Posted on 1 March, 20231 March, 2023 in New experiences, Sports

Mingle, dinners, painting, Super Bowl, Valentine´s Day and Mid Winter Break

So, we have already reached March 1. The last weeks have been filled with events, from recurring friends, traveling, dog sitting and also some tough times for the youngest, and it is not always easy to know how to go about it. Hard to preempt and hopefully it gets easier further into the semester.

We had a really great evening when Andrew and Toffee came over for dinner a couple of weeks ago. We got many new tips for good restaurants in the neighborhood to try, and also fun to hang out with a real New Yorker!

During the weekends Johan and I do a lot of walking, and now it is quite nice since the sun is shining almost every day! Last Saturday we walked the Brooklyn Bridge both over to Brooklyn and again on our way home after strolling by the river at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Also new vantage points of Manhattan. 🙂

Ilze, Jannie and Lara came to dinner, always fun to hang with them. 🙂 Sunday was the big game day, Super Bowl LLVII with Rihanna in Halftime. What a ballyhoo! I was instructed by Olle, so now I at least know a little bit more about the rules than before the game. The mixed media collage class is continuously fun so I paint something almost every second day. 🙂

On Valentine´s Day I had my online class and then I went to the gym. Olle came home with lots of candy and cookies from school and we had a nice fika at Brookfield Place. Yesterday I went to DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) since I was invited home to Karin and Mimmi and their two cats, Zoomy and Tina (quarantine names for quarantine cats ;-)). This was a day of bright sunlight and over 64 degrees F. ☀️☀️☀️

I had lunch in Peter Cooper Village at Malin´s place, also a really charming apartment with so much cool interior from the different parts of the world and cultures they have lived in. On Friday we will go for a power walk. 🙂 This is also Adam´s birthday, turning 26!

Last week the kids had their Mid Winter break, so all four of us took the train down to Washington D.C. and stayed there for a night. So few people and so many monuments and memorials.

The neighborhood of Georgetown is really picturesque with cobblestone streets and houses in beautiful architecture. Of course we did some sightseeing and experienced the National Mall, the White House and Arlington National Cemetery.

We also tried a nice restaurant, Martin´s Tavern and before we went back to NY, we got the chance to go under cover and become spies for an hour. 😉

Last Thursday we finally had the opportunity to walk Toffee! And also got to play with her for a couple of hours when Andrew had an appointment at the doctor´s.

We have heard a lot about Governors Island and last Friday we took the ferry out to this little island situated between Manhattan and Brooklyn. This is probably more of a summer attraction, felt a bit shabby and run down in the cold February wind gusts. The hotel is supposed to be fantastic, so perhaps we try that the next time – and also their new spa.

This week Johan is in L.A. so he missed the snow, lighting and thunder on Sunday night – all at the same time! Today Elvira, Olle and I are celebrating her name-day with song, presents, dinner at Soho Diner and perhaps best of all, a date with Toffee. Who just recently got a haircut. At the time of posting this blog, I am at Eataly, a really soft place to hang out!

Hahaha!!!

Posted on 10 October, 2022 in Danads, Family and Friends, Schools!, Sports

Events, hospital visit and renting a batting cage at Chelsea Piers

Friday before last, Peo was the first in line of DanAds´co-workers to come to New York for a week of “office warming” party, meetings, dinners and the big event Self-Serve Summit 2022. I think they were so happy and satisfied with all achievements and for me, Olle and Vira it was fun to participate and say Hello to both DanAds´ people and also to some of their clients.

I do a lot of walking 😉 Still, these views at the Hudson River are the best. Walking here is like a refill of peace to the soul.

Last Monday Olle and I went to the Gouverneur Hospital to, what we thought was only to receive his first vaccine doses. Two hours later we walked out of Dr. Gloria Perez´s examination room after a physical exam, had a form filled out of mental health status, titers done and two shots taken (Tdap and MenACWY). His next appointment is in the beginning of November, and then we will find out if he´s immune to e.g. Chickenpox or need a few more doses. We had another approach with Elvira, so she got her first dose of the Varicella at the MinuteClinic inside a CVS Pharmacy. Hopefully that is enough, or we have to arrange for her to visit the hospital as well.

Poor son. Like his big brother, Olle got really dizzy after the two vaccine doses

Hurricane Ian came to New York last weekend, decreased in strength but with heavy rain and winds.

There are still difficult times for the children, especially Vira, and I am hoping for a new “good enough” week as from tomorrow when schools start again. Today they are closed due to Italian Heritage and we are planning for Karin to come here tonight!

Olle is quite impressive considering he is not feeling too happy either, on this day off he’s made a schedule for today´s homework and also for a run at the Hudson. Also, he and I have a nice thing to look forward to, on Nov 22 we will go see Stromae at MSG! 🙂

At Chelsea Piers you can try a lot of sports and last Saturday we rented a cage to perform as baseball batters!

I follow Elvira to school in the mornings and almost every building has a cellar with entrances from the street. This creates regular holes in the sidewalk and I always feel like I’m going to fall down like Alice in Wonderland 😉

We have been here for almost three months already and I know time passes quickly. I really love waking up to a new day and my biggest hope is for the kids to feel comfy and happier.

We have a zoom meeting tomorrow evening with Vira´s school about a new platform called Jumprope and then on Wednesday a Google meeting for 11th graders at Olle´s school.

And I am so looking forward to Thursday, when the first drawing class will take place. 🙂 On Sunday, Elvira and I will have lunch with a Swedish girl and her mom, hopefully it will be a good aquaintance!

Still waiting for the sunflower to blossom… And finally, these two gentlemen are to die for! 😻😻

Posted on 28 August, 202213 June, 2023 in Schools!, Shopping, Sports

Continuity in tropical climate and degrees above 89 Fahrenheit – and still no cold in sight

If the above doesn´t work out as planned, I actually bought some succulents – those will hopefully survive!

During these last days we have checked the schools out and did some shopping. On Tuesday me and Elvira took the 6 Train from Spring St to Astor Pl, just to try out one of the routes to her (hopefully) new school. She totally loved it, even though her first comment was “I´m gonna get lost here at once”. 😉

Between visiting the gym and doing some lovely walks down the River Hudson Park, Johan and I have also already done our duty and early voted in the Swedish parliamentary election at the Swedish Consulate at One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza.

About to annouce our presence – and take the elevator up to floor 40 for the Swedish Election.

I went down to the closest basketball court at Hudson River Park and found these two 🥰

On Thursday morning, like almost every morning, I took a power walk down the river and out on the piers and a wasp look-a-like came climbing up my leg! At least 1.5 inches (almost 4 centimeters – I am trying to learn all the American measurement scales just to have a chance in helping the kids in their upcoming home work…).

Finally, Elvira got to visit the Ice Cream Museum at Broadway, together with a not as happy big brother 😉 In the end, they both came home pleased after eating as much ice cream as they wanted!

And Olle has just bought a keyboard (at Guitar Center again) and the guy in the store asked, after talking to me and Olle “- Where is his accent?!” Must feel sooo comfy to hear! 🙂

Yesterday Johan got a new pair of cool sneakers from On Cloud, and I found a pair of running shorts from Lululemon, so happy for them! 🙂 At lunch we tried the Korean Rice Chicken just around the corner, a bit similiar to Chilli&Soy in Täby Centrum.

Today we visited the gym again, and then had lunch at the Boqueria on Spring Street and Elvira and I just got home after two hours of probing gray jeans in every store on lower Broadway… Still no purchase, but perhaps with better luck another day :-).

And I got some cute furry pictures from Adam – hurts not to have them around but know they are doing sooo well at home.