Alrighty then let’s get started with the fun and games of this trip… we drove to Dulles, got lost, can’t imagine why, we’ve only been there and back 12 times!!! Maggie was meeting us there to give me packages to take to different kids for other families. I was not sure they would fit, but they did. She graciously talked us by phone to the airport, and her daughter missed or was very late to a birthday party. Yeah Maggie saved the day. If it weren’t for the fact that I was sick and sleeping on the way down, we wouldn’t of missed our turn, but oh well.
Lufthansa gave me my second bag free, yippee! Got thru security ok, but I guess when it’s slow they have nothing to do so they do “extra” testing. As soon as I got thru passport check, they stopped me to swipe my hand with a cloth and put it on a reader, I thought, “Gee, Palm reading for free at the airport, hhmmm…”, then of course I got to go thru the scanner and after too much holiday eating I’m sure that view wasn’t a thrill for the boys!! Next came the general pat down by a woman, and finally I was okayed. I didn’t mind it, but this proves they don’t “profile” because out of the group I went thru security with, believe me, I was next to the ONLY one I wouldn’t have sent thru the mill. But, oh well... good for them.
The plane for the first time in a year and ½ was great!!! And that’s because it was NOT full, I got to sit in row 24, the closest to first class I’ve been, and there were two empty seats to my right, I had the isle, that mean t I could lay down somewhat in a fetal position for 7 of the 8-9 hour flight, which I needed as I have this terrible cold, all stopped up and took Nyquil so I could clear up and sleep. So good news for that. Being sick was a small bonus because I had seen all the movies I wanted to the last trip on this airline, they need a larger pick list, I tell you, how often do they change the choices???
But, I knew that a couple that flew last week, let’s see, I left Saturday to arrive Sunday, they left last Saturday, they went thru Frankfurt and when they arrived in Kiev they had to turn around and fly back to Frankfurt, they couldn’t land. Ukraine and Russia had just received a massive snowstorm, so a lot was shut down.
I did another dumb thing, I didn’t check the weather myself, I had Arlin check satellite time and that was a big mistake, he said that they were going to have nice weather the entire time I was here, like back home, low 30’s at night and 40’s in the day. What screen was he reading???? And what country???
Munich was full of snow and cold but Donetsk??? As we were flying over Ukraine because this is the far east region next to Russia, the Donetsk region, the entire landscape and all the mountains were covered with snow, I didn’t see the usual ‘cutouts’ for roads. And the closer we got to Donetsk; I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. First clue was the people and the clothes they were wearing, all the cold weather gear kind of like you wear when you go snowmobiling in 30 below in Canada. I have on a pair of yoga pants, boots, one pull over long sleeve shirt and a coat, thank God I thru in a scarf and gloves just for laughs!!!
It’s the usual Russian looking gear, fur lined hooded heavy jackets in addition to heavy boots, gloves, ski hats and scarves, thick pants and turtle necks, pullover sweaters, you know, COLD weather dressing.
Poor Oksana, she and I will not be venturing out during our stay, we will have to stay indoors and just hit the streets to get something to eat, we don’t’ have the clothes… oh well, early winter diet plan!! I just hope I can keep her entertained and she doesn’t get cabin fever.
So Ivan, the driver, meets me at the airport. Let me review our final approach and landing in all the snow as the passengers so willingly clapped as we touched ground. I looked out the window, my first window seat ever, and I wondered where the runway was? I didn’t see anything cleared down there, we’re losing altitude, but where are we going to touch down and not slide thru snow? Then I see as we get just about down that there is a lane that looked like it had been plowed a couple of days ago, not salted, or completely clear, patched of snow and ice, layers actually, but you could see some tarmac. You’re kidding right? I was preparing for a sort of ‘slide into first base’ landing. Again, your will be done Lord, Arlin can raise them alone!
