The day I was hit by a middleaged woman in the middle of the street. in the middle of the day...

...it started off not as a perfectly normal day, as both Malin and I were muffled by both sad and happy thoughts, but normal enough in an objective sense. We drove into Norrtälje to do some bits and bobs and look for a few things.

After doing our bits and bobs Malin went into Presssbyrån to buy some stamps and I stood outside and lit a cigarette as one does. Note this was on the street, not in the doorway, and it is perfectly legal to smoke in the street in Sweden as most other places. A middleaged slightly wierd looking woman comes walking around the corner, walks up to me under her umbrella muttering something and then she HITS me square on the hip with not only her hand, but her entire arm!! Whilst shouting the swedish equivalent of 'f*cking idiot, I told you I don't want it, I don't WANT IT!!' I stand there, assaulted, shocked, staring at the apparently crazy woman who just HIT me in MY HIP, and look at an old couple next to me who are just as shocked. I shouted something like 'what the hell are you doing...crazy woman!' and then 'she just HIT me!' to the couple, and they shake their heads and look at me with pity and looks at the woman with disdain. The loco woman had then walked about two metres away but was still shouting and turned around as I shouted to assault me some more; 'Jag vill inte HA din rök säger jag, jag vill inte HA cancer, ditt JÄVLA PUCKO!!!'

Hon kallar mig PUCKO för att jag röker på en gata utomhus, i regnet! Luckily Malin was outside at this point and talked me to sense, as I was so angry I felt like poking my knitting needle into this woman's eye!!!! Malin has always been the sensible of us two, and her remark that you shouldn't hit mentally ill people made sense after a while. I almost cried though as I was so....shocked?..hurt?...assaulted?? I have never ever ever been hit in my life, and when it does happen its in the HIP (?) by a crazy! Bloody hell..Norrtälje should be renamed Ciudad de Locos!

Oh well, after a Mer and a sandwich and putting my new bright red wellies I was happy again (luckily I have the attention span of a goldfish and the mood of a fiveyear old, it takes little to make me happy again). I also planned a secret appointment at 2.00 tomorrow, so unless I am assaulted again by crazy norrtälje woman again tomorrow should be a good day.

Also, I spoke to mamma who had been at mommos all day with her siblings. She said that she and mommo wanted me to read 'Ode to a Sea Captain' during the memorial after the funeral. Mamma said that mommo wanted it as the obituary even! I am so honoured! I just poured a little bit of my heart out and it was liked by so many people! Shows how far honesty and sharing ones thoughts and memories can take you. I will proudly and happily translate the text and read it to moffa and the rest of my family. Hopefully I will be able to collect myself and read it without crying as well. If not we will just have a crying feast. And I am allowed to swear in the Congregation Centre! No one could censor Moffa, so I am happy I am allowed to swear in his memory!

One more day in Rimbo and then we are on our way to Finland, I can't wait, have never needed a mammahug more than right now I think!

Thinking of you all families Jylhä/Mehtonen/Jakobsson!

Ensam är inte stark - Vi är starka i delad kärlek, minnen, glädje och sorg!

And to hopefully make you laugh as well, look at silly Anna-Karin swimming in Årsta Viken a Saturday night in Stockholm;