Dagbók Hrefnu og Finns

Country Easter Break

2021-04-01Easter Standard

[Photos taken 01-05 April 2021, posted online 26 July 2021. Current domestic regulations stipulate max 200 people per area, so all merchant-holiday-festivals this coming weekend are cancelled. Minimum distance is at 1 m, and people are being asked to mask up again, although, unfortunately, the wording of the mask-rules is muddy.]

House #2 came in surprisingly handy over the Easter break and beyond, as we were all sick and tired of home-home.

Some friends of our asked if they could join us, and arrived late the day they cleared quarantine as a kid at their kid’s school had been diagnosed with covid-19 the week before. We chilled, baked, played games, walked, ate, and chilled some more. (55-ish images total)

Thursday 01 April 2021

April began with mugginess. I went out on a slow jog…

Post-Confirmation Errand Runs & YACW (Yet Another Covid-19 Wave)

2021-03-23Us Standard

[Photos taken 23-31 March 2021, posted online 23 July 2021. All eyes on the news as Icelandic Covid-19 cases skyrocket. The capital weather remains gloomy with occasional spurts of sunshine, as the north and east of Iceland bake under a heat-dome. The ministers of Iceland will meet in the east of Iceland today (they’re all traveling and hanging out under the heat-dome) to decide which of the domestic restrictions proposed by our chief epidemiologist to enact.]

Two days post-confirmation-parties I signed myself up for a covid-19 test as my throat was feeling a bit raw, probably post-Talking. So. Much. on Sunday. Happily I tested negative. We also went and deposited Bjarki’s confirmation money-haul into the bank (had to make two attempts, as the banks went into lockdown-mode, and you had to make an appointment!), and researched and purchased a gaming-worthy laptop for Bjarki as our confirmation present to him. We have not seen his face since then 😉

Covid-19 infections began spiking, this time in schools, so mindful of poor outcomes last fall when the infection made its way into a geriatric ward and a lot of old people died, authorities clamped down hard. First through 10th grade kids were essentially sent on Easter vacation two days early, but the junior colleges and workplaces jumped straight to remote teaching/working.

As sanity in general was running rather low, Finnur and I both took three vacation days, which over Easter means a total of 10 vacation days. Yes, official religions are still good for something. 🙂 (50-ish images total)

Tuesday 23 March 2021

The main covid-test site in the capital area: that open doorway on the left. It leads to a check-in desk where you show your official testing barcode (which you get after you sign up for a test online), get a test-tube with a sticker on it. then you walk along the building on the far left to a room where people in protective gear wait to stick a pin up your nose and another down your throat, and then you exit out the back. It’s very efficient!

Bjarki’s Confirmation Day

2021-03-21Bjarki, Confirmation Standard

[Photos taken 21-22 March 2021, posted online 22 July 2021. Covid-19 cases are again climbing rapidly in Iceland. Border regulations are being tightened, but no news on domestic regulations (there are currently no restrictions). Authorities are waiting a bit to see the effect of lots of vaccinations, our main concern continues to be not overwhelming the health system, and keeping deaths to a minimum.]

After a nerve-wracking few weeks, as we kept a close eye on new covid-19 cases, while last-minute organizing and ordering contamination-minimizing food for the day, Bjarki’s civil confirmation actually happened as planned!

Domestic regulations stipulated no more than 50 adults in the same room (200 in big auditoriums), so we ended up having two celebrations, first at 3pm for close family friends, and another at 6 pm for our families. The ceremony itself was at noon, so it was a long and busy day, but Bjarki thoroughly enjoyed being the center of attention, so we deemed it well worth it.

Unfortunately, covid-19 cases began skyrocketing the week after, and the following Wednesday, authorities again tightened domestic regulations, and all upcoming confirmations (we were invited to two on 28 March) were postponed! (80-ish images total)

Sunday 21 March 2021

Bjarki, in his outfit nicknamed “Tiny Businessman”, before setting out for the confirmation ceremony.

House #2, Confirmation Looms & Eruption!

2021-03-12Uncategorized Standard

[Photos taken 12-20 March 2021, posted online 19 July 2021. Heading to Húsafell on a couples trip, no children in tow!]

We went to check on house #2, enjoyed some good weather and northern lights, and then the main thing became planning and preparing Bjarki’s upcoming confirmation party on 21 March. Not surprisingly, due to all the preceding earthquakes, the ground opened up on 19 March, and a volcanic eruption began, which is still ongoing. (30-ish images total)

Friday 12 March 2021

Birthday, Office Dwelling & Confirmation Prep

2021-03-01Uncategorized Standard

[Photos taken 01-11 March 2021, posted online 16 July 2021. The adults have begun their summer vacations, but the teenagers have a bit to go before finishing up for the summer. Covid-19 is rearing its ugly head again, sounds like rules to enter the country are to be tightened, not sure about rules for life in general. We have 85% of 16+ year-olds fully vaccinated, and about 90% have gotten at least one shot. The 12-16 year-olds probably not vaccinated until late August.]

