Today YT has shown no mercy and summoned the troops [such as they are, consisting of EPI and AAH] for a serious round of spring cleaning. I’m talking kitchen cupboards, fridge, cleaning out the pantry [which is located off our kitchen and is a general receptacle for all the junk in the house that we can’t be bothered to cart downstairs], bathroom cupboards, Venetian blinds and other assorted odd jobs. At least that’s the target. At the present moment, the fridge and two cupboards are down, half the pantry, and part of the bathroom cupboards [only part as AAH conveniently forgot to wipe them down]. And now AAH has skipped off to the mall [“My friend’s in this fashion show! etc.”], EPI has gone off on an errand, and YT has used the opportunity to post this oh-so-very-exciting blog instalment. Oh, and EPI’s going to pick up some whipping cream on his way back so we can make waffles, having re-discovered that we own a waffle iron [happily snoozing at the back of the cupboard] and had a sudden ping! moment: “Hey, we could blow off what we’re doing and make waffles!” “Yes, we could! I’ll get the whipped cream.” [Zip, zap and EPI’s out the door].

THE WEATHER
Actually we started the day by going outside because the sun was shining and it looked oh-so beautiful. Besides, EPI needed some waking up, having been busily engaged in drinking whiskey with his brother and father until the wee hours of the morning and thus not exactly chomping at the bit at the prospect of cleaning out the pantry. So off we went, only to discover that what we have today is a perfect case of what the Icelanders call window-weather, i.e. looks fantastic from the window but is Damn Freezing Cold once you actually have your person outside in it. In fact, my friends up on Grímsey* island [who do not know they are my friends but hold that title ever since I visited the place two years ago and fell in love with it] are at this very moment completely surrounded by ice floes and icebergs . Which cannot be a very good feeling, particularly as polar bears have occasionally used these as vehicles to propel themselves ashore for lil’ visit. Plus they’re presumably experiencing Much Colder window-weather than we are in the balmy south. Current temperatures in our part of the country are –2 °C [ 28.4 F] and daybreak was at 7.56 and nightfall at 20.07.

*The only part of Iceland to actually touch the Arctic Circle.