"...you slide so good with bones so fair..."

The first week here has been busy. I am finally feeling normal after being both sick and a bit weak. Zok and I went to a quote suburb unquote to look at apartments. We walked to the neighborhood and also walked to all the apartments which were open house at certain hours. We wanted to get an impression of the neighborhood, which of course here is its own island.
The range was interesting, there are much larger places to be had in newer buildings (1905) but often the overall building taxes (each apartment is a percentage of the building you live in) might be higher due to the 'newness' of the building.
I forgot that I would have to take my shoes off at each apartment which was unfortunate as I wore a shoe with complicated laces.

We also went to see a flat track Roller Derby bout. Stockholm's first public bout in Stockholm. Then I went to my first Stockholm league practice.
The floor was a sort of sticky spongy material that was on one hand good for a work out but on the other hand hard to get speed up and hard to stop which is not a great derby combination.
Of course, I am just happy to skate. Practice tomorrow night is at their bouting venue and the surface is meant to be much better.
The skaters were really welcoming and friendly. Many went out of their way to introduce themselves and talk to me.


Stockholm is filled with lilac trees and the everywhere I go there is the smell of them in the air.

"Runnin' on empty"

The rain followed me to Sweden.
My sickness also came along- although I have hours a day that are fine when I am at least able to run errands instead of being curled up in pain.
I went to check out the stairs that I was running in the early morning hours the last time I stayed here.
As you see there are many of them, and they are only about a five minute walk from this apartment.
I prefer to run them (and by run I mean a brisk walking pace) when they are dry because slipping would be a real hazard.

I am going to go check out the Stockholm Roller Derby practice tonight, more to get an idea of where the space is, and hopefully have a chat with the coach so I can see what to expect when I show up to train next week.
I had wanted to skate tonight but as I can only eat very small amounts of food, and I haven't had a full meal since last Thursday, I believe skating might be beyond me for a few more days.

Zok and I are going (just) looking for apartments on Sunday, a series of open houses to check out other neighborhoods.
Where we stay now is very central, and getting fancier all the time. My favorite second hand clothing stores are now both coffee shops.
This area is far from what it once was, as described in the Stig Larrson books.
I love to look into apartments so the process will be a treat for me.

Oddly, I feel ready to tuck into Winter but of course, this weather will soon turn to Summer...

"...to chase my former collegue code name: Stockholm..."

This is the carriage house- which sits between the two buildings that comprise the quadrangle that is the co-op, courtyard is a common area that can be booked out for BBQ's and other gatherings. Zok and I looked into buying the carriage house which is like an open plan flat- but the selling price was over 3x the cost of our house in Tasmania...

Out on the water with Irish Dave

Dave and Zok: In Stockholm we spend a lot of time in the kitchen- many a early morning hour is passed in this space.

In Stockholm Zok has a gang of 'Dave's' and one Tjelta

I think because you can walk to almost all destinations, or if you are going far you can take the subway- Zok is almost always willing to go out on the town.

This is the view from our bedroom window. By this time next week, this will be the view I wake up too-although hopefully dry and lit by sunlight.
I like falling asleep to the sound of the trains.

"Put a bird on it"

Zok and I rode our bikes out to the new Museum, that opened here in Hobart.
MONA: Museum of the Old and New, is part of the conglomerate that makes up Moorilla Winery, which has an ampitheatre, accommodation, restaurant, winery and brewery (Moo Brew). I believe that most if not all the museum art is privately owned by David Walsh who started said conglomerate.

The building is impressive, huge sandstone walls, I suppose due in part to the fact that the art is housed underground. There is a large spiral staircase with an elevator in the center to take you into the bowels of the building.

Zok was disappointed only by our snack at the wine bar, because the portions were small, and his red wine came in a small glass the type most would consider appropriate for a white or dessert wine. I was impressed by the fact that there were many bikes parked around and only a few were locked.

Myself, I was too happy with my nice long, easy bike ride and feeling smug about not taking the ferry which takes about the same amount of time, but costs $15. I spent that money on my snack, earned through the work of my pedaling.

