Day 61 Istanbul - Road trip

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... April 2012, Istanbul 
I have a board mandate of Visita Stockholm. Visita is a trade association for the hospitality industry in Sweden. We organize most hotels, restaurants and visitor industries in the country. I use many hours of meetings and lobbying to influence our politicians. Visita also want politicians to make decisions that are good for our branch. 

We usually do a trip every year. The destination this year was Istanbul. We had booked many tours of hotels and other facilities. Additionally, we had board meeting. 

Most properties in the city are very old. Obviously, there is often lack of an elevator and the stairs are uneven and narrow. One of the days was five shows booked and the next day three more in the morning. I did run out of all the energy the first day.  

The second day, I told the board that I needed to rest this morning. We stayed at a good hotel, so I booked a Turkish bath and massage instead of climbing stairs. Smart. 

In the afternoon, I followed the group for field trips in the old part of town. We walked a bit on the cobbled streets when we arrive at a park with a nice outdoor restaurant. I tell the group that I stay here and wait for you to come back.  

An hour and a half later, they're back. I had been sitting in the sun and drinking a beer and had a nice moment. The others were very tired when they were back. 

The last stop of the day was the Blue Mosque. I did not want to miss it. If you ever go to Istanbul, go there and look. It is an impressive building. 

We had some very nice days, with both nightclub visits and boat trip on the river. If I'm not mistaken, one of the delegates disappeared over the bridge one night. He ended up in Asia. What happened there, he would not talk about. 

I will definitely go back again. Then I will be my own tour guide and the agenda will be much calmer. ☺
To be continued...

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Today  
In the morning I finish the last Tax form, put stamps on the envelopes and drop them in the mailbox. 

Finish! Finito! Ready!

Time for pleasure. We let Spyder see the sun. We took a road trip on 100 kilometres. The motorcycle is very funny to drive. Acceleration is awesome. 0-100 km/h in 4 seconds. ME LIKE! I thought I would be tired after the drive, but no. 

My body was all right after the drive. Last week I was very tired after one hour drive. I am curios... 

Three wheels are good for kids - and for me...  

Day 60 Boys Toys - TAX

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April 2012 ..., Easter Toys
My birthday was on the Easter. In a package from my brother there was a record player and a stack of disco singles. The record player was connected quickly into the stereo, then the disco could begin. We played loud and long that night at night, and indeed several more evenings. There is nostalgia for real. I have a pretty big radio in the country house, after a while the neighbours who live 500 meters away, joined us. I did not mean to disturb ... 

Brand New

Machinery is fun. A friend of mine has a business selling parts. The range of items includes everything you need to your ATV or UTV. He frequently exhibits at trade shows around the country. To have something fun to show he had built on a Polaris RZR a few years ago. On the machine where EVERYTHING in stock fitted. I meet him sometimes. I have asked if they should switch the display machine soon. 

After Crach I

One day last fall, he called. The machine was for sale, and I bought it in a flash. It was left in the garage over the winter. At Easter, it was time to go on premier tour. My brother in law drove as if he had stolen he machine. Obviously, he did a somersault in the sand. A few days later it was time for my son's girlfriend to try. Although she did a somersault aswell. 

After Crach II

Eighty horsepower and all-wheel drive is nothing to play with. It's serious. Luckily, no one did not hurt them selfs in the caches. It got just a little repair of disrupted cage and drive shafts. Such belongs.

When everything worked again, it was time for me to test the limits. I understand that not accustomed driver flipped the machine. It was terribly fast. Thanks to the increase suspension, the ground clearance was 35 centimetres. Because of that, there are almost no barriers to stop the ride. It was possible to drive it in 5 feet deep water. Terribly funny. 

It does not end there. The machine burned up later. But more about that later. 

Say the fun, that lasts forever. ☹
To be continued...

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Today  
A good day. I feel better and have been sleeping many hours.  

All day long I spent on the declaration. Tax Agency requires very accurate disclosure. It takes time. For some reason, I save everything to the last day. Stupidly, you have four months to complete.  

Why wait?

Day 59 Digging - Resting

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... April 2012, Easter Week in Värmland.
The family had a tradition to go to our summer house in Värmland during the Easter weekend. When the sun has done its job and melted the snow. It's nice to get there. Clean water, clean air and rest. There are not too many must-haves, I can just be. The house is old and heated in fireplaces. It's a little crafting to get warm in the house. It shall be collected wood and burned in the fireplaces for a few hours.

