personal

Today's questions over at f.riday5.com

1. What’s your favorite dehydrated or freeze-dried food?

I can't think of dehydrated or freeze-dried foods that I use... I used to have powedered milk in storage and use it to make lättyjä because otherwise I would have ran out of fresh milk too quickly. But I don't even have use that anymore. There's this certain ice cone which is sprinkled with dried strawberry bits and I like the taste of those bits on the cone, but when I bought a package of dried strawberries I didn't like them. Dried foods have never been much of a thing in my life, the ones I've tested I didn't like enough to try again.

2. What’s your favorite among foods requiring peeling or shelling?

Banana! The taste is pretty neutral (when it's just ripe enough, not too little or too much), and it's filling. I appreciate bananas a lot!

3. What’s something you could probably cook to impress if you were in someone else’s kitchen?

Nothing, I'm not much of a cook and add to that a strange stove and different and probably bigger pans and having to make more of the thing than what I'm used to (being I cook for one) - it'd come out as okay, not impressive.

4. What food do you look forward to getting in a town you visit only once in a while?

There are no such towns, but whenever I go to a restaurant which is about once in five years if that, I always order french fries and lehtipihvi (a leaf steak - a very thin steak, like 2-3 millimeters thick). It's my favorite meal ever and has been since I was a little kid. I sometimes make lehtipihvi at home too and while it's good, it's never as thin as in restaurants and doesn't taste quite the same either.

5. What foods specific to autumn do you especially enjoy?

I do like hot cocoa year round, but it's particularly good in the fall when the weather is crisp for the first time after summer, on the edge of freezing.

Almost late answers to Jo's Daily Questions for August!

1 – World Wide Web Day: Think about how much of what you do each day you do online. If the internet disappeared tomorrow, how would that impact your life? How would you have to start doing things differently (or go back to a pre-internet way of doing things)?

Everything would change, and I mean everything. All banking is done online, all unemployment and most of the social security stuff is done online, information lookup is online, I don't own a TV and so watch and download all tv shows online, find my music online (luckily I download all my music when I find it so I have all that on my hard drive). Hell, I look up all the phone numbers online when needed! I don't think phone books are even printed anymore? So I wouldn't have ready access to all of the above instances without their phone numbers and now I can't look them up online anymore. Library loans are renewed online. New books to read are found online. Fanfic is online. My illness support groups are online. All bills are on companies' websites online where you can also pay them via a bank service, or bills are sent to your e-mail. I buy all my clothes online, and the bras sizes I need are only available in this country via a single online shop. And a million other things.

2 – Colouring Book Day: Were colouring books something you enjoyed as a child? Adult colouring is now a huge trend. Do you do colouring as an adult, or would you consider engaging in this activity?

I do enjoy it as an adult! I do it regularly, because it's something I can do even when I have a bad head day and it staves off boredom when I can't listen to music, or read as an example, because of migraine. I don't remember whether I enjoyed it as a kid. It was probably just another activity - okay, but not above others like reading which I loved.

3 – Clean Your Floors Day: How often do you clean your floors? Do you have to deal with different types of flooring (carpeting in some rooms, hardwood, tiles, linoleum in others)? Do you use a regular vacuum cleaner or a robovac, or both? Have you ever gotten down on your hands and knees and actually scrubbed a floor – the whole floor, not just one stubborn stain?

Not often enough! I have a Roomba, but other than that or vacuuming manually, I sometimes sweep with damp after vacuuming. We used to do that after every vacuuming (so, once a week) when I was a kid, but I don't know if that's considered necessary now? I have only one type of flooring - I think it's linoleum but I don't know these things, and would have to check my papers to know for sure. The pictures linoleum produced when I googled look right though about what it is. Oh, I don't know if my bathroom's that too. It's not tile, but linoleum or plastic or something of that sort. I haven't had carpets on the floor for about 20 years now because they drove me crazy back when I did and vacuumed.

4 – Chocolate Chip Cookie Day: Are you a fan of chocolate chip cookies? Are you a chocolate chip cookie traditionalist, or do you like variations -- with nuts, or different types of chocolate, etc.? Do you have a favourite brand, or do you buy them from a bakery? Do you make your own? Will you share your favourite recipe?

They're okay. I've bought from store and baked my own. I've never found one that I'm nuts about. I do like the ones that are soft a little more than the hard ones. And ones where the batter is dark instead of light. And the ones where more than one kind of chocolate chip is used (so, dark and milk and white is best).

5 – Blogger Day: This day was created to celebrate Blogger, one of the oldest blogging sites. Did you ever have a blog on Blogger? What about on any other blogging sites (aside from Dreamwidth/LiveJournal), e.g. WordPress? Have you ever hosted a blog on your own webspace?