Since Monte and I had recently gone to see some modern art at LACMA, I was prepared to be underwhelmed, but really I just enjoyed almost all of MONA.
The pieces are diverse enough that I doubt many people would love all of them. There are also some ancient pieces- as shown by the Eygptian owl. The owl was funny because while I was on the West Coast of America the new running joke was from a show called 'Porlandia' where if in doubt about your art piece/craft "Put a bird on it", mocking the trend of the last few years where birds abound on items.


I love having another destination off the bike track, and a new place to take visitors. (That is a hint people).
I do wish that Tourism Tasmania would go the route of many American States, and offer Tasmania residents a discount on sites here on the island.
Although even a discount won't get me back to Port Arthur...

Another good bit about being on your bicycle is that stopping by town is easy, and so I got to visit Pip and Amy in the elevator, which really was quite cozy, I could have stayed much longer...
You can read about Pip and her work here:
http://pipstafford.blogspot.com/

Wondering why she is in an elevator? You can read about that here:
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/04/29/226165_attitude.html

You can find out more about the museum MONA here:
http://mona.net.au/

Other peoples windows

I had a really nice time.
Being 'away' in a true sense, not just in Sweden and 'away' from Tasmania, or on the mainland and 'away' from home.
I got to drive wide, long, open stretches of road and know that I could just keep on driving without looping back on myself as one would do on the island.
More importantly I needed to visit with friends and meet the new additions.
I feel a responsibility as the one who moved away.
I also got a better and renewed perspective with regard to being on Zok's side of the situation.
I now feel I once again have a mental picture in my mind of my friends in their day to day lives, thereby giving me a connection so I feel apart not fragmented from their lives.
I can once again send mail and know that I have the correct address and that people are actually reading what I have written.

I am very grateful for Roberto and Monte having me stay for such a long time and to everyone who made the time to see me.

"...california...I'm gonna see the folks I dig...will you take me as I am, strung out on another man..."

Marcia Means with whom I share a birth date, gave me one of the very best presents; her son Monte. But this was not enough, she keeps giving and the best bits of yesterday were due to her.
She gave Monte a book by Charles Fleming. He organized into short easy walks all the remaining, public staircases in and around central L.A., where once upon a time as you may have learned from movies such as Chinatown, or Roger Rabbit that this dense city once had public transportation, and it always had people living up in the canyons and hills.

We chose to walk near High Tower, a working elevator that is prominently featured in 'The Big Sleep'. (There was a for lease sign on an amazing looking apartment, that comes with a key to this elevator, when I phoned I learned the 1 bedroom apartment was only $2,725.00 a month, which I person on the message kindly repeated twice as in 2.7.2.5.)

We took a short break from walking to go to the new wing of LACMA, which also had an amazing elevator designed by or decorated by Barbara Kruger.
There were some Koons pieces I had not seen, and some interesting pieces by younger artists, as well as maze, well, two mazes in rooms of their own.
They both had an interesting affect on the senses of perception when I ran through them.

Our second walk took us by one of Raymond Carver's homes in Silverlake.
That was really the best thing I could say about the second walk, although I do love to have an excuse to look at neighborhoods and the homes that comprise them.

My Aunt Cookie

I don't have many clear memories from childhood.
I have moved from place to place. A lot.
I have had many people pass through my life.

Most of my memories are random and abstract. I do truly remember more on those rare occasions I am with someone and we start to discuss some event, both adding in parts to make a whole story.

Even more slight are my memories of 'family'.
This is not a 'bad' thing, or really even a 'thing' as far as 'things' go.
I am just illustrating how the few who I think of as 'family' are very important to me.
One of these people is my Aunt Cookie, she isn't actually an Aunt and her name isn't actually Cookie, but this is an apt example of my history.

I remember Cookie coming to visit, now and then, from far away places.
(England! Where could that be?)
She has an infectious laugh and high spirits. She taught me how to make a proper cup(pa) tea.
She had the first tattoo I ever saw on a someone I knew personally.
I wrote her letters and she wrote me back.

In recent years, I have been able to visit her and she I.
I have gotten to know the family she created and the home she inhabits.
Now, I have a whole set of clear memories, with photos as well. For many this is common place for me this is irreplaceable and amazing.
So, with all my heart I thank you, Cookie.