Hönet av Pepparvägen och Saltväggen

We survived yet another trying venue.  The B-team lost and the A-team won against Helsinki.

I was just happy to survive. 

Everyone had a few (three) Derby days off.  All I did the day after the bout was brave the grocery store.  A small one that has a scenic route to reach it.  Zok prefers the shorter less scenic route, and the much bigger, louder grocery store.

Tonight practice.

Tomorrow Zok returns home for a few days!

Summer is being obstinate by refusing to start.

I love the corner of salt and pepper.

...some think I have done alright for a girl...

My first international visitor to Stockholm was here over the weekend.
I wish he could have stayed for a month of weekends!

The two of us spent our thirtieth birthdays in New Orleans.  Neither of us during that warm October could have invented the lives we live now, even if we would have had the forethought to try.

We both spend part of each year in Europe (Me in Stockholm, He in Paris) these days.

Somehow we let almost ten years go by without visiting.  We have always and still do, write letters to one another, regularly.

He is the reason that each year I get at least one Valentine.

Being the chatter box that I am, I related more than I learned.

But I have nothing to say that isn't positive.  As we were parting I said just that, seeing one another again was too much a gift to feel even bittersweet about brevity, or forgotten topics.

Besides we will always have the mail.

...The lights shining through on you...

More mysterious holidays in Sweden...some say 'socialist!' some say 'no! its pagan!'.  For me, it is a day in the sunshine and no post delivered.

Zok left for to do show dates at some time- the wrong side of morning.

I had a full social day and the sun was out so-

I skated on the Tunnelbana! (Subway) So Brave! Such a RULE BREAKER!

I have a plan now, the plan involves walking on my toe stops whenever officials are able to spot me, then sort of hiding behind a post when I am near the cameras.  I have grown to love the shocked or dirty looks I get by apparently endangering all with my fancy wheeled footwear.

I had to leave the picnic/party/holiday fest early to meet up with some of STRD new skaters.  I did not get a clear answer about the holiday (read - my Swedish is still limited and Finnish well forget about that!).

  All the new (and not so new) skaters met outside the same cemetery we favored last year.  Here is the link so you have a clear idea of how this cemetery is more paths in the forest than skating atop graves (We do not do that!).

http://www.skogskyrkogarden.se/ 

I had a lovely day.  The trees are finally blooming and there are (also) mysterious pathways of flowers literally everywhere.

Who plants them?  Perhaps the skogen tomte! 

http://auntida.tripod.com/tomte.html