Super skiing weather

I took these snaps with my phone while out on my cross-country skis.

I went out on Christmas Eve morning, when most of the Swedish population was at home preparing for the big annual feed-up.

The temperature was about -3, and the tracks were in perfect condition. The pictures were taken when I went out again last Tuesday. It was considerably colder on that occasion with about -13. I managed 10km each time.

As you can see from the picture of me the frost builds up on the beard and moustache very well.

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Ruth, Johnnie and Victor have now been living with us for a few weeks now, and their house renovation is progressing.


Since I haven't written here for a while I can inform you that I had a very nice Christmas Eve at Maggan's and Kjell's while Magie had to work. In exchange for that shift she was able to be free for the following three days. We enjoyed Boxing Day having an English Christmas at Edward's and Julia's, staying that night in a hotel.

Christmas is coming, and so are Ruth and Family!

Christmas is coming, and in this part of the world it usually actually waits until about the beginning of December to really make its presence known. In most windows suddenly appear seven little lights arranged in an inverted V. Very pretty!



Ruth, Johnnie and Victor are coming to stay with us again. This time for a longer stay while their house is uninhabitable. The above picture was taken upstairs, and soon a similar process will transform downstairs! I think that a house becomes uninhabitable when the water is turned off, there's no usable kitchen, and the air is full of dust!

Victor's started to lick his fingers to turn over the pages when he's 'reading' the paper. It looked so funny when we visited the other day. I wonder what other mannerisms he'll pick up, this one is straight from Johnnie.

A Happy birthday

Yesterday was my birthday and to celebrate it we went up to Stockholm. I had got an offer from MasterCard for the weekend staying at a hotel right in the centre and an evening at Wallmans Salonger for a good all in price, and since it coincided with my birthday I thought that it would be a good way to spend the weekend.

Part of the deal included a Stockholm's Card, which valid for 24 hours, gave free rides on the busses, trams & tubes, and free entry into most museums. So we've packed in as many museums as our feet could cope with.

On Saturday we went to the Nordiska Museum, which is next to the Vasa. The Vasa is very well worth visiting, but I've shown English visitors several times. This was the first time I've been in the Nordiska Museum. I suspect that future visitors will get taken there if they've already seen the Vasa!

Then we went back to the hotel, where Margie got a make-up done, which after a long wait was done very quickly. Some of the other women needed a lot longer!

Then we went to Wallmans. I've never been in Stockholm before, but we did once visit them when they were in Västerås. They have a touring team and a home based team, but the idea is the same. The waiters are also the performers. What is amazing is that they are good at both jobs! What was really surprising was how good the food was!

When the night-club bit started after the show we walked back to the hotel for a calmer good-night drink.

On Sunday morning we visited the Salvador Dali exhibition at the Moderna Museet, where we also met up with Edward and Julia. I was never an enthusiast for Dali, but I was impressed by this exhibition, he was clearly very imaginative and skilful. He's gone up in my estimation.

After lunch at the Modern we enjoyed a very entertaining guided tour through an exhibition about infra-structure at the adjoining Arkitekturmuseet! Roads and trains aren't normally very interesting, but the young lady that took us through was very gifted as an enthusiaster.

Finally we took the train back to Västerås, where we had a nice birthday fika with Ruth, Johnnie and Victor.

All in all a very happy birthday.

Oh yes, the camera over the loo in the first picture is in a loo in the Moderna! If there hadn't been so many people in the loos I'd have gone round and checked out the other cubicles! I thought that was a bit of fun art with a social comment, and what better place to put it!

A VicPic

I took this picture about a week ago.

He's a very confident young man, as far as I know this was his first walk in the shops, certainly with grandma! He was particularly interested in the little shop where they cut keys and repair shoes.

House full!

This week our house is full for the first time in a long time. Ruth, Johnnie and Victor have moved in while work is being carried out in their house.

So far it seems to have worked out well.

Victor isn't very well at the moment, and he was sick all over Johnnie, and their bed, and his bed, and..... He looked a lot better today when I saw him at lunch time however.

Ruth also passed her driving test yesterday, as I'm sure she'll announce on a blog somewhere sometime very soon. Last night she drove in the dark (and fog) to Eskilstuna to some sort of party on her own! Very brave indeed! Today she's driven to work (also in Eskilstuna) so I wonder if Johnnie will see so very much of their car from now on!

Fortunately the roads haven't become very slippery yet, but they will probably very soon, so we're all expecting to do the bi-annual tyre chang very soon.

Surprise audience at KAMUS concert

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary concert given by KAMUS.

I'm a bit depressed at the moment, mostly about work, and it was going to be a heavy day which I'd not been looking forward to very much.The rehearsal went well, albeit very long (from 09.30 to 12.30) but it was going to be a long concert.

The music wasn't particularly hard, but I'm having to play viola, which whilst probably my best instrument, isn't what I like to play in orchestras! (I prefer double bass)

The programme was:

Stravinskij – Introduktion ur ”Suite Italienne”

Albinoni – Sinfonia i G-dur

Grieg – Anitras Tanz

Haydn – Violinkonsert nr.1 C-dur sats 1

Mendelsohn – Oktett

Shostakovich – Pianokonsert nr.1 C-dur sats 1

Bartok – Rumänska danser

Janacek – Suite för stråkorkester

Williams – Remembrances

Stravinskij – Menuett och Finale ur ”Suite Italienne”

Before the rehearsal we removed the first row of seats to make more room for the piano, but just before the performance the stage manager announced that they'd had to put them back because it was almost completely sold out!

But that wasn't the surprise. In the interval I went out into the public area to mingle, and was amazed to see Kjell (Edward's girlfriend Julia's Dad). It turned out that he, his wife Maggan, Julia and Edward had come! This might not seem like a big deal, but I had believed that none of my family would be able to come since Margaret had to work that evening.

At home alone!

A few weeks ago Margie's aunty Bid 'went away' (to use a translation of a Swedish euphemism for dying). The Funeral was today. This is the second family funeral this year, and the second one I haven't been to.

