They're on their way!

It's easy to wake up at 4 when the sky is already light.

A few last-minute additions squeezed into the car, and the first part of our journey has begun! Sooz, Grant and Ollie are off to the Eurotunnel now.

3-D Tetris

Loading up Sooz's wagon is proving to be an interesting exercise. We filled the roof-top carrier with soft stuff and dog food, and the back seats are filled with boxes of various sizes. We've been trying different configurations to maximise space.

Grant and I cleaned out the car as best we could. There are about 3 billion corgi hairs in Sooz's car and we got maybe a billion of the loose ones.

Looks like a 5AM start for the land portion of our trip. Stay tuned for an early AM post tomorrow...

Midsommar weather

The weather for the midsummer's weekend is a national obsession in Sweden. Margaret has told me that it rains more often than not on the big day.

So I took a look on the internet for historical data. First I had to calculate the actual date of the midsummer holiday, as it's set as the Saturday that falls within June 20-26. (It was on my birthday in 2000 and 2006; this year, it's early; the 20th.)

Then a look on www.wunderground.com gave me the Stockholm observations on the appointed Saturdays this decade. The results were:

• Average high 18.6C/66F
• Average low: 12.6C/55F
• Rain: on 5 of the 9 dates

So Margaret's right. It rains more often than not on Midsummer, although, thankfully, it doesn't always rain.

NB: These are Stockholm observations and the weather is different in the archipelago, although I think the general trend is correct.

We're in the home stretch!

A good list of accomplishments to share:
- The plumber is all done. Woo-hoo!
- Anders is going to install the Cinderella tomorrow.
- Göran couldn't come up this weekend to do the electricity for the plumbing and bathroom, so Tommy is having his electrician in on Monday.
- The sink and cabinet will be picked up from Bauhaus this weekend, and installed early next week.
- Wille will be there this weekend, too, to finish up and carrying the washing machine.
Things may not be done well in advance, but it's looking pretty good they'll all be done in time.
Phew!

Wille calls- quite early!

Just received an unusual 6:15 call from Wille (he forgot about the time change, I think). But I'm an earlybird, so no problem.

Anyways, he agrees with Margaret's comment about the unceasing rain so he's waiting until the weekend to come back out to finish up. He has about a day's worth of work outside and maybe a half-day's inside so there's still time. He knows we are all out on Wednesday and sees no problem with completing if he can have just one dry day.

He also has our washing machine and will hook it up, since the plumbing will be done by then. Wille also reports that we'll have good weather for midsummer, which would be great! As Anders said, "keep our fingers pressed"...

The plumber is on the job!

Anders reported the good news that the plumber is on site today and should finish up tomorrow! He and Tommy are also water-sealing the floor tiles. The sink and cabinet are arriving from Bauhaus this weekend too.

We'll be very close to the wire- we have only a week left- but Anders still says we'll make it by our arrival next week.

First Aid

I posted about first aid a while ago, and nothing much since. But we have been thinking about health on the island.

The main point is we'll have only what we bring with us, so if we need a bandage, or sunburn cream, or allergy tablets, or any of a dozen other things, we'll have to had thought of it and brought it along. Of course, we can always run to the neighbors for help in a pinch, and there's the air ambulance for serious stuff. But we want to be well supplied for daily life, and therefore we've been doing lots of shopping and keeping inventories of all our supplies.

Ollie is part of this too; he's had his anti-tick medicine, and I have a contact for a local vet, and a back specialist in Stockholm, just in case.

Quick update from Anders

I called Anders to thank him for the photo, and of course to check up. They're back out today to grout the floor, which will lighten up the dark look in yesterday's picture. He's going to talk to the plumber today, but to quote Anders, "he will be out to you fine, I promise".

First photo of the bathroom

...came through about 15 minutes ago, courtesy of Anders. The turquoise corner is where the shower will go. Looking good!

Preparing for the drive

What a bonus! Our friends the Lidbacks had a cartop carrier they graciously lent to us for the Big Trip. It is HUGE so I imagine we can fit all sorts of stuff in there and free up the back a bit for Ollie. The biggest items we have yet to transport are six chair cushions, the Weber grill and a double blow up mattress. So fingers crossed we can cram it all in!

Grant, Ollie and I leave a week from today; we'll head over to France via Eurotunnel, then make our way to Holland where we'll spend the night with Marcia's mom and dad, Jan and Tonny Van den Kieboom. Then it's off again Monday morning up through Germany to the port of Kiel, whereupon we will board the overnight ferry to Gothenburg. Then on Tuesday we'll make the final push across Sweden to the Wilhelmis! Rollin' rollin' rollin' RAWhide!

The ace in the hole

If you discount comet strikes and sudden global warming, then the worst-case scenario for us is that the plumbing isn't done when we arrive. That would mean no water inside the house, no showers, no clothes washing. We'd have to use the hose from our well to manage water by bucketfuls.

Our ace in the hole is the Cinderella. It's there, it runs on electricity that's already installed, and all it needs is to have its exhaust pipe put up. So there's no reason the toilet shouldn't be working. (For those interested, an English user guide is here.)

