Update from Almhult

It has been a quiet week here in Almhult among the Swedes :)

Not much has been going on.  I wanted to get out this week to get some pictures of the town for you, but the rain has prohibited this.

We had a very nice Saturday morning!  David and I took our bikes out and rode around Almhult.  We started out by going to the resale shop.  Not much there, but a bunch of old, smelly stuff that I do not need.  Next we went up into the town center and went to a couple of the clothing stores, stopped at the Systembolaget (the liquor store), bought a box of wine and then we stopped at the local bakery for a treat.  After that we went to this really cool store that is a mix of a flower/garden shop and home items.  We bought some candle holders and a couple of plants.  You realize on Saturday mornings how small the town really is.  We ran into several people we know.  However, since it is a small place, most people pretty much just say "Hi" and go on with their business.  There is no obligation to have a long conversation, which if there was, you would never get your errands done. :)

We spent the rest of Saturday afternoon getting the lawn mowed and a very long row of beach roses trimmed back to where they should be.  Then the rains came.

Pretty much it has rained all week.  So I have been staying home and working on a cross-stitch. 

Funny story - Last time we were in Helsingborg David bought me a huge mum that fits in perfectly with the family room.  The mum is a soft rose color and sits in front of one of the side windows and brightens the room.  Well it is between the breakfast bar and a bookcase.  My cat, Tiqui, decided to jump from the breakfast bar to the bookcase, but she missed.  We saw her flying through the air and the next thing, she was lost in the mum!  Luckily, the mum survived with only a couple of broken stems, but Tiqui was very embarrassed!  Tiqui sometimes misjudges her jumps and it usually ends up with a big laugh for us and embarrassment for her.  Poor thing!

Good news - we finally got our bank cards!  We ordered them on September 1st and waited and waited.  We received our pin numbers and bank statement in the mail, but no cards.  We were waiting patiently, but on Saturday we ran into the lady from the bank and she inquired as to why we had not activated our cards.  Come to find out the post office did not deliver and returned them to the bank.  So we had to go to the bank and get them!  Now we are able to make purchases without any problems.  The problem has been that the cards here in Europe contain a "chip" and you use a pin code to complete your transaction.  This is a completely different banking system than exists in the United States.  Actually it is a much safer system and there is less chance of fraud.  Without this type of card, it makes transactions more difficult and very frustrating!

The second good news is that when we got home from the bank yesterday, we received our personal numbers in the mail!  Now we can purchase a car, internet, and do whatever else requires a personal number to complete!  As I have explained before, you are helpless until you receive this number!  Thank goodness it came just a week after we applied, we thought that we might have to wait up to a month to receive it!  Also, the post office will know that we actually exist and will then deliver our mail the way they should. It has been randon as to what they deliver and what they don't.  Funny thing, after receiving our personal number, we have to go back to the tax office with many of the same documents we took to get our personal number so then we can get our social insurance.  They have to see the same documents again - not sure why and why it could not all be done in the same visit.  These are also the same documents we took to the Embassy Office to get our resident/work permits.  Lots of duplication - perhaps it is so many people can have jobs.  Not sure, just a pain in my back side!

Tomorrow, David and I are going to go to Helsingborg and do a bit of shopping and perhaps start looking for a car!  David is off to London on Sunday.  I will try again to get out and get pictures of Almhult for you and get them posted.  I am hoping the rain will stop and the sun will come out soon!

I will post again soon!  Take care of yourself.