Dagbók Hrefnu og Finns

Garbage-Bin-Shed Build Begins

2023-08-01Hrefna's family, Us Standard

[Photos taken 01 – 05 August 2023, posted online 19 May 2024. Finnur’s off on a work-trip to the mothership in California, while I am four working-days away from being unemployed, by choice.]

The garbage/rubbish sorting system in the capital area underwent a big change in 2023. Most notably everyone was asked to sort out food-leftovers into a separate bin, as well as sort paper and plastic separately (they used to be in the same bin).

In practice this meant that instead of having two large bins, we ended up with three large ones (for homes with little waste, they could ask for two split bins, but we’re not there), and nowhere to put the third bin.

Thus was born the “build a garbage-bin-shed” project, which would last into the first frost and snow, but it was a lot of fun!

Tuesday 01 August 2023

Finnur about to saw the top off one of the old fence-posts that used to bracket the garbage bins. He’s sitting in the middle of the proposed shed.

Thorlákshöfn Horse Rental, Summer Housing & Finnur’s 49th Birthday!

2023-07-27Birthday, Friends, Us Standard

[Photos taken 27 – 31 July 2023, posted online 04 May 2024. We’re starting to see a little bit of greenery erupting from the ground, shrubbery, and trees!]

We managed to find a break in Anna’s work schedule to go horse-back riding by Thorlákshöfn. Then we spent a night with friends at a nearby summer house, before heading to our own summer house, and celebrating Finnur’s 49th birthday!

The weather cooperated and we went kayaking, before returning to town, and getting started for real on the garbage bin shed. I may also have gone gymming… Thus endeth July of 2023.

Thursday 27 July 2023

New School Bike Route & Family Moving Prep

2023-07-17Hrefna's family, Us Standard

[Photos taken 17 – 26 July 2023, posted online ~~28 April~~ 01 May 2024. Started writing this point in Holland, finished in Iceland.]

We were all formally on summer vacation except Anna, who would be working to the end of July. Thus we took it pretty easy for the most part.

I did start working on one task early on: finding the optimal 4 km bike-route for Bjarki to his new school. We had to take into consideration how easy it was to navigate, how to avoid the worst hill-climbs and busy streets, and stay sheltered as the school is located near the top of a large hill, higher up than we live.

We also helped my brother and family pack up their apartment, as they were moving to Sweden! Then it was prepping for the next big project: The Garbage Bin Shed!

Monday 17 July 2023

Bjarki taking a photo of the lovely view we stumbled onto as we biked to his new school.

Lovely-Ladies-trip to Thórsmörk / Básahringur

2023-07-16Iceland Standard

[Photos taken 16 July 2023, posted online 27 April 2024. Currently sitting in a coffee shop in Amsterdam, on the King’s birthday. It’s been a strange spring.]

We had to clear out of the sleeping portion of the Básar cabin before 11 in the morning, but our bus wasn’t leaving until 16 (4 in the afternoon). We therefore packed up our stuff and stacked it outside, had breakfast, and headed out for an easy hike among the hills around the campsite.

When we arrived back, we had a late lunch and then relaxed until the bus was ready. The bus-ride to Hvolsvöllur was uneventful, and so was the drive to Selfoss where we ate dinner, and then Agnes dropped me off at home, blissfully full of nature!

Sunday 16 July 2023

Standing on an outcropping close to the campsite.

Lovely-Ladies-trip to Thórsmörk / Valahnúkur

2023-07-15Iceland Standard

[Photos taken 15 July 2023, posted online 21 April 2024. I screwed together a 120-cm wide non-Ikea bed for Emma yesterday, and re-ignited the sprain in my lower-back from my 140-kg ego-deadlift a couple of weeks ago. Such is life.]

The first night in our Thórsmök cabin went ok-ish. The skinny foam mattresses in the cabin turned out to also be quite thin, so I woke up every time I changed sleeping positions. Thank you massive hips! On the upside, not everybody showed up to the fully booked cabin, so we had a bit of extra space.

