Easter Schmeaster

Pardon my irreverence, but I really wanted Macy's to be open today.

For the Record

I was using one of the computers in the lobby of the Fredriksburg, Denmark Radisson when I found out my nephew and his wife were pregnant.

Ok, I'm old. Saying a couple is pregnant sounds retarded to me. My nephew's wife is pregnant. Not my nephew.

I was at work today when my mom called to tell me the ultrasound showed it's a boy. It also showed that said boy is swimming, running, and doing gymnastics in utereo. Not surprising considering his parents each have about 4% body fat and run about a hundred miles a day.

I am really excited about this baby.

Because I Like Orange

Fine Lines

Mighty Mountain

My new Nikon has a mighty zoom.

I should have gone to Norway instead of Denmark

On my Iceland trip I also went to Denmark, where I saw my Swedish ex-boyfriend Peter.

See title of this post.

Next Stop

I think I want to go to Greenland.

Glacier Blue

Heart-Shaped Meatloaf! Heart-Shaped Meatloaf!

I'm on the newly-formed 'Fun Committee' at work. I've always kept the birthday list and made sure the birthday person has a card and a cake. Yep, I'm good (you do know I'm kidding) and that's why I'm now listed as 'Birthday Specialist Wendy Gilson'. Can I put that on my resume? Or could you maybe greet me one day with a hearty, military-style 'Good morning Birthday Specialist Gilson!' I'd really like that.

Fun fact: If I had been born in Iceland,I would have been Wendy Albertsdottir (Albert's daughter). Or perhaps Wendy Alsdottir. Very few Icelanders have an official family last name.

In my office this afternoon, there was a meeting of five people gathered in a small room to plan a fun February event (That's right! It was the Fun Committee!) We decided on a Valentines Day potluck. I suggested we go for maximum schmaltz - pink, white and red, too many hearts, gooey sentiments, the whole nine yards. As logic would dictate, this needs to extend to the food, so that's why at about 4:15 PM I was excitedly shouting "Heart-shaped meatloaf! Heart-shaped meatloaf! I'm going to make a heart-shaped meatloaf!

It will be frosted in ketchup (Valentines Day red heart...). Now I just need to go to Michael's to get the appropriately-shaped pan.

Reykjavik City Pond

Geyser

Geyser is the only Icelandic word in the English language. Now you know! It means to rush forth, or erupt.

Some do so in a less-dramatic, more continuous manner.

The geyser field is in an area called Haukadal, in southwest Iceland.

I think I'd have to visit another planet to find a place more interesting than Iceland.

First Day in Iceland

After taking the 'Flybus' from Keflavik to Reykjavik, it was about 9:30 AM. And dark.

My hotel room was not ready, but I was nicely offered a go at the breakfast buffet. Nothing beets a good breakfast (yes, there they are in the upper left)

Breakfast was actually quite good. I had skyr with my corn flakes (or whatever twenty-letter name there is for corn flakes in Icelandic). Skyr is a cross between milk and yogurt, and way better than either.

After breakfast it was light outside, and a perfectly pleasant 42 degrees. I walked down to the harbor.




Clean air, clean water, mountains...I was falling in love.

Iceland

I'm leaving for Copenhagen tommorrow. I'm so deeply in love with Iceland I don't want to leave.

Ok, I'm in Reykjavik

It's 9:30 AM and pitch dark.

Such is life at the 66th paralell.

The sky has thus far ignored my pleas for northern lights...

Hvar er ég að fara?

Where am I going?

Hint: It's the northern-most capital in the world.

?

Girl at Clinique counter: "I always thought Iceland had hot weather year round."

She then went on to apply plum-colored blush from my cheekbones to my eyebrows.Maybe I should have bought it. Men like women with giant purple streaks on their face, right?

Under the Sea

I used the underwater macro setting on these shots. There is an ocean of visual elights in these balls. I may buy a third one; probably purple.

Weft to My Own Devices

Clip in hair extensions are called wefts.

Just getting that out of the way.

Here is a bag of hair with only one weft, I mean left. Actually I mean both because one weft is left.



I bought this bag o' hair because sometimes my hair looks ok short (as in photo below, taken Saturday night. That's me on the left). But...it's too layered and too short and not growing fast enough. That's why I coiffed up $84 for said bag o' hair, which I have not yet worn.



I've haven't worn it because I found out that wefts of long, straight hair look sadly mullet-like with short, layered hair.

The only thing weft to do was bring the hair into work and drape it on anything resembling an animate object:

Peace on Earth and Goodwill

We are having an ugly Christmas sweater contest at our All Staff meeting tomorrow.

Do I love spending 90 minutes to drive the 25 miles home from Tukwila on a Friday evening? Do I love sitting through boring meetings? Do I love the inevitable "Fun!!!!" group activities? Am I irrationally happy about the ugly sweater contest?

No, No, Usually not, and Absolutely.

I didn't own an ugly Christmas sweater, but $6 and a trip to Goodwill fixed that:



Yes I know the picture is sideways. Am rushing off to work, and will fix later. Trust me, it's no less tacky right side up.

Femtio

Femtio is Swedish for 50. I know I should be learning Spanish, but I find Swedish more interesting. It's interesting, absurd, and somewhat horrible to be 50.

I spent my birthday (Monday) in Portland with a short trip to Seaside on the Oregon coast.

The Oregon coast remains an 'it' spot for me. I can think of few places I love more.



My friend Mike was also nice enough to take me to lunch at McMenamin's. There are few restaurants I love more than McMenamin's. When I moved to Oregon in 1998, McMenamn's pubs felt good to me right away. We went to the one at Murray and Allen, right down the street from where I lived in Beaverton.
Mike is a computer and electronics genius and has applications on his Ipod Touch that I didn't know were possible.



More later and *note to self* pictures from Argosy cruise on Lake Union.