we are back from sweden. it was fun trip, owen specially loved the ball room for children and matilda did all kinds of crafts and won 3rd place in a drawing contest. the trip over was quite stormy and lees room was on the outside wall and in the front and it even had an outside window so you heard every poundinf wave and sometimes i could see the mist from it at the window even at the 5th floor. mine cabin was in the rear and not as hard but still i woke up at 3am and could not sleep as the waves were still with us. i had all my clothes laid out to dress in a hurry if the alarm would ring and i have studied the escape route. from my cabin you had to climb to the 8th floor. i noticed lees room had to go to the 9th. but all went well and we arrived safely to sweden. the reteun trip was alot better and i slept like a log.
now it is almost new year. tupu and i are going on the eve to opera and then maybe to eat and see the fireworks at the tori. tupu gave me the ticket for christmas. then an other holoday on the 6th. three kings day or loppiainen in finland, the last day of christmas also my mothers 100th birthday that day. then it is home for me as soon as keith can get my tickets and there is opening for me . i am not looking forward to flying at all. i wish i could just love flying. i am looking forward to seeing all of you.

see you soon. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL. love, aiti-mummu
posted by Lee at 3:47 AM

 
Sledding in the field was great. Although we never exceded 10 MPH, it sure felt like you were racing at break-neck speeds. It was fun.

I was very lucky to get on the Southwest Flight home today. They were oversold, but ended up with one open seat. Thank you people for not showing up. And even at the last moment as I began the walk down the jetway, an agent came up and said the flight was overweight by 300 pounds. Too bad for me, I thought, but the Captain worked his magic and suddenly the flight was no longer overweight. I love Southwest.

The snow is amazing here in Utah. I had to dig my car out. It was great. Happy Holidays everyone.

-KJH
posted by Keith at 12:03 AM

 
Christmas makes me feel like two different men, one is Scrooge, the other Tiny Tim

The weather finally cooperated and it's become gloriously white and cold, though it's a Christmas illusion, since rain is forecast for Christmas Day. But for now, it doesn't get better than the fresh powdery snow thickly draping everything. The crisp air is invigorating. The darkest day of the year is past and it will only get lighter from here on. Today we bought our tree from one of the local vendors and carried it back home. (A trip that's maybe just under a kilometer.) Owen sat in the sled with a small spruce limb, Matilda carried her own tree she'd bought with her own 5€, Melina pulled the sled, and I carried the family tree. The gray sidewalks were replaced by narrow white pathways; the forest was nearly mystical with white limbed spruces overhanging the path. I couldn't help thinking how a car would have spoiled the whole thing with practicality. As I set the tree up in our living room, Owen ran up to it shouting over and over, "hauska, hauska!"

These Christmas events make me happy, they're the ones I hope my children take with them into their futures. Even cleaning the house today in preparation for the big dinner tomorrow was enjoyable, since I knew it was the last cleaning before the celebration. I keep imagining the ham, the fish, the food in abundance that awaits us tomorrow. (True, we still need to make it, but I look forward to that as well.) Already the scents of Christmas fill our apartment. Even as I type, the thawing tree releases its fresh smell. On the table next to the computer a beautiful gingerbread house Mom and Matilda made has been smelling delicious for a week now. It's covered with candy and I keep craving gingerbread as I sit here working. (Or even writing this.)

