Happy 3rd Birthday, Sophia!

One of the benefits behind halfway around the world is that you arrive on certain dates ahead of time. So this morning our time when my SIL called I was able to wish our niece, Sophia, a happy golden birthday! It was already the 3^rd here even tho only the 2^nd at home… I'm sure she won't remember it but I'm sure I'll never forget this birthday of hers (even if I do forget the date sometimes!)

This morning was routine for us – hanging out in the apartment. We did get ourselves ready. But one interesting thing while Brian was showering… now, when you go to foreign countries you often assume that you won't have any running water or maybe even hot water – well this morning we had no COLD WATER! Brian was almost done with his shower when all that came out was Hot, and we mean HOT, water! Figured Alex hadn't paid the cold water bill this month – LOL! He managed to get his shower finished somehow and then a few minutes later we were back to usual. I just said better him than me – I wasn't too empathetic but laughing too hard! If it isn't one thing it is another. We have had NO problems with getting hot water – if you turn the cold water on as normal and then turn the hot on a tiny smidgeon it is just perfect – for most of the time. But always, at least once during a shower, the water comes out scalding… you move out of the spray, try to adjust a little bit again, and then resume the shower. We'd rather it turn cold than hot but what can we do? We're adapting!

So we left the apartment about noon and took a long walk… we walked and walked, down the river, under the main bridge, past areas we've never been to – and wound up ---- by the Angara Hotel… it was only about 40-minutes all together for us to get there. We discussed – are we walking faster? Do we just understand better where we're going? Why is it shorter walking now??? We have no answers, just questions! So we really needed to warm up – the sun wasn't out, it was lightly snowing (very lightly, just enough to chill you) and it is cold again – about -11c. So we went to the Studio Coffee restaurant we had been to twice with Alex and Olga. We knew the coat check routine and they must have recognized us or at least we looked foreign enough as they brought us both the menus in English without us having to ask! We both had soup there – pretty much what we have been getting – Brian got cream of mushroom and I got cream of broccoli. Both were very good. By the time we left we were full and warm.

So we walked past the courthouse where we had been just 4-days earlier and Brian got the picture of the pigeons. Normally there are even more but this was a small flock. Funny story from last week – we had walked this same way and noticed two old ladies selling nuts or something near where the pigeons always were. So we didn't know if it was food for humans or "feed the birds" like from Mary Poppins. So last week when we took our break during our hearing I said to Alex "are those ladies selling food to feed the birds?" – He looks at me and says "No". Guess it was the look but I felt silly for asking it!

Today our destination was the office/craft supply store again. I wanted to get some colored paper and other things so we have some other entertainment when Nathan joins us in the apartment. We found most everything we were looking for – including a coloring book that has the numbers printed but really no Russian words in it! Another coloring book and few other miscellaneous things. Then we started heading back toward the apartment. We had been in a different office supply store yesterday where they had these little holders for water (when the kids paint) that were very cheap (12r) and also had some paint brushes. We brought some "paint with water" books along but the brush is very chincy so figured 10r for a new one would be a good investment. So we got that and the water holder for Nathan's use. We were going to pick up a few souvenirs also but couldn't find the one thing we liked the other day so have to search more or change some plans.

Then we went to our favorite market under the stadium to get some things for supper and stopped at the market across the street for Pepsi. Just hung out at the apartment for about an hour.

The sun came out about 4pm so we headed back outside for another walk at 4:30pm. The traffic was incredible this time of day so we stuck to crossing with lights and at major crosswalks so our stroll took a little longer, but no matter – not like we're on a time schedule! We stopped at a drugstore to find some mouthwash for Brian and a very nice young lady helped us in English! Then we walked a bit more and I found a store that sells my Clinique products! I won't have to ration anymore as I can replenish as needed. Cost of it is equivalent to what I pay in the USA. (Found it in the store at Brand Hall on Karl Marx St). We window shopped a little – either I'm getting used to Russian fashion or they are becoming more Western in their styles! We then did one more stop before heading inside and that was at the liquor store up the road… I needed more wine and we also bought a small bottle of vodka (figured we better start trying a few to see what we want to bring home!) The small bottle was 75r (about $2.00) so if we don't like it we dump it out! Also tried a Russian beer so indulging in that right now – it's ok… tastes like beer!

Tonight's meal is a hamburger patty type dish we got at the market and I'm serving it with buttered noodles and veggie salad. We have both voted that the salads from the market are how we like getting our vegetables here – the frozen ones just aren't cutting it!

Our MTV channel has been out all day today – not sure why! So we've been watching the sports channels instead – mainly see soccer and basketball. Also watched some Strongman competition earlier. Last night we watched some Mork & Mindy DVDs. tonight? Not sure yet…

So following are again some pictures of today. Don't know yet when we're going to see Nathan again. For those who have asked, I believe the Baby Home people were going to tell him about the adoption but they said they would let us tell him his new name… I think somewhat because they don't know how to say "Nathan"!