Never had a blog on Blogger. I had an LJ but I only shared by screencaps and fanart there, no personal posts. And have I DW https://intothisshadow.dreamwidth.org I post most things also there that I post here.

I've always had a webspace of my own, and for 13+ years it's been powered by WordPress which was originally a blogging software. I love WordPress! And now I even use my webspace and my self-hosted WordPress for blogging, instead of just uploading my wallpapers etc.

It's https://www.so-obsessed.com

6 – Friendship Day: Do friendships change over time? Is friendship important to you? What is your definition of a good friend? Do you think you're a good friend?

Changing depends on the people involved. It's not important in general, but certain people are important to me. I've always rather had one or two close friends than lots of more casual ones or group friends. I'm not a good friend in some ways. I don't keep in touch as often as I could (I don't have the energy) since I got chronically ill.

7 – International Clown Week: The first full week of August is International Clown Week: True or False -- clowns are scary and should not be celebrated.

False. They're only scary if it's an alien/supernatural being in reality.

8 – International Cat Day: Are you a cat person? Have you ever had, or do you have, cats as pets? Do you have a favourite breed of cat?

I'm not. I'm not against them, either. I just haven't been around cats ever, really. My childhood best friend Mom had a cat, but it was so much her Mom's cat that I almost never saw it around when I was over there. It'd hide from quest and didn't even care about my friend. I always forgot they had a cat because over the years I saw it only a few times.

9 – Book Lovers Day: Do you love books? Have you always been a reader? Did your parents read to you when you were young? What were some of your favourite books or authors as a child? How has your taste in books evolved over time?

Yes, yes and yes! My Mom or Dad reading to me when I was a little kid was one of our favorite things to do! I loved Enid Blyton's The Famous Five and Carolyn Keene's Nancy Drew stories. And Little House on the Prairie series. And I adored the Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

I still love mysteries, detective stories and space adventures. The most notable change is that I started to love various Swedish authors and books in my 30s (couldn't stand them before then because - Sweden and forced Swedish language history in Finland). One of the reasons why I love them, is that the culture and nature is very similar to Finland and Finnish nature, but it's just foreign enough to make it feel new.

10 – Duran Duran Appreciation Day: Do you appreciate Duran Duran – a band who pushed the limits of acceptable music video content and helped change the face of new wave music in the 1980s? Do you have a fave Duran Duran song or album?

Duran Duran was my number #1 favorite band as a kid and a teenager! I'm not sure what's my favorite - they have so many good songs! Notorious, Wild Boys, Save a Prayer, Night Boat, The Chauffeur... The last few years I've been listening to The Chauffeur (particularly the As the Lights Go Down version) a lot.

11 – Play in the Sand Day: As a child, did you enjoy playing in the sand – either at the beach, or in a sandbox? Did you build sandcastles? As an adult, is this something that still appeals to you?

Nope to playing in the sand as an adult. I played as a child but it was just something normal, not special or anything. I've never liked beaches (too hot and sunny) and I didn't usually play at the beach because I was in the woods where was shade and read or talked or ran around having adventures. But I played a lot in sandboxes until a certain age.

12 – Garage Sale Day (or Boot Sale, in the UK): Do you regularly, or occasionally, check out garage sales in your area? Have you ever organized one yourself, or in conjunction with some neighbours?

I don't think we have these here? I've never seen one, anyway, or a notice for one.

13 – International Lefthanders Day: Are you, or is anyone close to you lefthanded? Do you know anyone who, as a natural leftie, was forced to learn to use their right hand, either by their parents, or at school?

I'm right-handed. I don't know if I know anyone left-handed - nobody stands out, and I don't pay much attention to this because it's not a point of interest to me. I think maybe some of my temp co-wokers have been left-handed but say for sure - it's been a long long time, and like I said, not a point of interest. Same applies to childhood and school.

14 – Bargain Hunting Week: Do you make a point of trying to find the best deals when you need to buy something? What is one of the best bargains you've ever come across?

Not very much. I do check out the prices at different shops and offline vs online, but not intensely. Best bargains have been when my bra size or expensive shampoo has been on 25% or 50% off sale. Usually these come as a surprise and I can't always take advantage of them because of that.

15 – Relaxation Day: What are some of your favourite ways to relax?

Reading. Shooting the breeze with my Mom, face to face and just being together.

16 – Elvis Week: Are you, or were you, an Elvis Presley fan?

Nope. He's got a few songs I like but I'm not a fan.

17 – Thrift Shop Day: Do you regularly, or even occasionally, shop at thrift shops? Do you donate to them? What was one of your best or favourite thrift shop finds?

Never do.

18 – Serendipity Day: Serendipity is an unplanned fortunate discovery. Have you ever experienced a particularly serendipitous moment?

