Iceland - November 2008

No more November! No more November! Wait, I enjoyed November...albeit it was a busy November, and I'm late...I know. Wonder if it's because I'm preggers. Late = Pregnant, right?

As promised, I'm picking up the pace a bit as the year draws to a close...but my pace these days is more like a plod! My age is catching up with me - 32!! Still not as old as some of you...you know who you are, Old People!!! On the Día de los Muertos, I went to a Halloween Party.....a day late and a dollar short if you ask me. But they didn't, and it cost me more like 10 dollars to get in and who the hell knows how much per beer! Glad the exchange rate is better than when I first got here! Luckily, woke up on the 2nd with not too much of a hangover. But enough of one to just sit around the house all day, and I mean sit around the house. My ass has its own zip code these days!! Must be from all the healthy eating and exercise I get! Oh but wait...don't let me ruin the bestest story of the month. Read on.....

With the hangover under control got to watch a replay of the Texas/Texas Tech game. I miss LIVE college football soooo much. I just can't resist checking the scores online before the dumb replay starts. Election Day was a bitch! And I don't mean like that one chick in that one movie that had that story line that wasn't so good and that actor that couldn't act to save his life. Know which one I'm talkin about? The day was not like her. I went to work at 0730 until around 1830. Ok for you not in 'the know,' 0730 = 7:30am and 1830 = 6:30pm. Trackin? At 1830 took off to go find a bite to eat. I ended up grabbing a crappy burger from this crappy restaurant called American Style. I ate said crappy burger and went back to the office. At 2000 plodded off to a hotel where we hosted an election night celebration. Politicos, educationists, those that study at high school, and a couple of good ol' boys were invited to this thing. Around 800 people turned up. I worked the event until around 0400 and then back to the office. Started my day at 0422 (5 November). I was so beat that my boss let me go home and take a nap, luckily. Sadly, I slept through my alarm and never made it back to work that day! I was a tad perturbed with myself for not going back in........... Did that read like it was believable at all? I actually slept through the alarm though! Seriously!! (jeez - 3 paragraphs and only the 5th...)

Did come up with a new word this month too...it's 'Preparture™.' If you'd like to know the definition, please contact me individually. I'd be more than happy to share if I feel it is appropriate for you to know. WARNING: The word is trademarked, a little trick I learned from the Love Guru!! Mariska Hargitay!, and unauthorized usage is prohibited by 6 USC 1976 (j)(m)!

Weekends are awesome. Had dinner at a co-worker's house on Friday night (remember the ho-hum husband? well he is well above ho-hum and almost cool!) He had me and some other folks over and made duck. I ate salad. During the rest of the weekend, I just kind of chilled. I did a little shopping. I bought my Christmas cards, an electric hand mixer, a CD, and groceries. Later that night, I consumed my evening meal at an establishment named TGI Friday's. Following the delightful meal, I had the pleasure of viewing a moving picture show called Quantum of Solace starring Daniel Craig as James Bond and the incomparable Dame Judi Dench as the spriteful M. I give it 3/4 of a thumb up! I have two thumbs though. I apparently didn't do jack on Sunday but Monday was a day to reckon with! Let me tell you just how the day began: to start with, I overslept. Not by much...but by enough. Then went into the bathroom to tinkle, and I blew out all the fuses in my bedroom, TV room, bathroom, and the rest of the residential wing. And since I was late already, I thought what the hell I'll actually iron a shirt for work. Blew up my flippin iron! Plugged it in and psssssstt smokey Teval iron. You'd think an appliance I bought in Pakistan would last longer than 18 months! Just another Manic Monday! But Tuesday was a holiday for me! Not for the Icelanders. So I got to shop in relative leisure. But lest we forget what the holiday was.

11 November is the one day every year marked on the calendar as a reminder to remember our veterans. But we should not forget or stop thinking about them any of the other 364 days or 365 in Leap Years!

And to cap off Veteran's Day, I parked my car in my underground parking spot! Didn't really know I had a spot. Did you? Now I don't have to scrape snow off of my windshield in the cold, dark, snowy mornings! Boo Yah!! But get this...my car got locked in the parking garage. When I moved in, I got the garage door opener. So I open the garage door, drive my car in, and back the son of a gun in the parking spot. Go upstairs and do whatever it is I do when I do what I do. The next morning drag my butt out of bed and triple-S! Plod on down to the parking garage door and put the key in. The key doesn't open the door. I stand around for 15-20 minutes in the cold waiting to see if somebody, anybody was going to go to the parking garage. Nope. Just my luck, right? So call one of my co-workers and beg to be picked up. Came home that evening and the landlord put a key to the garage in my mailbox. So that's how my work week wrapped up. Great! Way to begin the weekend!!

