The Itinerary. The Arrangements. The Payments. The Luggage. The Endoscopy.  

True, the latter was not part of the initial pretty picture of the Big15Trip, but dudu occurs, yes? The endoscopy was simply to rule out any serious reasons for my stomach’s frequent ‘acting-up.’ And it did…rule out the bad stuff. Now a consistent regimen of prilosec for awhile will enable me to eat Norwegian, Swedish, Latvian and Belarusian prior to getting to the supposedly more serious foodlands of Russia and China and to the mysteries of Mongolian delicacies. I actually foresee a few nice dinners with a lovely local wine occasionally…something I haven’t been enjoying for awhile.

Evenings after tests/procedures/hours-in-hospital-gowns are free zones. So I’m watching politics; with some meds left in my system I can watch flashes of Trump without racing for the bathroom. Rachel Maddow first. Usually Gene Grant on Friday nights but felt like a snotty pushy brilliant broad tonight. And Charlie Rose.

Now I need one of my Scandi-noir books and I’m out of newbies, having just finished the latest Annika Bengston Borderline by Liza Marklund. A really good series of Swedish detective novels, way above average, and with an expanding international/political direction more interesting all of the time.

Maybe I’ll download something and make myself start practicing reading by Nook which is all full of downloaded Russian novels and more political tomes just waiting for me to adapt enough to the funny little screen to read seriously on it. But Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy laced with contemporary Nordic Noir is where I’m heading.

Saturday morning. Did it. Read for awhile on my Nook. Started a new book about Putin AND a new Swedish Crime novel. It’s okay…I can for sure travel—Steady Stomach and Nook Novels.

Morning walk album: