Oct. 6, 2009

Wake up headache-free; always a plus. In the mood to do something constructive today, so decided to try to fix the hot-water line to the garage. Head downtown to a hardware store, but no plumbing equipment. Referred to a Home-Depot-like store about a 5 minute ride down the road. Walk around the store, humoring myself that if I stare at the aisle signs long enough, they will morph into English. Ask an employee, and spend a half hour finding the right fittings/piping for this little project. Confident I have a workable assortment of gadgets, I pay and head back to the house. Something's a bit off here... Yes. Measured the diameter of the wrong pipe. Head back to the store. They don't have the same parts in for the smaller pipe gauge. Spend a half hour collecting a new assortment of fittings and tube that should work. Head back to the house, immerse my hands once again in the freezing-cold mud around the broken pipe. One end fits tight, put the other end on. Hot water it delivers, but the rusted pipe end leaks a bit too much to ignore. Fiddle around with it for a while longer, hands now being scalded in the hot water mud around the broken pipe. No progress made, so I cut my losses and head in for dinner. Not a bad try methinks armed with only a pocket knife, teflon tape, and a dish towel. Kjartan's father knows plumbing and can hopefully make his way over and come up with a slightly-less-shitty fix. Draw and relax with Isidora for the rest of the night.

Oct. 5, 2009

Sunny early morning relaxed with no road trips on the agenda. Felt a bit sedentary, so hopped on my bike and went for a ride. T-shirt weather it was not, but it kept me riding to avoid hypothermia. Spotted a couple abandoned shacks down by the water just in case I should need them in the future. Back wheel began to go a bit wonky, so headed back and warmed up. Cleaned out the car, returned it to the lady, and then went for a stroll around town with Isidora. Tried to climb the large church, but the stairs were off-limits, and the elevator cost money. And I was just about to accept Jesus Godsson into my life. Oh well. Found something much more practical outside in a crescent wrench that will fix my wonky wheel. We went to a few shops and passed by the anarchists' free shop before heading back. In the market for something to read, preferably a math book to keep me busy on rainy days. Jamie and Peter going to London and then Amsterdam tomorrow morning, so that proved enough of a reason to purchase some alcohol for the night. Rode to a few used book stores; both surprisingly containing mostly books in Icelandic. Best I could come up with was a mathematical terms dictionary that cost like 700 kr. Dejected, picked a few bottles of hooch, then remembered the free shop, so decided to check it out. A dank open air squatter's shack with plenty of graffiti, and some clothes strewn about. Few books on the bookshelf, including a 400 page calculus book in English with a spray paint how-to pamphlet on top. What a great country. Place both in my bag, and head back, scolding myself for ever believing that structured society could provide me with my educational material. Sit around, eat some spaghetti and sauce with lamb liver that Jamie made(although he thought it was lamb meat upon purchase.) Waited around some more. Started drinking, playing Texas hold-'em and king's cup with Jamie, Peter, Isadora, Kjartan, and Kobi. The latter being the only game that Jamie, Peter, and I introduced to the non-Yanks that received a positive response(beer pong failed failed miserably in crossing the cultural gap.) We were planning on staying up until Jamie and Peter left for the airport at 4:30 am, but, that just wasn't going to happen with now empty Vodka and Rum bottles rolling across the floor. Aaand scene.