My bra size (N/O cup) is fucking expensive, so whenever there's 50% off sale and I can afford to buy, is special!

19 – Break the Monotony Day: There’s a certain security in a steady schedule, but too much of the same thing gets you stuck in a rut and the monotony can just plain kill you. When was the last time you took a day to do something spontaneous?

... I can't remember. I'm not really a spontaneous person, never have been. I always plan a little at least mentally a few days before. So it's not truly spontaneous.

20 – Radio Day: Do you still listen to the radio? Do you have an actual radio, or do you listen to satellite or streaming radio? What about talk radio -- are you a fan?

I've never tolerated radio. Hate the talking and the songs always get cut off too early, or talked long over at the start or the end or both and I'd get nothing but irritated and frustrated. Hate hate hate.

21 – Poet's Day: Do you write poetry? Do you even like poetry? Do you have a favourite poet or poem?

No. Not in general, some particular ones. Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite poem but I don't have a favorite poet.

22 – World Plant Milk Day: Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk... Do you use plant-based milk rather than dairy milk? If yes, do you use it instead of dairy in everything (tea/coffee, baking, cereal, etc.) or only in specific instances? Have you tried various types of plant milk? Do you have a favourite?

Nope, I use dairy milk. I've never used them myself but I've tried them a few times at a various courses arranged by the unemployment to "activate" and "improve" (read: forced to partake on the threat of loosing unemployment benefit) the unemployed. Some of these included cooking and food info, and they'd have us use plant-based milks as something to try out.

I've tried a couple of times to use the plant-based alternative for whipped cream, but those taste all awful - fake, industrial and plain bad.

23 – Ride the Wind Day: Have you ever been sky-diving? What about hang-gliding? If not, would you ever try either (both) of those activities? What about something tamer, such as kite-flying or sailing?

We did kite-flying when I was a kid. "No" to all the others.

24 – International Strange Music Day: What is the oddest music you've ever listened to?

I don't think any music is strange or odd. Or at least I haven't encountered any. Some has been discordant to me, but not odd.

25 – Kiss and Make Up Day: Is there anyone with whom you have a long-standing argument or conflict? What would it take to resolve the matter? If you're currently at peace with everyone in your life, have you ever had a disagreement with someone that lasted more than a few hours/days?

Nope, never had a long disagreement with anyone who mattered enough to resolve the matter. A few times a temp co-worker has held political opinions opposite to mine or something, but all that required being professional towards them and sticking to non-sensitive things.

26 – Toilet Paper Day: This is a day we can all get our behinds behind! Did you know that toilet paper began its wide use in China by the 6th century? And by the 14th century, the Chinese had made advancements in toilet care, producing packages of special paper people could use in their wiping endeavors. In fact, it is estimated that the culture produced at least 10 million packages of toilet paper each year! So enquiring minds want to know -- do you hang your toilet paper so the paper hangs over or under? Do you have a favourite brand? Do you seek out more eco-friendly types of toilet paper, e.g. bamboo toilet paper or toilet paper made from recycled fiber?

I hang it over! I have Crohn's Disease which means I use a lot of toilet paper, so price is the most important factor. But it can't be too thin, which is usually cheapest. So I balance quality and as low a price as possible. I can't be brand loyal because prices change enough to force me to change brands a few times a year. I would like to use a softer paper than very basic one I currently use, but the rising prices the past 1,5 years have made that impossible.

27 – Just Because Day: This day is meant to celebrate lazy afternoons at the beach, taking time off and doing whatever you want or feel like in the moment. So what will you do just because? Or what would you like to do just because if you can't actually do any just-becausing today?

I don't work and am just at home all the time, so technically I can do whatever whenever. If pain allows.

28 – Crackers Over the Keyboard Day: Do you eat at your computer? Do you regularly clean (or try to clean) your keyboard? Have you ever had any mishaps while attempting to clean your keyboard?

Sort of. I do eat at the computer all the time, but usually I'm watching an episode or a movie at the time, so I'm not literally eating over the keyboard - instead the laptop is about a meter away. I do regularly clean my keyboard because crumbs and dust have a way of find it. Never spilled anything on a keyboard, though.

29 – Lemon Juice Day: Is lemon juice a staple in your kitchen? Do you use it for non-culinary purposes? Do you have a favourite lemon-flavoured food or beverage?

It isn't. I only use for baking; I have one or two recipes that calls for it but I don't make them much anymore.

30 – Beach Day: Do you like going to the beach? When was the last time you were seaside?

I don't like the beach, too hot and sunny. I don't remember - by purpose, probably when I/we were out walking our Beagle and the hiking trail took us there (it isn't a beach, just woodsy and rocks) so over 20 years ago. I've been to the seaside since then but accidentally and not by purpose and it was the target so I don't remember.

