“So tired … of always being sick and tired…” la la lalala…
There was a time in the not-so recent past when you could not go anywhere without hearing that song playing, which in was sort of OK because it’s not bad as pop songs go. Except maybe when you’ve heard it a million, billion times. However – and this is my point – those words sprung into my SAD brain this morning when thinking about the subjects I have been preoccupied with this past while. I’m sick and tired of my own bitching – which is why today there shall be NO oil fiasco talk, NO teachers strike talk, NO computer woes talk and NO talk of the new (female!) mayor.
Which might make this a very short post indeed.
THINGS THAT LET YOU KNOW CHRISTMAS IS COMING
1. There is an ever-increasing flood of printed paper coming through the mail slot. Brochures, newspapers, magazines (although some of these put the moniker to shame as they are nothing but a collection of advertisements with one or two ‘things that are hot – things that are not’ or something equally ridiculous thrown in). Which is a SAD state for YT, because I cannot dump anything in the recycling basket without reading it first. Meaning there are a lot of piled-up bits of paper everywhere but in the recycling basket.
2. You cannot turn around without there being a book review staring you in the face; you cannot turn on a radio or TV without an author holding forth on his or her latest tome; you cannot go to a café without there being a book reading; you cannot have a conversation with anyone without it being about books. Here in Iceland we are subjected to the annual ‘Christmas book flood’ where there seems there is nothing else happening on this island than books being released. Which is nice, really. Could be a lot worse.
3. You start panicking about all the things you still have to do before Christmas. (EPI just waking up this morning: ‘We have to start making up a schedule.’ Which is very unlike EPI so you know there is cause for concern.)
4. You cannot get anywhere near IKEA on a Sunday due to traffic.
5. Every glossy brochure from a supermarket has recipes for baking cookies. Which means that VERY soon Icelandic women will start boasting about how many ‘sorts’ they’ve baked this year (which leaves YT up to the eyeballs in inferiority complex since cookie baking is near the top of my Things to Avoid list).
THE WEATHER
Winds from the west 8-13 metres a second (tolerable), intermittent snow or rain but light clouds in the southwest (meaning here in Reykjavík). Temps 2-7. Getting colder tonight. Sunrise was at 9.45; sunset set for 16.38.