Weekend Plans Post: On a Plane to Iceland
“Jaybird, we gotta go back to Iceland.”
“We do? The time we went was magical. It was absolutely amazing to go with you and enjoy stuff and have fun but we’ve been and we won’t be able to capture that lightning in a bottle a second time.”
“No. We’re going to be taking some friends with us. And the kids. We want them to see the magic. We want to share the basalt columns and the chocolate and the hot springs and the glaciers with them.”
“Oh. Okay.”
So I’m going back to Iceland. If you’re reading this on Thursday the 21st of 2024, I’m on the plane right now.
Last time I went with my bestie and his wife. This time, his wife is bringing her bestie and her bestie’s main squeeze and we’re bringing the two oldest kiddos (the youngest is staying with Gramma).
This time I am not going as intrepid explorer discovering this magical island for myself with friends, but I am going as the wise guide, showing this magical island to others.
Me, my buddy, and the oldest kiddo will be heading out a day early and we’ll be getting there and setting up the car and the AirB&B. We’ll get some groceries and set up the kitchen and pass out way too early and, the next day, pick up the wife and her friends and the other little one and usher them to the AirB&B where hot food and cold drink will be waiting for them.
And *THEN* we’ll start playing the greatest hits. We’ll probably hit the bridge between continents, the basalt columns, Gullfoss, the geyser, Pylsu Vagninn, maybe the power plant, maybe the lava tubes, DEFINITELY THE CHOCOLATE, and Kökulist. Oh, and the place we’re staying has a hot spring too.
So That will be nice. My ankles could use a soak.
I’m planning on bringing a board game or two but mostly am preparing to be a guide and help my friends’ friends have as magical a trip as we had last time.
So… what’s on your docket?
(Featured image is a map of the Tectonic Plates with Iceland circled.)
Sounds awesome (again) … going to the thermal electric site? That sounded cool.
I have to go to the Big Suburbs to get a new suit for Oldest Daughter’s wedding; I have my eye on a Dark Dark Green (practically charcoal) Italian suit with a double breasted waistcoat. But I’m being shadowed by Lady Marchmaine under orders (I suspect) of the bride. So I’ll probably end up with a boring Grey suit.
We have to make an appointment, so I’m sure the experience will be awkward for everyone involved; my personal Suit guy (dude?) has already texted me asking what I’m looking for. I don’t know the words I’m supposed to use, other than, ‘A new suit’ — so I’m just going to let my silence heighten the experience.Report
I went to a wedding this summer in NYC that I wanted to get a cotton suit for, but apparently they’ve gone the way of the dodo. I had a really great cotton olive suit that I wore on my honeymoon that I wish I still had, but alas! Plus, the death of the Jewish tailor men’s stores seems really to have eaten into the variety of suits you can buy.
The Dad Bod does great suit reviews on YouTube, if you’re interested.Report
Yeah, it turns out that the dark green suit I was interested in was ‘last year’s’ style and all they had left were starving dickensian waif sizes. But, I’m pleased to note that Lady Marchmaine relented and agreed that the color, fabric and styling would’ve been more than acceptable.
I refrained from commenting to my very stylish suit advisor that he had no idea how many ‘style seasons’ my other suits usually last.
So, in fact, I did end up with a Grey suit… but it’s got a little ‘zip’ to it and isn’t *just* a grey suit if you know what I mean. It’s also cut and stitched in the Italian fashion. And, after a little tailoring to account for my…erm…age and wisdom, it should actually hang well. Added a custom waistcoat of the same fabric to push it over the top.
The shopping experience was very millenial/zoomer … hybrid online handheld device to search fabric, inventory, options and to build the suit; with sizing/tailoring on-the-spot by the advisor; and finally the sale was completed by the advisor on the device. No tailors, managers, or checkout process… just you and your advisor. Though, every once in a while an ‘expert advisor’ would swing by to review the fit and make tailoring recommendations… but that’s probably because I was an edge case from their usual (fit) 25-45 demographic.Report
The last time I got a sport coat (“It’s not a blazer, sir”), I was blessed to have a chubby tailor explain Fashion Theory to me as I tried on this, that, and the other.
He told me that if I even thought about leaving his store without having my jacket tailored he’d refuse to sell it to me.
Would you say that the new way is better? Or just different or what?Report
It’s more of an ‘experience’. The old way was a sales-guy talking about the fabric/color/style and then you went back to the shabby (ethnic) tailor who took lots of measurements and asked how big of a break you wanted in the trouser.
Now imagine the Tailor is impeccably dressed, offers you coffee, and wants to understand your vibe before bringing you some options to consider. And, while you are trying on the suit *he* thinks is the right suit, he starts pinning it and making recommendations on the alterations. But your choice, of course… you could try on the *other* suits that don’t look as good on you… up to you, really.
Basically I bought the Grey Suit he brought out after the vibe check — theoretically to test the fitting/size he needed to see if the Green suit was available.
As a Tech Sales guy, I appreciated that he had mastered some important ‘technical’ aspects of design and tailoring/fit and still managed the relationship part as well. But that’s why it was more of an ‘experience’ than a transaction.
But, if you are too self-conscious or didn’t develop rapport with your advisor, it would be a much worse experience.Report
Hrm.
I always felt like the experience was an epiphenomenon of the deeper quest for a dinner jacket (“that’s something completely different, sir”).
By turning the experience up to an 8, I’m sure that some stuff is enhanced… but I keep remembering the Bogart line about gaudy patter.Report
Nice!
Me and my family were in Iceland this past June. The spot we parked when visiting the Blue Lagoon is now under lava. I also caught one of the worst cases of athletes foot there.
Other than that we LOVED Iceland – except for the wind.
Have fun!Report
We have seen the lava. My buddy’s eyes are better than mine, he claims to have seen the spouts from the distance we were at.
For me, I just see the bright orange red and the smoke. We saw it from the airport parking lot! It was nuts!Report
Today will be something of a return to normalcy for me. I got a haircut scheduled tomorrow. We need to do some shopping to get ready for Thanksgiving. I have a boardgame meetup on Sunday. Other than that, I will be playing it by ear.Report
Have started trying to catch up on the stuff that got put off while my broken ribs healed enough to get around in reasonable comfort.
My sister broke a bone in her foot. Earlier this week the surgeon put in pins and a screw. The next day there were more x-rays to make sure everything was properly aligned. She’ll wear a boot for 4-5 weeks to make sure it stays aligned. For my lower ribs, the medical profession sort of waved their hand and said, “Yeah, they’ll heal, alignment’s not important.” Ribs need a union.Report
Semifinal football game this weekend. My football officiating career is winding down and I’m starting to feel it a little bit.Report
You did good.Report