Left: The sculpture by the Travel Center serves as a good illustration of the weather lately...
Right: I wonder what hit this lamp post: A/ The storm, B/ a bus failing to stop in time on the icy street, C/ a snowplough, or D/ some young delinquent getting really angry at the security camera sign? (And did the security camera manage to capture the incident, whatever it was?? So many questions...)
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Yesterday was still windy here, and rainy as well. (I stayed in.) Today around noon it was still windy, but had stopped raining, so I ventured out again. First I took a paper tote bag full of various stuff to the recycling containers (7 minutes walk or so from home). On my way there, I noticed more plastic dustbins turned over by the wind (cf previous post). The wind also managed to snatch at least one piece of plastic from the bag I was carrying, and triumphantly carried that off to play with, who-knows-where... But the rest of the stuff I managed to dispose of as planned, in sturdy containers better designed to stay in place.
On my way back I went by the greengrocer corner shop for some bananas. Then back home to dispose of those. Then out again, in the opposite direction, into town. I had half in mind to take the bus part of the way this time, from the nearest bus stop to the next one... But once I was on my way, my "auto-pilot" took over, and I just walked on (as I'm used to). I did remember to walk by the travel center as intended though (a minor detour from the standard route), to post a letter. No postboxes get emptied here over the weekends any more; but the one at the travel center is placed indoors - which somehow makes it feel safer to post things there, rather than in one standing outdoors in all weathers...
In town, I visited the book shop again. When I was there recently, I forgot to look for a book I've been wanting to buy - the last instalment in a series by a Swedish author. No doubt I could have ordered it online and got it delivered - but on some websites nowadays there are so many confusing delivery options that I sometimes have difficulties figuring out if it The Thing I Want will be delivered smoothly to my letterbox, or if I might end up having to go across town to pick it up in some obscure little shop I never heard of. (Which has happened once or twice.) Besides, to show my appreciation of the fact that we still have a physical book shop in town, I try to actually buy something there now and then. Have to confess I buy very few printed books these days (reading mostly e-books and audio books) - but as I already have the previous two in this series, I wanted the third in print as well.
I also happened to walk by a clearance sale in a clothes shop... (All items 50 SEK ~ less than $5.) I took my chance with a blue cotton T-shirt (i.e. skipped trying it on in the shop, as that is far too much bother in winter, with all the layers of clothes one is already wearing...). - It does fit, and will hopefully come in useful in summer.
(Another "walking in the storm" image by Bing.)
16 comments:
A nice cheerful color for the shirt! The pole that is crooked...your city is so famous for cool art that I thought it is a sculpture and is supposed to be that way!! I do like the whirlwind.
I keep wondering when these gales are going to stop. We have had enough now.
That shade of blue is great for spring/summer!
Yes, we should make an effort every now and then to buy locally.
Ginny, if that lamp post was a piece of art, I think I'd probably have heard some debate about it by now...! ;-) (There's quite a lot of debate for/against cctv cameras in public places, though...)
JayCee, if there was a Weather customer service to complain to, I'm sure they'd be very busy...
Meike, it's a tough job being a "conscious consumer" these days! ;-) (...so many different aspects to consider...)
I have been fussing at myself for not shopping locally but have yet to get in the car and drive to the local stores to purchase. like dog stuff at petsmart, meat at local meat shop, etc. the problem is it is a 10 minute ride to one of those places and a lot of traffic pluse the fuel it cost, and none of the places I would shop are close to each other, as in 10 one directiona and then 10 minutes in a different direction. none are walking distance. also here there are no sidewalks and walking is really dangerous. I sometimes have to jump Beau and I off in the grass to avoid being hit. glad you got out and dia few things and i like the color of your t-shirt.. happy it fit. i would not be taking off all those layers to try it on either
Sandra, I totally get that, of course it depends on each individual's situation what is the smarter alternative for this or that purchase.
I do a weekly food shop locally at the supermarket, which is a national chain, and I have Aldi and Lidl nearby too. I'm lucky that it's just a five or so minute drive to four supermarkets. Occasionally I'll buy casual clothes from the local market which is one of the few places I can find the cotton and linen garments I prefer.
Love your T shirt - it's such a cheerful colour.
Carol, as I have no car, and have difficulties carrying much, I do the majority of my grocery shopping online with home delivery (twice a month). I still order from my nearest supermarket though, that I can also walk to in between for a few extras.
Great AI Bing image! The colors in the picture are awsome!
Duta, I'm impressed with the general colour scheme AI came up with too, as I really only asked for a senior woman in a hooded purple coat walking against the wind (cartoon style).
I think post boxes where I am get emptied 3 times a week, i'm 5 minutes out of town but the ones in town get emptied every day. I wonder if many people still send letters these days.
When the very first Covid lockdown hit us here, all the supermarkets stopped home deliveries, and I'm not sure if they have ever started them again. I don't see many of their vans around these days.
Carol, that sounds strange to me. Here home deliveries increased during the pandemic instead - to avoid being in a crowd. (I was using home deliveries since before though, so just continued as usual.)
Amy, probably not. It seems the postal services are working against it rather than promoting it now! (The cost of stamps going up every year, combined with slower rather than faster delivery...) International exchange of letters and postcards just for the fun of it (whether "private" or via postcrossing.com) feels a bit like being part of a resistance movement these days! ;-)
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