arska she found a real soul mate. I´m really happy to have them here.

Have to start cleaning, Angie arrives about 3 pm.

Welcome Maukka & Arska!

Hyvää juhannusta, as we say in Finland (have a great midsummer).

Work versus Relationship

Last weeks have been very busy. A couple of work projects have been taking almost all of my time. Every now and then a couple of days home with Angie and then on the road again.

This weekend we celebrate our birthdays (me Tuesday last week, Angie yesterday) together with our German friends and family. I will arrive in Leipzig about 18:00 (6 PM), reception starts 19:30. Early Saturday some customers of mine will arrive, I´ll take them to see AMI, one of the main European car exhibitions. Nothing to do with my work but a nice way to corrupt the customers. Traditional Sunday brunch with Angie, my mother-in-law and Angie´s aunt, and Sunday evening on the road again on a two week trip.

Those who read my old blog know one of my eternal themes: Is this work-oriented life really the only alternative we have? Simply, I do not spend enough time with Angie. When we have an argument it is normally because of this lack of time together. Going to bed alone in some remote hotel is not nice when your biggest desire is to fall asleep enjoying (and be waked up by) the warmth of the body of the love of your life.

As a young man I decided I´ll save money so I can retire when I am 50. That Big-Five-Oh is now only a year away and now it seems I´ll have to work quite a bit longer than planned. To pay the bills is keeping me on the road.

Life sucks! Today. Not always, but clearly it sucks today. Tomorrow evening, home with my Angie and our friends, I will not think so. But now, LIFE SUCKS!

Happy Easter

This winter has not been a normal one. End of January and beginning of February we were enjoying the sun. Daily temperatures between 8 and 14 °C, about 46 to 57 °F. Street bars and coffee shops were open, people were talking about an early spring.

Now, end of March, we´ve got snow here in Leipzig, first time this "winter". It´s cold, windy and dark.

Anyway, Easter is here. Long weekend with Angie. No work, no stress. Picture here shows Easter decorations at Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, central railway station, where we went day before yesterday to buy some flowers and Easter eggs to our friends. Click to see it full size.

Happy Easter to everyone.