We had a lovely gathering here with fifteen friends for a champagne tasting. Rob used to do these before we met, but hadn’t done one in years. It was a lovely afternoon. I will post a photo or two later, with the menu.

We had brunch this morning with Rob’s folks, which was lovely. Now, I’m somehow dealing with the Program Book again. >sigh

Very tired.

I just landed in Minneapolis and my next flight doesn’t leave until 9:13 p.m. Jetlag is not really noticeable yet, although last night was the first night that I slept normally. After we finished shooting, a bunch of us went to Rósa’s house for soup, and wine. We watched Dancing Duel, which was a lot of fun. It’s nice watching the episodes in a group. After everyone else left, Sarah and I stayed up talking to Sigga and Rosa for another hour, fooled by the sunset into thinking that it was 7:30 rather than 11:00.

I had a great time working. Þor is a pleasure to assist, and was very pleased with my drumming. I had to drum using carrots as drumsticks. It was hard because the set was on the floor so there was very, very little room for me to hide. My shoulder kept peaking out, but we got some good takes, thank heavens.

I’ll get home around 11:00 tonight. Rob is picking me up at the airport.

Today has still been busy, but it’s been a little slower than yesterday. So I got to watch two of the episodes that I haven’t seen yet. I worked on both, but they finished post production after we left. Ziggy’s Alien is fun, but I love the music video in Secret Agent Zero.

Today is all about the puppet characters so this is the first moment I’ve had off set, and I only have about five minutes. Things are great. It’s good to see everyone and we’re clipping through the material quickly.

Most of the out of country cast is staying at the Hótel Frón I saw some of the cast at breakfast this morning. They got in yesterday and were on their way to the studio today. I go in tomorrow.

My flight was entirely uneventful. I slept for most of the trip, which calls for a hearty thank you to Mom and Dad for multiple eight hour car trips to Chattanooga. I learned at a very young age that if I could fall asleep in the car then I would get there faster. So, thanks Mom and Dad, for teaching me to sleep sitting up.

When I got to baggage claim Magnús was there as well as Kay, one of Nick Jr. producers (I’m not sure about her real title). This is the second time I’ve been to Iceland and Magnús has been on both flights. Wierd. What’s even stranger is that I didn’t see either of them while I was waiting for the flight. Notice the absence of other travellers…

Granted, I was facing away from the gate so most people were behind me, and I was reading or writing the whole time. Okay, and a little surfing on the internet too.

You might be wondering about the photo. I was not the sort of flake I thought I was. I was a different sort of flake; the cable was in an inside pocket of my computer case where I normally only keep discs. Whew.

So, safe travel. Nice hotel. All my things arrived. But we all know about the disastrous travel karma I had last year. Is this year simply different, or is there a price?

There’s a price.

While unpacking my bag, I was reaching into the front of my suitcase–you know those flat narrow pockets–sliding my hand around looking for my eye cozy, because I planned to take a nap. I felt a sting, but didn’t think much of it, it felt like I’d bumped a sharp corner on something. Until I pulled my hand out of the bag.

Am I building the suspense?

I’ve been told that this can be an effective dramatic technique. Notice, how, even now, I’m delaying telling you that my safety razor had shaved the corner of my finger off. The part right next to the finger nail on the ring finger of my left hand was sliced away. It was surprising, all the more so because it didn’t hurt.

The nice man at the concierge desk gave me a bandaid and I delayed my nap to sit with my hand over my head applying direct pressure. It stung. A lot. I had a sudden understanding of why grown men in movies who have been shot, stabbed and beaten by bad guys then wince when the love interest cleans the wound.

Anyway. It’s fine. It won’t interfere with my job at all, although I’ll probably wear a fingercondom over it just in case the scab comes loose under the bandaid.

Whew. That was a long entry, and it’s only lunch time.

I left the cable for my Palm Pilot at home. Not only is it the way I upload pictures to the internet, it also is the power supply. Curses! I was going to treat you to a picture of me, waiting, but no–you don’t get to see it.

I wasn’t in Minneapolis long enough to explore the wonders of the internet. This will not be true of Baltimore. I will be here for another three hours. Woo-hoo! My attempt to stay awake on the first flight failed utterly. I think I managed to confine it to quick naps interspersed with attempts to read.

The second flight went much better from a staying awake point of view. I even got some writing done.

I’m sitting in the delightful Portland airport waiting for my 7:00 flight. I got up at 4:45 this morning, and am now attempting to stay awake so I can ease over a bit to Iceland time. I’m headed to Minneapolis/St. Paul, and then to Baltimore, and then to Iceland. I’ll check in again if any of these places have WiFi.

Just the weather is gloomy. After yesterday’s glory, the weather turned back to a proper Portland spring, gray and rainy.

I’m in great shape. Eve came and helped me really proof-read the brochure. The number of mistakes was staggering. Hopefully we caught the worst of the lot. So, now I’ll put it on a disk, print a hard copy, drop both things at the Committee Chair’s home.

Oh, and finish packing. Right. Ought to do that…

Look how beautiful today is. You can’t see the daffodils blooming, but they are lovely. It must be a reward for finishing the Home Tour program book.

And this is the view out our bedroom window right now.

But I think the program book might be ready to go to the printer. Special thanks to Mr. Radley for his help figuring out a program incompatibility issue–from London no less. Now, that’s service.

4:36 a.m. I have printed the Irvington Home Tour Program Book minus three ads, which I cannot open. I will continue working with their designers during the day to find a way to get their ads into the program. But, at least we can proof everything else.