Atp tent party

While I am still at work I look forward to going home. We are hosting a bunch of people over the all tomorrow's partys music festival. Its going to be so much fun. Among our guests is a guy from Edmonton.  The same age as us even. We dont know him but it sure is a small world. Another guest is named James Robertsson.  Seriously.  My husband's name is David James Robertsson.  Well I thought it was funny.

Friends from around the world

I really like couchsurfing, or at least hosting the couchsurfers.
Already this summer has been stuffed with great people who I am happy to ahve met.
One of them recently wrote about us :)
http://www.nomadiceater.com/traveling-the-unconventional-way/

margreit - the lifesaver

This nice girl here, her name is Margreit, has been a life saver. She stayed with us the beginning of her trip and the end. The beginning being right after I broke my foot and the end being as she just left today. 

Her helpfulness included, but is not limited to, babysitting so Davíð and I could go out for dinner, taking Leópold to school and picking him up, walking the dog, carrying food up the stairs and furniture downstairs when we were preparing for the wedding. 

There was also acts of housekeeping like the dishes always seemed to be done.

But seriously, besides these helpful things she was also always smiling, singing and playing one of those tiny little guitars that I do not know the name of. 

Today she flew home to the Netherlands after 9 months of travelling around the world. 

Sure going to miss this one.

hosting

It is the age old question - at least in couchsurfing circles
Is it better to only host people when you have tons of time to show them around, help out and or offer meals?
or
Is it better to host more often and offer more of a minimum, at least a place to rest your head?
Admittedly I have done both. I tend to lean towards the offering nothing extra, just a place to sleep and if we get along super well, then more. But this does not always work either. Seriously, sometimes I feel annoyed when I have to many surfers in a row who, I feel, expect to much out of me.  Then I get cranky and thats never good. But I so enjoy the good ones, it is really so much fun.
Davíð is the opposite.
Even if he does not get along with someone he will go out of his way to be a good host.  I can not really understand this, but I guess he is just a better host then me. Funny, because I am the one who does most of the couchsurfing stuff.
Maybe no way is better. But if there is one right way then someone should tell me because if I am right I have to get teasing Davíð.

Family Friends

We had the please of hosting this awesome group of students who were travelling together. They all study in Germany but are from India, Indonesia and Ukraine. Glenn Mohammad, Vyshantha, Zuhra, Ardi, Nataliia, Davíð, Leó and me in the back.

There was some seriously full couches

pictures by aidan

These are some pictures, taken by Aidan, a very recent Canadian guest of ours. Seems he takes some good pictures, or at least I think so.

from the shooting thing to the base

The view out my window, late in the evening

Rósa

Rósa in her natural habitat, lava fields 

it's almost over

I have to say, this has been one of the most amazing summers.

Leópold has grown so much, sometimes I can hardly recognize him. His English is coming along beautifully and he is becoming so much fun. Even his big brothers like playing with him. A sure sign of how much he has grown up this summer is that now he is actually excited to go to school. Last year he dreaded school and even over most of the summer was telling me how he was not going back, but now he loves it. At night we can even use the fact he has school in the morning as something to make him want to go to sleep.

Stefán has really enjoyed the summer but is looking forward to starting school again. Bad news is that he has seen better days. We went in for a check up and to ask about this chicken allergy he seems to have - I mean seriously he coughs when he eats and sometimes, like when he has chicken, his throat swells up. So they tested him and say he is allergic to all grains (wheat ect) all fish (everything except mussels, they are ok), all dairy, chicken, eggs, cows, dogs, sesame seeds, SOY - basically everything. In fact we got the test results and he tested positive in everything except horse and mussel allergy's. Everything else was positive. So we have an immunologist appointment on Friday. Until then we eat rice and drink rice milk.

Kasper is nervous about school. I think he will be happy to go back but the past week he has been bouncing off the walls. We are also on a waiting list for him to get a doctor. I hate the health care system.
Kasper has spent a lot of time this sumar drawing anime. Its a new hobby of his and we are happy for him.

Davíð is doing great at work. They are evening going on a fishing trip this week, I am excited for them. Not that I like fishing, but I do like the odd get away. I hear there will be good food.
So no husband here means party at my house?

I have been keeping so busy its crazy. I am back into the couchsurfing and stuffing my living room with families from all over the world. I have nearly all my school books and am considering buying a tablet for dictionary purposes. May also be used for farmville on the bus, but I would never admit to buying a tablet for that. I am exploding in excitement to start school.

