Feeling blue

It was exactly like this.

So, Blue Lagoon. It was blue. It was a lagoon. The water was very warm -- which was nice, as the air was very cold. It's heated naturally via the geothermal thingies.

There are mud masks. There is a bar in the water. There is a sauna, restaurant, cafeteria, "relaxation area" and towels. And lots of British teenagers acting like, well, British teenagers. (BTW - anyone watch "Skins" -- the British version? Those kids are messed up, yo!)

Blue Lagoon was fine. Worth checking out. Go google it if you want to know more. I don't feel like going on about it. There are so much less relevant things to go on about.

Though on that ride I ran into a guy who had been on the Golden Circle tour I took. He said I should go to a cave. So I did. But not right then.

After Blue Lagoon I went back to town and, feeling the best I had all week (unsure if this had to do w/spa or not), decided to go drink, First up was the Lago-recommended Ice Bar. Which no longer exists. It closed a year ago. Bummer. There's also an ice bar in Helsinki. I forgot to go. Then again, my cough was brutal that day, so spending time surrounded by ice might not have made a lot of sense. Not that that's ever been a particularly strong credo to live by for me.

Then was the tourist lady-recommended English Pub. I think that's what it was called. Or maybe I'm just describing it. I don't remember. Anyway, they had a halloween party going on. Pretty amusing. Some solid costumes. Some liquid, not too many gas. One colloidal suspension.

I went to the bar to get a drink. Some Latvian woman starts talking to me. We chat -- I'm just being friendly. Apparently she's traveled a great deal. I tell her I'm going to Latvia. She doesn't like Latvia. She doesn't particularly like Iceland. She's been to the States once -- Miami. She didn't like it. Says she doesn't like it when everything is brown. I mean, that can't be what she said, but I swear it is. 

So convo mostly winds down, and eventually -- with a hint of annoyance -- she says, "have a good night," gets up from her stool and walks away ... to the very next stool down. Hilarious. Hey chicas, this is how it feels for guys when you reject us! Go sit on a stool! (ewwwww....)

Band is there. They are on break. They try to come back. Bar won't stop playing Chili Peppers. So band plays along. For a spell. Then they get really annoyed. After all, it's the Chili Peppers.

That's me. At the Blue Lagoon. Really.

End up chatting w/this very cool couple from Portland. Talked about our respective trips, they said to me, "How are you doing this? When do you go back to work?!" I said, "ah, these are the benefits of sudden unemployment." They loved it. Cheers, jealous, good for me. Helps to hear that.

Seriously, they loved my plan. Unlike Romney, my plan balances a budget and is mindful of whether or not I have health care.

(I had a well-constructed anti-Romney rant prepared here. Gonna save it for Facebook. Or nowhere. Trying not to be crazy political here ...)

My notes for the blog say the following: "Spun wheel. Two shots. Licorice shit."

I have no recollection of what that is referring to.

Oh, I asked them how accurate "Portlandia" is. They said, enthusiastically, it is spot-on! Hilarious.

Anyway, after the Portland folk came drinks and convo with some groovy locals -- Bjorn Nathan (awfully close to Jonathan -- we are both gifts from god, apparently), Freyja and Andrea. And a dude who claims to be a demon. I had to talk him down. I mean, it was a halloween party, but I think this had more to do w/alcohol -- and his own issues. At one point he wanted me to slap him. I jokingly did, very lightly. He wanted me to again. At that point I turned away. Demons. Sheesh.

Oh, spin the wheel! I remember. Pay a few bucks, spin the wheel, get what it lands on. Could be a beer, could be a meter of beer, could be nothing, could be spin again, try again, look again, try again, look again, could be two shots. I won the shots. They chose. It was kinda gross licorice schnapps. There ya go.  

That's some costumed person at bar.

"Go Away" -- featuring Abby, Katie, Ben and Nicola -- is playing right now. February isn't all that far away. Need to start contemplating the next kiddie tune for them.

Anyway, left the bar, made my way home, lost one of my Chicago Cubs gloves that I bought earlier this year b/c it was freezing in, well, Chicago. I mean, I was in Chicago at the time. When I bought it. Otherwise my choice of clothing and/or accessory purchases generally aren't influenced by the weather in Chicago.

Last-minute call to take those gloves over my old, beat-up crappy leather gloves. They are happy to have missed the cut, surely.

So, this cough ... one of the many, many remedies suggested was heavy amounts of booze. And for that evening, it sort of worked. Felt great! As did sleeping in a bit on Sunday -- and therefore once again missing the self-guided walking tour (damn Heathrow) before heading out for some spelunking.

That's right -- spelunking, McNamannings! Spe-lunk-ing.