[Photos taken 01 – 15 July 2022, posted online 04 March 2023. We’ve had our first spring this past week, but there are frozen days ahead.]
After the mad-dash that was June, July was very low energy. I had to get through two weeks of work before starting my summer vacation, but was sadly not really enjoying work very much, so it was a pain. I therefore found myself working from cafes a lot, especially since I was often on the hook for driving Emma to her afternoon horse/art-&-animals camps.
Meanwhile, I tried to tackle a few long-standing home-improvement projects like getting a new sofa and chair, getting rid of the old furniture, prepping future paint-jobs, weeding, oiling wood, and making it out on the occasional jog.
Happily, we got a brand new nephew for a visit, and I managed to meet up with an old friend! We also did make it up to the summer house, but the biting midget-flies started coming out in droves, so staying there was a little anxiety inducing (60-ish images).
Friday 01 July 2022
July was big on home improvements. After months (years?) of searching for a new sofa, we finally agreed on one. I desperately wanted to change the layout of the living room, living in the same place and with the same layout for 11 years had begun chafing at me! Thus it was finally time to take down the Yule images that had lingered a little too long…
The old sofas were quite battered, and had acquired a bunch of padding underneath the pillows to avoid sinkage.
The guy that delivered the new sofa agreed to take the old couches, and the very limp Ikea chair, to the dump.
Horse camp girl.
Right on time, I began feeling poorly after the covid-booster the day before.
Finnur had taken off to do stuff at house #2, so dinner was … not very exciting.
Saturday 02 July 2022
The covid-booster ran its course overnight, and the next day I ventured to Ikea for more living room ideas.
I began frequenting the café on the lower floor of Gerðarsafn (Kópavogur Art Museum) run by Reykjavík Roasters. They´ve now shut down, that space seems to be cursed!
I managed to scrounge together some energy to oil some of the very dry fencing around the house.
Sun still high in the sky at 8:30 in the evening.
Monday 04 July 2022
The weather kept being ridiculously gorgeous, and I kept riding to and from work. The mossy lava field is always quite something.
This is an indoor square by “downtown” Garðabær (Garden-town), if Garðabær had a downtown. In the far left corner is the entrance to the Garðabær library, where I’d found a book I wanted to borrow.
Anna picking Emma up from horse camp, yet again.
Why are there no red-headed emoji-people?
Wednesday 06 July 2022
Impressive window washing. I think I dropped Emma off at horse camp that day, and decided to work out of a nearby café, instead of going into the office. My mental gas reserves were running low, and I was beginning to actively consider quitting my job.
Pretty flowers still standing from the party the week before.
Friday 08 July 2022
Emma’s group approaching for their demonstration.
This time around, Emma got to ride the horse she really wanted to ride, and was in the lead.
Saying hi.
Riding back to main base.
Awww…
Weeding post dinner.
Bucket full, now what?
This plant is slowly taking over the slope it’s on.
Still alive but looking a little yellow. See all the grass behind the flowers? Those are from seeds in the bird feed I’d been feeding the birds the previous winter. I was not pleased!
Saturday 09 July 2022
Weather too good not to go out for a jog.
Back at the museum cafe, and discovered that they weren’t even listed on Google Maps, so I decided to rectify that omission.
All packed for a quick summer house journey.
Halli manning the BBQ.
Still not tired of this view.
Sunday 10 July 2022
Emma enjoying some attention.
Manly men fixing the drainage of the hot tub to try to eliminate the loud drainage noises.
5 pm pit stop in Borgarnes to refuel before driving to town. Englendingavík is always pretty.
Uhm, where did the mountain go?
No matter, they still had mocha and a carrot cake.
Flowers for sale.
Monday 11 July 2022
No more horse camp for Emma, this last week before the adults went on vacation she spent at an Arts & Animals camp.
…. and I was back at the museum café to work remotely.
Tuesday 12 July 2022
Photo from Anna’s work. Her job was leading one of the many groups of kids making the Laugardalur-area pretty.
Well, well, well, what do we have here lurking under the BBQ?
Hi there!
In a happy surprise, my brother and family stopped by with their new baby after shopping nearby.
Anna cuddling her new cousin.
I also got some cuddle-time!
Wednesday 13 July 2022
After-work hanging out with an old friend, who happened to also live in CA at the same time we did (but in LA).
After dinner, the weather was again too nice to stay inside, so out on a jog I went.
Lupines, high-rises, and slightly ominous clouds.
The way ahead, Reykjavik on the right, Kopavogur on the left. No cars allowed.
Pretty sky!
Thursday 14 July 2022
I had decided I wanted to paint the living room, the yellow wall had begun grating on my fraught nerves. Without realizing it, the test colors I picked closely resembled the colors in the Ikea prints I’d picked up to quickly replace the Christmas photos that I’d decided not to take down until we’d gotten a new couch!
Friday 15 July 2022
Anna wanted a baking challenge, so she decided to make macaroons!
They involve a lot of steps.
Close up.
We had some extra berries in the fridge that prompted this madness.
Test bite, yum!
Meanwhile, a decision had been made on the colors, now it was time for action!
Paint prep in full swing! Lights removed, and electrical outlets covered. Hello summer vacation!!