March began as always with my birthday (yay!), I went into the office for a whole week to do tests, and we began in earnest prepping for Bjarki’s upcoming confirmation on 21 March, as it was looking increasingly likely that we’d actually be able to go ahead with it on the originally scheduled date. (25-ish images total)

Monday 01 March 2021

Emma’s Birthday #2, Earthquakes Swarm

2021-02-24Birthday, Hrefna's family, Us Standard

[Photos taken 24 – 28 February 2021, posted online 26 June 2021. As of today, Icelandic authorities have revoked all domestic Covid-19 restrictions, but border restrictions remain in place. The reason is high vaccination rates, with about 80% of 16+ year-olds having at least begun vaccinations, and 50% being fully vaccinated.]

After our fun ski trip, it was mostly back to life as normal, except for hosting Emma’s birthday party #2, going out to dinner, aaaand a sudden rise in earthquake activity close by (that would culminate in an actual volcanic eruption a month later!). (25-ish images)

Wednesday 24 February 2021

The weather was extra-gorgeous for the weekly outing during Emma’s piano lesson.

Akureyri Ski Trip

2021-02-18Akureyri, Friends, Traveling, Us Standard

[Photos taken 18 – 22 February 2021, posted online 19 June 2021. These are super social days according to the hair salon ladies and news from the liquor store, they’re both super busy!! First it was the remnants of the confirmations, this weekend marks the end of the graduations, and then we’re moving on to weddings.]

One of the sewing club ladies had the organizational foresight in October 2020 to suggest the club go skiing in the north during the February winter school break. The club was up for it, and lodging was booked with the assumption that Covid-19 would be under control, and before we knew it it was time to go! This was essentially a repeat of the ski-trip we took with the club in 2014, we stayed a the same place, Lamb-Inn.

Covid-19 restrictions meant that the number of available passes was limited, and the ski area split the day into two slots. The demand for passes broke the booking system, but we got what we needed in the end. All in all, a good time was had by all, although it was super weird to be among so many people at the same time! (50-ish images total)

Thursday 18 February 2021

On our way north, approaching the picturesque town of Borgarnes.

Emma’s 8th Birthday!!!

2021-02-12Birthday, Finnur's family, Us Standard

[Photos taken 12 – 17 February 2021, posted online 18 June 2021. It’s been a rather cold June so far, but thankfully a little wet along with the dryness. Also, Finnur and I have been a couple for twenty-seven years now, eeek!]

At long last, Emma’s 8th birthday arrived! She requested breakfast in bed with a little bit of chocolate, and I obliged. With Covid-19 momentarily mostly under control, we invited people over and had a proper birthday party (part 1)! Then we moved on to cream-puff-day, eat-till-you-explode-day, and ash-Wednesday-aka-second-Halloween, while preparing for an actual ski trip (with more people!) to the north of Iceland. (30-ish images total)

Friday 12 February 2021

Breakfast in bed for the birthday girl! There was a bit of chocolate in the yellow cup. 🙂

Gatherings, Wacky Weather, Odd Jobs

2021-02-04Us Standard

[Photos taken 04-11 February 2021, posted online 13 June 2021. Covid-19 vaccinations continue apace, every last dosage that arrives is making it into people, and tourism is picking up again. Masks have mostly disappeared. The weather could be nicer, it’s currently pouring with rain.]

With Covid-19 numbers staying very low, crazy things could happen like a trampoline park classroom party, and an actual in-person sewing club! Mixed in were the usual walk-about-s, the shelves dad sent from the UK appeared just in time for Emma’s birthday, the weather was dramatically cold and/or snowy, and an actual ski trip north loomed! (25-ish images total)

Thursday 04 February 2021

The Covid-19 infections had slowed to a trickle as February began. We tried to keep behaving sensibly…

Friends! Dinners! Increased Daylight!

2021-01-15Friends, Us Standard

[Photos taken 15-31 January 2021, posted online 05 June 2021. Vaccinations continue, and everybody born on or after 1975 has gotten a summons for at least one shot, as well as various priority groups. This is posted from an ice-skating rink, where the practice-year-end show is about to commence, and Emma is participating.]

Having seemingly dodged a post-holiday Covid-19 explosion, we began meeting friends again. My sewing club actually went out to dinner together (!), we went with friends to house #2(!), us old ones went out to dinner(!), we had someone over for dinner(!), etc… (60-ish images total)