This is not a parallell to the crazy guy that shot lots of students in Finland last week. My killing is only aimed for banana flies. Our kitchen has been invaded by these small insects for a couple of days now. Probably getting here through vast quantities of bananas that we bring in to our home. Bananas are easy snacks (good energy before & after training) and rather decorative in a bowl on the table. Nice shape, perfect colour & excellent wrapping. All our kids like them too. So we are probably asking for these fruit flies to join us at the same time. I've been very active killing these small f-ckers with an electrical mini-racket, but they never seem to dissappear fully. I have to admit that I somehow enjoy this electricuting flies hunt. Nice spark when you score one and even a slight burning smell. He he he ... I got some practical experience in our flat in Malaysia, where we often had lots of mosquitos. Mr Lim next door was the king of this morbid pleasure. He even used his electricuting racket outdoor. When Oliver was there for visits, he joined Mr Lim and they had plenty of fun doing it together. Strange how some stupid activities can get different people together.

Some Swedes are now getting together for the yearly moose hunt. It's a very important event for some "real men" (they think they are anyway). Not my kind of thing at all. I stick to the insects killing.

I ate to much meat and other buffet food at the conference hotel where I've been all day. Also to much desert and sweet coffee bread/snacks during the day. I felt almost sick when I returned back home, so the best I could do was to get out and do some jogging. Low quality training, but nice to work the unhealthy calories out of my system. Buuuurp!

Well, the current life situation and day/night rythm isn't always easy. Two toddlers at home at the same time, keep us rather busy. One wake up the other, during nights and I find myself sleeping at the floor in Nellie's room quite often, without knowing how I got there ... I've been fortunate to have a calm work situation at Volvo lately, but it will change as from tomorrow, so now we have to get more organized somehow. The zombie life style has to vanish. Sleep is an important factor for sure, but we have put ourselves in this position, so we just have to face it. It's just a temporary phase in life (again). Children are the most valuable things in life. As with many other things in life that you can't buy for money, it's often lots of hard work initially, but over time and in the end, the pleasure & satisfaction is much much higher.

I'm pleased that I manage to squeeze in some training sessions. Last week was good with 4 runs & 2 roller ski sessions. Yesterday's 20 km made my achilles tendons very stiff, so I will take a break from running for a couple of days.

Now I should go and clean the toilets. Life is Good!

Tonight we've planned some common activities for the MC-gang for the coming year. Lots of focus on skiing from after the Göteborg Marathon up until Vasaloppet on March 1. Rollerski training + a couple of training camps on snow up in Dalarna. The 2009 main target seems to be the Swedish "Klassiker" and also a European Marathon somewhere during April, Göteborgsvarvet of course and perhaps Stockholm Marathon. I would also like to see Kalmar Triathlon (Ironman distance) on Aug 1 as a barrier breaking target.

My only concern is to keep a healthy balance between these sport challenges (prio3), work activities (prio 2) and family life (prio 1). The new small family members are rather demanding from time to time. But with some sensible & flexible planning, it shouldn't be to much of a problem and I have to be prepared to miss out on one or two activities. I still believe in the value of doing these kind of stuff, both for physical & mental reasons. There are to many guys that become boring fat vegetables when they get kids & family, just sit in the sofa back home watching TV and eating junk food and then blaim it on the family situation. I think it's often more that they are just mentally lazy and are happy to have an excuse. The same goes for some women after going through baby deliveries. They give up and accept their situation, instead of getting back in to shape again. OK fine, if that's the way they want it, but stop complaining then. Nothing is impossible.

I'm already thrilled to see how the overall outcome will be for the MC-gang regarding completing the Klassiker. Kristian is injured in his hip already now and can hardly run. Sven is almost allergic to cycling and Micke might be to weak mentally for such a challenge ;-) The main problem for all of us will most probably be to find free time in the calendar at these 4 weekends during 2009 and also to stay away from injuries and sickness. There have been some indications on most of us already regarding injury problems and we're not getting younger. Just stronger!!!

