Monday, January 24, 2005

A message for the gay Spiderman..

So how many of you are lurkers? According to my stats the page was paid a visit by 41 persons yesterday yet if the comments are anything to go by there are only a handful of people that actually read the blog.. Those being Chris, Lola, Huld, Jón Kjartan, Joe and Svava. Are there more of you? Are you aware of the comment link, that admittedly goes by the title thoughts here..? Pretty please I´d like to hear from you, a simple "hehe" or "you´re nuts" or "you´re absolutey gorgeous" will do ;-P

Anyways hugs from the nutter in edinburgh!!

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Fame ;-)

One of my photos was just blogged on Flickrzen ;-) At long last fame has found me :-D Gunnella bows to thunderous applause ;-P


Thank you Zenera :-D

What to do when you should be studying..

Well I have been studying, honest!!
I´ve also been rearranging my photos at night and have for that purpose started a new account with flickr in order to be able to categorize them.
Don´t worry the Fotolog one will be kept active and I intend to post there the pictures that form the family diary of sorts whereas on the flickr account I´m currently just transferring those pictures I found to be outstanding in some ways. So the categories are as follows;
1) 2) 3)
4) 5) 6)

1) Reflections - Literally all them reflections, in puddles in wondews excetera that I keep taking photos of..
2) Titled "the Kids" it is more of a collection of fairly good pictures of the family..
3) Icelandic Views Askew..- Blatantly stolen from one Mr Kevin Smith, this a mere collection of Photos from around Iceland, mainly Reykjavík though.... One almost feels homesick ..
4) Homo Sapiens Observed in their natural Habitat..Need one say more? eds up beig mostly of kids though ...
5) Then Graffiti or Street art..Those of you who know me are aware of my longstandin fascination with this art form ;-)
6) And finally Gothic Edinburgh.. definitely more to come !

I assume more will follow soon, "shadowplay", "Life in Edinburgh" and "portraits" have already been considered and might just make it ;-)

If you have better suggestions for categories or feel something is missing by all means make use of this wonderful tool often referred to as the comment link and actually voice your opinion ;-P

Well my 10 minutes online are up so I´m back to Mrs Ruth Finnegan who beneath her covers seems to hold all the truths of Oral Tradition :-P (no dirty thinking! ;-)

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Digital Media and Design

Ok to start off with "My page looks REALLY weird on a Mac" !! Why didn't anyone tell me this before and secondly... It would seem that I have a new title now. It being "oh no you're a partner type person aren't you" ;-) uttered by one of Halld'ors professors as he came to usher the chinese students into class, looked at me as I was sneaking unto the computers here, looked again, focused and then said these famous words...

O.k. so what am I doing intruding on Halld'ors class at the uni of edin..well having little luck writing at home, after a couple of hours reading at the pub came here to search the Edinburgh uni library catalogue and am currently sitting in the midst of class (was supposed to be off in a corner discreet like until everyone got ushered back in here.. fortunately I know most of these guys, hint the "guys" thing indicates the Americanism contained therein ;-P And apart from the blogging am actually getting some work done, away from children and constant reminders of tidying up to be done....
Fortunately for me Steini is still with us so he's going to pick the kids up and ship them off to Judo class :-D

we hope....

Birmingham Rhapsody

Just found this new take on the Queens Bohemian Rhapsody, just click the picture or the quote ;-) My favorite part is of course;

Any way the Windows,
Buffy really matters to me,
to me.....


The Sing-along-a found on Sirtumbles blog...

mutter stutter....

Am sitting here, head splitting, both with headache as well as information I can´t seem to be able to mash together in order to finish this essay I´m supposed to hand in on Friday :-( It shouldn´t be so difficult, it´s just the whole "now I´m doing my masters" I don´t feel I can just hand in my ususal amalgamation of research liberally sprinkled with quotations and expect to get the 8.5 I´m used to...

Maybe that personality test I took in High school was right. Perhaps I am best cut out to be a flower shop clerk or an undertaker...... Apparently I was to avoid long term shooling at all costs!!