Ok, now here's the story that I alluded to at the top of this dribble. I plodded down the six flights of stairs to go to the grocery store to get me some junk food before I went to work. Surprise me and junk food!!!! And wah wah wah about working on Saturday, my day off. But that's not what this story is about. I plodded down the stairs (offsetting any junk food I'd buy) and came out on the first floor. One of the apartment's had their door open and it stunk to high heaven. Like gag me stink!!! My only thought was the guy took a huge dumpéé (pronounced doomp-ay - trying to class this story up a bit) and was disgusted by his own stink that he had to air out his own apartment. It stunk! Did I say that it stunk? It STUNK! But when I came back from the store with the the junk food in hand, the door was shut. So he was either embarrassed by me saying "Holy (expletive)! What is that (expletive) smell? It smells like somebody took a huge (expletive) (expletive). Did somebody (expletive) die in the (expletive) place? Maybe just maybe I helped somebody out that day by not making them smell that odoriferous non-delight. Maybe? I like to think so...cuz I'm a giver, and I care!!!!

The next day I had some co-workers over to my house for pizza, and I did a little Christmas decorating. I know it was early but there was a method to my madness. Sadly it seems to be all madness now with absolutely no (expletive) method! That Monday (17 November, if you're lost) I took a day off from work. I'm on what we call Use or Lose. I have too much vacation time on the books, and if I don't use it I lose it. Crazy conceptual name, huh? The following Thursday (the 20th...stay with me here!!!) was the first day with less than six hours of daylight. It only gets less from then on out until it starts getting more!!! Friday was yet another Use or Lose Day!!!

Saturday, 22 November 2008 was a day poor Iceland will not be able to recover from. Sure the economy will turn around eventually, but my friend Kathy moved to Iceland on this day. I woke up at the crack of dawn and drove out to the airport at 0530 to pick her up. Spent pretty much the rest of the day bumming around with her and getting her settled in and to the grocery store! Everybody loves groceries!!! Sunday I watched the OU/Texas Tech game. Boomer Sooner!!!!

On the 24th I did something I had never done before. It was something I thought might be fun at some point in my life but was a little too scared to try it. Thought what if people knew I liked to do this or was something I did on a regular basis. Some people might look at it as an abomination. I made my own pie crusts. You can't find frozen pastry shells here in Iceland; so I had no other choice. I needed two pumpkin pies for a Thanksgiving Dinner potluck. I hope you all can look past this fact and love me for whom I am and not that I make my own pie crusts! ;o)It was good times, good food, and good people!

I got to the leave the island and head off for a vacation away from work. I went to Copenhagen for Thanksgiving. I flew out on Wednesday afternoon after having the ho-hum husband and his family over for coffee. The family flew in from the US for the holiday and since I was leaving and wouldn't see them, I made coffee. In fact I had to go out and buy a coffee pot! So flew to Copenhagen on a somewhat bumpy flight. Drugs put me to sleep for like 30 minutes...UGH! Arrived and my friend who I was visiting made dinner, and then we made a pumpkin pie for Thursday.

Got up Thanksgiving morning but didn't get to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or anything. Didn't even get to watch football! We went out and saw the Little Mermaid statue and then to the grocery store. We came back and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening cooking and gorging ourselves. My friend had to work on Friday so while she was at work, I did a self-guided walking tour of part of Copenhagen. It was a bit chilly, and I saw a lot!! I saw some castles, some churches, the changing of the guards; saw me getting lost a few times too. Then I headed down to Tivoli Gardens. We saw a performance of the Nutcracker at Tivoli. It was a modern version that I somewhat enjoyed. It wasn't the best and it certainly wasn't the worst. Instead of ballet, there was break dancing and rapping and skateboarding on stage. If I didn't know it was the Nutcracker, then I wouldn't have understood the story at all as it was unfolding on stage! But oh well...it was an enjoyable part of the Christmas season. Afterwards we wandered around Tivoli Gardens until it was time to go home for dinner, watching Elf, and put up the Christmas tree! Saturday we got up and trained up to Helsingor also known as Elsinore. We visited Kronberg Castle which is the castle that Shakespeare uses as the setting for Hamlet. To be or not to be, that is the question... Well it was really cold and rainy so the bigger question was, To glögg or not to glögg? We glögged!!! Hmmm....warmed, spiced and sweetened wine on a bone-chilling day. Only a few things are better than that...and they all include me, myself and I! We were going to head across the sound on a ferry to Sweden but miserable weather would've made for a miserable time in Sweden. So alas, I didn't make it Sweden. 3 more Scandinavian countries to go in 18 months plus Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

