Time flies at the moment. New semesters, along with new friends, sunny days and awaiting visits from Sweden. 🙂

Finally we all have recovered from Covid, sinusitis and colds and I think all four of us see to the future with confidence. Both Olle and Elvira have new topics on their schedules and Vira for instance, is doing Dance this semester, which she is really happy about! February is Black History Month which is given much attention, especially in Olle´s school.

Last week was Lunar New Year and Chinatown celebrated the year of the Rabbit whole week thru.

Mission complete – the over Christmas leaking radiator, is finally removed and we have got a new one installed. However, the chemical smell during heating is still quite heavy…. Now we are only waiting for the painter to come and cover it in white. Though, we have another typical New York problem with the heating system’s loud cling-clanging during winter. Below follows the explanation. 😂🤣😆

What Is Steam Banging?

Trapped Water

Steam banging often wakes up tenants early in the morning or late at night, as that’s when radiators are heating up to greet the day or give people one last blast of heat before bed. This sound has been described as a hammer banging on pipes or someone knocking on the radiator, and it’s maddening to people trying to sleep.

What causes the banging noise? Once the steam has entered your radiator, it eventually condenses and must return in the form of a liquid to the boiler, where it can be heated up again to start the process anew. But if water becomes trapped in the radiator — or a section of the steam piping — it can start duking it out with the steam rising through the system, creating that terrible racket and reducing the efficiency of the radiator as a heat source.

There’s often a simple fix for this. Sometimes the radiator sits level on the floor when it should actually be tilted toward the intake valve, which sits between the steam supply pipe and the radiator, near the floor. If a level shows that your radiator is not tipped slightly toward the intake valve, you can increase the incline by shimming the far end of the radiator.

Usually, a wooden door shim or a couple of paint stir sticks purchased at a hardware or home supply store can be positioned under the other end of the radiator to tilt it forward. About a five-degree change should be sufficient. If this doesn’t do the trick, it may be time to call in the pros to see if there’s another cause for the noise.

I started my new online class in Mixed Media Collage last Tuesday and I completely love it! I have never worked with colors so much before, and it is quite a challenge but I immediately get into those flows once I hold the brush in my hand. 🙂 And Elvira´s pencil drawings are so amazing. 🎨

Feeling strong again, so I have hit the gym a couple of times and have also run down the Hudson River. And it seems that things are going well for Johan and DanAds too! They have hired a couple of new employees over the last months, and Olle and I went over to the office and said Hi to two of the new guys last week. 🙂 Go DanAds!

Olle and I have also paid Gloria at the Gouverneur Hospital our monthly visit, this time for Olle´s first HPV shot. 👍 Elvira also has been to a doctor at MinuteClinic for some tests, since she was so ill for over ten days. Nothing showed anything so now we are glad to see her lively and alert again.

Last Friday Johan and I went to Björk for a little HH. It was really nice to be back at the Swedish bistro, and also to say hello to Ulrica and some more newfound friends. I also got into a conversation with a totally new acquaintance, Karin with her little baby girl Mimmi. Two really cool girls! It resulted in them coming home to us this Monday for lunch and then a coffee in Brookfield Place. It was extra cozy, ‘cos Olle and Elvira had a day off of school, so they hanged with us all day. Next time, we will meet up at Karin´s in Park Slope in Brooklyn.

Something fascinating about the use of strollers here. Karin of course brought one with her when they came to us for a whole day, but when I first met them, she had Mimmi in a baby carriage because so few stations in the subway are ADA-accessible. Actually, the most stroller residents are DOGS! And they are not so seldom rather chubby…

This weekend we also had brunch with Malin, Pär and their sons Hampus and Jacob at Lido in Harlem. 🙂 Afterwards all eight of us strolled around in the borough and also went to Colombia College, established in 1754, you could actually feel the wings of history!

Last Friday I had a lunch date with Suzannah at Dante. I have walked by this restaurant so many times and it always looks so nice and cozy, and now I am happy to inform that the food pared up too! And in the afternoon Joy and Tim arrived here and will stay with us over the weekend. 🙂 Short visit, but so lovely to have them over. ❤️

Elvira hosted a three-course dinner the evening Joy and Tim arrived. Saturday was freezing cold (not like Christmas Eve) but fortunately not so blistery and the sun was shining from a clear blue sky. We went to Eately, which was the first time for me! A really nice place, and a soft oasis!

Sunday offered really nice weather without any winds, and lot of sun. We started our walk down the Hudson River on the west side all the way down to the Battery and continued up to Pier 17 and Tin Building on the east side. Our final evening together we spent at Tamarind, an Indian restaurant i Tribeca.

Joy and Tim went to Sweden last Monday and I have done my third online Multi Media class. Yesterday all four of us had dinner at Björk, lovely Swedish dishes like Räksmörgås and Smörgåsbord!

For the first time, I am going to participate in an event hosted by Swea! Today Malin and I are going to a pop-up opening for Maxjenny. 🙂 And tomorrow our neighbor Andrew is coming over for dinner, with little lovely Toffee. 🐶