It's Friday! It's just great knowing that tomorrow is the beginning of my summer holiday. We're flying tomorrow evening from Zurich to Iceland and staying the first two nights in a hostel near the airport. On Monday we're getting a rental car and will likely circumnavigate the island while staying in hostels and campsites. I have little idea what to expect so I will have to catch up on my Lonely Planet guidebook during the flight.

Last night I went for a walk to test the new lens. My first observation is that the lens is heavy and difficult to carry due to its size. I constantly had to shift between using shoulder strap and carrying it in my hand. Besides that, the lens is tack sharp and fun to use. Let's see how it (or we) perform in Iceland. See you in two weeks!

New lens!

Last March I promised myself a new lens once I achieved my first fitness goal. I'm only 80% of where I want to be, but my upcoming trip to Iceland pushed me to get the lens sooner. So last night I bought the latest and last lens. It is the Nikkor AF 80-200 f/2.8D ED. I had planned to get the newer AF-S VR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF ED but settled for the older model after complications with an eBay seller. The lenses are optically similar with differences being in the vibration reduction (VR) technology and silent focussing. Tonight I will give it a test run. All I need now is a larger camera bag to hold all this equipment!

What a fantastic weekend. Nicole and Erwan came to visit after having not seen them for over a month. The weekend consisted of drinks, a barbeque, swimming, geocaching, games, and a hike in Appenzellerland. We created the Yellow Cab travel bug and dropped it off at a cache near Nussbaumersee. We have tentative plans to meet again at the end of August for hiking and an overnight in an SAC berghuette. I look forward to that!

I had to get out this weekend regardless of the crappy weather forecast. Rahel and I headed to St. Antonien and from there hiked and overnighted at the SAC Carschina Huette. That evening we had a simple dinner and made conversation with a "frisch verleibt" couple from the Chur region. We learned a new card game called Shithead (aka "Palace" or "Karma") and played a few rounds with them. It was early to bed and an early rise. This winter I hope to return with snowshoes.

I had a laugh while preparing for the trip. I put on my backpack and boots and stepped onto the bathroom scale. My gear weighed 12kg, which is exactly the weight I've lost since March! That was a new perspective.

Fitness Milestone

I hit a milestone with my personal fitness and weight control (notice that I didn't write weight loss). My last measurement was 12kg down from where I started in March. Weight alone is not the best way to measure progress, but unfortunately my measurements of body-fat percentage had a greater variability than any expected loss. What made this a milestone is that I haven't weighed this little in over 12 years. I recently added a hole to my belt and I may have to do so again.

The best part is that I feel great, I still drink beer, and I'm in control. The last point is most important and is why I believe these lifestyle changes are for life. I still have a ways to go, but I'm definitely on the right path.

Sankt Gallen Offen Luft!

The anticipated St. Gallen Open Air finally came! On Friday were the Foo Fighters followed by REM on Saturday and Cake on Sunday. Cake is one of my favourite bands and it was great seeing them in concert again. Traditionally I have always discovered a new band at the Open Air and this year it was the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. I already ordered one of their CDs from Amazon.

I posted a few photos online.