31 – We Love Memoirs Day: Do you?

Not really. I've read a few, but it's not what I normally read and enjoy.

Fun questions this time!

1. Are you prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse (essentially any disaster, natural or otherwise)?

Apocalyptic disaster... I won't survive anything which requires things like running, a lot of walking or other sustained physical activity because I'm in bad shape, in pain and exhausted all the time. Once my glasses get too weak or if they're broken, I'll be practically blind because I can't see even my fingers clearly without my glasses. Crohn's Disease and chronic diarrhea makes it so my diet is on restricted side, sometimes more sometimes less, and the chronic diarrhea would weaken me even more once the diarrhea meds run out because all the food would just go right through me. Not to mention chronic migraine and pretty much weekly migraine attacks which often even now make me feel like being chomped on by a zombie would be the better option. I don't see myself surviving for long in an apocalyptic disaster similar to such as... I don't know, The Last of Us or The Walking Dead or anything of that ilk. I'd probably be one of the ones who stay behind/get left behind/sacrifice themselves in a dire situation so that the other people have a chance to escape and frankly I'm okay with that.

Non-apocalyptic disaster... I can't think of what this could be. My country is very stable as far geology goes so no volcanos, earthcakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or things of that sort. I think it would have to be something like another pandemic, or some measure of food insecurity due to foreign wars (probably instigated by Russia) in countries that produce majority of like wheat and other grains and crops so that importing food is affected and Finland having its own bad crops year/years. In these cases, the state and government has infastructure of assistance in place that I trust we as a nation would manage, and that I could manage too. We had that happen with COVID-19 and I think we managed quite well, but not perfectly. Of course, I'm not sure how much of that was because we had a centre-left, left leaning government in place at the time. I certainly don't trust the current right-wing destroy the poor and kick the workers government to do as well if the pandemic were to escalate again.

2. What's in your bug-in (stay safe at home) kit?

Everything I got at here at home!

I could survive maybe a week or two if the shops weren't open as long as the water worked (we have drinkable tap water everywhere). But I don't have a lot of food stores - there's nowhere to store a lot of foodstuffs in modern apartment buildings and small apartments. That week or two would mean literally eating everything from the fridge and the freezer, and from the cupboards.

If it's winter, heating would be a problem after a while if district heating is damaged and can't be fixed in like 24 hours. I don't have a heater. If it's a hot summer and no electricity, people over-heating would be a problem.

I don't remember the last time there was a power outage that actually affected me in my city. Once or twice there's been like a blink type of thing where the power cuts for a second and the only way I know about it is because my tv or my laptop shuts down suddenly or fridge/freezer makes the sound it makes bling sound when it automatically turns back on. The last real power outage for me was probably at least 20 years ago and lasted for 10 minutes or thereabouts. I live in the 4th biggest city in the country and the power grid is very stable here, but occasionally I hear about power outages usually caused by a storm that's felled trees on the power lines. I have the image that these affect more those living outside cities than in cities.

3. What's in your bug-out bag?

Don't have one! Mentally, I have on the list all of my all various medications and phone/phone charger. Those would be the first things I grab.

4. What's on your 'to get' list?

I've been thinking since the pandemic that I should buy bottled water enough to last 3 days as recommended. But where to store them? And because we don't need/use bottled water, I'm not sure how I should make sure it doesn't get old because I never use it. And really, buying it feels like waste of money and storing it a waste of effort because we don't need bottled water because all tap water here is drinkable (except in some summer cottages where municipal infastructure hasn't been build because of there's no around-the-year-allowed-living-summer-cottages).

Also been thinking I should make sure I have small store of canned foods like fruit that doesn't need cooking/heating instead of usually just eating them pretty much as I buy them.

5. Do you keep gear in your vehicle, if so, what?

I don't have a car, but when I did I didn't have any survival gear in it. Only the typical car gear - tools for changing a tire, one extra tire, a paper towel roll, work gloves, oil for greasing the locks, and a tarp protect the car from snow and ice in the winter while parked. I almost never drove long distances (longest was about three hours and that only 2-3 times) and where I live is densely enough populated that breaking down on the road, it'd never be very far to the next gas station or house. If I'd driven longer distances, I'd of course would have prepared more.

My answers to last Friday's question @thefridayfive

1. Do you want to get married?

Nope. I'm not even in a relationship and am not looking for one, so marriage is so far down my list of Possible Happenings that I can't even see it.

