Exercise Update

The exercise program is actually going better than expected.  Of course, I'm investing more in it -- personally invested, in addition to time and  money -- than I have before, so that's encouraging.

A lot of this is simply managing expectations.  I know I harp on this all the time, but you have to define your goal in order to achieve your goal.  This time, the goal is fitness.  It's not about numbers.  It's not about a dress size or what the scale says.  It's about what the body feels.  Can I do what I want to do with this body?  If not, what do I have to do in order to get there?

I have a workout buddy with the same goals and the same level of commitment, and that makes a huge difference.  I would point out the "obvious," because I missed it before: if your workout buddy doesn't have the same goals and commitment you do, find another workout buddy.  That's critical to your success.

We're doing this together, so we have the same fitness trainer and nutritional coach (who were able to give us a better price because of working in "doubles") and a great facility that is open 24/7 except for the pool and hot tub, which are "only" open 5AM to midnight.  (No 2AM swims?  How antediluvian!)

Today we did cardio in the pool, and I willingly admit that this was the most enjoyable cardio I've done.  We did "grapevine" laps in the four-foot pool.  Yes, we danced back and forth in chest-deep water for half an hour.  No pain in my arthritic knees.  We carried on a conversation the entire time, even as we struggled for balance now and then.  I can feel it in my core and butt, and it feels GOOD, not painful.

Finding a good exercise routine puts me one step closer to enjoying the hike on the glacier!

Beginner's Icelandic

Rosetta Stone is not available for Icelandic, nor are any of the other commonly available language learning systems.  You can't take a class in your local community college, or even four-year college -- not locally, at least.

However, there is this lovely site that I just found and will be exploring further. https://icelandic.hi.is/

And my "Beginner's Icelandic" book and CDs showed up today -- finally.  I bought it on Amazon, but the vendor was in Germany.

There are 32 letters in the Icelandic alphabet. Most of them look familiar to me but that doesn't mean they sound the way I expect them to.  Each vowel is available in multiple flavors, depending on the accent mark. 

I am about the explore the "survival" section of the online course.  This is for the absolute beginner.  I think I qualify!

Bless-bless  (which means "bye-bye")

Note to self: Be wary of pushing buttons that look like it might mean "next."  It can also mean "logout"... not that I just logged myself out of the site...

Mirrorless or Full-Frame? Camera Conundrums

I haven't fully explored the limits of my Canon 40D, but the geek in me is wondering if there is a better camera to take to Iceland.  

Yes, I'm looking at cameras.  Again.   If I'm going to go, I'd like to do it right.

It's like this...

What if I'm hiking the glacier and I drop my camera?  I've never dropped a camera before, but I've never hiked a glacier before, either.  A buddy of mine who just came back from Alaska said he wished he hadn't babied his camera so much and had simply had it out and taken more shots.

But if I lose my camera down a crevasse in a glacier... well, maybe I want the insurance policy of taking a "disposable" point-and-shoot for that.  I could relax and know that if the worst happened and my fingers turned into thumbs, I didn't lose the big camera.

On the other hand, maybe I need a different camera.  Maybe I need something lighter and smaller.

Mirrorless cameras are light-weight, but they're far more expensive than a point-and-shoot.  After I've got a zoom lens on there, the weight I save in the body of the camera is pretty much negated by the heft of the lens.  At that point, I may as well just take my 40D.  If I'm taking the 40D, there may be a harness of some kind available so I don't have to worry about dropping the camera.

However, if I'm going to take a big camera, maybe I need a full-frame camera to capture the full beauty of Iceland.  It would be a sin to go all the way over there with equipment that was not up to the task.  If I'm going to get a harness, I can get one for a full-frame just as easily as the 40D.

Fortunately, I don't need to make this decision today.

My Expensive Impulse Buy

On March 25th, 2013, I will be in Iceland hiking a glacier and shooting the Northern Lights.

I admit, the trip was almost an impulse buy.  My life has seen a lot of changes lately, and this just seemed like the right thing to do.

Mind you, I'd been thinking of taking this photo safari for a few years.  I've wanted to see the Northern Lights for decades (ouch!) and Iceland was on my list of "places to visit before I die."  Oh, and did I mention the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa?

So when this tour package came up again in a promotional email, I asked my boss to bring forth his crystal ball to see if there were any impending catastrophes scheduled at the office that week.  He said, "No, but that doesn't mean you won't have to work 80 hours the week before...."

And I bought my ticket.

It's a good trip at a good price, and I know I'll love to see it.  There are just a few issues that I didn't fully take into consideration before I handed over my hard-earned cash:

1. I don't speak Icelandic.  Can I manage to communicate well enough to enjoy the true culture of Iceland, or will lack of language skills force me to accept the McDonald's version?
2. I'm overweight and under-exercised.  Will I be able to appreciate the glorious glacier, or will painful arthritic knees distract me during the hike?
3. I haven't shot much outdoors in the winter.  Do I have the skills to get the images I want from my Canon 40D, or will I wish I had a simple point-and-shoot?

I have time. I can do this, right?