Aunty Bid was over 90. She'd lived the last time in a very nice home in St. Albans, where we saw her earlier this year.

Margie flew over to England on Sunday, and returns home tomorrow, so I've been at home alone. Nothing very remarkable about that really. I managed to get up this morning in time to ride over to the swimming pool (about 5km) swim a km and then on to work.

On Sunday evening I cooked a couple of pies after cleaning the several litres of mushrooms we picked on Saturday. Most of the mushrooms went into the pies, but we did have some for lunch before Margie caught her plane (or was it on Saturday, I forget now). I also made an Apple crumble, and a plum crumble, so if I can resist eating it all up there should be some over for the guests I am expecting on Friday.

This coming weekend is one of two occasions that the Mazer String Quartet Soc. organises a play-in at a nice place called Riddersvik. This time two of my friends from England are coming, as is a local cellist, so we'll be a quartet, although we will probably only play together for one or two sessions. The rest of the time we'll be mixed up with all the other members, play all sorts of music, and eat and drink and generally have a good time.

Well I'd better go home to be alone some more!

Weekend with Victor

Here are a few pictures taken while Victor stayed with us this weekend. They seem to be in reverse order.

When he arrived Margie got him helping her cleaning the bathroom!

I took him to the little playground in our area, where we investigated the sand-pit and all the toys there.

Margie was supposed to work both on Saturday evening, and Sunday morning, which would have left me to do most of the looking after, but she managed to change her Sunday morning shift, and didn't actually do a lot of her Saturday evening one either.

When Margie left to go to work on Saturday evening Victor cried, so I was glad when she re-emerged about an hour later, while I was showing him the Buddha statue which would probably have been very nice to play with (it has running, currently rather dirty, water). He was getting rather tired although it was a bit earlier than we expected him to got to bed. However Margie managed to settle him down and he slept right through until about 5 o'clock, when I gave him a bit of Velling and let him sleep with us for a few more hours!

We had to get up early on Sunday morning so that we could take him to Baby-Swimming, which he really enjoys. I was a bit nervous of this, but actually it was great fun splashing in the 37C water!

After he'd woken from his post-swimming sleep Margie and I both took him to the local playground again, this time Margie made little sand-castles for Victor to knock down! They both had a great time.

Unlike when Victor visited Edward and Julia a while back, we had a total of 6 dirty nappies to sort out! I must say that nappy technology has improved a great deal since I had to change them last. You just rip the sides of the little pants, try and avoid spreading the contents all over the place, clean up, and put new ones on like ordinary pants! No toweling, enormous 'safety' pins (which were lethally sharp and not very safe at all) nor plastic over-pants. Wonderful though all this is I'm happy to avoid the job as much as possible, they haven't done anything to improve the smell.

Yesterday he also helped Margie in the garden until his Mum and Dad returned. He was obviously glad to see them.

It was great to have him with us.

Very nice family weekend

We've just had a very nice family weekend. On Saturday Edward and Julia took different trains to Västerås because the bread Edward was baking took longer than her expected, and he missed the train that Julia caught!

Ruth, Johnnie and Victor collected Julia from the station, but I had to stay sober enough to collect Ed from the next train! Ed and I caught up anyway, so there wasn't a problem.

We all had a good eat, drink and chat. Everyone stayed the night so the the house was fuller than it has been for a long time.

On Sunday after Ruth, Johnnie and Victor had gone to baby-swimming, the rest of us went mushroom picking, and got a record 6 litres of 'forest-gold'.

Wet Anundshög show

Margaret and I got free tickets (from VLT, our local paper) to an outdoor show at Anundshög on Friday evening. The show was very good, but spoiled by the torrential rain, and technical problems, almost certainly caused by the rain.

Lena Willemark, folk group Väsen, choir Singoalla and a dance group performed a newly written work in the grounds of Anundshög an enormous Viking burial ground which is a well known landmark in these parts.

I'm not a fan of Lena W, I just don't like her singing, however good at it she is! Väsen are very competent, as were Sangoalla. For me however the best was the dancing. These youngsters combined traditional Swedish folkdans with modern styles, which particularly considering the wet grass they had to dance on, was very impressive, and most enjoyable.

They were so good that for moments I could almost forget the rain. I had nothing to put on my head, although I did have the rest of me well covered. I'd forgotten that I'd taken off the hood part of my rain suit and left it at home!

It had stopped raining before the end of the show, but I was very glad that we were able to get out quickly. A Whiskey-Mac when we got home helped restore me!

Here is the VLT article translated by Google (who obviously don't know the word for evening!)

English conversation classes

I've just been called up by ABF to say that my English class is now full, and when can it start. Since Margaret's beginner's course starts on 9-sep I said I'd start on the same day.

They had rung me up earlier with an enquiry from a person that turned out to be just 12 years old! I don't know what minimum age requirement they have (I couldn't find anything about that on their web site) but 12 seems extremely young to me! Well I was glad to hear that she hasn't gone on the course, I think it might have been a bit awkward.

So now I expect to get a list of names in the post. I suspect that two will be from last year, they were keen to continue.

I suppose this is the first sign of autumn! The rain we've been having doesn't count, we've had plenty since the spring. I've also begun the organising of a visit of players for the Mazer Riddersvik weekend in October, another sure autumnal sign.

Kamus starts up tomorrow evening, so I'd probably better look at the notes I got last time, some of them aren't trivial at all!

I'm trying out a new viola bow, which I'll probably buy. It's made of carbon fibre. I bought a very nice, and extremely well priced (i.e. cheap) violin bow a few years ago, but the maker of that didn't have any viola bows. They've been saying in 6 months for the last couple of years, and now it's gone out to sometime next year! So they may never sell me one.

I love a good Piddle!

I've just got back from three week's holidays, spent in France and England, having driven through Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and Holland.

This was on the door of the Cafe de France in Barfleur! The beer there was actually very nice, although I have to admit that we had already started drinking before I noticed the sign!

While we've been away Victor has apparently taken a few tentative steps and looks very uncertain on the back of his mum's bike!