On the final day of the month, we took a canal tour. I was stupid enough to sit outside the entire boat ride and caught a bit of a phlegmy-cough! Oh well...it was a nice canal tour! Then we went off to the Carlsberg brewery after meeting up with a friend that I was in Afghanistan with. Got to the brewery and the sucka was closed 'due to special engagement.' Yeah the special engagement was my ass walking all that way...open up bitches! Give me my tour and beers!! After our unsuccessful go at the brewery and the brawl I started with the security guards to get some free beer, we headed to the City Hall for the lighting of the Christmas tree. It was cool. It's a 200 year old tradition. And Santa came in on a fire truck, climbed up the ladder and lit the tree with fireworks. I asked Deb, what if he falls with all these kids around? They'd be scarred for life! But he didn't, and the tree was really nice looking. Then it was off to the airport and my flight back. The pills didn't even work on the flight at all, and it was a bumpy one! I arrived back at home on 1 December, and now it's time to bring on the Christmas season! I hope you all are well, and I apologize again for this being late! I'm a busy little beaver!!!!!!!

Iceland - October 2008

October is Over! I never know where to start on this blog-thing. It's a challenge to get going but once I do start the dribble and the -rhea just flows! So where DO I start? (9 & 1/2 weeks later....) I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. The month ended just as it began...rather mundane! This month I ended up giving a lot of presentations/lectures. Tried my hand professoring, tour guiding, salesmanning, and being an all out good-looking guy. Failed miserably at all 4!!!! :o)

I usually don't talk about work on this blog-thing here, but I had the "opportunity" to give a presentation to all of the Chiefs of Police in Iceland on the 2nd prior to a reception I hosted. There were also some diplomats invited. All in all it was a good time, but I do know for sure that I don't like public speaking. I don't know how teachers do it, or how I could've done it if I didn't take this job and got my Master's instead! Well with that said, the next day I flew to a town in the northwest of the country called Isafjordur, the main city in the Westfjords area. I gave a lecture at the university up there. Poor students!!

Well luckily the lecture only lasted an hour!! Lucky for us all. Following the lecture, took off to go to some meetings and see what the Westfjords is all about. I visited practically the entire Westfjords and every town save for two! It was like I was campaigning for King of the World again...although last time I took it by force with my massive brain power. (OH WAIT...isn't that a cartoon???) DAMN!!!! I'm not getting royalties. Didn't see any puffin either (but read on further to learn about my puffin experience). Also let me tell you about this plane ride. Imagine flying in a prop plane skirting along the mountain then turning into a fjord. Ok, you with me still? Well that's how we fly into the airport. Flew into the fjord, headed towards the cliff, and then banked right while descending. The mountain was RIGHT there! It was cool even though I hate to fly!!

Didn't do much of anything except work until the 11th. My grandmother turned 80, and my family had a surprise birthday party for her. I didn't get to go. I tried, but my boss wouldn't let me have the time off. Then when I worked out a possible solution, I would've flown all the way to Oklahoma and gone to the party for like 3 hours before I had to travel back. So I didn't go. I called and wished her a happy birthday though - one of the downsides of living overseas - missing family gatherings. Also I had a friend arrive in Reykjavik that same day for Iceland Airwaves that kicked off on the 15th.

The 12th, 13th and 14th did all the sightseeing stuff: Reykjavik, Jokulsarlon and the Golden Circle!