My Mom's best friend has never been married so I grew up with that as a normal thing. And my Mom never re-married after my Dad died although she and her SO have been living together for about 30 years now, as well as many closest people never marrying or marrying late (close to 40 years of age), so I've never been in environment where not being married was seen as weird, or where there was pressure to find a boyfriend/girlfriend and marry. Just some of us are single and some of us aren't and it's all normal. All in all I think I'm generation where people living together without marrying started to become more common along with being single.

I'm not sure I could even learn to live with another person, having lived alone for 32 years now (since I was 17). And honestly... the thought of tying myself to another person legally is mildly horrifying.

2. Where would you like to get married?

If the impossible happens and I find myself wanting to get married, I think I'd want to do it in a civil ceremony in the Court's Office, with only witnesses present. I hate being the center of attention and big parties/crowds. So I think I'd prefer to just tie the knot quietly and privately and then let people know after the fact in a casual way. I think most likely my spouse and I would've been living together for a long time already (years) and this was just making it official, in no small part due to it being easier legally and practically in some ways to be married in the eyes of the law.

3. If you were getting married in a week, who would be in your wedding party?

No wedding party. Just the witnesses.

4. What would your wedding colours be?

None.

5. Does marriage mean to you 'til death do us part?'

Nope. If you're really lucky, you may get that. But mostly I think that people change and grow, and it's just as likely that they change and grow in ways that their wansts and goals aren't compatible anymore. Then it's better to divorce than to try and force it.

Answers to today's questions @ f.riday5.com

1. What is your favorite thing to learn about?

History. So many interesting periods and places to learn about!

2. What is your favorite thing to do with your friends?

Just hang together and talk, enjoy good food.

3. What is your favorite place you’ve ever been?

London.

4. What is your favorite way to relax?

It's a tie between the answer to #2 and just being alone, reading a great book!

5. What is your favorite thing to cook?

I don't like cooking (it's just a necessary evil) but I love baking. Really love baking and it's hard to choose favorite one, but I think it's either a whipped cream layer cake with filling of whipped cream, fresh or frozen strawberries and banana slices, *or* a suklaatryffelikakku (chocolate truffle cake?) which is made of whipped cream and melted chocolate and not much else and freezed.

Answers to last Fridays thefridayfive questions from https://thefridayfive.dreamwidth.org/119060.html

1. When did you recently have the feeling, "Life is good."

It's been more than a decade. I don't remember ever feeling/thinking that since I got ill.

2. Which do you need more, routine or spontaneity?

I'd say both. I need more routine when it comes to house hold stuff such as vacuuming. But I should also try to be more spontaneous. It's just that most of the unplanned things in my adult life have been negative, not positive, so I don't trust unplanned things.

3. Do you have a difficult or annoying neighbor?

Not right now. There used to be a sometimes-annoying neighbor who'd blast music and talk by shouting literally until 4am (sometimes until 7am) occasionally; no one slept those nights in my building. But that hasn't happened in a year or so now *knock on wood* Maybe they've moved away?

4. What do you want to change about yourself?

The things I actually want to change about myself I can't because they're the effects of my illnesses... such as being exhausted all the time, and doing things being difficult because of it. I want doing things to be less energy sucking and easier.

5. What do you like best about where you live?

That it's safe (both as in I don't need to fear other people for the most part, and we don't have natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes), and my town has a good public transport system.

This week's questions over at thefridayfive@DW is about dreams.

1. What was the last dream that you had about?

I've been seeing a lot of dreams again the last week or two. Usually 6-7 different dreas per night, but the only one from last night I remember is one about quicksand. The setting was a farm or a small community or a village in, like, the middle ages, and one day we suddenly realized that the quicksand nearby by the had dried up. While we were circling the quicksand area, trying to figure out why it had happened, people and animals drowned in the quicksand started to emerge from the sand, right as rain. One of the first was a pig which run away. At that point I woke up.

2. Does it hold any significant meaning to you?

I don't think so. I've never seen it before (I have several repeating dreams). It's also not a sequel or a prequel to any other dream.

3. Do you dream in color or black and white?

Color.

4. What is the most frightening dream you ever had?

I've never been scared by my dreams. They're like the action/adventure/scifi tv shows and movies I love to watch and I never get scared by them. Some dreams are weird and don't even have that dream logic, but none have frightened me.

5. Is there one dream that stays clear in your mind despite the fact it was more than a few years ago?

I have 4 or 5 such dreams, but the oldest of them is the elevator dream. I dreamed it many times in my teens... so 30+ years ago. In it, I enter the apartment building I lived the majority of my child/teenhood until early adulthood, step into the elevator and press the button for our level which is 3. But the elevator doesn't stop at 3 and I think, oh okay, somebody's called it to the top floor (5) - I'll just get off there and walk two stairsways down to get to our level. But the elevator doesn't stop at level 5 either - instead it goes through the roof of the building and shoots into the sky and keeps rising and rising and I can't do anything. I wake up at this point.

