March 8, 2007

Adventure Day #5 & #6

(c) copyright View From Silicon Valley, 2007.  All rights reserved.



Still stuck in the snow...
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 8:10 AM
Subject: Adventure Day #5


Today, I am sitting in meetings all day --sooo boring.  (The meetings aren't so bad but the sitting down in one place all day is not my most favorite thing in the world.)  Much as I would like to sit in the back & goof off writing e-mail, they make you close your computer.  Does this rule sound like school? Where they expect you to pay attention? (I guess I'll have to finish this later...)

...OK, now I'm back.

The sun is just going down at 4:53pm here on Wednesday afternoon.  It looks like Helsinki is getting almost as much daily sunlight as San Jose?  They are so far north that I would expect Helsinki to be getting much less daylight than northern California.  Maybe they are farther west within their time zone vs. California, which I recall is on the very eastern edge of Pacific time? Maybe we can study a map when I get back & figure it out.

No real excitement today --unless you count that I sent out some of my laundry this morning.  Can't be running around in dirty underwear or socks now can I?  Or should I just be stinky?

Tonight we're having dinner & apparently a Finnish sauna.  (I don't know how/if a Finnish sauna is different than a regular sauna but I do know all the hotels aournd here seem to have one & you can make an appointment to use it.  I guess when it's really cold outside, sitting in the hot sauna is a good deal.)  The sauna doesn't interest me so much but they all think it's normal to get naked (OK, probably wrapped in a towel) & sit in a sauna together.

It's even more odd since one of the FAE's is now a woman plus Niina, the sales admin, is also here.  I guess they just sit out?  If they leave, maybe I can leave with them & go somewhere more interesting?  Or maybe we'll have nakey & non-nakey people?  (Don't worry there is a locker room & the sauna is on the other side of it from the main meeting rooms.)

Bottom line, there wasn't too much adventure today.  (Which is OK, since I had so much "adventure" the previous few days.)

Uh oh, looks like the meeting is starting again & I'll have to close my PC...

...OK, I'm back again.

Meetings are over now & it's time for dinner.

I hope you are having some fun?  I haven't heard any police or fire reports about our house, so I guess you are keeping the parties & dancing kitties under control?

"Talk" to you soon!

Love,
Daddy

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 4:19 PM
Subject: Re: Adventure Day #5

Dear Daddy,

So did you do the sauna?  If you did, how was it?

"Baby girl" got only 2 problems wrong on her math test (she mistakenly thought 3 yds=1 mile!).  She had her social studies test today and thinks she only got 1 problem wrong.

Smoochie has been sleeping during the day on your old workout bag.  He is sometimes running around in the middle of the night when he isn't attached at the hip to Mommy.

It is starting to rain here, and rain is forecast for the rest of the week.

Back to homework.  Stay dressed!

Love,
"Baby girl," Sally, and SB Smoochie (SB=Sleepy Boy)


----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 2:13 AM
Subject: RE: Adventure Day #6

Hey You Crazy Women:

God job on your math test & social studies test.  I'm very proud of you! (You too, mommy.)  People have asked me & I tell them "Baby girl" is very good at math (& many other things as well).

I don't understand how Smoochie is bothering my workout bag  (I assume you mean my blue & gold rugby bag?) & also still bugging mommy.  It seems like he should only be able to ruin one thing at a time --unless you two cloned him since I left?  Or maybe you're confusing him with one of those dancing kitties you let into the house?

No, I didn't do the sauna last night.  I was so dehydrated from the cold air & drinking coffee all day I already had a little headache.  I didn't think going into a sauna at that point was a good plan.

At one point I noticed a bunch of people had left the area where we were having dinner & then realized they were going off to the sauna.  A couple guys came out (only) in their towels to go out on the porch area. They swear it's good for your to get all hot in the sauna & then go out in the freezing cold & snow but I don't get it.

A little later, it was down to just the two women & I.  One of the women (Heli) is from Oulu & wanted to go back to the hotel also, so we split a cab & went back.  Heli recently joined Hantro.  She explained she dropped out of working for awhile to spend more time with her son.  He is 10 years old now (home in Oulu this week with her husband).  When he was younger he apparently had spent a lot of time with them at the company they owned.  She said that by the time he was six he had spent
so much time there at work that he knew how to work several of their machines.  Apparently, he spent the time in between playing soccer by himself in the parking lot.  That's why she dropped out of working to spend more time with him.

It was also interesting to see she was wearing a fur coat.  (I later heard her tell someone it was a mink coat.)  Fur coats are very common over her even though many people shun them in the USA. I guess it's so cold here, & fur coats are so warm, that the actual need for the extra warmth overcomes the animal cruelty issues people here in the (warmer) US think are more important.  I guess it's another one of those things you learn when you travel.

On the one hand, I missed the party last night at the sauna.  On the other hand, I got a good night's sleep & feel pretty good (although still a little tired) this morning.  (It's now ~noon on Thursday). Everybody had to be back out the door at 8am this morning & several of them look really(!!) tired (OK, they had hangovers)!  I guess they didn't grow bigger & stronger overnight like "Baby girl" does every night?

Tonight is my last night in Finland & tomorrow I fly to Barcelona.  The weather there is now +13C (= +55F) with a forecast for 59F Saturday & Sunday & even 62F on Monday, compared to -15C (= +5F) today in Helsinki. It's warmed up enough in Helsinki today that it's snowing.  But that's just normal for Finland in February & everything seems to be running smoothly (so my plane should be OK tomorrow).

If something "interesting" or "adventurous" happens later today, I'll write another e-mail.

Love,
Daddy, getting his sleep & staying out of the sauna

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 3:28 PM
Subject: Re: Adventure Day #6

Dear Daddy,

It is pouring outside (3:22pm).  "Baby girl" just got home from school and is in a very good mood.  Smoochie bothers your rugby bag during the day and bothers Mommy at night.

Today, I had a bowl of cereal with some white milk leftover.  He jumped on the side table and took a few drinks, looking very content.  I guess he likes milk!

Looks like we're going to the Stanford (Women's) basketball game on Saturday.  Should be interesting. Hopefully, your flights run on time.  Barcelona weather sounds nice --similar to here.

That's all for now!

Love,
Your Crazy Women and LM Smoochie (LM=Likes Milk)