On the 15th, Iceland Airwaves '08 kicked off. I saw 19 bands in 4 days. On the 15th it was Subminimal, Agent Fresco and Biffy Clyro. Tried to see Hjaltalin but the line was out the door forever and a day and not moving. On the 16th saw Cocktail Vomit, Sometime (www.myspace.com/sometimgroup), Disa, Therese Aune (www.myspace.com/thereseaune), Parachutes, and Ane Brun (www.myspace.com/anebrun). 17th was Tonik, Ben Frost, Amiina/Kippi Kaninus, Sam Amidon, Half Tiger, and Munich. The 20th began early with Hjaltilin (www.myspace.com/hjatalinband) in the afternoon and Boys in a Band, CSS and Vampire Weekend until the late hours.

I loved Sometime!!!

Then it was back to work on the 19th! :o( The remainder of the month was primarily work, work, work. I hate work!! I wish November and December were holidays!! I had to do three more lectures on the 24th and 28th. What was I thinking when I was voluntold? Never, ever, ever again!!

Got lucky enough to see Sometime again on the 25th. A whole set by them. And their CD drops on 7 Nov! I'm buying it! So after 4.5 hours of sleep, I got up and went with friends of a friend that came to Iceland for a long weekend to a town called Vik. We drove there and part of the way was through a snow storm. I was very apprehensive to go further once we hit the snow, but the car pulled through and charged on like a gem. Got back to Reykjavik safe and sound and exhausted. Then went out to dinner and had some lobster. The tapas joint was for dessert. I had a creme brulee and the guys had puffin and whale for dessert and chocolate cake. I tried the puffin...didn't like it so much. In fact it was so savoury to me that I was up all night until about 0430 puking it's goodness back up and then some!!

After ralphing all night long, I got up out of bed feeling like a 18-wheeler had plowed me over and traipsed into work around 1000. I like going in at 1000. I should eat puffin more often, hmmmm...... (Are you thinking the same devious plan I am? Puffin, 5 days a week!!!) I have found my way out of working a full week!!!!!!!!!! I'd like to thank the Academy for this wonderful idea!

Once a week at work somebody brings soup to share with the people that choose to participate. It was my turn on the 29th. So in honor of Halloween, I made a pumpkin soup and for dessert was kitty litter cake. It was nummy. The soup was a little too sweet for me, but everybody else said they liked it. Either they actually enjoyed it, or they were being polite. Either way, I'll take the compliment. The 30th? Boring and working is about it. Halloween came and went with no great pomp and circumstance or any great happenstance. I went to see a movie, Quarantine. It was rather scary. I jumped in my seat like 3 times. Then went out for a beer. Got home and in bed around 2am on the 1st. OH WAIT THAT'S NOVEMBER. That's it then. I guess I'm done. You all may return to your normal lives and wait with such anticipation for the next installment that you practically pee your pants!!!

Oh wait I forgot...the 29th went to another handball match. This time it was Iceland versus Belgium. Iceland won of course! The Icelandic team is afterall won the Silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing!!

I'll try and wrap up the rest of the year with a bang!! Stay Tuned!!

Retraction: The Ho-Hum Husband is that ho-hum...he's actually kind of ok!

Iceland - September 2008

So long September...well this past month was more professional rather than social. Seemed like I worked all the flippin time, but we all know that wasn't the case! Who wants to work all the time? - not I!!

As you recall last month's teaser was what I did over Labor Day weekend - it was work...not so much in the office but in trying to finally finish putting stuff away in my apartment. If I remember correctly though I received a phone call or two. A few days later went and saw an at times funny movie - Step Brothers.  The tickets were free. Got them through a local radio station and watched, laughed, and thought 'thank goodness I didn't pay for these damn tickets!'

That weekend went to brunch at a coworker's house. Had one of the best brunch dishes I've ever tasted there and now have the recipe. It's gonna be my special treat for those that come to visit me. I'll make it and we'll dine in our pj's and listen to our arteries clog!!! Damn good! Then the next day watched a replay of the OU/Cincinatti game on the North American Sports Network (NASN) TV channel. NASN is the only reason I still pay the exorbitant cable bills. As soon as college football season is over...there goes the cable! Anyways to get back to watching the game...I cheated and looked up the score ahead of time and knew who won. But I cooked scrambled eggs, pancakes, hash browns, bacon, and made mimosas for two of my coworkers. It was my first thing to have in my apartment so I planned it to be small on purpose. It was a pain cleaning this place. All the floors are either hardwood or tiled....rugs slide all over the place and brooms only get so many dust bunnies!

