Signs we need to get out of here!

• my favorite deli ripped me off 50 rubles today
  
• the mud on the sidewalks is EVERYWHERE unless you stay on Karl Marx or Lenin or the walks by the river – limits our walking in different areas
  
• even I am starting to lose my sense of humor about the "Russian way" and "Russian time"
  
• we don't even carry the camera everywhere anymore as we don't anticipate seeing 'new things' along the ways
  
• time is moving V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y!
  
• my shortest Solitaire game happened today – 13 SECONDS and "no more moves"!
  

This morning Genya and I IM'd with Grandma E and JJ – Genya liked making funny faces into the webcam. We just had a normal morning and then Brian and Genya went outside for awhile to toss airplanes around. I called Alex to find out passport status – he said they had called the office but there was no mail delivery from Moscow today because of the holiday yesterday (what? Another Russian thing I guess!) – so tomorrow he or Andrew will go to the office to find out status of it. Tomorrow is two weeks since application and one week since it was processed so I'm sure hoping it will be in!!! I will be praying hard! I prayed for a miracle that it came in today and that wasn't granted so now I just want things to work like they should and the passport come in the two weeks we were told! I asked Alex about making travel arrangements but he said not to do until we actually have the passport. Since we're determined to leave on the first plane possible it will be a marathon evening packing session once we have that passport I guess! LOL I read some Psalms today and this verse jumped out at me – it's one I had posted in my office by Genya's picture since we had first met him so appropriate as we're nearing the end of this stay here: "Ps
139:16 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" I can't be God, just let Him do the work for us!

For lunch we went to our local "blue door café" – Genya had his meat pies and Brian and I the "business special" – it all was very good! Then we walked to the 4-story mall as we were looking for duct tape. I think I have mentioned that a wheel came off one of our suitcases on the way from Chicago to Moscow so it left a big hole in the suitcase. It would still be fine to use, just can't roll, but we want to repair it to protect the items inside! We found one store in the lowest level that carried what we were looking for – it's nice industrial tape! So I'll have "Mr. Fix It" work on that this evening! We then did a very muddy and puddly walk back to the apartment… I stopped at the stadium deli for food for dinner again and that's where the above mentioned "ripping off" occurred. Oh well, it was like $1.50 if it meant that much to her to do it! None of my "usual" clerks were working there today.

Back at the apartment we watched some Tom & Jerry DVD and rested. The weather outside is very nice – a little above freezing temperature actually but it feels much warmer! Brian said we probably at least doubled the temps from when we first started walking around the city! Brian later took a walk uptown to the supermarket because the place across didn't have water and took a leisurely way. He saw some guys beating up another guy but that's his story to tell! Meanwhile back at the apartment Genya and I watched DVD and then played some "monster" and "tickle" games. And Genya had a snack – ate up the rest of his second meat pie leftover from lunch, one hot dog and some apples.

Once Brian was back it was so nice outside and Genya needed to get more fresh air so we took a walk to the river and spent about 45-minutes outside. Not a unique idea as there were lots of people around – I said I wondered what it was like in the summertime?! Sidenote: after we had gone to the circus we thought if they can train seals can we train a little boy? Genya will do lots of things for "gum" – 'don't touch in the store and you'll get gum' or 'run to the end of the block, then you'll get gum'… it doesn't work all the time but a majority! LOL

Back home, as Brian was opening the door to the apartment, Genya pulled a wire hanging there – happened so fast. I said I wondered what it was for – Brian said "probably our phone" so I checked the phone and sure enough, it was dead! So "Mr. Fix It" had to repair that! The duct tape we purchased today did the trick – whew, glad I married a handy man! Or to quote Toby Keith (as Brian says everything can be related to a country song) "High maintenance woman in love with the maintenance man"!

Dinner was the cabbage rolls, salad and noodles – Genya bath – DVD – snack then bed (Genya again sang almost the whole song of "Jesus loves me" with me, sang the last line of "I am Jesus' little lamb" and said his name and said the last word "Savior" to "Surely it is God who saves me"… he's getting it!)

Brian and I watched "Mr. Mom"… And we wait to hear what happens tomorrow!