Happy Labor day!

Open letter to the bicycle thief/thieves of Forssa


First of all...FUCK YOU!

Second of all...How dumb are you?

Third of all...SERIOUSLY?!?

So my bike got stolen today for the second time this year. The bike that has no chains, has no breaks and has no gears. It was stolen for the first time few months ago and was found few weeks ago. I even made an appointment to get it fixed. Thankfully I didn't spend that 250 euros yet.

Ybi went to the grocery store for an hour this morning and when he came back the bike was gone. It was chained to the bike rack that's on his yard. Last time it wasn't even locked but seriously, how dumb do you have to be to steal a bike that you can't ride? Like seriously? If I was to steal a bike, I'd make sure it works! And when I realize it doesn't, I'd ditch it. The bike was gone for few months last time and then returned to an alley near where it was stolen from. It took them weeks to realize that it wasn't working, nor would it work without it being fixed.

If you see this bike "hanging around" in a street corner or at somebody's yard, please notify me.

In other news, Brooklyn caught a bigger prey than ever before. He's such a smart little hunter

Anyway, hope you have a great labor day! Another paid holiday!

Do I see what I want to see or what is really there?

This being-the-only-lesbian-in-the-village business is hard (work). I don't know any other L/G/B people in Forssa, I see them but I don't know them. Once I opened my eyes and started looking, yes, they do in fact exist in this town. Now, though, I'm not sure if what I see is reality or if what I see is what I want to see. Does that make any sense?

Yesterday was once again "wear rain boots to work" day. A group of first year sustainable development students from HAMK came to Tammela to see different projects we've done during the years and I was their tour guide. Everyone knows that I'm an amazing public speaker so I wasn't worried at all... Anyway, we went to 4 different locations and I told them about 2 of them. There was about 15 of them and I am about 85% sure there was a lesbian couple in the group. And if they weren't a couple they definitely had feelings for each other. Always together, kind of leaning towards each other. Aww, young love.

Resolution...or a promise?

I went to buy a ridiculously heavy cat litter yesterday and as I was paying for it they handed me a news letter called "cat post". I was browsing through it and on the last page there was an ad for "Litter kwitter", a system to teach your kitty to do their business in the toilet bowl. I know I have mentioned this when I first brought the kittens home, Brooklyn especially would be a prime candidate to learn and learn quickly and DD could imitate him. So, I, just now, made a promise to myself that by the time they turn 1, on August 9th 2012, they will be toilet trained. I will post a video as a proof of the intelligence of my kittens.

6

My big super gay easter with a dash of bi on top

There really is nothing better than government sanctioned 4 day easter holiday with an extra day off to get your gay on! 4 day easter holiday when unemployed is no way different from 2 day weekend, but when you don't have to go to work but still get paid...priceless!

Me and my mom went to a big flee market in Salo on Saturday followed by one in Forssa. I saw my friend Marita there and we made plans to go out on Saturday night. After few drinks, card games and catching up I felt like going clubbing so I texted Arttu to see where they were going and joined his posse. I spent my night spotting the gays in the club. Came up with 2 confirmed bi's and few suspected gays. And few clearly confused, but it's not my place to judge. I spent my Sunday in bed getting over the hangover. I'm a light weight, I can't lie!

On Monday I went to Tampere to an international gay group meeting. They had decided to do some "crafts", which turned out to be crocheting (virkkaus). There was 6 gay boys and me...really, who knew that the terminology for it was so dirty? It was all about tight holes and pushing through and loosening up.

Then I took Tuesday off to be a human book in the human library at my old high school. (And I'm happy to have the official english word for it too.) It was once again great experience and I was so glad to realize that all of the 12 people who "borrowed" me, none thought that being gay was anything special. They told me there is at least 2 gay boys and 1 lesbian at the school and no one thinks it's something that should get you bullied for. All of them know and have gay people in their lives so it's part of the environment they are growing up in. I wish I had that when growing up. But it was very therapeutic to sort of come out in high school, even if it was 13 years after I matriculated from that place!

