Drying weather

You know you live in iceland when you get home from work at 11 at night and the first thing you do is laundry. The weather is dry and not crazy windy and that means laundry weather. So you not only take down the dry clothing from the line but you fill it back up with wet clothing from the washer.  After all you dont want to waste a good 8 hours of drying time with an empty clothesline while you sleep.

Keepin' it short

In effort to fight the extreme fatigue, that has become a way of life for me, I am trying to roll back the bed times in this family. Especially myself.
This is easier said then done when it is light all the freakn' time. I know I shouldn't complain but I wake up three times a night and every time I think it must be morning now, only to find out it is 3 a.m., or 4 a.m. or ......
So tonight I will be in bed before midnight!
As if a Volcano eruption wasn't enough, life has actually been exciting around here the last week.
Lets start with last Wednesday.
First I wrote my Íslenska 4 test, choosing the keep the book closed in an open book test to really test myself, and I got 90 - Thank you very much. NO I just have to loose the 'deer in headlights' look when ever someone speaks to me in Icelandic. I hope they teach this in university.
After the test we (Cassie and I) went for some KFC treats, yummy, before heading up to a friends, Lizzy's, who was moving over seas the next day. We were going to have a little party, and we did, only we arrived an hour before her and it is a little strange sitting alone, drinking, in an empty apartment. I should mention that we were drinking wine out of chipped and broken coffee mugs, adding to that strange feeling.
By the time Lizzy got there I was slightly intoxicated and had to leave hours later, only to get home and puke my guts out. I nearly never drink, now I remember why.
Thursday
I woke up feeling horrible, but had to continue on with life. Lizzy left and I finished packing and moving stuff from her apartment, reminding me very much of when my in-laws moved from Canada to Iceland. This leads me to believe that it is a genetic thing that leaves people of Icelandic descent in a great panic with any sort of deadline, specifically one that can not easily be postponed, like moving.
We did not get started until after dinner, then were working until three in the morning. Special thanks to those who helped :D Yous the best.
Friday
Dead tired, Davíð hates it when I say that, dead tired! But off to work I go, I volunteer every Friday for the Salvation Army, it is actually really fun. After work I went grocery shopping then home to change clothing and off to a party! Another one? Two in one week is amazing for me, I usually average two a year, but how could I not go?
Isobel, from Scotland, invited a few of us girls over for beautiful food and champange, and I certainly drank my share of that, and did not get sick, YIPPEE!
I had a really amazing time and stayed out far too late, a good sign.
Saterday
I woke up at 8 to start my mad bake-a-thon. I am not crazy, I promise. My town, Reykjanesbær was hosting an International Celebration and I was asked to represent Canada and cuisine. So I had to bake a million, closer to 500, Peanut butter cookies, and we had to be there at 2. We made it, I brought way to many cookies and we are just finishing the last of them now, three days later. But it was fun. exotic foods, a dozen Polish cakes and dancing.
Sunday
By yesterday I my home was in serious need of cleaning. It could still use some work but I did spend HOURS on it yesterday. I also rewrote my couchsurfing profile in preperation for the summer fun.
Today, Monday
I tried to go out for my huge daily walk, but after an hour my nose and throat were so full of ash I had to call it quits. I also went to school, last day of class for me, but the kids had no school. They called it a staff day. I thought that meant they were still working but I walked up to the school, just for fun, and surprise surprise, no one was there. My suspicions have been proven, staff day just means extra day off for the teachers. Lazy! There is only three 'days' left of school anyways, and those 'days' are only 2 hours long each!
Tomorrow
Party for my class, errands and prepare some thing to bring for the party

and now I have to go because it is  11:15 and I still have lots to do before I go to sleep.

Skattur

I should that the Icelandic tax authorities for being so awesome in making everything so easy.
One thing that always made me crazy in Canada was the fact that taxs were complected stuff, and unless you were a single person with no dependents, write offs or investments, you needed to pay someone to do your taxes. In fact to even file yourself online costs money.
In Iceland, everyone files online and it's free.

At Skattur.is you just type in you kennitalla, password (in your Internet banking), and your in, and they already know everything about you! All you really need to do is look it over and give it the OK. Done.

Taxes are due in on March 23, but I suspect that this year, like every other, we will apply online for an extension to get a few more days to look it over. Because even though I am telling you about my taxes now, I know I will forget until as soon as I publish this post and will not remember until Wednesday when they are due.

Only super silly thing is that despite sending everything in on March 23, or 29th if you get the extension,and it takes until August 1 to find out if you get money back or you owe money(and you need to pay now!).