It was a groggy Hrefna that emerged in the morning, but the day turned out fabulously, both weather- and hike-wise.

Saturday 15 July 2023

Yours truly on the top of Valahnúkur, with Mýrdalsjökull behind me.

Lovely-Ladies-trip to Thórsmörk / Hike Towards Tungur

2023-07-14Iceland Standard

[Photos taken 14 July 2023, posted online 20 April 2024. Spring is in the air!]

It turns out that I’m a sheep when it comes to outdoor activities. I suck at making them happen, but will happily show up when someone tells me to be somewhere, and do the thing.

Thus it was that I was invited to join what turned out to be a 10-lady group on a weekend trip to Thórsmörk (Þórs-mörk, the area/forest of Þór/Thor), which is a beautiful area in the south of Iceland, only accessible by large all-wheel-drive vehicles, as the rivers leading there change too fast for bridging to make sense.

Friday 14 July 2023

Photo from 5 in the afternoon, of me standing in front of Mýrdalsjökull (Swamp-valley-glacier), home of Katla, the volcano, which is due for a burp.

Kayaking & Eruption-Monitoring on Vacation Eve

2023-07-08Hrefna's family, Us Standard

[Photos taken 08 – 13 July 2023, posted online 14 April 2024. Today I want to clear out the garage, ooof.]

We’d gone ahead and bought a couple of kayaks at Costco, and then scratched our heads long and hard on how to transport them to and from the lake. Thankfully we found roof-racks for the big car, and after some more head-scratches, the roof racks were installed, and a YouTube video consulted on how to fasten kayaks on top. We invited the soon-to-be-Swedes to the summer-house for a bit of a farewell, and lucked out with the weather!

We then held our collective breath until yet another volcanic eruption began. It was far away from everywhere, and would last for just under a month.

Finnur remained at the summer house, working remotely during the day, and oiling/staining wood outside of working hours. There’s a lot of wood that needs to be taken care of there… Meanwhile I cooked (once), weeded, gymmed, and prepped for my formal summer vacation!

Saturday 08 July 2023

Success! Emma in one of our kayaks on the Skorra-valley-lake.

July Warmth = Jog, Tub, Sunsets & Horse Camp

2023-07-02Friends, Us Standard

[Photos taken 02 – 07 July 2023, posted online 14 April 2024. I have resigned from my current job! Still have a few more weeks to go until leaving for good. Hard to leave excellent coworkers, but brain wants a change.]

July rolled around, and with it some lovely weather-days. I went out for a jog, and even cleaned the hot tub in the backyard, which rarely gets used. The sunsets were of the “are-you-kidding-me”-type evening after evening, we starting subscribing to fruit deliveries, the earth rumbled, and Emma finished yet another horse-camp session.

Sunday 02 July 2023

At the tail end of my 5k jog I found the cave-let (Maríuhellar) that is a few steps away from a previous jog-route, but I only recently discovered existed.

Mom’s South-Coast Birthday-Trip & Bjarki’s 16th Birthday

2023-06-25Birthday, Graduation, Hrefna's family Standard

[Photos taken 25 – 30 June 2023, posted online 16 March 2024 from Brussels. Yesterday I saw dinosaur fossils, and The Smile (nearing dinosaur-status, but not fossilized, yet).]

We went on an afternoon-trip with mom to celebrate her birthday a few days prior with a fleet of four cars, then attended another university graduation party (we know so many studious kids!). A few days later, we celebrated Bjarki’s 16th birthday, and he took his first driving lesson, thankfully returning unscathed.

Sunday 25 June 2023

Mom surrounded by offspring, spouses, and grandchildren. One brother sadly couldn’t make it.

Outdoorsy-Days of June, Gym & Graduation

2023-06-16Friends, Graduation Standard

[Photos taken 16 – 24 June 2023, posted online 15 March 2024. Still in Brussels, still no eruption in Iceland.]

I guess our lives have settled into a deep groove at this point. With the long, lovely days of June came the usual: e-biking, weeding, summer-housing, gymming, horse-camp, and attending a university graduation party!