Ásmundur's Garden

Not only children play in Ásmundur's garden! :-)

Afoot a glimpse o' home!

Yes, in an extraordinary break with established convention, I actually WALKED to get some shopping - on foot! Here is my glimpse of home as I walked back down into Pool Dale and gazed across the urban landscape! ;-)

Spring Cleaning Day!

...or should that be summer! <blush> but somehow it doesn't seem so bad with the glorious soaring voice of Joan Sutherland :-)

Not just another day!

I needed a break today and something totally different - and that´s just what I got (thank you, Douglas!).

We went to the Afturelding-Fram handball match - I´m afraid Afturelding lost but they can at least console themselves with the fact that they held their own most of the match (though Fram were a much classier outfit, I´m afraid) - and in the end, they only lost by 6 points - could have been worse!

So after an hour sweat and testosterone, off to the contemporary elegance of the new Mosfellsbakarí - same old luscious food and coffee - snazzy new location - beautifully done!

Then back to Douglas´ pastoral paradise to crash out - and of course explore his phenomenal classical CD and DVD collection. Highlights included a fabulously directed, acted and performed aria from Handel´s Giulio Cesare; the damnation scene from Mozart´s Don Giovanni (makes my hairs stand up every time); and a revelatory performance of Beethoven´s Waldstein and Appassionata sonatas on an original fortepiano - tempest and lightning indeed!!!

And after such a mix of testosterone and intellectual stimulation, clearly the only choice was a brain-dead action thriller - in all the glory of Blu-Ray - S.W.A.T. ;-)

Afturelding-Fram

Yes, I'm actually here!

Another glorious day in Pool Dale!

Why are computer books so damn big?!!

Sæmundur rides the seal through a snowy sea

Well, even though it SHOULD be Spring, I can´t deny that these snowy views from the University take my breath away! A beautiful end to a very busy couple of days which have felt a bit like wading through treacle following the tummy bug but I´m over it now - and even the snow is glorious! ;-)

The joys of Spring driving in Reykjavik

Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

Well, this weekend has turned out rather differently than expected. Got up yesterday to get ready for Hugvísindaþing and spent the first half an hour being violently ill - the rest of the day with fever and rushes to the bathroom - oh glorious glorious day! A bit better today but feel like I´ve been run over by a tractor!!! I´m afraid that the world will have to wait for the wonders of age-based variation in Icelandic resultatives!

Variation, Violation and Verse at Hugvísindaþing 2008

When I got out of today´s session of Hugvísindaþing, I was greeted by this beautiful view (and two traffic cones). Very interesting papers in the Icelandic linguistics seminar - and more than a little excitement - a drunk man came in - kept breaking into poetry and song (it is Iceland) during one of the lectures - and was thrown out - but not before he nearly punched the session chairman - so don´t tell me that Icelandic linguistics is not full of excitement and blood-racing drama!

Now I just hope that there are no other such fisticuffs before my paper tomorrow :-O

Hugvísindaþing 2008 begins!

Hugvísindaþing 2008 is just about to begin. Lots of interesting stuff on linguistic variation in Icelandic - my paper is not til tomorrow.

On the way home

Took this on the way home from the pool. Beautiful afternoon after a blustery cold morning. Spent most of the day on my talk for hugvísindaþing - but mid-afternoon decided my brain and my back needed some free movement and fresh air! Now it's back to that data!