Fingertips Orange with Cheese

Last month, Heather sent me a gallon can of Garrett's CaramelCrisp and CheeseCorn popcorn. Of course I opened it. On a Saturday, I think. To make sure it was fresh. And it was. So I ate a little.

Then I stopped. I thought I would share it with my 11th grade class, which is kind of my favorite.

A couple of days later, I opened the can again and ate a little. I told myself that I could buy pre-popped white popcorn here in Tapa, mix it with Garrett's popcorn, and my students would think I hadn't eaten half the can already.

The next day: forget the kids. I ate the rest of the popcorn, delighting in the thickness of the cheese building up on my fingers

What Sunrise about 7.15 Looks Like

What -25 Degrees (F) Looks Like

Helsinki

Yes, you can see the Helsinki (Lutheran) Cathedral and the Uspenski (Eastern Orthodox)Cathedral from the Port of Katajanokka. Uspenski is the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe. Ah, Western Europe, the euro zone, mozzarella sandwiches, high speed trains without the clickety-clack, "Hei! Hei!" from sales associates - oh, how civilized the weekend was.

I spent the last hour of December 31, 1999 and the first hour of January 1, 2000 - the first hour of our current millennium - on the steps of the Helsinki Cathedral. I discovered fireworks laws were a little more liberal in Finland (as well as alcoholism laws) as I was stuck underneath a tall man's outstretched arm holding a canon that launched colorful balls of explosives.

Minus 25 and Still Alive

Yes, it was sunny but very cold and extremely windy as the M/s Rosella left the Port of Katajanokka in Helsinki on January 28 with me, my good friends from Tapa, and a boatload (literally) of Finnish senior citizens.