Nobody knows anything until the first.

As you can imagine, July is a rather antsy month waiting to see if you are rich, or bankrupt.


side note: This song was ridiculously popular in Iceland, back in the day, because skatt means tax - so here is the taxman.





another note: I know I never fit the videos properly in my blog, Im just that lazy.

Because we love our pets we:

• feed them balanced diets, and some times even treats :)
• keep them clean, washed, groomed, what ever is needed
• keep them healthy with regular vet check ups and exercise
• shelter them when it's needed
• give them our attention, affection and maybe a spot on the coach
• HAVE THEM 'FIXED'

I promise to stop nagging now.

Learning how to do Christmas.

I know I have been a terrible blogger these days. Terrible blogger, crappy sister and mediocre friend.

I have been doing Christmas - the best I can.

First of all I have to say that I am so grateful, excited, glowing about the fact we are doing it Canadian style this time.  I have high hopes.

I should also mention that, thanks to my *insert here*  mother,  I learned more about the holiday season from television then I did from home, and you know I don't watch television.

I finished the Christmas present shopping, early in fact, this was the easy part. I even had great idea and really do think that everyone will like what I picked out.

The tricky bits are more like organizing the living room. I actually really enjoy (seriously!) dragging furniture around the room, trying different styles, basically pretending it's a new place. I thought I was rather good at it.

Thanks a few people, I now know this is not true. One friend once said 'I like things this way, it looks a little more normal'. My own husband remarked on how our home looked like it had been set up by a mathematician, trying to make the most of the floor space. Its true, we have a dance floor.

While I always noticed that my living room did not look like anyone else's I thought it was OK, but Davíð said it is not cozy, and maybe he is right. I have no sense for these things and I appreciate someone being honest with me. But now I have a problem, we will have 12 people here for Christmas and my home is not cozy.

I've been dragging the couch around the room for weeks - I don't know where it will be cozy - you should see my muscles!

And decorations! My mother in law has done Christmas for the last few years, and before that the kids were to young to notice, but now I need to get going. I am even seriously considering getting a tree, or at least a branch.

I unpacked everything even close to an ornament that the kids have ever made and stuck it to a window.

Then I hit the second hand store and grabbed a bunch of decorations that needed a home, and I stuck them to the windows too.

After a trip to Húsasmíðjan (Icelandic home depot) for a few strings of lights, there is a hint of Christmas in my home.

But it still doesn't look right, it doesn't look like everyone else's, and I'm not sure how to change this. I am grateful that my children like me the way I am, they don't mind my ways.

Tomorrow I am thinking thinking of going down to the Salvation Army store to try to borrow the florescent pink tree they have on display. I already asked about buying it, it is not for sale.  But maybe they will lend it to me? Then I am going to cover it in popcorn.

At least the meal should not be too difficult. Kristína, my sister in law, is taking care of the turkey and potatoes, Robert, my father in law, is taking care of the lobster, and Inga, my mother in law is trying to get together a pumpkin pie.

I am taking care of the stuffing after seeing Kraft Stove Top had been imported to Hagkaup. I bought 6 boxes, after wiping the tears away. It was a happy moment.

I am also in charge of the salad. What is a Christmas salad? So far I have tomatoes and cucumbers, sliced fresh on a plate. I should probably do something else too, but first I have to see what vegetables and fruit look decent at Bónus, then find some recipe.

But the day is sneaking up on my quickly and there is really only one more day to get it together. 

So, until tomorrow night, I hope, back to the preparations.

Too much sugar!

Anyone who knows me also knows I put a lot of sugar in my tea or coffee.  I am just crazy about the stuff - to the point that Davíð worries about my health. I think its OK.

It should also be noted that I do not drink beer, or anything else for that matter, but beer is the important one today, because I made some last night.

At least I got the first steps going, including melting an entire kilo of sugar into the mix, and I have to add more at the end!

After doing this (my first attempt at making beer, Ill let you know how it goes later) I no longer see my sugar consumption as a problem. After all there must be at least as much sugar in a beer as there is in my coffee, if not more.