On the 11th had a small memorial ceremony at work in remembrance of the victims of 9/11. That night had a dinner. It was a going away dinner for a coworker and his wife, but sure enough he got extended here. Too bad his wife still had to leave. She's awesome. He's just ho-hum! And their friend Cookie....OH MY!!! The meal turned out to be a top-notch dinner and the margaritas didn't hurt any either!!!

The next day I took off a day from work and went whale watching. I didn't see any whales because the cans of beer I was drinking weren't big enough. The seas were rough, and I thought I was going to lose it. Thank goodness I passed out...just kidding. I got up and walked around a bit and was alright. I think the rest of the passengers saw a whale fin or something. I want to see my whale on the restaurant menu not out floating around in the ocean. That just goes against nature somehow.

So Cookie had a going away party for the same people I had the dinner for...turned into a 'We Can't Get Rid of You Party' for him and a 'PLEASE DON'T GO' party for her! The fellowship was awesome as were the daiquiris, the beer, the 7-layer dip, the jello shots, and the MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!! Come midnight went to another party where I got totally depressed and put me in the dumps for almost a week. The party wasn't quite what I had hoped for, and it made me think - will I ever be able to have a decent social life here? That my friends is the $64,000,000.00. Any answers? Any thoughts? Any prayers? Any money for hookers? Just kidding!! I have money for hookers!

My sister's birthday was a bitch of a day - no pun intended Fer!! At around 0735 hours local, there was a 6.3 earthquake that rocked Reykjavik. I didn't feel a thing. I was probably in the shower, running late for work, or just doing something ridonkulous. Didn't call in sick that day I know for sure. In addition to the earthquake, we were rocked by the remnants of Hurricane Ike!  And can Ike blow! The gusts were quite strong and the constant wind was something like 30 meters per second (67 mph for you non-Metric FOOLS!!). It rained and it blew and it rained and my poor car was splattered with seawater.  The waves were beating against the sea wall and the spray was landing on my poor Snædís.  All salty and wet! The remnants stuck around for like 3 days.  In fact today (30 September 2008) was the first day it hadn't rained in three weeks. The madness, right?

Well on the 18th a strange thing happened. Received a guest list for a reception, and I was glancing through it - as I always do cuz I'm nosy oh and it's my job I guess. So saw this name and was like dammit they misspelled my name. Did a double-take and saw one of the invitee's name was Jonas Moody. Now since my name is Jon S Moody you can see how I might have glanced and been upset. Well turns out the name was legit. I went to the reception at met this Jonas Moody. In Iceland who would've thunk that there would two Moodys let alone a Jonas and a Jon S. WOW!!!  :o)

I try not to write about work too often on this...but since I have no social life here I'll tell you about two work things. Spent one day traveling to five different ports in the Reykjavik area. I never thought in my life I'd visit ports for work, but I did and now I know tons about the ISPS Code and a bunch of other stuff. Think about it...five ports...not too astounding is it? You're right not really so the next day I go to Iceland's maximum security prison. If you're gonna go to prison, commit your crime in Iceland. The longest sentence there is 20 years. That's the number of years I have to work until I retire. At the prison they get a private room with a twin bed, shower, toilet, locking door, TV, and a job. They get an allowance so they can go to the store to buy their food. They're responsible for cooking their own food and there are knives in the kitchen. Went to the shop where they make all the license plates for the cars too - con labor. The strangest part for me was the low security and the fact that the prisoners get a key from the front desk for their door and they can come and go. Room 227 and can you tell the valet to have my car ready at 7:00. Thanks much. Oh and did the Concierge get my tickets to the opera? Nothing like Oz or Prison Break at Litla-Hraun!!

So that brings me to the end of September and a stronger dollar against the Icelandic Krona.  I think it's something like 100 ISK to 1 USD. But stuff is still ultra expensive here. A pint is 700-750 ISK. I need to befriend a bartender fo sho! Wonder what October has in store for me & you in all its wonder.

Oh and there are only around 85 shopping days until Christmas, and I want a 32gb iPod Touch or maybe just being able to take a day off that's not spent on this island! The iPod's at the top of the list though, and it's reasonably priced at $399.00. You know you love me that much!

Post Script I would be remiss and an awful, terrible, sucky person if I did not tell you one more thing. And you know or at least you do now that I am NOT an awful, terrible, sucky person, but Reykjavik, specifically Esja, saw its first snow of the year over the 27/28th.

