". . . but I have MILES TO GO before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep." Robert Frost

the lead story on MSNBC this morning is the NY guvna getting caught with his pants around his ankles. 

Now he's a married man, so I don't condone his use of his entertainment expenses while in DC, but really,

an FBI task force to investigate "corruption" to bust a 'john'?  A Democratic John in a Republican administration's FBI (can you say 'Hoover'?).  Complete with court ordered wiretaps (hmm, on the john or the jane - must be the jane as she gave statements to the fed about the encounter).

 

NOTE - for the next couple of weeks, this will basically be a travelogue - lot o' photos and commentary.  Long posts that may be boring - be forewarned!

 

Once again, the kids here in Iceland show their interest in all things American and I was asked about the upcoming presidential race - they lean liberal but are not impressed by Obama.  I was again asked about the Iraq war and even they have heard of the conspiracists views of war for oil profits - but I gave them an alternative to think of, revenge against Saddam for George the First's failure in the Gulf War of '91, something that took place before they were born and really hadn't known much about.  Why is the war still going on?  Because George Junior is an idiot? (no, I bit my tongue and tried, as always, to be relatively nuetral in my comments other than admitting my own liberal leanings).  But be warned,  fair voter : who you elect has to represent us around the world, the very increasingly critical world.  They do not like us in our present Empirical incarnation, and do not suffer fools (people like Obama with NO world/foreign relations experience).  You put McCain or Barrack in, and it will not be easy for us to regain lost repect in the coming 8 years.

 

OK, I hated to mix politics with the first post about this trip, but after seeing the wrath of the government howling in glee over busting someone for prostitution while the government itself is guilty of far worse crimes against humanity, I couldn't ignore it.  IMPEACH BUSH.

 

ahem.

 

Flights were horrible - delayed in Baltimore by storms in Chicago.  Delayed (on the runway) at JFK for runway construction ( one and a half hours). Tiny plane, lousy seats, and apparently ONLY the US is changing its daylight savings time as instead of the expected 5 hour time difference, it was only four.  The US loves itself some uni-lateralism, don't it?

 

Caught sunrise over at the lighthouse point of Gardur, the NW corner of the Reykjanes peninsula,

 

itself the SW corner of Iceland (about 40 miles from Reykjavik, the capital).  This area is a birding haven.  Migratory birds are here year round and the variety of ocean going waterbirds is amazing.  At some point the earlier tide had tossed something, a sea sponge?  Onto the jetty :

Summer time is whale watching season and I was surprised when I saw a speck a hundred yards off shore that I thought might be a seal. 

I struggled with the camera focus and distance and JUST when I snapped the picture, a cormorant swooped down in front of my icelandic Nessie! 

 

 

But wait!  I had upped the resolution of the camera 5 minutes earlier and with a little magic pixel dust, I DID see a Puddy tat, I mean, I DID see a seal!!!

 

 

I took a nap in the car and shut it down when it got too toasty.  An hour later I awoke with frost on the inside of the window and got up to restart the car and got nothin'!  I almost panicked.  I was an hour away from my class meeting, had no phone service and would have to go knocking on stranger's doors a half mile inland to try and call Hertz for service.  I checked everything over, made sure all was shut off (I think I left the running lights on), and tried again.  Nothing.  I raised the seat to sit upright and tried a third time and it was a charm, whew!

Another hour of nap and I went to school

 

I was halfway across the cafeteria when I was shouted at by a table of teen boys - it was lunch hour but they all had study material on the table when I walked over and introduced myself to some of my Trucker Buddy class.  Yes, it was lunchtime, not study hall, they were just doing homework!

After a few minutes I went upstairs to see the teacher, Sigga and we visited for 15 minutes or so before the kids all came in for english class.  They all read and write and speak very good english - schools start the language class in 5th grade but even Sigga's 6 year old speaks it very well (we had lunch later).

It was a typical visit - I was asked about certain parts of the country the kids had knowlege of, a girl whose older brother lives in Jacksonville, FLA, a boy who loves to ski asking about any trips to Vail, COLO (I had sent a postcard from Denver when visiting Barryk back in October), questions about my favorite places to drive, to visit, about my trips to Ireland, and as I mentioned, some politics.  I unloaded my own little knapsack of TB goodies for the kids, adding to their parents headaches, I presume, with a 3rd round of refridgerator magnets this year, LOL! (Superman, Underdog, and U.S. States).  Another sponsor, the company that makes large scales for tractor trailers to pull onto for weight checks, CAT, had an offer - any driver who donates a certain amount to the Trucker Buddy organization will receive beanie babies of its mascot, one for every student and one for the teacher! that's Sigga seated on her desk below : 

 

Then out came the magazines for the Pilot Travel Centers (back in MY day we called 'em TRUCK stops, dammit!).  A photo got took of everyone holding a magazine and I will submit it today in hopethat it might get chosen for publication in the last page feature "look who's reading" next month.

The last photo was taken by Sigga of me and the kids.   After class they all came around one by one and thanked me for the Christmas candy and Trucker Buddy goodies and as always, the class next door was now crowded around our class door trying to come in and share the visit.  Sigga lets them know they will get their chance to meet me and learn about traveling and driving in the US next year when they are in her class themselves. 

 

Afterwords Sigga and I picked up her daughter and we went into Keflavik just a mile or so away and visited a nice harbor side restaurant for lunch.  Located in the  Reykjanes Maritime Museum.  The  museum is filled with over 60 ships models, each about 2 feet high and 3 feet long in display cases with cards describing their history here in the fishing village, including one named Helga, a ship with its own ghost.  The models were all built by Sigga's Mom's brother, her uncle, who is a retired sea captain. http://www.randburg.com/is/reykjanes/museum.html

 

That was day one - I wimped out, didn't exchange cash and go for some Viking beer and Icleand pizza pie, but went to sleep by 5:30 - was up only 13 hours later.  Gray but bright out, I may head to Reykjavik to check another museum or two and will consider road triping along the south coast tomorrow if the weather is any clearer - its in the 30's, pleasant, though we did have a good snow storm blow in late yesterday afternnoon - the beer and pizza were THIS close,

 

but the bed was closer!  More tomorrow!b.