"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful" - Ann Landers

So its 2008, and as with most of my New Years I spent it at my uncle Bjössi´s house with cousins, their husbands/wives, children and grandchildren. The picture is of my cousins husband as I feel that he typifies New Year in Iceland, we wear our Sunday bests and look good for the bringing in of a new year in our lives, no board shorts here in Iceland. Mind you the weather may have something to do with that!

The Turkey, as always was cooked to perfection, and as usual there was more than enough food for the 20 or so that were there. Just in case they cooked a leg of lamb as well. I have so many fond memories of so many new years eves at Bjössi´s, in Aus I used to dread new years eve, it was always one of the most depressing days of the year. If I was at home at mum and dads you could be assured that we would all be fast asleep when the clock struck twelve, if I was with friends I would usually be feeling depressed due to the lack of a significant other. Those times when one was present I would usually be disappointed with their lack of romance, so for me new years was never a happy occasion - until 1999/2000 when I was in Iceland, for the first time I actually had a really really good time. Thanks to the wonderful folk that are my fathers brothers family... As usual in Iceland fireworks are the main event, having a dog means that you have to take consideration to the four footed ones and ensure that they are feeling ok on the night. This year it meant that I left the festivities early and took the little one home. On the way we made a visit at yet another cousins house where Tara lives. She is such a beautiful golden retriever, a treasure and her and freyja are good friends so I had to let them have a bit of a sniff.

After the traditional 'aramóta skaup' the fire works began. Even though the town is small, max pop around 3,000 there were more fireworks here and lasted longer than the Australia day fireworks on the Swan River. This ofcourse resulted in one very very freaked out dog.

The only thing to do was to lie on the floor under the doona and hope to hell that it would all end very soon. She was soo upset, shaking and really not understanding what was happening. Well, how can they know. We had fun though in our own kind of way. I watched the tv before the fireworks began and then tried to make her feel ok. then it all ended.

and she sort of came too.. realised the world was not going to end! So off she trotted to bed and then there I was wide awake and not knowing what to do next. So made the decision to change clothes (I really do need to clean my floors) and headed off to the bar... My cousins children had told me that they would be there and wanted me to join them... Off I went, after walking through and seeing no-one asked the door man if he had seen Steina... "yes she was here, but I think she has gone", so being resourceful I went to her sisters house and there they were wondering what had happened to me. A few shots later we headed back to the bar, this was after I received an earful from one of them about my making reference to my age and that I should just get a grip and continue to enjoy life and not consider that there is an age attached to certain behaviour.. So for the future I have decided to live life, enjoy each day as it comes and to take no shit - not to pretend to be something that one is not, not to think of what others might say, but just to take each moment for what it is, not to ever ever let the opinions of others matter.. It is only me that has to live with me, no one else and one is happy ones happiness rubs off onto others. cos basically if you are in a shit mood others will know and that is not making their life better...

On that rather strange note, I will have a wonderful life. - you deserve it! We all deserve it!