trees

We weren't in Springfield when the ice storm hit. We didn't live without power for a week afterward. But we were more than willing to profit from the severe weather when we learned there were temporary jobs available in the clean-up process. Especially since we had no other compelling reason pulling us to any other destination, and we were planning on coming to see Kirsten's family.

The ice had hardly affected Joplin, about an hour west, but as we approached Springfield all the large trees along the highway had been damaged. Limbs were broken, creating upside-down Vs spiking the top of the canopy. Some of the trees looked as though an internal explosion had driven the branches away from the trunk. A few reminded me of nothing so much as a Bloomin' Onion.

I've become well-acquainted with the effects of ice storm damage on trees over the past two months or so. Some knowledge about the trees themselves has managed to leak unbidden into my brain, but I've learned more about the inefficiency of this particular layer of the FEMA bureaucracy.

It looks like the job is winding down. No more watching crews cut trees, or haul away the broken limbs, documenting every step. Hopefully no more waking up at 5 a.m. (or 5:45, once daylight savings kicked in) once I'm finished here.
The last few days the weather has given me a reprive - thunderstorms have halted work. The work is almost finished up anyway (only a little more than three months after the storm) so I might be done any minute. I won't be sorry when it's done, but I'm willing to earn a few more paychecks before it is.

radio

For the last month, I've been driving a car with Sirius satellite radio. It has one channel of particular interest to me: the international radio channel. Particularly the Irish and Australian broadcasts, since we listened to those channels while in rental cars in their lands of origin.

Since we've gotten back to the States, the travels have receded into the background of my mind (especially now, while working 12 hour days - everything has receded into the back of my mind as a sleep-deprived haze has blocked out most of my thoughts). Listening to foriegn radio, however, brought on a kick of nostalgia.

Also, a bit of a realization: listening to two commentators debate on Irish radio, I actually heard one concede a point to the other. When's the last time that happened on any program in the States?

baby buggies

baby buggies
Originally uploaded by slack13.

We ran into these buggies outside the shops in Rykjavik. It's interesting enough to me that they still have buggies such as this, rather than the super-decked out strollers I see here. But wait, there's more.
There were babies in these. Left outside the shop. With no supervision. In November, in Iceland.
People would go nuts here. In fact, someone told me there was a case where a European tourist was chared with child neglect by New York police for doing the exact same thing. But apparently it's considered bad form to disturb others' shopping experience by bringing a baby in the store.

It's a refreshing attitude.