Today when I got out of the shower and was walking across the living room to get my clothes I saw a strange man standing on my balcony.

He was dressed in a blue plastic body suit, wearing a gas mask and some kind of container on his back. He was using what looked like a small circle saw to cut into the wall.
Three quick questions appeared in my head during the second I first saw him:

1. How did he get onto my balcony (which is a couple of floors up)
2. Why is he dressed like he is dealing with an Ebola infection from outer space?
3. What the hell is he doing to my wall?

Then I remembered. They apparently used some toxic material in the joints when building our house. Something that the housing company now has been ordered to sanitate. So the answers to my questions were:

1. Using a crane.
2. To avoid contact with the toxins
3. Cutting away the outer joints.

Me, Marianne and Sanna took a ferry to Latvia this tuesday and just got back.

Riga is not quite as depressing as Tallin, but not so far off either. It’s ok to visit, but nothing that I will long to visit again.

Yesterday my old friend Dossen came to visit. After strolling through town, visiting comic book shops and having lunch, we later went to Glen Miller Café together with Marianne.

The food was great (as always), the music (Sara Hedman Kvartett) was classy and temperature was high. We all had a good time, and later went back to my place and was joined by Fredde.

The photos below are from both mine and Dossens cameras (his is way better), and I just had to do a photoshop version of something I have wanted to to for years: put a lightsaber in the hand Karl XIV Johan’s statue at Slussen, Stockholm.

Last week me and Marianne were in Strängnäs, just checking out the place. Later the first day we met up with Jens and Linda, who had taken their boat there the same day.

Good times!

Last weekend I was at my parents place, and on saturday we went to a big second-hand house. On this particular day, they had 50% off on everything, so I made a few bargains.

I like optics, I have a big photography and movie interest and I love old technological stuff. This was perfect.

First off, I found a west german camera from 1970: A Praktica LTL with a really fat lens (Panagor Auto Tele 200mm). The lens seem to have taken som minor hits, but the camera housing was in surprisingly good condition. Auto timer and everything seems to work fine. Cost: 60SEK.

Second, I found two old Super8 cameras, still functioning.
The first one was an Elmo Super 306 from 1976. Fantastic optics! This one still has film in it, although I’m not sure how to get it out. I didn’t have any fresh batteries, and when I inserted some with about 30% left, a red E was shown in the viewfinder. Cost including carrying case: 20SEK.

The second Super8 camera I found was a Chinon 753 from 1979. This one doesn’t have quite as good optics, but it works better on the bad batteries – Both the film spinning drive and the motorized zoom works as a charm! Plus, it is really easy to handle since it only has very few buttons and knobs to worry about. Cost including carrying case: 25SEK.

When I was basically done in the store, I found on the top shelf  a dirty case that looked “antique and German”. And I was right. Having some problems getting it down, I fell in love as soon as I managed to get the case open. Inside was an old Leitz diapositive projector.

I am having trouble locating the model number as I have not seen it printed anywhere, but it might be a version of the  Leitz Prado from the late 1950′s or early 1960′s.
It is in near-mint condition and works like a charm. I have now placed it on the shelf next to my other projector, 45-50 years newer. And I only paid 30SEK for it!

Now, what to do with all this stuff?