Insured!

Today I finally received my KELA card. Not having a KELA card was ok, it hasn't exactly been outrageously expensive to go to the doctor or anything, but now it will be even cheaper. I am also no longer restricted to just going to private doctors now either. Prescriptions, which have already cost next to nothing will also be half the price. So I am not complaining at all. I am just happy to be "insured"! Yay me!!



This is a picture of what my KELA card looks like. This one isn't mine. Not that I couldn't take a picture of mine and post it, I would just rather not do it. I got this picture from the KELA website. Obviously it is only an example, hence the word Specimen printed across it. I will be going to get my picture ID KELA card soon, and I am excited about that. Once I have one of those handy I will no longer have to tote my passport everywhere I go. Not that I mind, but I would rather not accidently misplace it (as I am so proned to do). They are more expensive to replace than an ID card! Now I suppose my mission will be finding a regular doctor to go to.

My Charge

I have a very special guest staying with me until Wednesday (Keskiviikko) night. His name is Rufu (not Rufus). He belongs to a lady that works with my husband, and they are on vacation so he is staying with me until they get back. I am in heaven having a doggy to look after. The hubby says that this is my "trial run" to see how I will handle having a dog of my own. To me that is hilarious because I had never been without a dog until I was 24 years old (last year!). He knows I will be just fine. Anyway, back to Rufu...he has made himself right at home. He ended up in my bed about 5 minutes after he arrived, and has been at my feet since then. He is a sweet little critter. The only downside to Rufu is his 5-6am bathroom runs. Not that I am complaining though, oh no, I love, LOVE having him here. I'll be sad to see him leave later this week. So until then I am going to enjoy having his company!!



Rufu making himself right at home!


Me and Rufu (sorry for the horrible acne!!)

Technical Difficulties!!

What a scare we had in our house last night. The hubby was playing a computer game and all of the sudden the "blue screen of death" flashed up. We tried forever and ever to get the computer working again. We even went so far as to try and re-install the windows program, but the computer wouldn't do it. It kept telling us that our disk was corrupt. Tonight one of my BILs came over with his version of Windows and we tried installing it, but it didn't work. So the hubby called his other brother and they talked for a while. My other BILs, brother-in-law works with computers so he gave us a few suggestions and even priced some computers for us. Well, one of the suggestions worked. We took out one of the memory sticks and the computer started right up again. Just a little slower. We're still worried that the computer can go at anytime, so we're saving for a new one. Without a computer I am cut off from the U.S. Well, I do have 5 phone numbers saved on my phone, but other than that I am cut off. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this computer will last long enough for us to save for the new one!!! Today we got lucky...tomorrow?? who knows what the problem will be!!!

Hyvää Nimipäivää!!

Happy Name Day, Kai!! Love you!

Finnish Name Days
Kai - February 16

Finland is one of many countries in Europe which celebrates Name Days (called Nimipäivä in Finnish). A country having a tradition for celebrating Name Days normally dedicates a name or names (male and female) to every calendar day of the year. A person then celebrates a Name Day on the day in the calendar where his or her Christian Name Appears.

The names used and their date placement in the calendar are often associated with religious names, religious days, national historical personalities and national historical events. Normal country specific Christian names, and even new Christian names which have been integrated and accepted into a countries list of nationally recognized names, are also given their own position in the calendar.

The official Name Days Almanac of Finland is published by the Almanac Office at the University of Helsinki and contains all Finnish official Name Days lists (Finnish, Swedish, Sami and Greek Catholic). The University of Helsinki Almanac office, was established in 1994 and has a staff of three astronomers.

In Finland Name Days can be celebrated in the same way as a birthday, where the individual having the Name Day will receive greeting cards, flowers or gifts from friends and family. Name Day celebrations do however differ from person to person and some individuals may choose not to mark the day with pomp and splendour. Never the less regardless of how a person celebrates his/her Name Day in Finland, they will appreciate you wishing them "Happy Name Day!" which in Finnish is "Hyvää Nimipäivää!"

Home again

The hubby and I are finally home again after visiting my BIL and his wife over the weekend. They live in a city called Mikkeli, which for us was about a 4 hour bus trip North. I enjoyed our trip...it was nice to get out of Helsinki for a change. We got there on Saturday and played games that night. We just sort of relaxed on Sunday, and then celebrated my BILs wife's birthday on Monday. I also got to visit my BILs school on Monday. He is a history teacher and I sat in on two of his classes. I got to experience an English class and a home economics class. The Home Ec. class was fun because I got to sample the food that the 7th grade class fixed. It wasn't too bad!! Most everyone in the school spoke English fairly well, so I got along fine. One thing I think that should be implemented into the American school system is the 15 minute break after every class. It gives both students and teachers a short recess from one another, it was fabulous!


Although the highlight of my trip had to be getting to spend time with Nacho. He is an adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He is my favorite dog that doesn't belong to me! I had the pleasure of playing with him all day, and having him be my personal heater all night long as he slept with me and my husband. Leo the cat was also in attendence over the weekend, but the picture of me with him was taken on my BILs camera so I don't have it. Oh well, I had a nice weekend...now back to the monotonous routine of being home!

Be Back Tuesday

The hubby has his winter vacation now, so we are going to visit my brother-in-law and his wife in Mikkeli. It is a 4 hour trip for us by bus. So I have two books and my mp3 player ready to go. I get to see my favorite doggy Nacho! I'll have a picture of him when I return. He is just too cute not to post. So until then...Cheers!

Horrible Blogger

That is how I would describe myself! I just never update, ever, or so it would seem. I guess I could tell you about my weekend, even though that ended 3 days ago! Ha. Actually my sister-in-law was here (she's 10 years my junior), and we went to see the Jerry Seinfeld movie. The one with the little bees in it. I thought that it was kind of cute. I remember making a comment when the bees starting repolinating all of the dead plants and stuff, "Instantaneous polination and blooming just don't take place like that." My husband, who had been so good to sit through the movie in the first place, turned to me and said, "there are talking bees, and that is your problem." Well, it might not be correct in any way, but I thought that it was a cute movie. On our way home from the movie theater we stopped into the video store and rented two more movies which we watched that same night. Now after I have sat through one movie it is difficult for me to sit through another. So the two of them were lucky. We rented Blood and Chocolate, which was just ok for me, and we watched Rush Hour 3. I kind of like it. It was a fast paced action film, and I like them fast paced. Anyway, that is really all that I did over the weekend. Not too shabby if I say so myself.