I've always figured that dream meant I felt out of control in some way of my life. Later it occurred to me that it might have been to do with that my father was ill (brain cancer), and for about a year before he died, we knew it wouldn't get better and he would die, that it was just a matter of time. It's just that I can't remember exactly when I started having this dream - was it before or after my Dad's death? Because I can't think of anything else in my life at that age that would make me feel out of control of my life.

The other dream that sticks particularly clearly with me I dreamed repeatedly in my early 20s and is a sort-of-but-not-really superhero dream. In it, I'm in my grades 3-6 school with other the other kids, when suddenly the teachers hurry everyone inside from the rocky play area, and lock all the doors and windows of the school. Teachers don't know why, just that a general threat alert has been given and that everyone should go inside. A long time is spent waiting for what happens next, and guessing what is going on. Then a red poisonous mist descends outside, and the teachers tell us that the X-Men are fighting an enemy - it's never clear whether it's aliens or other mutants or what - and that only mutants can survive in the red mist. I wake up around this point of the dream. I kept seeing this dream maybe a dozen times throughout my 20s. The X-Men are obviously inspired by my reading the X-Men comics a lot in the 1980s/90s, and the red mist by the original tv series V and V: The Final Battle.

Jo over at Dreamwidth put together a list of daily questions for 2023 again  😀 Here’s my answers to the rest of the July questions.

17 – Tattoo Day: Do you have any tattoos? If yes, how many, what and where are they? If you don't, would you ever consider getting one? Is yes, where on your body would it be, and what would you likely get tattooed? If no, why not?

Nope. Sometimes I entertain the idea of getting a small, delicate flower tattoo on my wrist. But whenever I think about it being forever for all purposes and practises, I think I won't want to watch the same thing the rest of my life.

18 – World Listening Day: Rather than simply listening to other people talk, World Listening Day was created to draw attention to the way humans need to be listening to the world around us, including environmental awareness, soundscapes and acoustic ecology. What does the world around you sound like right now?

The fan is on. My backdoor is open because to get some fresh air in, and there's some playing children sounds coming in from the yard. And also some metal work sounds from whatever is being done in the next apartment block or the childcare facility. They've been working there for about two weeks now, starting around 6.30am. There's metal works sounds, and truck sounds, and other bizarre sounds but no people sounds and it's all so weird. I think it's the childcare facility, I've been trying to look while waiting for the bus but the trucks etc. move around so much that I'm ot sure whether it's the apartment building or the childcare facility that's having something done. Or it could also be the City doing municipal maintenance, upgrading or something.

19 – Daiquiri Day: Do you drink daiquiris, or any other cocktails? Do you make your own at home or are they something you reserve for an evening out at a restaurant or other social event?

I don't drink alcohol. All of them cocktails, with alcohol or not, cost more money than I want to spend on what is basically juice or soda. Honestly though - I would like to try a fancy mocktail some time! It'd have to be a special special occasion though! Like getting permanent disability, retiring or winning millions in the lotto. Something good that happens only once in a life time!

20 – International Chess Day: Do you play, or have you ever played, chess?

Nope.

21 – Junk Food Day: What is your favourite junk food? Is this something you eat regularly, or is it something you turn to when you're stressed, or that you reserve as a special treat or reward for yourself?

Karelian pies. It's pretty much 50/50. If I make egg butter to put on them, that's a rare treat.

22 – Day Of the Cowboy: Do you like Westerns (either books, movies, or TV shows)? What about country and western music?

TV/movies - sure. I like some books, like Zane Grey's. Some single songs, but not as a genre of music.

23 – Peanut Butter and Chocolate Day: Match made in heaven or something to be avoided at all costs?

To be avoided!

24 – Everybody Deserves a Massage Week: The third week of July is Everybody Deserves a Massage Week. Do you go for regular (or occasional) massages? Have you tried different types of massage: Swedish, Shiatsu, deep tissue, etc.? Do you have a favourite?

I've never been to a massage unless there was a medical reason. I don't know what those types are or what the types I've been to, were. I've been for lower back pain, and for upper back/neck/shoulders to see if it would help with the migraines (it didn't). It always feels really good and relaxing, and helped a lot with my lower back pain, but I've never had the money to go just for fun although that'd be lovely.

25 – Hot Fudge Sundae Day OR Wine and Cheese Day: Which would you go for?

I had to google and apparently Hot Fudge Sundae is ice cream and chocolate sauce?? If so, that one! I love ice cream and I love chocolate sauce, and I adore them together!

I love cheese, but don't like alcohol (and I keep reading that wine can trigger migraine, so, no thank you!) so Wine & Cheese would only half work for me.