Bottom line: as long we have the toilet, we can live with outside water. Many houses on the archipelago don't have inside water (or inside toilets, for that matter). So we can handle the worst-case scenario. I still think we won't have to, but it's good to be prepared.

Still on the launch pad

Anders reports the tiling is almost done and says it looks great.

However the plumber is coming out next week; I had hoped he'd have been there today. That work should still take only a day or two at most, but now we're cutting it close. Then we still have to get an electrician out. Even though his task is simple, it still has to get scheduled.

Anders still tells me there's enough time to be done with everything by the 17th... but I am now officially nervous.

T minus 2 weeks

We'll be arriving on the island with a (literal) boatload of stuff exactly two weeks from now. I just spoke to Anders and he said the tiling was pretty much done; they were doing the grout when I called (I could hear scraping in the background).

The plumber is still planned to come later this week, and the delayed sink and cabinet should be delivered to Bauhaus this weekend. One thing not yet firmed up is the electrician, who will need to do a bit of work in the bathroom for the cabinet light and towel rack, and more importantly, the final connection of the water equipment.

Göran provided all of the circuitry and wiring to connect that equipment, so it should be a straightforward job. I put Anders in touch with Göran, and he has his own electrician, too, so I think we'll be all right in getting that done. But it isn't actually scheduled just yet, and I'll be happier when it is.

Lastly was the washing machine, which Anders had ordered but was having trouble finding the time to get to the warehouse. So I called Wille who will come to the rescue and pick it up this weekend, and bring it out to the house on Monday when he's there next for his finishing-up.

As Anders said, "things should be OK, but keep your fingers pressed."

"Helicopter lifts a Swedish Cottage"

It's all over the news this weekend, but, no, it wasn't ours. Apparently a local artist has put it on top of the Globen for the summer. Eventually he wants to place one on the moon!!

The weekend's progress update

When I was at the house this weekend, I saw a lot of progress. The bathroom has been lined with waterproof board, and the floor leveled for the drain. The tiles and grout have been all brought up to the house, no small task, given how heavy it all is! The towel rack and shower doors are onsite, too. (As I mentioned before, the sink and cabinet won't arrive until this Friday.)

UPDATE: I just now talked to Anders and he said a lot of the tiles are up on the walls and everything is going well today.

The concrete pad underneath the house is completed, ready for the plumber to arrive later this week to install all of the machinery, which consists of an air tank to provide water pressure, a hot water tank, and a control system to automatically refill both tanks from the well whenever water is used. There's also a heating system to ensure the well and tanks don't freeze. (We didn't add a filter just yet; in fact, the water was running clear and sweet when I ran the pump yesterday.) Lastly, Janne has finished the grey water system, so it should just be a matter of plugging everything together and then we'll have running water!

Wille's work is also moving along. He installed the wood panel in place of the white one we had in the kitchen, and finished off the kitchen cabinets nicely. The garderobes are mostly done, only needing the doors, and they're looking good, too. He'll be back Wednesday to put the ceiling and insulation in the little house, finish the skirting, and complete a few other bits and bobs.

We'll be out two weeks from Wednesday and it'll be tight to get it all done... but I am still fairly confident.

Ollie's birthday

Ollie is 6 today, which makes him nearly 40 in human years (depending on the conversion method.)

It's also been 6 months since his surgery, and that's significant because his recovery is now officially over. Since my last post in March, he's continued to improve. Even in the past few weeks we've noticed the return of little behaviours that had been missing, like sleeping on his back, for instance.

(I've noticed improvements in my own behaviour, too, for example, I'm no longer worrying about him constantly!)

He still gets tired more easily, and his back legs remain a little wobbly, but he is 99% Ollie again. I'm tremendously thankful for that.

En route to Arlanda

Greetings from aboard the Arlanda flygbuss. Had a good morning, moving all the remaining gravel to cover the grey water system. I waited until 10 so as not to disturb the Sunday mornings of my neighbors with the clanging of gravel on wheelbarrow!

Marg came up for a quick visit and she was complementary of all the work that's been done. We went together to the taxi-boat dock and saw Olle and Annika with their son Patrick, and a very cool-looking boat. Hopefully Grant will get a chance to ride with Patrick this summer.

Even better was Britt and Ronnie waiting to take the same boat, so I got to ride with them to Stavsnäs. And then they drove me up to the central station to catch the airport bus. What service!

Still spectacular weather here; Stavsnäs was jumping and Stockholm itself was jam-packed with people enjoying the sunshine. One down note- the Stockholm Marathon was yesterday at 2PM in very warm temperatures, which must have made tough going for the runners.

I checked on on SAS through my phone last night; we'll see if they want to offer me €500 to take a later flight because I'll say yes for sure!!

UPDATE: SAS didn't need me after all and I took my original flight, arriving back home tired and dirty around 9:30PM. Ready to go back in two weeks!

