Away to Erik down the street to play Airships. This a fave to play with Mats and now I've gone and purchased my very own. Got beat by Sandra yesterday and now its the bagpipers turn.

It's a great mixture of tactics and luck. Plenty of dice rolling and card collecting as you build your airship. Erik is reeling from a 9yr olds birthday party slash sleepover. I saw him earlier in the day wcovered in some massive blanket and chasing children, bless him.
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Astrid rocking a bit of a John McEnroe look here with the golden headband.
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Off to the hospital in Lund for a Stella eye check. Took about 3 hours in all. Pheeweee. She was very brave (as was I). I At various stages of our wait we could hear the screams and crying of children before they would be guided out again. They needed to put drops in to dilate her pupils. And they stung. Stella tried to negotiate a postponement of said drops. But was very brave when they did go in. A 40 minute wait afterwards was plenty of time to find and eat an ice cream.
She's all good at the mo but might be a little far-sighted, or is it long-sighted, so we need to go back later.

Its pretty quiet here today. Another squeezeday after Kristihimmelfärdsdagen (Big J's super trip to the sky day). The perfect opportunity to pop up a few more work pics.

Though having said that, I don't actually work in this bit. I just walk through it to get my cheese roll for brekky. But it does fascinate me. There's that big anvil again. And a machine that does someting called Donewell.
The last picture is a grim reminder of the times we live in. It's a transport crate, so a lorry with a crane would lift it up and  drive it out to Malmö Festival, for example. Then inside are individual vehicle stoppers. So they would be spread out at various access points to city squares or streets being used for fun stuff. Just in case.
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Poor Klara somehow runs face first into the fireplace this evening just before dinner and just before the girls are about to head off. The pitch of childrens screams is something a parent is highly attuned to. Some can be briefly ignored in order to finish what you're doing and then soothe a little later. Some are anger, some are knee bumps. Some are frustration.
Some need direct, urgent response. And this was one of those. She was very upset and there was a fair amount of blood. A cut underneath her lip. So i lift her up to and take her to the sink in the kitchen. Sandra comes in too. We start to clean and soothe. First we think we need to drive her to the hospital for a stitch, then S remembers we have butterflu stitches. We start to patch her up. 
There are few worse feelings than the aching vulnerability when one of your wee ones hurts themselves. Like someone whips down a hollow metal curtain rail and pushes it through your heart. Taking  a small cylinder of beating heart that is then somehow lost forever.
Anyways....

After Sandra and the kids are on the way to Lugnadal I head off to Lund for a beer with Rob. Spend a very pleasant 3 hours nattering away. Get the whole Klara event off my chest and hear of Robs (first time dad, young baby) recent callout of swedish ambulance service.  Then we get on to lighter more amusing topics!
Then crown it with an awesome takeaway beef madras. Just manage to squeeze in and charm it out of them as the restaurant is closing.
Hi, is it possible to order a quick takeaway
No, im sorry we're closing
Oh no. Do you have anything leftover. Anything at all.
I can ask, wait
Mix vegetable curry?
(Heart sinks, think...bland) Ah, anhything with meat. Anything at all
Beef Madras?
Oh Yes!! Perfect. Thank you
He was soo happy. I scoop some onto leftover pizza the next morning before I have a luxuious bath. Just incredible!

More glorious blue sky gently breezy superwarm weather. I take a stroll after breakfast in the woods. The young beech leaves quite literally bursting with life and light pop-pickers. 
Then off to a neighbob for more BBQ action. There is a trampoline, some swings, a mad squirty flower thing attached to a hose, and a balnce line (low strung tightrope) to play with. Also beer and burgers, so Everybody happy.
There is much shreiking and nudity. Mostly (well, ok, entirely) from the kids. They had a ball. Some very content parents got to sit and chat too. With a pleasantly low level of intervention needed. Things are improving!

Out on my cross-racer. Knobbly tyres for dirt tracks and lossa gears for distance riding. This is on the Skåneleden off road 795, passing some weird farmhouse (Västra Bomhus. West bomb house, Ho hum) where he (must be a he) has barricaded himself in with old cars and a digger. It goes passed a camping spot and then right behind the runway to Malmö airport. Strange names out here like Humparp and Abrahamslund.
Beautiful evening, cycled about 19km in a circle around ya Genarp.

Therapy cancelled today which is a bit gutting coz we really could have used it this week. A poorly Astrid (a fever) means that it just aint gonna happen.
Sometimes I lose myself in arguments with one of the most important people in my life. For whatever reason Sandra and I were thrown together in love. She's always been the one to light up a room for me. That was one of the first things I really noticed about her. Yeah she's pretty and funny too. Lovely family. Makes nice babies.  But it's that glow.
And again, for whatever reason, seems too cliched to call it destiny or fate (The irony of life?) we have the ability to trigger certain reactions in each other. Anger, on my part when i feel I'm being ignored. Distance or passive aggression on Sandras when she feels she's being maipuulated (or feels me being upset).
It's the perfect mix to create potential conflict. Then add to the cocktail a sprinkling of children, a sliver of lack of sleep, lots of people with their own free will living in one place. And,
So we had a row, I said some stupid things that in my heart I absolutely don't mean. But in my mind...in the mind of an angry John that's looking to blame someone (anyone) for some  pain.

Ok, so Tolle calls this Thing that is triggered the painbody. A collection of past traumas, slights etc built up from childhood onwards. A conglomeration of all the painful stuff. The emotions. The disappointments. The heartache.
When the PB arises its hard to stop. But this time I felt I was more aware, like looking down a telescope at this idiot (me) saying these things. So... I need to be aware of being triggered, of the anger arising. Then its time for a long bike ride or phone a friend. Definately not the time to suggest a 'chat' with my beloved.

A beer with Rob. Got a great window seat overlooking the cathedral and passers-by on Kungsgatan (the street of kings). Excellent chatting place. And some fine chatting was done. Finished off with a falafel.
The cathedral was founded in 1080 and consecrated in 1185 (Mr. Wiki to the recue). So its pretty fukkin old. They do drop in weddings  which I think would be pretty cool. See if I can persuade Sandra to think its pretty cool too.

It's quite possible that these people are pilgrims or anyway a few seconds later they stood around that cross on the ground and seemed to be praying. Or at least still and thoughtful.

The boys are up late (well, for me anyway) battling. Turn in around 2 after some good chats and a bottle or two of Orval from the Belgian monastery of the same name. Just a leetle nip of Glen Garioch too. We didnt make it down to the lake to watch them burning in the spring. We stayed in and scared off our own witches and evil spirits.