While I admit to not knowing everything, I must say:

• A bankrupt town (Reykjanesbær) should not take over a bankrupt museum. I think, like anyone else, you should try to pay the bills you have before accepting new ones.
• Museums were not meant to be big money makers. They are not amusement parks. I will never understand why anyone would try to make one into another. 
• There is nothing wrong with taking the bus, and there is no reason to feel sorry for me. Aside from the odd grocery shopping trip I actually prefer the bus, and it saves me a lot of money. 
• Judging from the amount of garbage around the garbage bins and the lack of garbage inside, I think it is fair to assume that the residents of Ásbrú have some sort of motor skill problems and can not lift the lid on the bins, that or they could be the definition to the word 'Trashy'. Today I even saw my neighbor get in his work car, drive up to the bins, throw everything (work garbage) on the the ground by the bin and drive away. And fire extinguishers! Who throws away fire extinguishers?
• I know that my baby is over one now, and he is still breastfeeding, and I know it seems a little strange, mostly because he looks so big. BUT this is our choice. I don't see any reason to make him stop, he isn't that old and its good for him, so why not? (on the bright side he doesn't use a bottle)
• I think the idea for voting in the people to make the new constitution (to lazy to find the links) was terribly done. By giving a list of 526 candidates it makes it impossible to make a proper educated choice. I think they should have made each person that applied have 500 or even 1000 signatures, with kenitellas, to go with the application, to show determination and seriousness about this. This would have narrowed down the candidates considerably. 

and thats about enough complaining for today huh?

A little complaining.

What on earth would make someone hire someone they could not pay?

And it seems worse, although I don't know why, when a business, or say, museum, does it.

I guess you have figured out by now that all the work Davíð did putting up stage lights (beginning of September) and doing shows for them (since the lights went up), has still not been paid for.

I understand having a hard time keeping up with bills, I live in Iceland too. But I pay my bills, and on time.

I wonder if when they are deciding which bills to pay or not they considered that this particular guy is supporting his wife and three kids?

I am actually mostly over it. I accept that the money is gone, and it is just money.
But now Davíð is in the awkward position of not being able to do any more shows for them, because it would be stupid to keep working, and it is unfortunate because he liked it.

Alright, now I've got it out. I can move on and never speak of it again. At least for a while.

Thanks for listening.

Why blogs are better then Facebook updates

That was probably the main reason I gave up on the Facebook in the first place.
The updates remind me of a highschool popularity contest, likes, comments,
but the worst was only getting a snip it of a story. One line. Then your expected to guess what on earth is being talked about.
Example:
***** : shouldn't have eaten that chicken salad
From there you need to figure out why

• is she allergic to chicken? 
• did she tempt fate by eating some leftovers out of the fridge that should have been thrown out last week?
• has she broken some weight watchers rule by lapping up all that mayonaise?
• did the chicken salad have onions in it giving her bad breath for the rest of the afternoon?
• is she still pulling celery strings out of her teeth?

What happened?
and you know the first comment will be asking just that. and usually by the time I see this update there are at least 30 comments , some from the salad victim slowly explaining the story, one line at a time, the rest mostly from people I have never heard of, relating sympathies or similar stories
I hate to find out what happens this way, it seems so choppy, detailed and impersonal.

Example 2:
*******: Finally got the job!
and my thought chain looks like this:

• I thought she had a job
• I guess I am happy about the new job
• what happened to the old job
• I thought she liked the old job
• what is the new job

now because I am not on Facebook all day, everyday, I miss a lot of updates and so I might not understand what is going on, but I would like to know. I can try looking on the profile page to get more of the story that must have been going on for more then the last 10 minutes. There must have been more there at some piont, but the profile is so cluttered with crap, comments, applications, writings, that I could have to did around, looking at older and older posts just to find out what happened in the last few days, and I might never do it that way. Better to call.

Now why blogs are better:

• More words, you can explain yourself, give a clear picture and someone who cares can understand what is going on.
• You dont need likes.
• Blogs are organized, they have archives that are easy to navigate, labels and a search function - you can find anything.  And so can anyone else, that wants too.
• You don't have to declare someone your friend to show an interest in them, or them in you. You can read about someone just because you are interested.

I know I might be a little biased, I love reading, a lot and even about people I do not know so well.  You can not get that out of Facebook.

In 7 Days

This past week has been crazy.

There was the birthday party for Stefán and Leópold.

I realized that I better get choppin and check into why the National Registry has Leópold under drengur (boy). Davíð was asked if his sons name was actually Drengur. Seriously. I think we may have forgotten to register his name and will be fined soon...

We got the bill for the car being towed. Not a nice situation. The city can tow your car out of your own parking spot if it is not being used, and charge you for it.  I guess they can even come into your yard and taker a car if someone complains. So now we know, nearly 30 000 ikr later, just because we pay for that parking spot does not mean that we can park our car there until we get it fixed. It might offend someones eyes.