Peter. Davíð's cousin whom is currently staying with us is driving me a little crazy - but isnt that what family's for?

Rósa is doing great except they broke her spare claw. Its a little sad but I am waiting for her to chew it off herself. Dogs are good doctors.

Gerbils are all still around and having a great time chewing up the cardboard of the house.

The fish as living a little safer now that we found a new home for the killer angel fish. Although the aquarium looks very very empty......

I hope my friends are all doing well, but I have to admit I wouldn't know for sure seeing as I have not kept in contact with anyone. Its getting to the point that I would feel bad calling.

The apartment reno's are going great! I am so excited to have it emptied out and get to redesigning!

I hope one of these days some of my Canadian family makes it out to see the life I have here.

The Light and Fluffies

The results are in, if there was any contest, these are by far the best pancakes ever. 'American Style'
They are called 'Light and Fluffies' for a reason, and meant to be eaten with butter and syrup although they do actually taste good enough to be just eaten alone as well.
Thanks to Amanda, my first couchsurfer coming from Nunavut, and the Hanson's kitchen for this - better then Bisquick, and I'll save a fortune.
2-1/4 cup flour
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 eggs - beaten
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

mixed with love :Þ
Thanks again Amanda.

Stefán, the perfect host

Alex, a couchsurfer of ours from Austria, sent me these pictures of himself, Stefán and the Blue Lagoon. His (Alex's) mom was there aswell, but I guess she didn't feel like being in any pictures.
Stefán was a great host, showing them around the Blue Lagoon and going for a swim, although he was a little unhappy about having to wear floaters on his arms. 

Tea Party

I never imagined couchsurfers and teapartyer's being in the same group, but now I know anything is possible.
Thursday night these nice American boys, Derek and Jamie, stayed with us, and they seemed so level headed. Over the evening various topics were discussed and at one point Davíð asked how they voted, and they said Republican. Rather taken aback, like Tea Party Republican? Yes. Seriously, I told them to start packing, I was joking but I was so shocked, I wonder if they were packing guns?
And how can you be 'standing against a socialist takeover' while being in an organization (couchsurfing) devoted to opening up you home, sharing what you have and working together? I just dont see the connection.
But these boys are still young, we can only hope they grow out of the Tea Party nonsense!
On the other hand, one thing I like about couchsurfing is the variety of people I meet, so I'm not complaining, only shocked.

Couchsurfing Family's

Just so you know its not just us
http://www.couchsurfing.org/news/article/72

Clearing out the camera

While these pictures could have been sorted into several posts and better organized, that would have taken far too much time and I am a little bit lazy. So here's the story:

Leó playing Soccer a.k.a Football

Looks as though these Canadian couchsurfers were playing with my camera

 This guys name is Paul, he is from Winnipeg and wants to be a director, I think

Maybe he should consider acting

This is his girlfriend, Alyssa, also from Win.

Her tongue looks a little scary here,

But she was a good cook.

Kasper and I dug up our garden, The potatoes did well but I think the carrots could have used a little more space in between. Yes, those stringy things are carrots.

On Leópolds first birthday we woke him up really early so we could all sing for him before everyone left for school. He was a little tired.

Like all baby's, he did not really understand the idea of blowing out the candle, on a waffle.

At least he looks happy here.

Stefán was a very helpful brother when it came to opening the gifts, a car rug and garage.

With three boys, these toys get a lot of miles on them.

He gets it.

There seems to be some law that when you are trying to have a birthday party, trying to take pictures, no one looks at the camera.

Ever.

The English speaking table.

Little Tommy, only here for the cake. Kids are so honest.

Leópold's first cheeseburger ever.

And he likes it. 

And so did Rósa after he dropped it.

visit reykjanes

I know it is hard to beleive, but there are things to do in Keflavík.

There is lots to do.

There is a whole book full of things to do.


http://www.visitreykjanes.is/

But still, Reykjavíkers continue to insist that they have some sort of superiority and look down upon us out here  in Reykjanesbær.

In the middle of nowhere.
even worse if you live on the base.

But it just is not true.

It is too bad that 80% of the people are fat headed cowboys who vote in the same government every election, even after the town is swallowed up in corruption and bankrupt.  But that doesn't mean that there is nothing to do.

We have a few Museums, dancing light posts, Lighthouses, an abandoned NATO base and the Blue Lagoon.

On holidays I think you could actually skip Reykjavík and just hang out in Reykjanesbær.