But then there was that other test that came up with me having to find a mixture of "jet pilot" "archaeologist" "missionary" and "designer".. pondered that one for a while ;-)
I had this Indiana Jonesque figure of me (strikingly handsome of course ;-) in missionary robes taking off in a ona-man-jet from Egypt.. cuse big scene...the pyramids crumbling in the background. A large dust cloud billowing up behind me.. Excetera ;-)
Speaking of which "WHY" do they always have to ruin everything in the end?? There are these incredible cultural treasures, manuscrpts and stuff (a very professional term) and as soon as the hero finds it, or rather is led there, everything crumbles to the ground. I hated the ending of The last crusade, there the right honorable knight had spent all these centuries guarding the chalice when along comes the "hero" and all crumbles, without, it would seem, a hint of regret...
Lara croft, although undeniably incredibly scorching, is to be found guilty of the same irrevocable misdemeanor!! That cave in Greece anyone..?
Admittingly the new one, National Treasure, although ever so slightly unrealistic, is fun and well paced and!! at least the treasures are kept to be enjoyed...
That scene when they enter the vault and she picks up that scroll from the library at Alexandria I just cringed...they weren´t going to have it explode or burn were they ?...shudder... but no, for once all went well ;-P

O.k. so I might just be a tad over emotional when it comes to experiencing movies on a rather personal note.. ;-)

Maybe it´s about time I got back to mr Ong and mr Foley.... Bleehhh

Bahh humbug ... I tells ya ;-P In the meantime, if you feel like seeing something different, on a rather scary and somewhat 18+ level then check out mr. spiderman here, ;-) naugthy ;-Þ

ImAgiNe....

I was due later this week for an appointment with the gynaecologist, when early one morning I received a call from his office saying that I had been rescheduled for early that morning at 9:30 AM. I had just packed everyone off to work and school and it was around 8:45 already. The trip to his office usually took about 35 minutes so I didn't have any time to spare. As most women do, I'm sure, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So I rushed upstairs, threw off my dressing gown, wet the washcloth and gave myself a wash in "that area" in front of the sink, taking extra care to make sure that I was presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment.

I was in the waiting room only a few minutes when he called me in. Knowing the procedure, as I am sure all women do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended I was in Hawaii or some other place a million miles away from here. I was a little surprised when he said,

"My... we have taken a little extra effort this morning, haven't we?" but I didn't respond.

The appointment over, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day went normal, some shopping, cleaning and the evening meal, etc. Later that evening my daughter was getting ready for a school dance, when she called down from the bathroom,

"Mom... where's my washcloth?" I told her to get another from the cabinet. She called back,

"No, I need the one that was here by the sink. It had all my glitter and sparkles in it."

Tounge in cheek

A mother and her son were flying Southwest Airlines from Kansas City to Chicago.

The son (who had been looking out the window) turned to his mother and asked, "If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, why don't big planes have baby planes?"

The mother (who couldn't think of an answer) told her son to ask the stewardess.

So the boy asked the stewardess, "If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, why don't big planes have baby planes?"

The stewardess responded, "Did your mother tell you to ask me?"

The boy said, "Yes she did."

"Well, then, tell your mother that there are no baby planes because Southwest always pulls out on time. Have your mother explain that to you."

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Bill Gates as you´ve never seen him (hopefully ;-)


Bill Gates Strikes a Pose for Teen Beat Photospread, 1983.....

Pheeew

One down and one to go. No, not well... whatever you were thinking, you perverts ;-P I just finished printing and sending off my essay or rather report on an audio recorded interview and there´s only one to go and then the semester, the autumn one, is over !! :-D
So now...a short break, involving Charmed, blogging and then some pizzas, hey I´ve got 4 other mouths to feed!! And then I guess it´s time for dear mr. Lord, whom I´ve neglected over the holidays but seems to be calling me again.
So "orf" I go to reread the Eddas, try to remember anything from Gísli´s course on oral tradition and the Eddas and well....panickly hitting the computer seeing as it´s to be handed in on Ghasp !! Friday....

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Kids Responses on Marriage

How to Decide Whom to Marry

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
Kirsten, age 10

What Is The Right Age to Get Married?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person forever by then.
Camille, age 10

No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.
Freddie, age 6

How Can a Stranger Tell If Two People Are Married?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
Derrick, age 8

What Do You Think Your Mom And Dad Have in Common?
Both don't want any more kids.
Lori, age 8

What Do Most People Do on a Date?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
Lynnette, age 8

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
Martin, age 10

What Would You Do on a First Date That Was Turning Sour?

I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
Craig, age 9

When Is it Okay to Kiss Someone?

When they're rich.
Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
Howard, age 8

Is it Better to Be Single or Married?

I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out.
Theodore, age 8

It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
Anita, age 9

How Would the World Be Different If People Didn't Get Married?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favourite is........

How Would You Make a Marriage Work?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
Ricky, age 10

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Scenes from a Cemetary...



