HB COLD

It's been getting lighter and lighter lately, sometimes staying light until after 5, and this is a promising development. It's still cold as balls, but at least the sun is out. Although today we learned a lesson. Turns out even though it is bright outside, that's all it is, bright. We only have 2 full months of winter left. By mid-April the snow will be melting and the ski pants will be in the closet, the sunglasses will come out and the smell of saunas will be in the air, but until then it will still be very very cold for another 6-8 weeks.

I'll be traveling to Russia this week. A ten hour bus ride with a bunch of musicians to Pertozavodsk in the Russian Karelia (we live in the Finnish Karelia), then a couple of meetings with city and county officials, then a heavy metal rock concert for 2 days and then another 10 hour bus ride with a bunch of musicians. This is going to be one strange week. When I tell people that I am going to Russia - which is not a big deal to the Finns - they all ask me if it will be my first time and when I tell them yes, they all smile, nod, pat me on the shoulder and tell me to have fun. I have no idea what to expect, but whatever will be there will probably be pretty weird. Maybe even moreso considering the crew I will be making the trip with. Come to think of it, I would rather do a bunch of laundry and clean the house then spend 20 hours on a bus,