Really?

When I was in Hallmark today I was informed that they would be revealing the new Christmas ornament collection on July 10 and that I should really be there. Umm really? July?

I guess they take Christmas in July very seriously at Hallmark.

Kolufoss, Iceland

Mother Nature is Wayyyy Prettier Than A Lab Bench

Mitchell sent us two more pictures from Iceland today.

"This is our camp site for the night. The white on the far left is the glacier Sara [his research advisor] studies. You might be able to see the flock of sheep to the upper right of our tents."

I'm pretty sure that the little grey tent on the end is Mitchell's...

I think it's amazing that he fits inside!

This is their study site by the drangajokull glacier. Try saying that five times fast... actually, try saying that once.

I'm Already Jealous.

Olver, Iceland

Bitrahale, Iceland

PIctures from Iceland

Mitchell says that he will occasionally send a picture to me to post for our family and friends to see that 1. he is still alive, 2. he's seeing inordinately beautiful sights, and 3. we should all be very very jealous that we are stuck in the states. Enjoy!

Today, he was generous enough to send two...

Iceland beer... I think he and the polar beer are now great friends.

A first view of Iceland (specifically Keflavik) from the plane

Happy Trails To You!

via

Well, today my brother is flying to Iceland for a 5 week fling with nature. For the first two, he'll be doing research on glaciers with one of his professors (I never ever got to do research this cool in college). Then, for the final three weeks, he'll be backpacking around the country (literally) on the ring road, which apparently runs around the edge of the island. That's 830 miles of road. I'm sending out this cosmic message in the hope that this Irish blessing will bring him all the luck he needs to make it back to the airport in time : )

Good luck Mitch and happy trails!

Ahh Nature.

This really huge bug was hanging out on our front walk today. Yuck.

Happy First Day of Summer

Three years ago today I was in Australia. Three years and a week ago I was in New Zealand. Be jealous.

This is the museum that was in the movie Bridge to Terabithia.

New Zealand sheep!

If you look closely, the island on the far left is the one where Steve Irwin was stabbed by a sting ray and died.

A bird sanctuary in Australia

Feeding kangaroos at the zoo. I saw several roadkill kangaroos later that day. It was pretty sad.

Beach in Australia where we saw a cassowary

Standing above the canopy of the rainforest that the movie Ferngully was based on.

Sunset on our second to last day in Australia.

Happy Papa's Day

I love you Papa and Grampa and Grandaddy!

Happy Father's Day to dads and grampas everywhere!

Like an Appendectomy, sans Anesthesia

That would have to be my favorite line from this amazing song by The Magnetic Fields, rivaled only by "You can't go round just sayin stuff, because it's pretty. And I no longer drink enough, to think your witty."

"We're the Class of '80 Proof!"

I was reading through the class notes for the Alumni magazine at the college I work for when I discovered this little gem...

“We’re the Class of 1980,

no one dares to call us ladies.

Wahoos say we trash their frats.

Weekend rolls we’ve got down pat.

Rebel Yell, and beer, and grain;

we drink so much we go insane!

We’re the Class of ’80 proof.

1 – 9 – 8 – 0. Hey!”

Don't you wish you were a member of the class of 1980... proof?

Things I Love about Summer

It's officially starting to feel like summer outside... today it was about 95 degrees, humid, alternately very sunny and then kinda stormy. I'm not so sure how I feel about summer starting, I sort of wish it could stay early spring or late fall forever, but I thought I'd share some of the reasons that I decide to tolerate summer (as opposed to moving to Antarctica for the duration of my fourth favorite season).

1. The beach! While I almost never go (ie. one trip every other year) summer is certainly the best time to take a trip down to the outer banks (the only beaches worth going to). There is nothing better than the soft beachy air, playing in the waves, and walking along the water at twilight. Oh and reading books on the beach and pretending that I have the ability to tan isn't all that bad either :)

2. The cut grass smell. I love the smell of freshly cut grass and it often permeates the air in the summertime.

3. My Birthday! Yay for birthdays. Since my birthday is in the summer it makes me like the season just a little bit more :) Although this year will be the first year in a while that I'm not celebrating with my Vermont family and that's kinda sad...

4. The free iPod touch with a mac purchase deal. Yes, I finally broke down and replaced my laptop with a shiny new MacBook Pro. Thank you Apple store for throwing a shiny new iPod Touch into the deal! And thank you new computer that will close without a heavy object on top of it to keep the lid shut.

5. Summer flowers and the vegetable garden. Spring is pretty because lots of flowers are blooming and the trees are flowering and all that, but for some reason I like summer flowers better. I think they smell nicer or something. And there is nothing better than eating steamed zucchini and yellow squash straight from the garden!

6. Visiting Vermont. We have taken a trip up to Vermont to visit our family up there almost every single year in my entire life. Summer and Vermont are synonymous in my mind. (It took me about 12 tries to figure out how to spell synonymous... literally).

7. My new bathing suit. I haven't purchased a bathing suit in three years. That's right. Three. That's how often I go swimming/have a need for a suit. Unfortunately, over Christmas when I was in Florida and needed a bathing suit, I realized that all the elastic parts in my favorite six-year-old bikini had dry rotted and that my newer three-year-old one no longer fit. So I hit the streets and searched high and low for a suit that fit my slightly smaller than normal chest and pretty average rear. It was difficult, stressful, and quite frankly a little depressing but I finally found a miracle in the form of spandex that actually made me do a happy dance in the fitting room... For once, I think God actually smiled on me!

8. Cute critter shorts and flip-flops. Nothing makes yours truly happier than a pair of shorts decorated with cute little whales or zebras. Also summer is a much better time to wear flip-flops.

9. Bug noises. Not the bugs themselves, those are one of the low points of the summer. But I love sleeping with my windows open and being able to hear the cows mooing and the crickets chirping and the cicadas singing. It's such a friendly noise.

10. The reality TV season. By reality TV, mind you, I do not mean to imply that trashy stuff like the Bachelor or Bachelorette, Dance your A** Off, Jersey Shore, or likewise. When I say reality TV I refer to such quality television as So You Think You Can Dance, The Next Food Network Star, Design Star, and several other gems. So excited.

I'm Trying to Take this Advice to Heart.