Iceland - August 2008

Month 3 in the vast greatness that is Jon’s Iceland tour is over. It’s hard to imagine that 3 months have flown by. I mean in Afghanistan month 3 felt like I had been there for eons, millennia, and the entire Mesozoic period. I guess it is true – time flies when you are having fun! I’m totally enjoying Iceland. Work on the other hand is different story.

Let’s see what happened this month…

1 August was the reinstatement of Iceland’s President. So I was downtown watching the festivities and being a general knob. Like everybody else I just watched it from the sidelines. I knew most of the police working the occasion. So I putted around and talked with them and looked all important. You know how I like ‘looking’ important. We all know that ain’t necessarily the case…but perception is reality!!

Also on 1 August all but three cartons of my household effects (HHE) shipment arrived. I was home in the morning while the packers delivered 123 cartons. I’ve got way too much stuff. I know it’s time to downsize and rethink my packing and shopping practices when I end up with 90 rolls of toilet paper that I bought before I went to Liberia back in 2004 and 144 rolls of toilet paper that I bought in Oklahoma City when I was getting ready to pack out there to come to Iceland. Then I have 2 charcoal grills, 4 DVD players, 3 TVs, and tons of crap nobody needs ever – 36 shot glasses (and that’s NOT the collection). But I digress…you know me…you know how I am…get off my back!!! When you come to visit, you’ll be happy I have good ol’ Charmin!!!!!!!!!

I spent the entire weekend of the 2-3 August unpacking all the boxes. I didn’t put it away. I just wanted to empty the boxes so the movers could come back and pick them up. This place looked like 3 separate criminals looking for Jon’s Jewels had ransacked it! Luckily they are attached to me! So it was a mess. I tried my damnedest two get a few of the rooms cleaned up so I wouldn’t go insane. Plus I was having company arrive on 5 August. Talk about timing. The HHE sat in Reykjavik for a ‘very long time.’ This is what the shipping company said…I’m guessing 3 weeks or so. Well now it’s here, and I’m settling in!

Went to a work BBQ on 2 August for a bit. It was cold. August at a BBQ – what comes to mind? Sun, hamburgers, beers, charcoal briquettes, beers, merriment, beers, warm weather…well we had most of those except sun, warm weather and beers. It was so chilly. We were all wearing our fleeces, and I helped the grill master cuz I was COLD!!!! I did get to throw a big bottle of water on one of the kids…little brat!! (PCG and LBG yeah you know!!!!) He started it though, and I ended it! Well his mom did but I threw the last bit of water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On 3 August had dinner at a co-worker’s. It was a going away dinner for some another co-worker and his family. Same kid I drenched, but we were inside so no water throwing. I behaved myself!!

A friend of mine from Kabul’s friends came into town. Went and had some seafood with them one night and then sent them on there way. They took one of my suggestions on a place to visit…and they LOVED it! Who’dathunkit? Jon actually knows what he’s talking about. So when you all come - beg me for a lift or directions to Jokullsarlon (Glacier Lagoon). It’s pronounced – sort of kind of this way: YOU-kul-sar-lon. It’s amazing. There is a photo album on my Facebook and photos from my previous trip there on a previous posting.

On 5 August a friend of mine came for a visit, and I started a week of ‘vacation.’ Wasn’t much of a vacation from work cuz I got called in 4 times in the 7 days I was off - twice at 3am and twice around midnight. I was not a happy camper. But the visit was awesome. Stayed up late and slept in. Got a little sightseeing in. It was good times! My tour guide skills are waning and hopefully they will they improve by next summer…although I have guests coming in October and in December. (UMMM…nobody else has made any reservations). 

While we were out and about, we were picking IceBerries. Well they’re actually called Blueberries, but we wanted to make it seem more intriguing than picking blueberries on the side of a volcano. I mean that’s old hat. Everybody does it. So we picked IceBerries on the side of a volcano. No IceBerry cobbler was created during the filming of this movie!!! Shame!

(Some other things have gone on but to protect the privacy of the innocent – I will let you use your imagination!!!)