After my critical opinions the other day, over the medical health care system, I was today confronted with more insight into this crappy service. Oliver fell this morning, during biking at school and broke his right thumb. Lots of pain and I took him to the hospital's emergency unit. It was easy to see that something was wrong with it, so I asked for an x-ray straight away, but was told that it's up to the doctor to decide. So we had to sit down and wait, Oliver in pain & tears getting painkillers and antiinflammatoric pills. After 2½ hours (& some stress from me) the doctor finally came and told us that this needs an x-ray. Great, that's what I said from start and now we had lost lots of time and Oliver was in agony. More waiting at the x-ray dept, then more waiting to get the doctors view of it. At the same time I studied what was happening at the ward in general. Around 10 nurses hanging around doing nada and talking about private stuff. When someone moved from their chairs, it was in "slow motion". They were all just hoping to get to lunch. We were stuck hungry and sad, without any information or forecast about the following procedure. These people don't understand what a CUSTOMER is. I think that is one of the major problems in their operations or so called service. Sorry, sorry, now I'm really negative and critical again, but they really managed to build up my frustration level today by testing my patience. Anyhow after 7 hours in the hospital, we came out with a plaster over his hand. The end result is probably very good, but it must be possible to increase the efficiency and customer mindness by several 100 %.

To handle my frustration after this experience, I had to go out for some physical training straight after returning home. 11 km's on the rollerskis was perfect. I was a much better human being after that. First session on rollerskis since I was a junior. It was actually good fun, even though I was a bit wobbly in the beginning. Will from now on try to do it every week, unless there are snow available. Vasaloppet is the target, for the 17th time. It will great fun to do it together with the MC-gang. YES!!! High Five!!!!!

The Swedish social security system and free health care for everyone is a myth or a joke. Sponsored by the tax-payers and supposed to give people treatment guarantee within 3 months.

42% of the tax money is going to these kind of services and bear in mind what kind of tax level we are on here. Definately amongst the highest in the world. So we are talking about lots of money for this. Still, when you suddenly need help, you most certainly get disappointed. I'm a seldom user of these services luckily enough, but still disappointed. Some weeks ago, I got an appointment with a Doctor at the local health central (according to the recommended procedure) to check my since long painful heel. He then sent a remittance to both an orthopedic specialist and to a physioterapist. It would give me multiple views/opinions on my injury and hopefully also double options of treatments. Worst case could mean some surgery. Last week I got an answer from the orthopedic dept, that told me that they have no chance to help me within the 3 months time limit, so I got 2 options, either to accept a longer queing time or be prepared to queue up at some other health care region in the country incl. long travels, time waisting, etc. If it would be fatal, it would be an easy decision, but this is just making me disillusioned. Today I got a reply from the physioterapist, saying the same more or less, but also asking me to go somewhere private for treatment. Fantastic, at least they have time and resources to administrate their incapability. Why do we pay all these tax money for this shit.

Last time I had any dealings with the hospital world for my own treatment was when I had a dislocating shoulder (football injury 1981). There were lots of emergency visits to the hospital to get it back in place and also approx 200 dislocations when I managed to get it back myself. It was always easy to fix when I was drunk by the way. No fear or pain. The physioterapist didn't make any improvement with me, so I was put on a waiting list for surgery. Guess how long I had to wait? 18 years!!! And it actually happened thanks to a IT systems analysis study that I performed for the hospital, where I amongst other things checked how the waiting list systems were working. I used my own case as an example and 2 weeks later, I was called for surgery by the best ortopedic specialist around. What a coincidence ;-) Excellent surgery and it's been perfect ever since, but it's a bit of a shame that it has to be initiated in such a way. I feel sorry for all old people with pain & problems that are sitting somewhere waiting to get their surgery done. The reality is that the social authorities are hoping for them to die. 

Something is not working OK for sure. Of course we should have affordable health care for everyone, but we need to change the model and the customer view mentality amongst the staff (there are some exceptions). We don't want it to be like in the US. Michael Moore's film "Sicko" was really putting the light on the situation there. It was funny in the end when he brought a bunch of sick & disappointed people on a boat to Cuba, where they got top service for peanuts. OK, it was a not fully documentary, but anyhow.

Sorry for being critical, but why just accept poor service, that you've paid for in advance?

Most of the weekend was spent on doing the new grass lawn on the front yard. Bloody hard work to remove the old turf by the roots. I lacked some appropriate tools and used oldfashioned stubborn manners more or less by hand to get it off. I think I was more tired after that work yesterday, than I would have been if I had run the marathon, that I decided to cancel. All focus on the grass!