Our holiday was a complicated arrangement with people coming and going. Margie stayed in Barfleur while I went to England for my annual orgy of chamber music (Grittleton). While I was away Margie had the company of first her sister, then a friend also from England. I returned with some other friends for the last few days before heading back home, arriving yesterday (Sunday 9-aug).

Surprisingly all the arrangements actually worked, and no-one was left stranded in the wrong country, and as far as I know everyone involved enjoyed themselves.

Babysitting

Margie and I babysat last night while Ruth and Johnnie went out for a meal.

It went very well, we played a bit, he had a bath, then went to bed! What could be easier! Especially for me, it was Margie that did all the work!

Tomorrow is Margie's birthday, and we've got plans. I'll possibly write about them here later.

Nice weekend in Värmdö

I notice that I haven't written in here for a few weeks, so I will just say that Margaret and I have just come back from a very nice weekend with friends who live in Värmdö, a nice spot in the Stockholm archipelago.

While we were there enjoying good food, good company, and in my case too much booze, the very hot weather we've been having broke, and a more normal amount of rain did its bit to keep everything green.

We even picked some blueberries!

I should like to thank our hosts, Eva-lena and Leif, for their hospitality.

Best time so far in wet and windy Vätternrundan

15 hours 23 minutes. (Start 20:14, finish 11:37) and NO PUNCTURES!

The rain and wind was very similar on my very first Vätternrunda in 2004.

On the way to Jönköping we pass through Gränna. This is Sweden's home of the equivalent of Brighton Rock. It is the only part of the whole 300km route which goes over cobbles! For me this is usually a nice massage, but for those that go really quickly all the fixtures on a bike that aren't properly fixed end up scattered over the road! When I passed it was early enough that the pubs hadn't closed, but I have been through later when added to the cobbles one has to be careful to avoid running over the drunks.

It went quite quick down to Jönköping despite the rain. This was in part due to the strong following wind, and of course my improved condition and 1000+km training. After the porridge in the Jönköping depot it was very cold to get started again. As usual Vätternrundan coincides with school graduation. This means that while we extremely sober cyclists are pouring through the town, we have to keep an eye out for drunken youngsters with their fine caps and suits.

After Jönköping it all gets a bit harder. The road isn't very interesting, more hilly and it was very dark, cold, wet and windy. We do this why exactly?

Some hours later I got to Hjo, which is where they serve the main meal of the ride. This is a very welcome pasta dish. I sat next to two men of about my age, and when they started to speak I realised I was sitting next to two English men. It turns out they had come over specially for this event, and were beginning to wonder why they had! I hope that they enjoyed it despite the weather. They come from Surrey and were very impressed with how positive the local people view this event, supporters cheer the cyclists, thousands of people assist in running the whole thing. They told me about an incident in Scotland (I think) where the locals were so upset about the closing of some roads because of a cycle event that one person spread tacks over the road causing a number of injuries!

After Hjo (where I stayed for about an hour, my longest stay anywhere on the ride) the wind reduced in strength, a bit like me. Since the wind was coming from the north, and I'd been fighting it, it was a bit of a disappointment when it didn't help for the last 40km from the beautiful bridge at the extreme northern point of the route. However it always feels good to start on the last part, at last heading towards Motala instead of away from it.

Sadly Margaret had to work this weekend, so wasn't able to be in Motala, but it still felt very good to arrive at the finishing line, eat some more pasta, and drink a wonderful beer! I should point out that they serve lättöl, low alcohol beer, but after over 300km on a bike saddle it tastes wonderful!

After a few hours sleep, the others in our group arrived, (they also did a very good time, which I could only dream about!). We had what has become something of a tradition, pizza, champagne and an early night! Before travelling home in the morning we also visited another of Motala's attractions, this also being something of a tradition, 'Två Små hus' (Two small houses) where they sell some of the most wonderful ice creams.

My companions started much later than me, since they are in a completely different class as far as cycling is concerned. (the underlined start numbers should take you to their respective statistical pages at the VR site, where you'll be able to see previous years results)

• PATRIK HORSELL, VÄSTERÅS Vätternrundan 2009 17435 05:04 - 13:34
• JOHAN DAHLBERG, UPPSALAVätternrundan 2009 17432 05:04- 13:35
• MARKUS DAHLBERG, UPPSALA Vätternrundan 2009 17434 05:04 - 14:15
• ERIK DAHLBERG, UPPSALAVätternrundan 2009 17431 05:04 - 17:14
• FRANK MCNAMARA, VÄSTERÅSVätternrundan 2009 469 20:14 - 11:37

As you can see I came in first! Patrik & Johan actually went all the way round together, the arrival time difference was due to the fact that they had to queue up to pass the timing mat that read the chip we all wore. It was Erik's first time round. Johan, Markus and Erik are brothers, which explains the common surname.

I should also congratulate my friend in England, Sean Overend, for completing the 1030 miles from Lands End to John O Groats. 1600+km puts some perspective on it all. Press the tab marked LEJOG Ditty on http://www.monticello.org.uk/ to read all about that adventure.

Two punctures on Halvvättern!

Margie and I have just come back from Motala after the second of three cycling weekends in a a row.

Margie did a good job of her 100km Tjejvättern, which went on a new course this year including a tough hill called Ombergsbacken. This is about 2 km long, and very steep in parts. She managed it without stopping and/or walking (many did both stop and walk up it!). The new course is a shortened version of the new Halvvättern (150km) course. The part that goes through Omberg is particularly nice, thick forest with occasional views out of the lake.

They had heavy rain for a while early on and then it cleared up, and they even had following winds on the open later part of the course.

The next picture of the three of us that were about to set off on the Halvättern. I was in the first start group starting at 08.00, Edward and Julia were in another group starting at 08.48.

Edward had promised to stay with Julia, which he did. It seems that he was in front all the way round!

Well we all made it round, despite a strong head wind for a long stretch towards the end, and two punctures on my bike!