I have off work until January 7th, and I need the rest. I am glad. In Finland the concept of "Joulu rauha" is deeply ingrained. Everyone looks forward to making time for family and friends (depending on the day), and just enjoying having no obligations and not having to rush around. How different that is from the scene I unwillingly threw myself into yesterday. After a big snow and suddenly plunging temperatures threw the railways into chaos, I managed to get from our new office to downtown in an hour, whereas it normally takes ten minutes. So already grumpy I thought I'd quickly buy Melina's present. Unfortunately, the seething crowds in the Forum didn't bring Christmas cheer to mind. How stupid that Christmas can be reduced to spending money you don't have, on things you don't really need. (After all, making presents of what you need is pretty boring. "Here honey, I bought you next week's groceries!!!") Granted, the amount you don't have to spend varies, and perhaps it's more accurate to say money that would be used for different things, but surely I make myself clear. My "bah-humbug" juices flowed swift and strong. I shook my head at the lines of people, the torrents of shoppers washing from store to store. I couldn't take part in it. I couldn't pay the outrageous price for a little stripped Marimekko makeup bag Melina had told me she wanted. I stepped out of the line, put the bag back, and made a quick retreat for the bus stop. But I wasn't through. Knowing Melina would be a very unhappy elf come Christmas with no present, I rallied myself for another assault, this time into Sokos.

In no time flat, the products on the shelves became a blur, displays were obstacles in the writhing crowd. I knew I didn't want to buy something practical like household goods, cookbooks, etc., but I also couldn't bring myself to throw away money on something that she'd rarely use. Oh, the things you can buy! Oh, the money you can spend! I faltered once again, and walked a beaten man to the bus stop. There was nothing for it. Clothes, shoes, etc., those were the things I thought would be best, but I knew better than to trust my own judgment as to style and pattern, let alone size. I came home empty handed, though I've promised we'll go and look together for those things I couldn't choose alone. (Talk about anti-climax!)

Perhaps I'd like shopping better if I knew how to buy gifts. I've meet people who have a real talent for gift-giving. They seem to know exactly what people want and know how to get them. I wish I had a little of that in me.

In the end, I know the commercial stuff is what you make of it. I know it can get out of hand, but it shouldn't be confused with the celebration and excitement of the holiday. I, for one, am just glad to celebrate the passing of the year; to mark with hope and joy the year's turning, the lightening; to add my little light into the winter darkness, so that together we can make the long, cold nights something enjoyable.
posted by Lee at 7:19 AM

 
Where is everyone lately? All I see is posts from Timo and an occasional one from Mom.

-KJH
posted by Keith at 4:05 PM

 
Home safely in Utah. Flew in this morning from Denver and Timp looked so amazing over the clouds had to get a closer look. Clay and I rented a plane and did some passes, took some photos. It was amazing. Smooth, beautiful, and only $58 in the end. Small price to pay for the perfect flight.

-KJH
posted by Keith at 4:04 PM

 
Off to Wave Run around the Carribean. It should be fun. Landon wants to know if he can go to tibble fork? Take care all.
-KJH
posted by Keith at 10:51 AM

 
Aruba is amazing. We just got back from a two hour cruise on a Catamaran. It was awesome. Captain Mike is a friend of Landon's so we got on free and he let us each take turns sailing it. The other passengers didn't have it quite as nice, but they seemed to think so with the open bar. Talk to everyone later.

-KJH
posted by Keith at 5:27 PM

 
I am in Milwaukee. We shot an approach down to minimums tonight. Or rather I shot it. That means we didn't pick up the runway until about 100 feet off the ground, right at the limit... It was fun.

-KJH

posted by Keith at 8:44 PM

 
I go to work tomorrow for 12 hours of flying. I will be home Saturday night. That is a great trip. Fly into work the morning of and leave home the next day. We overnight in Philadelphia. I get to do my first trip into Austin Texas, and I get to fly into Atlanta Hartsfield again. It's going to be cool.

-KJH
posted by Keith at 8:00 PM

 
Thanksgiving? Did it go by? Just kidding. I had a hamburger for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a long working day. We had a Nashville turn cancel and then they sent us on a Jacksonville turn which took much longer. We were going to have a 3 hour break and go eat at the Ameristar Casinos buffet, but with the longer Jacksonville turn we were unable to. It was a fun crew I was with though.

My December Schedule is pretty good. I am going to get a 4 day getaway to Aruba in. My friend Landon is there until mid-January. So I need to take advantage of his Futon while I can. I can get by cheap in Aruba. $6 a day if I wanted. That's a cheap vacation.

-KJH
posted by Keith at 10:01 PM