Vinter Vunderland

That there is a photo of the soccer field-cum-ice rink near my apartment, at 3 pm today. The days are cold and the nights are long this time of year, which translates to lots of bundling up, with everyone under the age of 14 sporting snow pants and either skates or a sled. There's also a lot of nesting going on. Windows everywhere are lit with candles, and conversations with my friends suggest I'm not the only person who has suddenly morphed into a 60-year-old lady, drinking copious amounts of herbal tea, reading paperbacks in the bathtub, and going to bed at 9 pm. Sheesh. If it makes me sound any cooler, I've also been downloading lots of music and doing kettlebell workouts in my living room. No, that didn't make me sound any cooler.

At any rate, the forecast calls for continuing snowfall through Wednesday, which is kind of exciting. Maybe I'll be able to cross-country ski to work this week!

A popular Swedish pasttime—well, among outdoorsy folk, at least—is going on longish-distance skating outings on the frozen rivers and coastal waters. There's not enough ice for that yet, and I'm not nearly good enough at skating, but it seems like something I'll have to try at least once. I guess I could practice with the little kids on the ice rink pictured above. I need to buy a new pair of running shoes this week, so while I'm at the sports store I'll price out ice skates and, um, a helmet, knee pads and butt padding of some sort? I'm pretty much guaranteed to break myself if I attempt this sport without full Mighty Ducks body armor. Wish me luck!