After last week's puncture I was more observant when I changed the tube thankfully at the top of the long Omberg hill! I noticed that the puncture was on the wheel side, rather than the outside, indicating that there was something wrong on the wheel itself rather than some external sharp thing (which shouldn't really get through a brand new modern tyre with it's Kevlar layer etc. etc.). So when I got to the next depot I bought a new tube and was recommended to buy a new rim-tape (I think that's what they're called in English, fälgband på svenska) and told, if I get another puncture, to put it on over the existing one so that I'd have two in place.

Sure enough after ages of fighting that strong head wind, I felt the hard road against metal again, and knew it was time for another unscheduled stop.

Next Friday is the last and biggest of the three weekends, when I attempt the 300km Vätternrundan. According to the weather sites I've looked at we're in for rain and strong winds all the time! In my very first VR it rained for 15 of the 18 hours I took, and if this site it right it's going to be even worse this time. I've got better clothes and hopefully better condition this time, but I just hope the weather site is wrong, in particular about the wind! Rain is much easier to live with than strong head winds.

Expensive Car inspection

Well I took the car to bilbesiktning (the Swedish equivalent of MOT test station except this is not connected to any garage, at least not yet). It failed on a couple of points, which are going to set me back nearly 4000SEK.

Something called a spindelled (which I think might be known as a king-pin in english, but I'm not sure) is worn, and one of the brake pipes as well. This isn't the first time this has happened. I think they've been changed on both sides since we've had the car, so this is clearly something common in Volvo V70s.

Ah well, can't be helped. Having changed one of these myself before, I have no difficulty in putting the job out to a car mechanic! I've never changed a break pipe, and that's also a skill I don't wish to acquire. I get quite dirty enough fixing bikes.

The car's booked in next Wednesday, and the re-inspection is a drop in affair. I have to get it done within a month, or the car becomes illegal, but that shouldn't be a problem.

A puncture on Energitrampet

(Thanks Clifford for this picture taken at the finish line)

At the point where I was furthest from both start and finish I was unpleasantly surprised to feel the unmistakable hardness of the road as it was now hitting the metal of my back wheel following a puncture. These modern tyres are supposed to have a puncture resistant layer made of Kevlar, the stuff they make bullet proof vests of.

The must have been some 'sharper than bullets' grit on the roads, because I lost count of the number of cyclists I saw beside the road with punctures.

I thought that I was near the next watering depot, so since I didn't have my little tool kit, with its tyre leavers I rode and walked on. But after a while I realised that it wasn't just down the next slope, so I stopped and tried to change the tyre. I discovered that a key will work as a tyre leaver, and was able to change in about the normal time. The little pump I carry with me can't (not with my arm muscles) manage to get the pressure up to the full 6Bar, but it was good enough to get me home. I discovered that I hadn't put the tyre on properly, and it was a bit irregular, making the ride a bit bumpy, when the road surface was good, which isn't very much of this route! So I have to sort that out today, before the next adventure.

Up until Köping (about 50km) I was doing very well. I went with the 'medium' group and had an average of bit over 30kph. We seemed to be in one big pack up to that point. We had a rather long wait just before Köping while the motorbikes that were riding round lake Mälaren (seemed like thousands of them) went past. When we got out onto the road again, we had a few km in their company, which I was glad to loose.

My average speed, including the walking parts, all the time on my own and the gentle ride home afterwards with Margie, was about 25kph.

Margie got round in reasonable time, which was perhaps better than expected considering the fact that she's done very little training this year. Although we both swim twice a week, so she's not unfit by any means.

To my surprise not only was Margie waiting for me at the finish, but also Clifford and Lisabeth. So I can expect a high quality picture (or two) of me as I arrived.

I'd put sun-tan lotion on my arms and legs, which weren't burnt at all, but forgotten my head. It isn't burnt, but I didn't feel too good last night, which I think was caused by the sun rather than anything else.

I've now done 972km of the 1000km recommended for Vätternrundan, so with next week's Halvvättern (150km) I'll be more prepared than I've ever been before! Let's just hope I don't have any more punctures!

One thing lacking from Energitrampet's depots is 'salt gurka' (small cucumber/large gherkins in salt). These are available at all the Vätternrundan depots, and whilst I very seldom eat them during the rest of the year, I always want some while cycling. I have never had cramp except when cycling Energitrampet, I wonder if there's a connection?

Long weekend in England

We've just got back from a long weekend in England. The main reason for going was to partake in the wedding of my nephew Martin to his Heather. Martin is the younger son of my sister Mary and her Julian.

While we were there we also visited Bath, a very attractive city, and also the first year birthday party of Henrietta, daughter of Robin (older son of Mary) and his wife.

The weather was very nice pretty well all the time we were there. The flight back suffered a rather bumpy landing, but in every other respect was fine, despite Ryan Air.

Last night I discovered that I'd forgotten to register Margaret and me on the Energitrampet cycle rides on Saturday. We should still be able to go on them because you can register on the day, but of course it costs more!

When I got back to work this morning my computer was broken! I've spent most of the day trying to fix it, and at last I've discovered that that the problem is the graphics card, so I'm able to continue by using the built in graphics card on the mother board. I've also ordered a new card (of a different make).

Another quick cycle training session

I went with the 'lugn' (calm) group again in today's Energitramp training session. It wasn't so lugn, I had an average of 28kph. We went about 65 km. (see the route roughly on maps.google.com)

When we got to Strömsholm for fika (coffee etc.) for the first time this year we were able to sit outside in the warm sun.

The other groups went a different route. Because the wind at 10 o'clock this morning was gently blowing from the north they went in that direction, with the intention of going a long way. By long way these people mean something between 120 and 150 km. They also go very quickly, average over 30kph.

Fortunately for us the wind was very little, and we seemed to be a group of compatible strength. Sometimes it's difficult to hold a group together when the strong ones get to the front, they tend to go at their favourite speed, and that makes it very hard on the not so strong ones to keep up.

I'm still ahead of the 1000km target for Vätternrundan according to my calendar on their site. I don't have to do a lot more! I've done a total of 708 km so far, add Energitrampet (123km) and Halvvättern (150km) and you get 973 km!

I am planning on a longer ride of some sort next Thursday, when it is a public holiday here (Kristihimmelfärd, ascension day). VCK, who actually lead the groups in these sessions, are doing a run starting 10 o'clock on Thursday morning, I haven't decided yet if I'll join them, or do my own thing.