I also found lots and lots of white short fat ugly worms under the old turf, that for sure were the reason for the magpies to attack my lawn. Hopefully the worms have escaped somewhere else now after a night without any turf protection and I don't believe that the magpies will manage to get through the new thick turf. Otherwise, I will use tougher means to win the battle. I might statue an example, by killing one magpie and put it on public display on the lawn. I have actually already tried to shoot one with my airgun, but I didn't draw fast enough. Perhaps I need to hire a hitman with a better shotgun.

Today I did the fun part, the rollout & fitting of the turf. Yes, Yes, Yes, very nice indeed. Great to work with grass. Perhaps I should become a greenkeeper at the golf club or something similar where I can be outside? It can't be meant that someone like me should spend 40 hours a week inside an office starring at boring computers or trying to look interested when other guys are showing dull powerpoints in conference rooms. Hmmmm .... well, it pays the bills, as they say, and right now I have a few mouths to feed, so I'll better skip the grass business ideas and stick to my old profession for another couple of years.

On another grass turf today, at Stamford Bridge, Man Utd almost managed to crack Chelseas 85 "games at home without a loss" suite, but as always they escaped with a draw after an equalizer 10 min before full time. The Red Devils looked much better today then last weekend's miserable match against Liverpool. This season can be more interesting then ever.

Right now, most of my colleagues around the globe, are having a party, celebrating 10 years of Volvo IT. I was supposed to be there too, until this afternoon, when I managed to purchase a load of roll-out ready-grown grass (40 m2) at a favourable price. It needs to be rolled out before the weekend is over, so my only option to make it in time was to start tonight. Hard work to get the old lawn removed. I've just returned inside with an aching back and stiff body, after a couple of hours out there in the garden. Was this really necassary? Why now, when I could be at the party instead? Well, the magpies have destroyed the lawn, picking it to pieces in their eager search for worms. It couldn't be saved anymore. Looks like shit and it bugged me the see the crater on the front yard, that once was a nice grass lawn. Then this oppurtunity appeared, so I made a quick decision and forgot about the party. I feel a bit like Cinderella now, just doing the dirty work when everyone else is having a ball at the castle. But it's been my own decision and there are lots of work still to be done this weekend. I bit the grass, as we say in a Swedish expression. And on top of that, I'm planning to run a marathon tomorrow in Vänersborg. Hmmm... how clever is that then?

Today, I took on the task to clean the roofing tiles on the house from moss and other dirt. Not fun, but needed. I'm not very good with my balance and get rather shaky legs when I get up on heights. Since the diving accident 1992, it's been rather bad actually. I remember having problems biking the first year or two after the accident, but by doing it more and more, I managed to train up my stability and today I don't think of it to much. Hopefully the same can happen with my fear of heights. Challenge it!

Another good thing with doing something rather monotonous and boring is that the brain is taking sidetracks while working, since there is not much need of creative thinking. For example, I was using an old knife to scrape off the moss and I realized that it was my old very dear Mora-knife that I bought at Mora-Nisse's Sport shop in Mora 40 years ago. I managed to get Mora-Nisse's autograph on the backside of the leather case and it is still there. I remember how careful I used to be with this very very special knife. Only to be used for the nicest type of wood and here I was abusing it against the brick tiles. No respect for stuff any more. Just to throw it away and buy a new one at Jula for 29 SEK (in plastic case). Well, I will keep this one for nostalgic reasons.

Anyhow, the work on the roof became rather pleasant and mentally stimulating, thanks to Mora-Nisse's knife. Lots of good old memories associated to the knife popped up in my mind and also to Mora-Nisse and XC skiing. Is he still alive? He was old already when I was a kid. I had to check on wikipedia when I was done on the roof. Yes, he's still around, 91 years of age. Olympic gold medalist in 1948 on 50 km, but most known for 9 victories in Vasaloppet. That's impressive.

I have also met Sixten Jernberg, who was an even better skiier on a global level. Gold medals in 3 olympic games. We sometimes stopped at his little skiing village outside Lima in Dalarna to check his trophies and listen to some of his stories. Dad loved to stop there, since he also was a XC skiier. Dad sometimes went on skiing & fishing trips with another great skiier up in Dalarna, Janne Stefansson, who is a friend of Jan-E. Janne has "only" 7 victories in Vasaloppet. Actually also an Olympic gold medal in relay.

Time to go and buy some roller skiis. I got a motivation booster today thanks to Mora-Nisse's knife.