I had a difficult phone call with my dad last night. Usually it's my mom that I get more concerned about (when she's spiraling down into depression and anxiety, despite her medication), but this time it seems that my dad has gotten himself into another impossibly difficult situation where he's getting burned. Again. I can't count how many times this has happened to him--and he gets so angry, and pushes me away when I want to try and understand what's going on. I understand his reaction, but it's still disturbing when he treats me that way. He isn't thinking outside of his own head at those times, I know that.

It's such an upside-down feeling to watch your own parents fail, over and over again. Financially, relationally, emotionally, socially... it seems that the older they get (and the more estranged they get from others--they themselves have been split up for 13 years now, and neither of them have very many friends--just a loyal sibling or two, and then me), the more...

Down to the wire here with my work in Iceland. I took several weeks "off" from survey distribution recently to work on a grant application. If I get it, it will handsomely fund the final year of my PhD, the dissertation write-up (2009-10). There are typically 1,000 applicants in any given year, and about 65 grants available. The chances are semi-slim, but you can't win if you don't play (or beg, in the case of academics), right? So we'll see what happens with that in late March. No expectations, as I know I've got to finish the dissertation regardless of whether I get funding or not.

Up until the point where I took a break, I had gathered 92 surveys (out of about 180 distributed). 50% response rate is not too shabby, but I know I can do better if I get on the horn and talk to people personally, or ring their doorbell and see them in person. I hate ringing people's doorbells in their private homes, especially when they live in a massive apartment building...

I just read the news that she passed away today. It makes me feel really sad... even though I am not personally close to his situation in any way, shape, or form, it reminds me so much of how I felt in 2005 when my 86 year old grandmother passed away from cancer, and I couldn't be there at her side. It was one of the worst times of my life... but I was just a grad student, not running for president, on the eve of the biggest day of one's life. I can't imagine the impact it must be having on him right now, when he is under so much pressure. How awful that it had to happen today, of all days. What a hardship.

My condolences to Obama for the loss of his grandmother.

Just keeping notes on the continued fall of the Icelandic currency... today it took another crash, 13% within a few minutes. 13% of its value. They are talking about total bank failure tonight... all Icelandic banks are facing this right now. The government can't afford to take on ALL the risk of every bank. We may have to send all of our money over to our American banks, if our bank does not actually go under in the next 16 hours...

It's currently 127 ISK to the USD, and 171 ISK (!!!) to the EUR. Thank god for ktsp changing our savings over to USD and EUR last week, even though we still lost 60-70% from a year ago. But our paychecks will remain in krónur until we leave this sinking ship of a country.

You think it's bad in the US???

I have never actually experienced a currency in freefall. It's been quite the ride. I don't think I've accepted it as reality yet, because it's just so mind-boggling.

I thought yesterday was a good day to cash an American check, since we were getting 105 Icelandic krónur (ISK) for 1 dollar (USD). Nope--today it lost ANOTHER 5%, and right now it's at 110 and probably still losing. 110 krónur per dollar. This is unprecedented in Icelandic history. It comes on the heels of news that one of Iceland's biggest banks was nationalized on Monday (and of course, this is all heavily reactionary to the US situation). That's a loss of 57% in value since this time, 12 months ago. Fifty-seven percent of our savings, folks. Vanished into thin air because of the global financial situation.

One Euro is currently buying 157 ISK. This with a currency that used to buy only 98 ISK, a few years ago. That's a loss of 62% in value for the króna. I guess I should be glad...