Day 1: Life became a day longer today.

 2012-05-19 

1:45 PM

Spent most of the morning preparing for this spring’s premiere of Board Games…Yeah!  I’ve been so looking forward to this. I just love playing board games. The games themselves, and the opportunity to meet people who enjoy the game for the playing’s sake. Though not Monopoly, which brings with it a side of capitalism I am just not interested in. It has to do with capital, how much you have, how to get more. In the end, you may possess all the property but you’re left alone. I figure I already have more resources than 98% of the world’s population, so I am more interested in assessing my present resources and living my life within them.  But, I digress…

Given the wonderful weather, I opened up the RSVPs to more attendees and we went from 12 to 19 people almost immediately. Using the garden and kitchen, there's room for a group of 8 and of 6, plus two groups of 4. It’s a good distribution. Now the checklist: Reserve two of the tables in the garden for Sunday, 20/5 14.00 to 20.00 (check), tablecloths out (check), chair cushions in place (check), coffee maker prepped (check), soft drinks (delegate?)…Well, Désirée is coming early, maybe I can ask her or better yet, we can go together when she gets here; games out (check). All is cool, I even have time for a sandwich.

More time than I imagined, as you probably noticed a paragraph ago, but it never even occurred to me that today was not Sunday.  And that, my friends, that is how I gained a whole 24 hours in May, in Stockholm. 

5:30 PM

After (nearly) 17 years in Sweden, you learn to allow the weather to steer your life in the spring and summer (you should also not allow it to do so in winter, though I admit I find that much more challenging!). Translation: always venture into the great outdoors on a fine weather day. So, off I went for a walk along Årstaviken, by the water... 

and through the kolonilottar (public gardening plots)...

with my good friend Örjan. It was great to catch up, discuss the deeper issues in our lives and enjoy the glorious day.