I lost my wallet for 6 days. Saved a lot of money too because I didn't want to admit I had lost it so I just didn't buy anything for almost a week. Then I found it in with the unmatched socks.

Leópold got some flu with a headache and crazy fever for three days straight. No amount of Tylenol seemed to help and he could not see a doctor because it is at least a weeks wait for an appointment. The fever is gone now but he is still a little on the cranky side.

Parent teacher interviews with Stefáns teacher went amazingly well. She says he is nearly perfect. Excellent math, one of the best readers in the class, well behaved, listens - I was so proud I was probably glowing. Then Kasper tells Stefán that no one wants to friends with a kid who is always good and it would be better if he did bad in math or something.  I could not believe that I overheard that and had to take several deep breaths before snapping.

Kasper's meeting was postponed until next Wednesday, but that didn't stop me from fighting with his special ed teacher in the hallway this week. Turns out she is not actually teaching him anything and just lets him play computer games for 40 minutes a day. She says otherwise he does not want to come to class. I said I don't see any reason for him to go to class to play computer games, he can do that at home.

The Police officer who lives down stairs from us threw a tantrum and screamed at one of my other neighbors (Gulli) because someone was in his parking spot on Sunday. Gulli explained that it was his 4 year old daughters birthday and they had family over for the party, he was sorry but they probably didn't know what spots belonged to who, and that it would not happen again. I was just shocked. Really, our parking lot has more parking spaces then it has people in our building. It is not possible to run out of parking, even if everyone was having a party, there would be parking spots to spare.

I went to the town office, got my tax forms, then was told I would have to go to another town, really, to get them stamped then return them. A half hour drive for a stamp, while I am looking at a whole office full of people drinking coffee. What kind of system is this? All these people standing around and they dont know how to use a stamp?  I know where the government could save money, they could cut back on the government.

All in all, it has been a long week, and I dont feel that I got anything done.

I think it is almost nap time.

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.

Smuggling

With the taxes being insane on all alcohol and tabacco products, there is now a kind of group effort to get these things into the country through duty free.

Everyone is in on it.

You have a duty to help out your fellow islander.

Well, not really, but the price difference is so extreme that you feeling guilty about not buying duty free.

You can compare the prices if you want, some stuff is three times more on this side of customs.
Vinbudin - The state controled liqour sales
Frihofnin - The duty free store in Keflavik airport

I do not drink and have not smoked in years, but I still ask couchsurfers and friends to bring beer, vodka and cigerettes for people I know, including my husband.
David likes beer and his friends smoke.

It really would be wastful if every person going through customs does not take full advantage of the chance at duty free.

I have probably stopped making sense now, its really late and I am getting really really tired.
And this computer , o'l betsy, does not have spell check, so I am seeing that this might not make sense to anyone. I just had to say it.

So, good night!

My Thinking

My father in law gave lended me, long term, a lap top. An IBM ThinkPad that may be an original with a shiney sticker delcaring it 'Designed for Microsoft Windows 98'
oh dear, I did not even know these guys were still around.

I am incredibly grateful because after my computer died I have had a tough time getting online for any decent amount of time, hence the blog neglect.

With a screen only slightly bigger then my coffee cup and an English keyboard, I will need to learn how to type again.
*I know how to set it to Icelandic but because the letters would not match up it would be confusing!

And I called this post my thinking because when I am using this computer I can only relate thoughts, words. o'l betsy (laptops new name) doesnt like pictures and has no hard drive space anyways.

In other news, my baby Leopold turned one today, but you have to wait until tomorrow for the pictures.

Toothbrush memories

Today I had coffee at my friends house, but this is not the interesting part for you, what was interesting is that while standing in her bathroom, checking out my teeth after eating, I looked at her toothbrush and was reminded of an old friend in Canada.
Her name was Tammy.
Now one day Tammy had been consuming a few beer and decided to admit that she uses everyones toothbrush. She said that she often feels the need to brush her teeth and because she does not carry toothbrush around with her, she just uses the ones in her friends bathrooms.
Ending line:
If Ive been to your house, I have used your toothbrush.
Morale of the story: Somethings were not meant to be shared.