VCK had a tent at the market place yesterday, so I filled in a form to join. They seem a nice bunch, and it seems to cover all abilities, right down to my level!

Windy weekend in Tällberg / Christmas in May

It was a windy weekend when we (all seven of us) spent the weekend in Tällberg. We stayed in the Dalarcarlia hotel. The rain held off until we were leaving.

In the little movie you can see and hear the effect of the wind on this set of chimes, which are mounted outside the Spa.

Victor seemed to enjoy himself, particularly in the pool.

Tällberg, is about three hours drive from here. It lies in the heart of Dalarna, which is the most Swedish of Swedish places in Sweden. Margie and I were here once before, at midsommar.

We'd agreed not to buy each other Christmas presents, but to all do something together, and this was it. A very nice Christmas present indeed.

My debut as leader at Mazer

Last night I performed a quartet by R. Vaughan Williams called Household Music at the regular Mazer Monday evening soiree. This is a very nice three movement work based on three well known (in GB but not here) Welsh hymn tunes. With me were John, Kathy and Solbritt. The man standing in the picture above is Krister Persson who was host for the evening which included three other works. He pointed out that unusually for a Mazer evening all the works were in fact quartets, although only one a string quartet (ours!). He played in a piano quartet (violin, viola, cello & piano), then it was us, then after the interval a flute quartet by Bach (two flutes, a viol and harpsichord). The last group was a saxophone quartet! (very nice, but dynamic range from loud to deafening!) They ended up with "When I'm 64", but I wasn't alone in thinking that "When I was 64" suited a rather high proportion of the audience!

The historical importance which was missed by most spectators was the fact that it was my first appearance as leader of a quartet in public. Some have said that I lead from the viola position of course, but that's not quite the same as playing the first violin part.

I was very glad that Margaret could come because she was supposed to have worked that evening, but someone wanted to swap shifts with her. Kathy's husband Gary had come with her from England, and was also there. Margaret was complementary about our performance, and she usually says what she thinks, so I take that as a great compliment! I think we played well. I made new and different mistakes of course, but that's normal in any performance. John put his mute on too early at one point, and so had to take it off again! But no-one except him commented on that!

So that was the end of a very nice weekend for me. Kathy & Garry arrived on Saturday, when we had a nice meal together, and a bit too much nice wine. Sunday John & Solbritt arrived while Margaret was working, so we could play all day. On Monday we drove to Stockholm, and while Margaret and Garry went to the Vasa Museum (well worth a visit) we played some more, ending the evening at the Konstnärsklubben.

So now I'm back at work where in addition to all the usual problems that have built up there is building work going on next door, with machinery designed to drill a whole in your brain! Evacuation isn't completely ruled out.

Städledare / Cleaning-up Boss

Those of you who know me and especially those that have seen my office will realise how inappropriate it is for me to be appointed städledare (roughly translated person in charge of cleaning/tidying) for our part or our housing estate. We have 20 houses in our delområde (subarea), and each year the next household takes it in turn to be städledare.

We moved in 21 years ago, and got the job after only living here for about 6 months. We could (sort of) speak Swedish, but didn't have a clue how this was supposed to work. I'd been on one städdag (cleaning/tidying up day). The main job of the städledare is to decide on the date of the städdag and deliver a note to everyone calling them to meet in the car park with the apropriate tools.

I did this, and was a little alarmed when one of the longer standing residents came up to me in the car park one evening before hand and said that he couldn't come, but would do his bit on another day, and to please leave him something to do! I don't actually remember the day itself, but it probably went like most of the 40 odd that have happened since. We all gather and start brushing the car park (probably not necessary this year since it's been cleared already), then go round to another part where we do similar work. No-one seems to actually run it is such, and it doesn't take much more than an hour.

I've since discovered that we are very fortunate in that last respect, as in many areas the whole day is consumed. I can't say that our area looks any worse that those places but perhaps I'm a bit biased.

I got the call to a meeting with the new leaders of the other 7 areas and a member of the committee late this year, just last Tuesday. This means that I'll have to call the städdag next Saturday (2-May) when of course some people will have travelled away for the weekend, since the Friday is 1-May, a national holiday here. Good job there isn't a lot to do (at least I hope not).

The committee gives each leader 200kr each year towards a group activity, like coffee and cakes or whatever. Well unique to our area we haven't spent this for the past couple of years (since it's been introduced), so together with this years sub we've got 600kr to spend. Something else I have to decide about! We'll probably try to fix something in the autumn in connection with the other städdag.

Well I've written the kallelse (announcement) and blamed the committee for it being so late. Perhaps a few will turn up. I've always assumed that it's because our städdag meetings are shorter than other that we get a relatively good turn out. There are a few that practically never come, but most come almost every time. This is an area of much angry debate in some places, and while there is sometimes talk about it, we don't have much of a problem.

I hope we can get it over with farely quickly because I have guests from England coming in the afternoon, Kathy and her husband Gary. She is coming to play the Vaughan Williams work we studied at Sigtuna in January at the Mazer Monday evening. I might write more about that later.

(2009-05-05) It was very quick indeed, we started at 09.00 I was back in the house at 09.45! About 15 turned out, which is very good considering the inappropriate date. We only filled about 4 black sacks with sweepings, which I was able to deliver to the dump together with our own stuff the same day.

Cycle season started

This year's cycle season has started, for me at least.

Two Sundays ago was the first group training for Energitrampet. This was led by Patrick Serra (ex profs cyclist who organizes Energitrampet). We were about a dozen of somewhat varying ability (I put myself towards the low end on that scale!). We rode out to Strömsholm, where we stopped for fika (coffe/tea and optional cake). Our average speed, according to my bike computer was about 28 kph, something of a record for me.

On Saturday the weather here was really beautiful, warm and sunny, so after fixing the second puncture in two weeks caused by the very sharp sand the kommun uses on the cycle paths, and discovering that I don't have all the tools needed to fix the broken spoke in the back wheel, I went for a 28 km ride.