A Beautiful weekend

It's Sunday morning and the weather has been absolutely perfect since I arrived on Friday. I'm in no hurry to head home this afternoon!

Here's a quick recap:

• My SAS flight was late, and traffic to Stavsnäs was thick, so we missed our 4PM boat and took the jam-packed 6PM instead. Rutger started on making dinner as soon as we arrived, and we had his specialty of entrecôte with roast potatoes.
• The next morning, we set to installing the ceiling fan, and I am happy to report we got it up and working properly on the first try! The remote control is cool, too.
• I also trimmed and installed a blackout blind on one of the windows, and made one screen, too. I'll make the others at Rutger's now that I have the measurements.
• I also got out our pump sprayer to apply mold retardant to the house. That sprayer is very handy and I think we will be able to stain the house in a half-day, easily.
• Rutger left at 5 and I joined Janne for dinner, finishing up my night (high in Grant's bunk bed!) watching an episode of "The Wire". Today, I will be moving gravel to cover the grey water tank before my 14:30 boat.

Lots of photos in the webgallery and I will post more on the house progress shortly.

En Route to Stockholm

Writing this from Heathrow. My flight back from Dallas was fine, and I've just checked in for my SAS trip to Stockholm. They were oversold and really wanted me to take a later flight in exchange for 500 euros' compensation.

However, Rutger and the 4PM boat are waiting for me, so I had to decline. Perhaps I'll get oversold on the flight home Sunday!

Margaret reported lots of work being done on the house, and I can't wait to see it all.

Update from the USA

I'm in Dallas for a couple of days. (Damn, is it hot here!)

Before I left London yesterday morning, I talked to our builders. Anders and Tommy were literally on the boat to Aspö start work that day. Wille was going to leave the next day for his finishing up, too.

So everybody should be working at the house as I write this. Rutger and I will be out late Friday to see everything for ourselves.

We'll all be on Aspö three weeks from today, so we should still be OK but it is getting pretty tight.

Margaret sends in photos

I had posted her report from Friday, and she sent along a whole bunch of photos this evening. The stairs Janne is working on look super!

There is a lot of progress to the skirting and the garderobes, which Marg has made available to all of us through the May webgallery.

My subconscious is telling me something

Long-time readers may remember that I had a dream last summer, based on a Werner Herzog movie, just before I set off on our house-building trip.

This past week, I was in a Herzog mood again, and I made Sooz watch Grizzly Man and one of his beautiful old short films.

I've had no new dreams yet, but I am reminded that Herzog's films are generally about outsiders who collide with a different culture. Generally, the poor deluded outsider doesn't end up well.

Hmmm...

Margaret calls

She and Janne (and Dave!) visited the house today. She took a few photos, which she'll send later. But she was very complete, and even took a copy of my note to Wille to review everything I asked to be done.

The most worrying thing is that Janne couldn't get into the small house with his key, which shouldn't be the case, as I know mine works both doors and they all came from the same batch.

I called Wille and thankfully he said his key (the one we left behind at Anders' request) worked the small house. We talked about what remained to be done, which pretty much matched with what Margaret saw.

Wille had a good idea about replacing the white panel we have against the fridge with the same wood he's using for the closets, and going all the way up to the ceiling. That makes the wall a lot more seamless. I've put up a couple of photos to show the area. Wille mentioned that'd be a good place to put a flat-panel TV and I think he's right, although television is a topic for another post...

Wille calls

He said he made good progress, but he'll have to come out one more time, next Wednesday and/or Thursday, to finish up. Although he didn't take pictures, he said the closets and Janne's stairs look great.

I think he'll be out the same days next week as Anders and Tommy, which will probably be helpful. Then Rutger and I will be out next Friday evening, so fingers crossed, we'll see a lot of progress!

The Summer boat timetable is out

The Waxholmsbolaget has published their Stavsnäs timetable for the heart of the summer, June 14-August 16. They publish three other timetables, not surprisingly, Fall, Winter and Spring.

Weekday boats to Aspö leave at 06:50 and 15:10, returning at 12:05 and 20:10. There are a few adjustments to times on Friday/ Saturday/Sunday to help facilitate spending long weekends on the islands. The journey is 25 minutes.

The private boat-taxi people don't have their full summer schedule yet, but they generally fill in a few of the gaps on the Waxholm schedule. An advantage of the scheduled båttaxi is their smaller boats which can go to the private dock much closer to our house. The cost is a bit more; I think 85 kronor as compared to the 75 of the Waxholms.

Another thing to do is rent a whole boat for a big group and/or a big load of stuff. We did this once last year and will do it again on June 17 when we show up with Sooz's car filled to the roof. A boat used to cost about 700 kronor, which was an OK deal with 4 or 5 people and a bunch of stuff. In fact, it's the only game in town for moving bigger loads, as the Waxholm boats limit you to 30 kilos, and the scheduled taxis typically less. 30kg is fine if you're bringing food or incidentals, but not furnishing a new house.

However, Margaret told me the other day that a private boat is now 1000kr! The good news is that most of our house-building is over, so this should be the last private boat we hire.