Went back to work on 13 August. Haven’t done a whole lot since then. Just the occasional night out at the bars. You know it’s not very easy to spend all day at work and then try and do something at night when you are zonked. It’s also hard to fill your weekends when you nap on Saturday and stay out until 5 or 6 am on Sunday then finally get up at 1 or 2 pm. Now that there’s a dark night…I don’t know what will happen. Lots of time at home with the DVD player probably.

It seems the first part of the month was jam-packed. The latter was just work. Which at times is very, um how do you say? crappy!!! Just so much going on and not enough time to get it all in. The good thing is, I’m not working 16 hours a day. Tops 10 hours and then heading home (with an hour for lunch). Except 21 August when I had to go to work at 3 am. NOT HAPPY!!!! So it’s not toooo bad. Could be better, but it could be Kabul. 

23 August was Meiningarnott (Culture Night) downtown. I didn’t necessarily go for the culture except the kind found in a pint glass with a frothy head and a taste of hops! Now that was enjoyable. Partook of a bit too much culture that night! Did get to see some nice fireworks though. Then after the fireworks, I went back to soaking up the culture…that now evolved into local shots….No more Topas! No more Opal!

30 August went over to a co-worker’s house and ate chili and watched football – USC v. UVA. Fight on Trojans!! Earlier in the day I watched a replay of SMU get pummeled by Rice. Made me think back to my college days – “Whether we win or lose, we still get our booze!” But I was not drinking during the game. It was at 930 am!! Wasn’t even 5 pm in Kabul!

So on 30 and 31 August I finally set in earnest to organizing my apartment. 30 August was kitchen and bedroom. The kitchen is there (just need to put away a few dishes and take the DVD player out of the oven). I have 4! What did you want me to do with it? The bedroom is ever evolving…don’t know if it will ever quite be there. But it looks nice. 31 August was dining room and TV room. They are essentially done. I have a few picture frames on my dining room table still left to find a home. I’m writing this while sitting at my dining room table…so nanny nanny boo boo!!!!

Tune in next month to see what days I did the living room and finished the spare bedroom!! Just a little tease though – my labor day was not without work!!

We're Having a Heat Wave, A Tropical Heat Wave....

Can you just imagine Ella Fitzgerald singing that song?  

She did at one time I 'spose....

Forgot to mention on 30 July 2008, when I was home sick, I experienced the hottest day in Reykjavik ever on record:  79 degrees Fahrenheit/26 degrees Celsius.  I was not wearing my speedo...only because I was ill. Didn't feel sexy!  :o(  But I'm better now...mostly!!!!

Iceland - July 2008

Well July is over! What a month? I really don't even know what to say about July.

The first week in July I was sick (just one day - upset tummy). Then headed off to the town of Hofn for the Lobster Festival. Oh the story that follows is one for the ages. So went to this tiny little town of 1600 inhabitants. Had to share a hotel room with a snorer!This town has three restaurants. We ate at two of the three. We arrived in the evening and went to the "lobster restaurant" but ate lamb because we were like it'll be all-you-can-eat lobster tomorrow night at dinner. The next day we took an ATV nature tour. Quite nice.






After the nature tour we headed off to one of the radar stations positioned at the four corners of Iceland. This thing was massive sitting out on a cliff. So time comes for the 'Night O Lobster' (humar is the Icelandic word for lobster). We show up and all members of the women's choir that was hosting the event are dressed like cowboys. Patrick and I look at each other and Patrick says we ain't gettin lobster. SHO NUFF!!!! It was hamburgers, ribs, buffalo wings, coleslaw, and Budweiser. WHERE'S THE HUMAR! I WANT HUMAR!! Nonetheless it was a great evening listening to the choir perform and drinking some Bud! This was July 3rd so a great way to kick off the 4th. Got to drive all the way back from Hofn to Reykjavik on the 4th...did nothing after I got home. Did stop at Jokullsarlon (Glacier Lagoon) on the way back and took a little Light Amphibious Resupply Cargo (LARC) vehicle tour. So there we are toodlin around the lagoon with Icebergs Dead Ahead...wanted to reenact the flippin king of the world seen from Titanic, but the Icelanders are sticks in the mud for hijinks!





4th of July weekend saw me doing nothing. Happy Birthday America!! Went to sleep at like 9pm on the 4th and sat on my butt all weekend...well had dinner at a coworker's house. Guess what we had? Darn tootin - HUMAR!!!!