Yesterday I joined in the slowest group of three of the Energitrampet training session. Although the average speed was about 24 kph this time, there were periods when it went too fast for some of our group, and there was a certain amount of discussion about it! The main purpose of this training is to learn how to ride in a group (klungåkning) where the leaders change all the time, so that no-one has to 'pull' all the time. The problem is that the riders who are supposed to ease off when they are on the inside, and let the outside rider move over, don't, and so the outside rides goes a bit faster in order to pass, and so the overall speed just gets faster and faster!

It was very nice however, although I felt quite tired the rest of the day. This might have been made worse by the (too much) beer I had the night before, or the big fried breakfast on Saturday morning, who knows.

I hope that the weather stays nice enough to keep up this rate of cycling. For the first time I know about I'm actually ahead of the target training distance as defined on the Vätternrundan web site! With Easter coming up I expect that'll slip, but I might get out on Good Friday, while Margie is at work.

Bad news comes in threes

1. Terry Duffy, see previous post
2. Alison Barratt, some one I knew at Grittleton (not very well updated site at http://grittleton.org/), died of leukaemia the other day. She was in her forties I think. I've known her from Grittleton for most of the time I've been going there, so perhaps she was a bit older (I've been going since 1982)
   
3. Ray Mangan had a stroke this week. He's also very young, about 49. It's too early yet to say how badly he's been affected.
   

Lets hope that's an end to this round of bad news, now that we've got Victor's christening to look forward to.

Terry Duffy

The first of our generation has died.

Terry Duffy, husband to Bindy (Margie's oldest sister) had been suffering from what is called kol here, and I think is called emphysema, and had been having oxygen 16 hours every day. Whilst he was able to move about the house, he had to carry oxygen with him. This is the sad result of life long smoking, his lung capacity having been slowly destroyed to the point when he just couldn't survive on the amount of oxygen that is freely available and needed extra.

I last saw Terry at Anne's (Margie sister) 60th the year before last. We were surprised at how out of breath he was after just climbing one or two stairs. With 20/20 hindsight one could guess he had a good idea of what was coming.

Terry was just into his seventies I think.

Margie's going to the furneral which will be next Monday (16-March).

It works!

Well today two technicians turned up to fix the new cooker (both have been here before). We made a few jokes about them not daring to come here alone, which they took in good part. They actually both came so they could carry out the old cooker.

Well when their man delivered the new cooker only one side of the rings worked, and nothing at all of the oven. When these two, after measuring the voltage at the outlet, and checking the wiring, it worked perfectly.

My guess is that is must have got full of damp air on the way here, which condensed, causing the, hopefully, temporary fault.

We had some fun boiling up several pans of water (very quickly), and now the oven is going through the 'burning in' procedure as prescribed in the manual.

Lets hope this is a happy ending to this long story, and that I'll find something a bit more interesting to write about here. My English conversation class has started again, this time on Wednesday evening between 17 & 19.15. Perhaps that will provide something to write about.

----
2009-03-09 09.30

One of the lamps in the oven doesn't work, the fan in the oven makes a lot of noise, and the lock position doesn't lock the rings. So I called Electrolux Service, and someone is coming on Tuesday to take a look. The story isn't over yet.

2009-03-10

A man from Electrolux Service came and fixed the lamp, and showed me how to turn on, and more importantly turn off, the lock for the rings. It isn't as stated in the manual, but that's not the only error in the manual.

We looked at the fan. He took off the cover, and you can see that it is eccentric, i.e. the whole where the pressed plate fan has been drilled to go onto the shaft of its motor isn't wuite in the middle, thus the noise. He's ordered a new one, but we can only hope that it'll be better made.

But progress is being made! I stayed at home all day since it was snowing, and Margie is away (with the car). I was able to do some useful work around our HAZ1508 software (http://www.haz1508.com/).

More cooker news

Well this morning the new cooker was delivered. This time the young man at least checked the wiring of the existing one to make sure that the neutral was in the right place before plugging in the new cooker.

When I tried it out however it worked fine on the right hand rings, but gave an error E6 on the left hand ones, which didn't get warm. Neither did the oven work.

One has to presume that the last connection attempt broke something, even though they claim to have 'tested' it back at their workshops. Anyway this time it is still here, but the old one is back in place. A technician will visit tomorrow with some more spares!

The rings that did work, work very quickly I must say, so if this ever does get installed I'm sure it will be great!

Perhaps I should put some recipies on this page for cold food.

Quick visit from a new cooker!

This morning a new cooker made a very short visit.

When the young technician connected the new cooker he didn't notice that it says 400V on the old one, and 230V on the new one. This shouldn't mean that it is impossible to use, just that you need to connect it differently.

Well when he turned it on it showed an error message E3 on the ring display, but the clock showed on the main display. When the oven door was opened I heard a pop, and one of the fuses went.

A lot of telephone calls were made, including one I made to Jessica at Electrolux in Stockholm, who had arranged the exchange, who said that it was my responsibility to see that I chose a cooker of the right voltage. (All the induction cookers are 230V, whilst the non-induction ones seem to be all 400V)

The technician had said that the terminal block that the three phase comes out of the wall through was broken, and I'd need an electrician to fix it.

Anyway the young man reconnected our old cooker, and took the new one away, so we haven't moved very far in all this!


I'm annoyed with Electrolux Service for incorrectly connecting this new cooker, and I also annoyed with Electrolux in Stockholm's attitude that I should know to check the voltage when I chose the cooker!

In twenty years time when it's time to change cooker again, I'll not be looking at Electrolux or Husqvarna, if of course I still have enough mables left to have much use of a cooker! This whole experience is a disgrace. Of course I might be looking at buying another cooker much sooner if this doesn't get sorted out, and you can be sure it won't come from Electrolux!

When the Electrolux Service technician said that we needed an electrician to sort out the socket, I assumed that he would be able to fix one. Every plumber/builder/general dogs body seems to be able to get in electricians, but not Electrolux Service. Not only are none of their people qualified (there is a special legal requirement for 'el-behörighet' to do most electrical installations here in Sweden) but they couldn't even ring up and fix one!