It's also great to speak with the other human books and squash some of my own prejudice. You learn so much from the others and listening to them I always appreciate how easy my coming out was and the relative easiness of my life in general. And I also learned that not all porn stars are beautiful women with big boobs. Sometimes they are in their 40's, have blond hair to their shoulders, look like life has treated them harshly, wearing big black hoodies and camo pants. And also look like the spitting image of Tony Halme!

Also, I was not the only lesbian in attendance!

Stroke my ego

Sigh. First month of my new job is behind me and I am loving it. I think I found my "field". There are days when I can hardly find the time to go eat and I feel like I go to work at 8am and blink once and it's time to go home. I'm definitely not bored! I'm slowly getting to know my co-workers at the technical department and I love the fact that we have our coffee breaks together. There's a sense of unity. Even among the women. I guess we all have such a different job descriptions that there's no need to step on anyone's toes. Or stab anybody in the back. Not like in that one place I worked at...

Challenges and learning. Check. And validation. I cannot tell how good it feels to be acknowledged for the job you do. And feel like you accomplish things during the day. Not just sitting on the sofa playing games all day long or pretending to look for jobs. I'm researching things I never thought I would look into, I'm being treated as a professional and an expert in things I have no place being called an expert. And people are listening to me. Let's not forget the occasional middle aged farmers I'm dealing with who have no regards to young, small and female project coordinator, but being taken seriously by my co-workers does plenty to smooth my feathers.

Few weeks ago I went to speak at a local school's PTA meeting in regards to one of the projects I'm coordinating. The project is so far from my expertise or what I've studied that we're not even on the same  planet but they treated me like I knew everything or that building pedestrian and bikeways was what I do. Well, I guess it is now...sort of. I, personally, won't build anything...just coordinate. For building and designing there will be more intelligent people at work! But as I was driving home from the meeting I just couldn't stop smiling. After the past 3 years, after all the rejection letter, all the non-returned phone calls and e-mails, after being made feel like a 3rd class citizen...I'm reveling in this feeling. I also had my first payday on Friday...what a feeling!

I haven't opened my TV to watch any series regularly since being back to Finland, but after I got a TV guide few weeks ago and there was an article about the show "Revenge" I had to watch it. So far the premises is great but one thing making me watch it is the fact that once upon a time I applied to be the environmental coordinator of the township of Southampton and even got a call back! LOL! Nothing came of it, after I tried to call them back they never returned my calls, but wouldn't it had been like a match made in heaven: me and the rich and famous in the Hamptons? I can just see myself in my "couture" mingling with the folks there. That could have been a reality show!

I had to by rain boots this weekend. One of my projects is going to the woods tomorrow! Our consultant is showing us what he's come up with as far as measures to stop and slow water movements from one lake to another and to prevent flooding in the lower lakes and just in time winter came back! Last week was so pretty and getting warm and sunny. This wee started with snow and traffic chaos...And the white ground is gonna be a problem when trying to see what goes where. But I have hiking boots, rain boots, woolly socks, long johns, rain pants and coat, winter coat, fleece, hat, baseball cap, mittens etc packed so I'm ready!

I took the cats outside yesterday. Just as I was leaving it started snowing. Poor DD, she's not usually a lap cat but yesterday when we were outside she couldn't get to my lap fast enough and tried to burrow her way inside my fleece. And Brooklyn looked exceptionally fluffy. I have pictures. They probably hate the carrying box by now...it's either the Vet or going outside in the snowy weather. I might be taking them outside this Friday as well if weather permits. Going for Easter lunch at my mom's and Ybi said he'd change summer tires to the car and I might take the cats with me and they can hang out with him. They were pathetic yesterday though...hiding behind things. By the summer they'll be pro's at visiting people and places!

More soon(ish)!