Mukmuk?

Tuomo writes: A couple of entries ago I wrote about the official Vancouver Winter Olympics mascots, Quatchi, Miga, and Sumi. I also mentioned that there was a fourth one, which does not appear on the video clip. Therefore I thought it would be appropriate to introduce Mukmuk, my personal favourite because he deserves more exposure than he's currently getting in the media.

And what in heaven's name is Mukmuk, considering that the other mascots are these fantasy creatures that the locals claim do not represent Vancouver? Mukmuk is a Vancouver Island marmot, an endangered rodent.

The reason why they are endangered may well lie simply anough in Dave's acute observation: they're so cute you could eat one! Once again, I think Dave has a point :-)

How to Waste Time

Tuomo writes: Here's yet another cute webiste to help you while away the hours at the computer: instead of creating poetry only on your fridge door you can now do the same online! Enjoy!

To err is human; to purr - divine (On a tchotchke for cats in a petstore)

First Day as an Auxiliary Assistant

Tuomo writes: Yayy! I have a day job!!! OK so it's an on-call position but that's better than nothing...

The day started by getting to the office at 8:30, starting the computers, and going through the voice mail. Then I prepared all the colour-coded tutor schedules (surprisingly challenging) and completed the task of checking whether the URLs on our handouts to students were still active (surprisingly many weren't). Sent out a couple of faxes, responded to phone calls (and tried to sound like I was on top of things though I wasn't), and sent out an long over-due e-mail to friends (I guess I've got the grasp of how to look busy!)

Tonight I'm going to see Enchanted with Angie (Joy may be joining) because Dave's having fun with his coworkers. I've been wanting to see this ever since I saw the preview in the summer - and Dave's glad that he doesn't have to go see it :-)

I may have stuffed myself silly with sushi (courtesy of Tuukka and Joy), but there's always room for Sour Patch Kids...

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Après le cinéma: Regarding Enchanted... All I can say is that it was adorable; the Little Princess in me will be happy forever and ever!!! Perfect as a date movie but also fun as a self-parody. James Marsden was perfect as the charming but thick prince of fairy tales, while Patrick Dempsey (a growly oooh!) was just deliciously perfect in the role of the true prince in a shiny armour. Swoon :-)

(Marsden, left; Dempsey, right)

Dad's Home!

Tuomo writes: I wasn't looking forward to calling my mom tonight and hearing more about what hadn't been done. As a result, I was quite surprised to hear dad's voice instead of mom's! He was released on Wednesday evening, right before the Independence Day, a big thing for my folks. The tests he'd been waiting for will be carried out next week, and there was no need for him to stay at the hospital any longer.

And not a moment too soon either! His hollering roommate had been replaced by another, this one even more raving mad. She refused to stay at the hospital, and even started to act violently towards the staff who tried to calm her down, get undressed and go back to bed. She said she'd call for the police, and the staff retaliated by calling in the guards. It wasn't until the 200 kilo guard showed up and gave her a menacing look that she calmed down. Even so, they tied her down, as a safety measure...

My dad's summary of the week-long ordeal: not a fun place...

She's Ninety - and still Going Strong!

Tuomo writes: Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää!!!

After centuries of varying degrees of mental and physical abuse by her spouces until 1917 when she declared her independence, Finland has been able to blossom and to become a fabulous gal that she is today at the age of 90. Though this freedom was seriously threatened in the late 1930s and early 40s by her former spouse to the east, she remained headstrong and did not succumb to the agressions. When asked for the secret for her success, she coyly responded, "Sisu, Sibelius, sauna, and rye bread. Oh and Nokia phones!"

Here's the Finnish national anthem (with an English translation for the Finnish Language Challenged):


Unlike the past few years, Dave and I won't be hosting an Independence Day reception this year. Under normal circumstances, that would have been held last Saturday. For one, we don't have the kitchen for it. Then there's the issue of limited space to entertain such a crowd of people... Oh well, maybe next year... Not that there are any other fabulous holiday parties lined up anyway...

On a more somber note, here are some Wikipedia links to other world events that have their anniversaries on this very same day:
Halifax Eplosion (Halifax, NS 1917)
Ecole Polytechnique Massacre (Montreal, QC 1989

Who's Hot

Tuomo writes: On a much lighter note...

When we lived in Maryland, we'd watch Channel 8 in the mornings for news, traffic, and weather reports. Our mornings would be so much brighter when Adam Caskey would be there with his weather forecast, especially after he trimmed his jew-fro to his current short haircut. We'd try to see if he wore a wedding band, ergo if he might be"one of us"...

Now that we live in Langley, we no longer have this morning luxury... Nowadays we watch Channel 11, or GlobalBC. Their weather forecaster is Mark Madryga, nowhere as dorky-dreamy as Adam but still IMHO belongs to the category of hot. Dave disagrees vehemently: nobody can be as hot as Adam Caskey.

Here the two are, for your viewing pleasure ; you decide - but don't forget to share your opinion!

Adam Caskey (left), Mark Madryga (right)

Dad's in the Hospital:-(

Tuomo writes: Tuukka calls me Saturday morning at 9AM to come over: mom had called and told him that dad has been in the hospital since Tuesday! He had met with his physician about his sciatica, but the physician noticed some arrhytmia and wanted my dad to go immediately to the hospital. Since he was out on his car, he got the permission to take his car back home before going to Mariansairaala ("Maria Hospital"). Before leaving for the hospital he went to the bathroom and noticed some blood in his stool. Whoo boy...

I can't recall all the details anymore, but dad had been on this (Danish) painkiller Voltaren retard due to his sciatica. I decided to google it there and then and see what kind of information I could find out on its possible side effects. Turns out that gastrointernal bleeding is a common side effect for this drug, and in the case of older people "can be serious." Ack! Fortunately, by conveying this information (with the specification on older people conveniently omited) I guess I was able to calm my mom down a bit. Not that I'm a physician let alone a phrmacologist (albeit a blond one), I'm sure that relaying the information that the bleeding was probably due to the drug rather than some other cause was good news. In fact, at the hospital they had taken my dad off Voltaren, and consequently he had started to feel better.

I talked to my mom again tonight. On Sunday when we had last talked, my dad was supposed to go through some diagnostics and stuff, but as of Tuesday night Finnish time, none have been carried out. The doctor has been around only once, and nobody knows when my dad's going to be tested. The (Estonian) staff, while adequately friendly, tells my dad one thing ("I'll take your temperature") - and then act upon it like an hour later! I guess if things were worse, my dad would be taken better care of, and he would've been transferred to a better hospital...

Oh and nobody is around on weekends, so this week, with the Independence Day falling on a Thursday, is going to be the week from hell... no physicians, no doctors, no diagnostics until...?! Perkele...!

To make things worse for my poor dad, his "roommate" is this demented lady who's yelling things like. "What are these Commies doing here?" or "Kill the bleep-in' Russians!" Apparently she's been given the green light to transfer either home or to some other facility, but not only does the patient not want to move or go home but her next-of-kins do not want her home either. Considering how regimented my dad is (he has to listen to the news in peace and quite once an hour), having to deal with the misery of hospital food or poor service just pale in the light of having to deal with this additional misery.

Keep your fingers crossed; I'll keep you posted on how this procedes...