Easter is a wonderful time, it's not so warm and frost is in the ground. The sun is usually there. It heats situated on the south wall of the house. I can also take my ATV for a ride in the woods. ATV is an invaluable tool for me when I'm out in the woods. Where you can walk, I can run. I also avoid getting wet on small streams are crossed. 

The funniest our task is to bring the excavator from hibernation. I have a small 3 ton crawler that I dig ditches with. The battery usually always be bad for winter. There was no difference this time. 

After a moment of crafting simmered it going. I certainly spent 6 hours and 30 litres of diesel in the excavator. Behind me I had left 30 feet nicely ditch. 

There is relaxation for real!
To be continued...

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Today 

I was really tired today. It has been a long week, and I have been sleeping almost 11 hours the last 24 hours.

Very ineffective. I hate it. But my body say NO today. I needed to relax.

Well, tomorrow is a new day...

Day 58 Thailand - Problem solving

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... February 2012, Thailand again. part II 
After our road trip we went to my father in laws house in Hua Hin. There we had some lazy days in the sun. We had set our routines at my previous trips there. It was nice to be down in the heat when the body was stiff and spastic. I went for massage almost every day. Weeks of Thailand made a big difference. It's nice to be in the heat without the body stops functioning. I can thank that to CCSVI wich I done at AMEDS clinic in Poland 2011. The surgery has made a big difference in my higher brain functions and on my mental endurance. 

When I came back to Sweden it was was much to attend to at work. Many meetings and negotiations. I tried to have a schedule of the day's activities as my energy enough. I'm not saying it's easy, but it works. 

Unfortunately, the disease became more reminded all the time. You can do many things differently, or to allow others to help. Finally, I come to a limit, when a task is no longer possible to perform. It's sad, but a fact. It is not possible to find alternative solutions in the infinite. 

End of the road had come to experience travel. It becomes too difficult to travel from now on. I am still grateful for the travelling I have done until now. Who knows, maybe the future can find a cure for MS. 

I can guarantee, I want to be first in line for such a treat!
To be continued...

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Today 
It was a busy day today. Much problem solving and not very efficient. It is by far the worst situation I can have. When I do not get to do one thing at a time. It drains the little energy I have very effectively.

Tomorrow is a new day. :)

Day 57 Thailand - Bone marrow and MRI

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... February 2012, Thailand again. part I 
It felt a bit like the last "big" trip. My body did work so badly that it was not any great experience making large excursions. Anyway, I wanted to see Northern Thailand. We rented a car with a driver and took off. 

Our road trip was over 1000 kilometres. It was nice to experience Thailand from a non-tourist perspective. We lived in simple hotels and motels. We ate a dinner at a very simple restaurant, in front of the house where the owner's family lived.  

He asked if we wanted to eat chicken. Good, he said, and picked up a rooster from the backyard. That´s what I call fresh food.

Everyone we met was helpful and hospitable. The dinner cost is rarely more than 100 Bath. An overnight stay at simple hotel with breakfast cost about 200 Bath. Luckily our driver spoke good English and was able to help us with the translation.  

A dinner that I will never forget was the mango salad. It was more chillies than mango in it. It gave me  fourth degree burns of the mouth and stomach.  

It took several days before my stomach was OK again. 

After a week on the road so we ended up in Kwai. We went by train across the river.  

It is inconceivable that the bridge held for the trains weight. It looked not sturdier than a standard deck construction. 

Apparently kept the train on the rails, because I'm sitting here and writing. I was very sceptical for a while when I looked out the window of the train.
To be continued...

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Today  
Many people have asked me where in the body's stem cells. The answer is that they are found in many places in the body. Mesenchymal stem cells are used in the MSCs. They are harvested from bone marrow. The procedure is not complicated and does not hurt more than the dentist. It is certainly a little uncomfortable but totally bearable. 

Today it was time for another MRI. I'm getting so used to the survey that today, I fall a sleep. Yorge woke me up when he had taken me out of the tunnel, and all X-ray sequences were done. 

The only problem is that my blood vessels on arms getting broken. Well, they have time to heal the next sampling. 

Today, Justin Bieber appeared on the Globe here in Stockholm. My 12 year old daughter has been nagging about this Justin, so that my wife and I have had eczema in the ears. Today it was finally time for the concert. We drove her to the concert and then went and accomplished some cases.  

After the event was over, we were not the only parents who were trying to find their children. There was chaos in the area. It took more than an hour to get from there. I had to take the car when I have trouble walking. Very bad choice!

I can almost be a little jealous. Imagine if I had Justin's attraction on girls 30 years ago ...