Soundtrack by Gemini Tri (Denis Piryazev): soundcloud.com/tonoke/gemini-tri-synesthesia

Finnish idiom "stepping on the cork" means that one intentionally flattens a metallic bottle cap by stepping on it, making it impossible to put the cap back on, and to make sure one has to empty the bottle of hard alcohol at once. Therefore it means one is going to get drunk and fast.

This miniature cat figurine is what we salvaged from the corner pub where my wife used to work almost ten years ago, and where we first met and fell in love.

That pub was very unique and great place. Somewhat all tables and chairs were from different sets. Rag rugs were hanging from the ceiling. And the place was just filled with all kinds of old stuff and house plants. This tiny wooden cat sat under a globe lamp, next to an old radio.

Unfortunately the owner got into personal troubles, partly because of hoarding, and drunk too much, and finally died into cirrhosis. Pub was of course then closed, and my wife had to find another job.

But what was left are the happy memories of the time we had there. I often went to that pub after work, waited my wife's shift to end. And sometimes, if there were no customers, we played Scrabble or Yatzy.

Now this cat figurine is on our windowsill, sitting among similar items, and brings our thoughts back to those memories.

On notes you see two old shots where I have used this cat figurine as a model.