dauðhræddur

So I am supposed to go to the Westman Islands tonight for the weekend, to play a concert there tomorrow. But looking out the window here I am already feeling seasick. It's a 3-hour ferry ride out to the islands and currently the Land is being blown sideways by the second gale in as many weeks. Wind right now is steady at 40-50 mph and gusting up into the 60s. It's supposed to get worse, too, all the way into bad radio station slogan territory. ("From the 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond!") All those building-shuddering gusts make for some big waves, and stormy journeys on the Herjólfur ferry are notorious puke-a-thons. Testament to this are the Chinese-takeaway-style vomit cups stacked neatly in all areas of the ship: entrances, stairways, canteen, bedrooms, and bunk cabins. I have been on two round trips on that ferry but both have been blessedly calm so the stacks of square waxed-paper receptacles have been nothing more than a curiosity. But every Icelander seems to have a story about them.

Anyway it looks like I might not be able to go at all. This morning's sailing has already been delayed and might be canceled. And the storm is supposed to continue through the day and overnight, so there may not be any trips today. And flying on a day like this is right out of the question. That tunnel to the islands is looking like a better and better idea. It's too bad we can't import a couple of spendthrift Republicans to the Alþing and make that happen. I heard they were looking for work.