My training blog is now up and running, so I will no longer be boring you with the nit and gritty of the week in week out preparation that has to be put into these events. My running will still get mentions on here every now and then but for the more in depth reading you will have to look elsewhere.

Work has been crazy as ever. I have only been there about 2 months but already have 14 hours of flexitime built up, and that's after taking 5 hours of it! With it being mid summer the Swedes have been having there annual attempt to deplete the world of pickled herrings. In previous years this hasn't affected me in the slightest, let them eat their smelly fish if they want to, why should it bother me.

Not this year, not since I have to pack all the damn fish to be carted away to the supermarkets. It wouldn't be so bad if everything remained in the packaging but of course it doesn't. Bottles get broken, the liquid preserving the fishes runs down the back of the pallet to be forgot about until it stinks to the high heavens in the weeks to come. Or worse it gets soaked into your gloves, you feel your nose starting to run for working in a constant 4 degree environment and the inevitable happens. You might as well stick a fish up your nose and be done with it.

Of course being mid summer we are being treated to the longest days of the year. Driving home in the twilight at midnight still feels a bit bizarre. Maria has me paranoid about meeting a moose on the way home. Apparently they are more active during these hours so you have to be extra careful, they are large solid animals that would write your car off and then die before you get the chance to exchange insurance details. Twice I have spotted a large dark object lingering by the edge of the road. Twice I have been concerned and slowed considerably. Twice have I been very glad that few buses run after 11 in the evening so there was no one watching as I crawled past the bus stop...