Work has picked up a lot and feel slammed during the day but am soooooooooo happy that I have my nights and weekends free. Very different than other places. And with the sun being out all the time.... I did the Golden Circle. It's kind of like the Natural Wonders of Southern Iceland tour. It's Thingvellir where the North American and European plates supposedly meet and where the first democratic government in the world met in 930AD. Then it was off to Geysir (gey-zeer), yep they're geysers; then Gullfoss, Europe's largest waterfall; and Kerid, a caldera.

The following weekend stayed in Reykjavik and went to a Studio 54 Party at one of the clubs here in town. Got home around 8am the next morning. Rather early, I know! Sick again on July 30 - sore throat (extremely sore throat), stopped up, sinus headaches, and achy. Ever since I worked in Afghanistan, I've been sick a lot more and seems a lot easier. Oh well...breathing in feces is bound to do something to you?????

So today, 31 July, I was walking back from lunch at the Mexican joint (had flautas) with two coworkers. And one says to me, "Look it's the President up there at your 1 o'clock." I was like yeah right. But sure enough. We get up there a little closer and it's Olaffur just standing there chit chatting away on his mobile. I screamed over at him, "Hey Olaffur! How's it hanging?" He holla'd back!!!! (just kidding about the hollering, but I did see him)

I feel like I should close with some profound quip like Carrie Bradshaw...Is Love the New Black? Or a philosophical musing by Confucious...Man who fart in church sit in pew. Bring on August - 2 down 22 more to go (not that I'm counting, I just know math!)

Iceland - June 2008

Just wanted to write and let you know things are going well here. Arrived safe and sound but without luggage on 9 June. Ended up not going to work like I planned. So on 10 June, traipsed into work in shorts, tennis shoes, dress shirt (that I mailed to myself) and a sweater. Got my luggage the same day. Week went on well with just the normal growing pains of trying to adjust to 24 hours of daylight. The sun's up about 21 of those hours but even when it goes down, there's still enough light to see everything.

Friday came and I went to a bbq at one of my coworker's house. We had lamb, pork, chicken, and hot dogs. On Saturday one of the my coworkers threw a welcome party for me. Between myself and the intern, we drank a full bottle of jack and rum. We wrapped up the party at like 2am. What else do you do at 2am but head to the bars to drink more until 5. Oh what a night!!!

Sunday went to an Iceland versus Macedonia handball match. I'd never been to one. Don't know the rules. But this game was the deciding factor on whether Iceland or Macedonia went to the World Cup. Where that is or when that is haven't a clue. Iceland won the match but only by 6 points so they are not going to the World Cup. They needed to win by 8

Monday came and after the staff meeting we had cake and everybody sang happy birthday to me. It was a ho- hum day. Went home and made some pasta then went to a concert. Got home around 2am. 17 June is an Icelandic holiday so I sat around the house all day watching dvds. And so now I'm ending my second week here in Iceland. Tomorrow I'm considering walking around downtown and taking some pics. So beautiful here and so much to see and do. Well not so much to see and do, but it's a helluvalot better than Liberia, Pakistan or Afghanistan in terms of opportunities to do things outside of work.
Since I've been here the Icelandic have killed two polar bears. Haven't had one in Iceland in 18 years and within two weeks, they've had 2. Some farmer out in the boonies claims to have had a dream about 3 polar bears and then a huge volcanic eruption. 2 polar bears down - one more and then the volcanic eruption.

Gas is at $7.97 per gallon. Luckily we get about 40% back.

Had some very high-level meetings today with the national police, and I got my Icelandic ID number today so I'm official. I can rent videos!

I'll try and write another update in a couple of weeks. Have to go to the office for a little bit tomorrow (saturday 21 june). then walking around and taking some photographs of the town. Next weekend I'm thinkin about going out of town to one of the glaciers. (using a work car right now for travel around town - a volvo). So over the next few years, I'll try and update you regularly. You can write me back and let me know what's going on in your neck of the woods too.

28 June went to a Sigur Ros/Björk concert. It was a free concert, and I sat pretty much like on the 3rd row. I made the papers!! Morgenbladid had my picture in it. Not quite front page coverage like I'm used to, but I'll take it. I'm having a word with the editors over the next few weeks. Fuckers need to learn who they're dealing with. And I did go to the glacier on Saturday (29 June). We played in the snow and froze our butts off.

Love you all. Take care and talk to you soon. jon