Here are a few shots from an old cemetary here in the centre of Edinburgh, Stunning isn´t it? I realise it´s somewhat morbid and morose but cemetaries have always appealed to me, they´re so quiet and peaceful. One can see the care bereaved ones lavished upon their loved ones, the artwork clearly displays amazing workmanship and devotion. And the history present in the place itself is so remarkable and tangible. o.k. so it´s a bit more than morbid but hey ;-)

Admittedly seeing as they were all taken on my cameraphone the quality is such that they´re all best viewed as thumbnails and the rest left to the imagination.. That new fancy camera is definitely on the great big "To Do" list of the year ;-P

That last picture (no6), because of the lamppost, immediately brings to my mind an image of Mr. Tumnus ;-) ... As I´ve mentioned before, Edinburgh is such a magical city, it brings to life so many tales and adventures. They vividly play in front of ones eyes as one walks down alleys, climbs cobbled streets or gazes at the amazing architecture. Every time I visit the school of Scottish studies I´m sure I hear a horse drawn carriage on the street and Ragnar even claims to have literally found Diagonal alley on a school trip to the castle ;-)This is a dangerous city for such as us with overly active imaginations.... ;-P

Sunday, January 09, 2005

A recap.....

Hello My preciousssessssss, yessss....
What a year! The last year and a half has been remarkably eventful for me. As I´m sitting here in a sofa blogging (ok so that hasn´t changed at all ;-) in Edinburgh, in a great flat, having a blast at school and having been able to snare a poor unwitting toyboy into a meaningful relationship, well the part about who did the snaring to whom is still under debate but hey ... "Younger sexy man ;-)
The kids are blossoming as well as learning a second language and I´ve lost well, let´s say I now fit into clothes a couple of sizes smaller than before...No more depressed cranky and lonely, but busy, cranky, teasing as hell and content ;-P
Last year was most definitely the year of the Monkey, throwing things up in the air and stirring life up :-D
In view of all the changes I decided upon a short recap of monthly events catalouging the journey here...here goes...

June 2003, Whilst still a teacher in Blönduos, a tiny village in the north of Iceland I was feeling suffocated and using an understatement "extremely" lonely. Later in the month there was a joint trip to Edinburgh by the teachers of the northwest. You can rall about it on my blog here ;-) The trip included amongst other experiences an interview at Sheffield University.

July 2003, I finally moved back to Reykjavík (civilization ;-), admittedly back into my dads tiny decrepit basement but still a definite improvement.

August 2003, The kids started their respective schools ( read the August 25th post) and cope amazingly.

September 2003, I started University again (not having finished my old degree in folkloristics) this time studying at the brand new Japanese department of the University of Iceland. Strangely enough the first student, well one of two, I met just happened to be Halldór ;-) The social life kicks off immediately!

December 2003, yet again I fail to finish the Ba essay in Folkloristics, it is now 11 years. Christmas at the Vitastígur household :-D.

January 2004, The year kicks off with an idol party with the Japanese department, one to remember for various reasons ;-P

February 2004, sees the annual japanese student festival :-D and I go to Italy to help dad pack up and move back to Iceland. And bring back t-shirts for the kids of course ;-)



March 2004, ..... Simple....Say no more... ;-P

April 2004, My birthday of course :-D

May 2004, got accepted into Sheffield and it becomes obvious I´m NOT going to meet the June Ba Essay deadline ... ;-P Oh and I win a prize at the first ever japanese speach contest in Iceland.

June 2004, I gain full custody over the kids, pheeewwww! A lot of stress relieved.

July 2004, Halldór and me go gallavanting off to Portugal and then swerve over to Edinburgh to go flathunting. Which incidentally proves very fruitful.

August 2004, We move !!! Finally my long awaited dream comes true, I´m moving abroad to study. I have been accepted into Sheffield universities folklore course (in spite of having yet to finish that darned Ba essay) I have a similarly minded partner and apart from feeling guilty over leaving dad behind all is well.


September 2004, Good month, Halldór arrives, I start Unii :-D and..........It is done, at long long LOOOOOOOoooooong last!!! It only took 12 years approx for me to get my so called four year degree in folkloristics but I finally did it!! Admittingly I did do a couple of things in the meantime, like have two kids, play schoolteacher for four years and do some intermittent office work ;-)

October 2004, November 2004, December 2004, Happy times ;-) School´s invigorating, kids are coping with their school as well as the language, and Halldór is enjoying his DDM (Digital media and design)

Quite a remarkable turn of events but definitely for the better :-D Hope your last year was as good as mine !! Here´s to what comes next, Cheers :-)

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Griiin...

Sunday, January 02, 2005

I´m singing in the rain ;-)


Not bad for a mere camera phone ;-P

Saturday, January 01, 2005

Happy New Year

Just thought I´d wish you invisible readers a Happy New year, as I sit down after a most excellent meal, lean back with my wine glass and prepaire for three hours og "The Return of The King" Extended version :-D Can´t think of a better way to spend the evening !!!

Then for later on, watching the Icelandic annual end of year comedy show online after which the plan is to walk up towards the madness that is Hogmanay here in Central Edinburgh. !! :-D

Happy New Year !!!