I have found an electrician, who should be able to do the job tomorrow. Perhaps I'll ask him about cookers!

I'm sure there'll be more to tell before this story is finished.

----
1300 - Electrolux Service rang to say that the cooker worked fine when they tested it, and we agreed they could deliver on Tuesday.
----
Friday p.m. - The electrician came, and replaced the cables to the cooker with cables that include a neutral, and installed a Perilex socket. So now all that should be required is to deliver and plug in! That's promised for tomorrow Tuesday sometime.

They said that this is a rather common job these days, obviously the wiring standards have changed over the years. It seems strange to me that they would ever not include a neutral, but what do I know!
----
Tuesday 12.15

When they didn't ring I rang Electrolux Service, who said they have it down as 4-mar (Wednesday). Good job I wasn't staying at home specially.

The cooker story, continued....

Well it's starting to look up at last. After I wrote my snotty mail to Electrolux Service, they sent Anders round again, who fixed the problem he'd caused. It was clear that they were happy to just keep coming and fix it until the guarantee expired, so I sent more or less the same mail to the shop where we bought it from.

That kicked off a much better response. Another Anders rang me from them and said that he'd passed on my mail to his contact in Electrolux, who would either get back to him or directly to me, either way a replacement was the most probably outcome.

The following day, right enough, a gent from Electrolux in Stockholm rang to offer me a new oven, and take away this one. Wooppee!! It would be passed on to some other department who shortly after sent me a mail explaining that the model we have is no longer made, and enclosing descriptions of two replacement models.

She also said that since these were a bit cheaper than the one I had they'd pay me the difference! If however I would prefer a different model that was going to be much more, then I'd have to pay them ther difference. Wow, eminently reasonable.

So I looked on their web site amongst all the different models they have. It's amazing how many different sorts of ovens there are! After closer examination I began to understand their numbering system. Part of the model number is the width (5, 6 or 7 for 500, 600 or 700mm, we have a slot 600mm, which is the normal standard here). Then there's a letter for single of double oven, another for white or stainless, and even one for gas, electric ceramic, or induction rings.

When we eliminate all the gas, wrong sizes, and just plain odd cookers we end up with a sensible number to look at. After talking to Margie last night we concluded that we would like the single (i.e. big) oven rather than the double (two smaller of course) models. The curious thing is that they put the interesting features like fan, grilling etc., in the lower of the two ovens!

Now we are just left with choosing between normal ceramic rings, and induction. There is a cost penalty for induction of about 4000SEK, not to mention scrapping some of our albeit cheaper pots and pans which won't work with induction.

So now all we have to do is decide!

Nice skiing yesterday

The weather here was absolutely beautiful yesterday. Temperature was about -5C and the sun was shining on the snow, so I went out for a go on my skis.

Here are a few pictures I took with my phone while waiting at the top of a long down hill for the people in front of me to go down.

The sun's gone in today, but I want to go out again, while we still have enough snow!

Update (Sunday 15 Feb) I went out again today, although the sun didn't shine so much it was also very nice. This time I did the 15km track, which is more varied than the other shorter ones. The tracks are very well prepared, thanks IFK Västerås.

Continuing saga of our cooker

Two and a half years ago we bought a rather fancy cooker. It's a Huskvarna, with an electronic display. It's very nice, with ceramic hob, and an oven that doesn't make the surface of the cooker warm (there's a fan that blows air through an air cavity that surrounds the oven)

Well unfortunately we've had a lot of trouble with it. Very shortly after we got it we noticed that the rings would get turned off by themselves. This wasn't more than an irritation because you just had to start them again. However I rang Electrolux Service, who sent out someone who changed something. A few months later and it happened again, and they changed something else.....

Then a ring wouldn't start at all. This was fixed.

Then a few weeks ago it got very exciting. We had the oven on, and after about 15 minutes or so it started making a clicking noise, which got more dramatic until it sounded and looked like a pin-ball machine. Fortunately our food was just ready when the oven stopped completely.

They came and changed something, and so I tested it by letting it run at max heat for 2.5 hours.

Guess at my annoyance the day after when after a few minutes the rings I had on turned themselves off! I called them out again, and a very nice man called Anders, who had been before, came and fiddled with the connectors in the hope of fixing this intermittent fault.

Yesterday morning, two days after that visit, I turned it on to boil eggs, and BANG! Well pop really, then the main display went through a few different coombinations including everything it had, to end up blank, the four numbers all showed 0, and a fuse went!

I've written a comment on Electrolux's service page and wait to hear what they are going to do about it. My faith will be restored if the change the cooker completely, restart the three year guarantee and promise to buy it back if I get any more faults. I will of course be satisfied if I get a cooker that works!

Here what I wrote this time (to which they've responded to say they'll do something):

Hej!

model nr.   QSG6140W
Produkt nr  *******-**
Serienr.  *******
Type  SSRC
Total Effekt 10736W

Köpt för snart 3 år sedan.

Jag har haft besök från Electrolux service flera gånger under dessa år p.g.a. fel.
Ni kan säkert kolla upp alla detaljer. För ca två veckor sedan bytte man ett kort
med reläer efter ett fel där efter ca 30 minuter med ugnen på displayed började
blinkar, reläer hördes klickar inuti, och snart stängde av sig hela apperaten.

Sedan i söndags den allra första felen upprepade sig, med två små plattor på
blinkade det till lite, och de två plattor stängdes av och det visade bara
sträkor i stället för siffror i displayen. En tekniker kom i torsdags och
tittade på detta och försökte förbättre kontaktorerna internt.

Nu i morse när jag skulle slå på en platta hördes a smäll inuti, sedan
slocknade det hela, och en säkring sprack. Jag har endast tagit ut alla
tre säkringar, och nu är vi utan spis.

Om Ni tycker att detta är acceptabel fel frekvens vill jag att Ni säger
så, så att jag kan undvika alla dina produkter i all framtiden. Jag är
fullständigt trött med denna nivå av tillgänglighet, även om Electrolux
Service har alltid kommit, och är mycket trevligt. Nu måste man ha bytt
varje kort minst en gång.