26 – All or Nothing Day: If it was your last day on Earth, what would you do?

If my Mom is still alive, spend it with her. Otherwise, spend it doing something creative that I enjoy.

27 – Refreshment Day: What is your go-to refreshment on hot summer days? Is this something you enjoy year-round, or that you mainly drink in the summer?

Ice cream, ice cream shake, or juice popsicles if it's really hot for a really long time. I love ice cream so I have it year-round, but a lot more in the summer. Juice popsicles only during the summer.

There's also this hydration drink recipe by my local university hospital that was shared to an IBD Facebook group I belong to, and is for IBD patients to keep hydrated during a summer heat wave. I make and drink that like drinking is going out of style, and the heat waves have been much easier to withstand with this drink. It uses ingredients readily found at home: water, optional carbonated mineral/vitamin water if you like that, orange juice or other juice/juice concentrate, sugar, salt and baking soda. I make and drink this whenever there's more than two days of more than 22-23 degrees Celcius and I start to feel sort of bad; and automatically drink a litre of it every day when it's 25 or more. The drink saved me from having to go into the hospital to be by hydrated by IV during the awful three month heat wave of 2021. I only drink this in the summer, never in the winter.

28 – Talk in an Elevator Day: If you're with another person (or a group of people) and you get into an elevator, do you continue any conversation you were engaged in, or do you wait until you step out of the elevator? Does it unnerve or annoy you if someone starts talking to you in an elevator?

Depends on the other person(s) I'm with very much! Some people I know won't talk in elevators. I tend to stop too. Depends also on what we're talking about. If it's sensitive or private information, stop. If it's about the weather, keep going if you want.

If it's a stranger, I'm awkward - I'm very bad at small talk. But it can be nice, depending on what it's about.

29 – Rain Day: Do you like rainy days? Does it rain a lot where you live? Have you ever been caught in a torrential downpour?

I do! It does! Many, many times! Where I am, they're a feature, not a bug, and you just go about your business as usual.

30 – Whistleblower Day: Part of living in a country with a fair rule of law is making sure that corruption and misconduct do not go unnoticed. A whistleblower is an individual who reports suspicious activity, such as violations, exploitation, misrepresentations, or other infractions. The activity may be within an organization, either public or private. If you witnessed, or were aware of, corruption and misconduct in your workplace, would you speak up about it, even if it meant potentially losing your job?

I'd like to think I do, but in reality I don't think I would. Depends of course what the thing was and how serious it is. Also if it came out, could I be held legally liable? If so, yes. And also the spirit of the place would be a deciding factor - is it something I think/know has been brought to the notice of the bosses already and nothing's been done with it? But I've always been a temp worker with no power and too much hanging on that temporary paycheck, that if it weren't illegal or like, horrible abuse, I probably I wouldn't. Although I can't say for sure - the last time I worked was 15 years ago, and I've changed a lot in that time and I'm not quite as docile as I used to be. So who knows.

31 – Picnic Month: July is national Picnic Month. Have you ever been on a picnic? Do you enjoy eating outdoors? If you were organizing a picnic, what foods would you bring?

Our outings were almost always functional in some way or another - most of the time we'd either bike to the destination, or drive but hike at the destination, and just stop to eat lunch and rest every once in a while. We've never done the "go the park, bring fancy cutlery and fancy foods and make pretty sitting on grass, in the sun" type of picnics!

We did do outings a lot, often whole/most of the day, often with bikes, often to the beach, and brought lunch with us. Or a bike outing around an island, and stop for an ice cream kiosk at about mid-point of the trip.

Later on, as a young adult I and my best friend would go, although it wouldn't be picnic picnic even then - just a trip where we'd take food with us or buy it on the way, and eat outside at some point. I'd also take Caro, my Mom's Beagle with us on outings with my best friend and have an adventure following the Beagle's nose through the woods and such! We'd bring water and something to snack on these doggy dog outings, something easy and light to carry.

I do enjoy eating outdoors! Cheese sandwhiches for sure, strawberries if it's strawberry season and soda and water. Plain water is a must, you always get thirsty on our outings. Otherwise, I'd bring whatever my companions like. But no alcohol.

This week's questions over at thefridayfive 

It's summer here, so I'm answering for summer!

1. How's your summer (winter) going so far?

The con side - my sleep disappeared somewhere in mid-March when it got bright and sunny out. Have been sleeping poorly, or not at all, ever since despite having blackout curtains both in my bedroom and living room. Can't wait for the dark fall so I can sleep again!

Otherwise summer's been okay so far. We've only had one heat wave so far which lasted about 1,5 weeks. That time was hard but otherwise the weather's been how I like it - not too hot in shade, a fresh breeze even if there's no clouds and sun is shining but also often half-cloudy. Fingers crossed it'll continue like this!

