I'm nothing special ...

"In fact I'm a bit of a bore." - ABBA, "Thank You for the Music"

And thank you to whoever lost or tossed the "ABBA Gold" CD on Brown Avenue. Of course I already had a copy. Great '70s flashback. Great 2004 flashback. That's the year I spent April in Sweden through the generosity of Rotary International and the Group Study Exchange program. Every host family I stayed with -- hell, every home we visited -- had "ABBA Gold" (and, strangely, a Roy Orbison CD). 

That was an amazing experience. The five of us (four young professionals and a Rotarian "chaperon," for lack of a better word. Our focus for the trip was museums, as the three women in the group were all museum professionals. We toured dozens of museums, from community showcases to Sweden's premiere national musuem, the Vasa, a 17th century warship that sank 20 minutes into its maiden voyage. It was raised from the cold harbor water where it lay for 300-plus years and is being preserved, cataloged and studied. It is an awesome exhibit.

We also toured plenty of churches, historic sites and businesses, from the Skeppshult ironworks to Rorstrand glass factory. We were wined and dined and treated to parties everywhere. It was a tremendous cultural exchange.

Anyway, that's where a little 3-mile jog took me today.

Today's Stats

Temp: 28 degrees F

Distance: 3 miles

Treasure: 1 CD ("Abba Gold"); 3 candy cane decorations; 1 plastic hub cap (cracked); 1 grey plastic pocket comb; 1 miniature plastic superhero from McDonald's (I call him King Keystone); 1 Howard Johnson business card (Burlington, Iowa); 1 AMC movie receipt; 1 Hy-Vee 50 cents off gallon of milk coupon (expired); 1 yellow plastic heart balloon tag; 1 empty can Grizzly chewing tobacco; 1 full can Keystone Light beer (slightly leaky); 51 aluminum cans.

iPod Playlist (shuffle)

Expecting - The Call

The Promise - When in Rome

Her Diamonds - Rob Thomas

Englishman in New York - Sting

Get Back - The Beatles

Come Together - The Beatles

Still Ain't Over You - Rob Thomas

Memory - The Call

The Ghost Song - The Doors