Vad tänkte Ni erbjuder denna mycket misnöjd kund? Jag kan inte lita på
denna spis längre, så jag hoppas att Ni kan komma med någontin bättre
än ännu ett besök från Electrolux Service.

Jag har inte skrivt till någon media eller ARN ännu, men det är bara en
tidsfråga.

MVH an mycket besvikna kund.

Sorry if you don't understand Swedish, try a google translation.

I'll keep this page informed of further developments.

New things in a new year

Quite a few things starting up.

Victor's Christening

Well it looks like Victor will be christened at 2 p.m. on Sunday 29-March, in the Domkyrkan (Cathedral) here in Västerås, subject to confirmation next week some time.

Ruth was asked about musicians, and said that she had one (meaning me). So I don't know what that will involve, but I don't expect to get paid for it! She said in her mail:

They asked about musicians and I said we had one (pls note! I do not mean Edward or Mum on the violin J) so I hope that we can sort something out with you Dad.

She didn't actually exclude the McNamara wind ensamble but I don't suppose that was what she had in mind.

I wonder if she's thinking of a solo fiddle piece or will she want piano/organ as well? What sort of music do you play at Christnings anyway? Onward Christian Soldiers? Abide with me?

Perhaps I should get some keyboard practice in and say that I'll play a hymn on the organ, that would be fun!

She's getting the Domkyrkan because she lives in it's parish I think. I don't think there'll be any problem of space anyway! I wonder if she'll be getting a crowd from England. I imagine that Johnnie's family will be represented, but that still leaves a few hundred empty places.

I've often wondered how to say no if asked to play at a funeral of somebody I know. I suppose that playing and crying is still possible, whereas I know that I can't sing and cry simultaneously, and I cry easily. But Christenings are happy occasions whatever one thinks about the religious aspect of it, we all enjoy watching small babies and Victor likes bath time and swiming, so unless they get cold water he'll probably just want to kick and splash.



English Conversation course

I had mailed the organising lady at ABF about my English conversation course this term. I had asked if it could be on the same evening as Margaret's beginners English, which she had asked to be moved to Wednesday. (This was actually my idea so that it didn't clash with KAMUS practice, but then I forgot to write anything about it on the attendance form when I returned it, that's why I mailed).

Well someone from ABF rang yesterday and wanted to check that I wanted to do it on Wednesday evenings, and would I be able to do a second course on the same evening! Actually I think I can, it isn't very difficult for me to run this course since all I have to do is prod them every now and then, and they then do all the work.


Mazer Sigtuna Music course

I decided not to go to a course in England just before Easter that David William-Olsson had asked about, mostly because of the cost (both money and time). So I decided that I'd like to try leading something, and work at it at the Sigtuna course at the end of January. John Teague was happy to play 2nd violin, but then I was a bit stuck.

Solbritt who isn't a member, but is a very good cellist and lives locally, said she'd like to come, so the only difficulty was the viola (of course!). David W-O gave my a list of names of people that might be interested, of whom the ones I managed to contact couldn't/wouldn't/didn't want to do it. So I tried my dear friend Kathy in England, who to my enormous surprise and delight said yes!

Just to complicate things John is traveling down to Spain on the Monday straight after the course, so we won't be able to perform it then, which would have been nice. However Kathy has said that she'd like to come back and stay a bit longer, with her husband, and perform it then, so we get two visits from Kathy. For those who don't know, Kathy is a regular at Grittleton.

Mechanics and acoustics of violin bowing

One of the members of Mazer is just about to finish his doctorate at KTH (Kungliga Tekniska Högskola ~= Royal Technical University) on Mechanics and acoustics of violin bowing and has just published his Doctoral Thesis, which you can find here. This is of course of great interest to players, and probably of absolutely no interest to anyone else. However I'm in the former group, so I mention it here.

Erwin Schoonderwaldt comes from Holland, has a very nice girlfriend (who comes from Germany, or is it the other way round?) and they both play very well. I've had the pleasure of playing with them on various occasions, mostly at Riddersvik.

One very interesting thing that has come out of Erwin's work can be seen on YouTube via this place. He has visualized bow movements, and complete violin playing, which makes for interesting annimations.

Margaret's job situation

She is temporarily working as stand-in 'husmor' (not sure what that's called in English, but sort of cook I suppose) at our local church. The previous person has left rather suddenly, so the job has become vacant, and Margaret is doing some of it for a couple of months. She'd have to apply for the job if she wants it, but I imagine that if she hasn't poisoned anyone or blasfemed too much, she should be in with a good chance if she wants it. There is the unanswered (unasked?) question of pay, and more importantly whether she actually wants it. She suffers from back pains if she does too much kitchen work.

The hours would suit her better than the care assistant job she's also doing, although she does seem to enjoy that.

She also has the English for beginners course at ABF, and First Aiders' training for the Red Cross, so she's got plenty to do!

Christmas & New Year

I see that I haven't written anything in here for a while so I think I'd better report how the festive season has gone for me.

Christmas Eve

Margaret was working in the morning and also had to return to put her client to bed. This was very practical for me, since it meant that she had to stay sober so she could drive. She was very kind and drove me to Kjell and Maggan's, then after a while left me there to go to work, and later returned to take me home!


Christmas has always been quite practical for us since as we celebrate on the day (or quite often on Boxing Day) the Swedish tradition is to meet up for a lot of food and some drinks on Chistmas Eve, Julafton. This means that Ruth and Edward are available to be with their in-laws for Julafton, and with us on the 25th or 26th.

This year now that we have a grandchild we suggested that it would be nice to rotate the hosting, and we all met up at Ruth, Johnnie and Victor's on Boxing day. It was a very nice day, for us at least, and Ruth admitted that it was a lot of work. It was very nice to have Nut Roast instead of the usual turkey, I've missed nut roasts since we stopped being veggy.


New Year's Eve
Once again Margie was working. We were both invited to Maggan and Kjell's so I walked there and Margie came later and was once again able to drive me home.

And now it's 2009. Today Margie and I had a nice meal together at last.