2. Have you made any special summer (winter) plans?

Nope. Other than enjoy as many and as much summer foods as I can.

Other thing I'd like to do is visit Mom a little more. I don't do it as often as I used to because I don't have a car anymore, and the bus trip and the time visiting easily amounts to so much that I often end up with a migraine attack once I'm back home. And I'm also tired a lot because of being in pain a lot. The summer before last was too hot to go anywhere (three months of unrelenting heatwave which is not normal for Finland). And Mom and her SO have been getting tired easier too the last few years (age and illnesses that required doctor's appointments a lot last year) so that too. But now both of them are through their operations, have recupareted and feeling better. So maybe I could visit a few times over the summer this year. I WhatsApp and talk on the phone a lot with Mom, but it'd be great to see her in person too!

3. What are your traditional activities in summer (winter)?

Hiding from the sun and the heat.

4. Are there special summer (winter) foods or drinks you're enjoying?

I eat obscene amounts of ice cream and ice lollies. Also lots of strawberries as-is with cream, or with ice cream, or with whipped cream and mud cake (the last one is a special treat). Also make some rhubarb pies and rhubarb soup to be had cold.

5. What is one thing you need to do this summer (winter)?

There's nothing I "need" to do that I know of as I write this... but your never know with the bureacracy of being chronic illness patient on unemployment. KELA or TE-toimisto might want to decide to want something at any time!

Otherwise, I'd like to buy garden scissors with those long handles where you can cut crass and other growths with them while standing up. But they're pretty expensive for my budget so I'm not sure if I can talk myself into using some of my tax return for that purpose. Either way, I should cut the growth. It's not crass, other bigger stuff that I don't know the name of, the sort of things you'd find in a meadow more like because it used to meadow where these houses were built. I just hate cutting with my current scissors, because I hate kneeling/crawling in the ground because I can't get back up on my feet easily and so I don't do it and so my tiny little backyard (about 1 meter + 2 meters) is overgrown. It's just that this overgrowing has started to bother me the last couple of years, and now I think when the backyard is cut, it looks so neat and tidy. Before I didn't care. Now I sort of do. But you have to cut it so often that I don't do it because I have to get on my knees every time.

Yesterday's questions over at thefridayfive 

1. When was the last time you had a proper checkup?

Regular checkups aren't really a thing here for most people (expensive if going to private health care, or very hard to get appointments if using public health care) unless they have some sort of reason to get them done. Except for dental work - that check up is recommended for every two years, I think. Most people only go when there's a problem.

I get them done yearly or more often because of my various chronic illnesses, but mostly all the labs relate to the chronic illnesses in one way or another. I don't get things done for the heck of it.

As someone who has Crohn's Disease, I usually have one comprehensive checkup once a year now that things are pretty stable, and basic bloodwork/liver related safety labs every three months due the medications I'm taking for the Crohn's. All Crohn's related is done by gastro specialists in the hospital. I'm also colonoscopied every 3-4 years. All these are also done more often if my symptoms *or* lab results indicate it as necessary. At one point I had a lot of blood drawn every month, and a colonoscopy once a year. That wasn't fun!

I also have Type 2 Diabetes, a history of anemia and iron defiency and hypothyroidism which are all also controlled at least once a year by my GP at a health center. These checkups are also done more often if necessary, and usually include things like vitamin levels once a year.

I can also get the labs scheduled out of order pretty easily if I'm feeling off and poorly, or I'm worried about my iron levels/anemia. I think it's because of my medical history (Crohn's can cause all sorts of side symptoms and nutrient deficiencies), and repeated anemia/iron deficiency as an example.

2. When did your car have a proper checkup or do you just take it in when something breaks?

I don't have a car. But cars must be checked by lisenced car checker every year in order to be permitted to be driven.

3. Do you regularly get your heating/air conditioning checked?

We don't have air conditioning, and heating checkups are done by the apartment building complex level at regular intervals. Sometimes heating is re-adjusted in all individual apartments, or single ones as necessary. But it's a thing that the apartment building complext maintenance handles, and if there's a problem with it, I'll just let them know and they'll take it from there.

4. Are you more inclined to take better care of others than yourself?

I don't know. Probably. I don't have to take care of others a lot.

5. Be honest, how are you feeling today?

Not great. Kinda sweaty and lingeringly uncomfortable from migraine and stomach pain, and weather being just a little bit too warm at times today even though it's the first good day after about 1,5 weeks of a heatwave. Uncertain whether my period started or not because of Nexplanon and slight bleeding in the afternoon but which maybe seems to have stopped since then (the hope is no periods, so bleeding is disappointing).