Chuck It

I really tried to find a picture of this thing on line that was not copyright protected, but failed, so you will have to deal with my terrible description.
It's a stick that holds a tennis ball on the end and helps you to throw it really far, the ball that is.
It is great for me because I am not much of a pitcher, and my dog needs the exercise.
IN Canada I saw them a lot. IN the Edmonton river valley dog owners would spend sunny after noons laying fetch with there dogs.
In Iceland people think I use it to hit my dog. Or something like that. Lets just say I get a lot of strange looks.
Then this week I have had a couchsurfing family from Sweden here and while they did not buy a lot of Icelandic souvenirs, they were dying to buy one of these ball throwers. They have a dog at home. In fact, they actually spent the last half day searching pet shops for this amazing toy.
And it is amazing.
Actually, I know so many amazing products that if I had any sort of ambition I would set up shop and introduce Icelanders to the best of the best stuff. To me at least. And I am sure this dog toy would be a huge success.

Kredit Kort

You know there is a problem with the financial thinking of a country when the shops, including this advert for the GROCERY store, want to remind you that today is the start of a new credit card billing for the month.
That means its free right?

*This is from the Bonus weekly flyer that is emailed to me

Google Maps

I know that for most things in life, Google has the answers. Scary I know, but usually true. Even the maps come in so handy except in Iceland!
I have had probably half a dozen lost couchsurfers, one even driving to the wrong town, thanks to Google Maps.
When I send someone a map to my house they often look it up on Google then tell me it doesnt match up.
And I thought it would be common sense to trust the Icelandic map over the Google one, but still we loose surfers.
And thats my small complaint for the night.

Rules when receiving gifts

Last week I received an amazing amount of gifts from North America.

First from Davíð's grandparents who were in the country, then from a fabulous family of American couchsurfers, and again from Davíð's uncles who are now visiting in Iceland.

Now in each of these circumstances I try to show how seriously grateful I am, because I am. Everyone has been so kind to me, but I am a little worried that I dont know how to act anymore. I am afraid I have melted into some half Canadian, half Icelandic attitude, that may come of as indifference - the last thing I want.

You see, usually when ever you give a gift in Iceland it is taken, often left wrapped, and whisked away, never be mentioned again.

In fact, when I worked at Toys R Us I often saw parents bring in bags of gifts there child had received, most not even opened, and return them all for a credit note in the store. We actually ended up unwrapping the gifts with the parents to scan them. Needless to say after that I stopped shopping for gifts and only give cash, save them the trouble and my own time.

Point is that when you give a gift it is taken, a little thanks is said and thats it. End of discussion, could never have happened.

Yet I seem to remember more of a ceremony to things in Canada, you would thank the person, maybe hug them and when ever you saw them after that, mention how useful the gift is or was.

When a child received a gift they were expected to thank the giver personally and the parent might even send a picture of the child and gift together to the giver.

It was just a big deal.

Now after years of the opposite, I have contained the bursting, thank you thank you thank you, Canadian in me and find myself, smiling and nodding polity and not making a big fuss.

And Davíð says I am only 10% Icelandic!

Anyways,
Problem is when I receive gifts from North Americans who are waiting excitement, I forget what to do. I feel unsure, and a little insecure.

I think this is a feeling that may come up a lot when I do go home to visit because there are a many differences between Iceland and Canada, and I have now been here long enough that the Iceland way actually feels more natural now.

In The Mail

Depending on what country you are in, hearing that something is in the mail can bring about a variety of feelings.
Living in Iceland, I spend a lot of time wondering about what goes on at the post office.
First of all, I do get the odd care package from home, and how long it takes to get to me is always a gamble. Should it be sent the slow way or the super expensive kinda quick way? The reasonably priced, but super slow way, can, at times, arrive when they say it will. Sometimes it takes months longer then they say it will. Never know, but it is almost a guarantee that if it is a Christmas present, no matter when it was sent, it will arrive around New Years.
Now parcels have some sort of insurance, and I am expecting them, so I have a feeling that the post office puts a little more effort into them, but postcards....
Everyone knows I am involved in postcrossing, (trading random cards with strangers around the world) but whatnot everyone knows is how long it takes most of these cards to get to me.
The other day I received a card, the came from the U.S., that had been traveling for 214 days, another one from the same country took almost a year at 361 days. And supposedly these were traveling air mail!
Other great examples include one from Canada at 71 days, Netherlands at 52 days, U.K. AT 50 OR Finland at 45, again all sent by Air Mail.
Now should I blame every other country for the slow slow mail, or maybe should I question the quality of the Icelandic Post?
Well I think that is enough complaining from me for the day, but it is something to think about while I wait for a parcel sent from my friend Janielle, from Canada, months ago.

Davíð's Dream

When we got married, I told Davíð I would move with him anywhere, and I think I have stuck with that very well. But when he suggested we buy one of these and move in, I had to put my foot down.