I am just complaining because couchsurfing always seem to think Keflavík is just a place to catch your plane, when really its a town, people live in it and there is stuff to do.

Worst host ever!

Wheel we always try to be the best hosts we can, it doesn't always work. Sometimes I don't get a chance to vacuum, sometimes the kids are not very well behaved, anything can happen, but we try, and most importantly we follow the couchsurfing rules, which clearly state, no profits allowed.

A little before the story:
These hosts I am relating below have been banned, then re-allowed on couchsurfing for breaking a few rules like, charging money to sleep on the couch, renting out there car and having guests property stolen.

I should make it known that I am very against the whole idea of renting out personal cars from people over couchsurfing, not so much because of the money but because of the lack of security. Iceland is a big place and the roads can be very rough. Cars break all the time and there is a fair amount on accidents, so if you are renting a car under the table, who will pay the the claims against you in a car accident? If you are renting a car you don't know anything about, who will save you when it breaks done in the middle of nowhere? No ama here So, it really i just a bad idea.

Now they are back on couchsurfing, hosting in Reykjavík, a popular place to go. And I have met a few survivors from this house. Stories including:
-Having to pay 1500 kr a night, per person.
-Renting the car, then finding out the window would not roll up.
-Accepting a ride somewhere, that they were going anywhere, and paying twice the price of the gasoline.

Then last night I host a couple of nice girls from Germany. They had stayed with me when they first got to Iceland then came back for the last night - after they had just stayed at this infamous house in Reykjavík, and they still looked a little shaken up from the whole thing.

First of all they arrived early in the morning and when the door opened everyone was running around naked.  Two men and one women, trying to get dressed for the day. I guess this was a little shocking.
Then one girl has to use the bathroom, sits on the toilet and the entire thing falls over. Water spills everywhere, water starts spraying out of the pipes. And the smell.... Now if this was me I probably would have made a run for it right then, but these girls are made of stronger stuff then me.
Then they hear that this toilette breaks all the time, it will be fixed later. So they sit on the beddish thing, most of the morning, with a Finnish girl that they are sharing a bed with, who will not get out of her sleeping bag because she is frightened.  So the three of them have a bond, with nearly exploding bladders they then went on a laptop and finally read the references for this host.
Pages of complaints about the mess, bathroom, charging for things and communication problems.
Moral of the story: Take the time to read references before you send a couch request.
*******Side note: Davíð is so excited to try this out now he is planning to surf this couch - just to say he did it.

Mr. T

Angela, a couchsurfing friend from the United States, sent me this great surprise:

 

And what is this? You might ask, well, its a Mr. T tampon holder. Seriously, his head lifts up so you can hide them in his legs. To quote my dear friend:

Both Functional and Fashionable

Thanks again Angela.

And some parting words of wisdom from our hero:

RISK and Couchsurfing Mania

This is a picture from a great night that we actually had 11 couchsurfers, 4 from Austria, 3 from Poland, 1 American, 1 German and 2 from Finland. With homemade wine and board games, it was a night to be remembered, by many, for a long time.
We actually went out to Davíð's parents last night an Davíð, with his sister and mom, stayed up all night playing RISK. They called a truce at 6 a.m.
Then Kristína (Davíð's sister) took the board back home with her. Fair enough, but Davíð says we stole it from them fair and square, but it was hers.
That said, I am in the market for a game of RISK now, if anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas :)

risk night, again.

As many couchsurfing nights do, this one turned into a night of homemade red wine and RISK.
Things are getting pretty serious around here.

Clement and Anne flo

These great couchsurfers cooked us two French dinners, while staying with us for 6 days.
The food is too good. I think that if I lived in France I would be gigantic.

A few weeks of photos, in random order

A game of RISK with a few Spanish Couchsurfers

The dinner these nice boys cooked for us, it looked like potato and onion omelette's, but they called it tortilla.

Flipping the tortilla.

Ulfrun, Amelia and Leópold playing dolls.

Rósa, very proud of her new found stick.

Rósa playing fetch with the big stick.

An anchor on rocks, the Icelandic art equivalent of kittens in America.

For the Americans it was a church, the Icelanders use it as a school.

Kasper, Stefán and Jack in the distance. South coast of Iceland.

A large family, including many from Canada, get together for dinner.

We all went out for a long drive (several hours) to get the best of the best lobster in Iceland.

Leópold and his 2 year old second cousin Alice, side by side.

And last but not least, I finally saw Icelands largest prison in person. We were actually admiring the beautiful town beside it and realized that housing might be cheap here.