...Ads, Part 1.

(Part 1, because I sense a prolific source here.)

This weekend I bought Kid a big package of play-dough. On the cover there's cute pictures of play-dough houses, cars, dolls and whatnot. Package includes little machine that helps to do all kinds of strings and flowers and butterflies and stuff like that. Well, here's a picture of it:

Kid loved it. I had quite fun too. But after an hour we didn't quite have the artful masterpieces that the package promised in our hands. What we had looked more like something brownish and chunky. What went wrong? Can I have my money back?

...being sick.

I'm sick. No blog today. Go away.

People Who Are Blocking The Street

I'm walking there among all the other people walking to somewhere, minding my own business, when suddenly some idiot stops right there because they just must find that paperclip! Right here! Right now! The more they're blocking the street the better.

You just couldn't wait till you're back at your office/home/padded cell? Of course not. Even the thought of going next to the wall, so other people could get your past, is inconceivable. What other people? Your paperclip rules the universe!

Fridays

My Facebook news stream is every Friday full of comments how people are over-joyed about that day. Most of the people have regular job from Monday to Friday. At least here in Finland that means that those not in the customer service can leave earlier from work if they have required hours in. Even some public agencies close earlier.

And what do people do? They drive to some supermarket, then home, they eat something and then most of them open a bottle of alcohol and probably go to sauna. Finnish way of drinking is infamous. At the moment there's even this YouTube thingy going on. But anyway, that's The Finnish Way To Relax. And when the Sunday comes, everybody's still suffering from a hangover, they're eating pizza, watching telly and cursing coming Monday.

Health-conscious people skip the alcohol, but they most certainly still go to sauna, which is a Finnish Must. Well, I love sauna too. Don't get me wrong. But these exercise-freaks swim in a freezing water - they hack a big hole into the ice so they can get into the lake - and then afterward they sit together in public sauna (ladies and gents separately) and boast how they haven't had any flu or other sickness for four years, ever since they started the winter swimming! Yes, even germs are afraid of you...

My Friday as a single parent is little bit different. I go and get my kid from day care at three o'clock. We go to grocery store on our way home. Kid plays, I make dinner for us and after that kid gets to eat a lot of candy. Friday is his candy-day. Rest of the evening he's jumping on the walls with the sugar high and then it's time for supper. All that extra energy guaranties that he won't fall asleep for some time but otherwise it's just a regular evening for me. And kid will get up around six-ish next morning, so I won't stay up late either.

THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT FRIDAYS!!!

GET OVER IT!!!

February

I don't like cold but I still like winter. Snow makes everything look so beautiful. Even snow storms are great if I can stay inside. After long and dark autumn - which I like also - suddenly comes this totally white magical looking scenery. Xmas gets nearer, people are smiling and everybody loves to sit on sofa, wrapped in blanket, drinking hot cocoa and maybe read some good book.

New Year is full of new energy and the whole January is the time to start all over again. People fill gym classes, kids are ice skating, new season this, new school term that, etc. It's cold outside, but people just joke about it. Days are getting longer quite fast and that raises moods significantly.

And then comes the February. The shortest month of the year. Absolutely nothing happens. It looks like days aren't getting that much longer after all. At least here in Helsinki thermometer usually hits the lowest numbers of the year, and it's time to realize how you couldn't keep those New Year's resolutions after all. Again.

So f*cking depressing that mentally February feels like the longest month of the year. First day of March is a promise of spring, but that day seems to be unreachable. February just slowly drags it's heels. Sun is too tired to get really up and instead just shines straight to our eyes so no one can see anything. Thanks a lot. Sure I wanted to ruin my vision, so I can't see even a flower when they finally grow up in few months.

From now on, I refuse to have anything to do with February. Next year I'll just skip it! There! I showed you!