Day 15-kaffi

   January 19-A routine has developed these past couple of days that may well persist until we leave Bifröst.  Joslyn runs off to the school bus and a short time later Sally and I walk

Sally's and Sigrún's office

Spencer to kindergarten.  Then, we head to the faculty/ staff lounge near her office for our kaffi (yes, that means coffee).  Actually, we have become enamored by the espresso machine that dispenses as much pick-me-up as we might want.  Whereas Sally has always been a coffee drinker, my addiction is much more recent.  I blame it mostly on Jason and Stephanie's opening of their coffee shop in Gunnison and my desire to help by occasionally stopping by for a mocha.  But, boy was it yummy, and now I usually join Sally in a morning cup 'o' joe.  Coffee was not traditionally drunk in Iceland, but that has changed dramatically in the past decade or so.  Now it is drunk sunrise to sunset and is readily available, not only if faculty lounges but also at the Kaffi Bifröst restaurant on campus and in towns of all sizes as well.  The added bonus of drinking our morning coffees in the faculty/staff lounge is that we get the opportunity to meet and talk to other faculty and staff, which has allowed us to become more connected and to learn more about Bifröst and Iceland in general.
   Today was laundry day.  Woohoo!!  Exciting, I know.  Now that I have actually figured out the system, though, I actually brought along laundry detergent and mostly had the machines properly reserved when I needed them.  Since the laundry room is in the basement of a building halfway across campus, the whole process is a little more involved than I am used to.  It is all part of the experience, I suppose.

   Joslyn had swimming for the first time at school today and enjoyed it a great deal.  She reported that her skill level is about the same as her classmates.  Her teacher had her count up to ten in Icelandic today in front of the class and her classmates applauded, which made her feel pretty good.  After school, she did a little work around the apartment and then went to play with Erla, who is Signý and Magnús's daughter.  I think that she is really taking to this "in-town" style of living!  She came back home around 5:45, which is about the time of sunset these days, as you can see from this picture.