As we touch down without incident, thank you Jesus and we drove to where they are going to park the plane, I realize it’s far away from the airport, which is actually just a small building, remember, this is the one where you get your own luggage off the wagon. They lower the stairs, we get out, load onto the bus, by the way, how is that I am the first to get off the bus and the last to load on the planes or the buses? These people over here are PUSHY!!! I have to get my tactics down for travel over here. Anyway, the bus now has to drive in snow; there are no roads that are cleared or anything for that matter, just the runway we landed on, the ONE strip. And that was semi as I mentioned above.
The joke was that we are following 3 small tractors, each with two men on them dressed like they live in the arctic pulling the wagons with all the luggage, it was a hoot!! We get off the bus, walk to the “terminal”, go thru passport line, the guy asked me so many questions and finally said with a wave of his hand, half laughing, half frustrated, “just go thru!”. I told him I was here for adoption in Mariupol, but I couldn’t make out his other questions, need more brushing up on my Russian.
I run back outside to pick up the luggage, its routine for me now, only this time I have one big piece, another medium, my heavy laptop and purse. This was going to be tough to get all this by myself, get back in the building and find the driver. There were 2 big guys who helped me get my luggage off the wagons this time that was a relief! I kept pointing and they would immediately take the luggage off only to find out it wasn’t mine, I just wanted them to hold it up so I could check the tag, oh well, others had their bags off the wagon and waiting!
Ivan meets me as I am wrestling with the stupid laptop falling off the smaller luggage and ripping around the suitcase so I can’t walk, trying to manage the big one, can’t see from around my hood, hair everywhere, this wasn’t going so well. I was so glad to see him.
Made a quick bathroom trip before embarking on our 3 hour rather scary drive which we are in route now as I am typing, but I seem to want to watch the road more because they aren’t’ cleared, it’s one lane -normally two- because of all the snow and ice, and we are slashing thru it in this little car, no seatbelts but would it matter????
I was concerned about the roads as I saw all the snow. He said that the roads in Donetsk and to Mariupol were good but in Mariupol they were bad. Well folks if this is good, I am afraid to see bad, I think a snowmobile would probably be in order. Come Lord Jesus!
We just get out of the city and Ivan can’t see out the windows. There was a light dusting of snow and the throw off of big trucks so he pulls over to clean the windshield. Well, what was I thinking? That he would pull out a windshield ice scraper like normal people do to clean off the ice and snow. No, he sprays the windshield wiper water from the car and turns on the wind shield wipers. What do you think happened, 3 guesses…?
Ding, ding, ding, and the winner is… YES it froze!! So, he grabs the windshield cleaner, looks like a bottle of Windex, from the floorboard of the front seat and I’m thinking, “He’s not going to try and spray the windshield with that is he? It’s 8 degrees out it will freeze on contact and of course the car is off so there is no defroster keeping the windshield warm and my toes are now freezing in my Ug boots… but guess what? As he goes to spray it, I can see it is frozen in the bottle, so he, yes he does! He opens the bottle and tries to pour out any of the liquid, it’s gel like now, and then guess what all that does? You got it, it freezes!!! Now we cannot see AT ALL out the windshield. I start emptying out my purse for the cotton ell wipes that a friend from bible study had given me. I open one and tell him to clean off the windshield with this. It worked! He had a dry rag in the car that he wiped it dry with. O Lord and we haven’t even started the drive to the orphanage yet. Will I have any adrenaline left when we get there IF we get there???? My adrenal glands will be pea size after stressing out over this one.
Ladies honestly, I don’t want to hear another birthing story, I’d rather be hooked up to an epidural and push than go thru all this!!!! There‘s going to be a million grammar errors in this leg of the story simply because I cannot type and watch the road at the same time, well I can, I’m typing as I’m telling the story but I am watching g the road as he drives in the dark down the unplowed highway. I said to him, “I thought you said that the roads were cleared???” he said that they were on his drive to the airport, but the snow has all drifted now and there is no one to plow, the radio keeps calling and asking for people to come and plow the roads because they paid the snowplowers and they pocketed the money and did not plow. Wow, now why didn’t I think of that and why are they so surprised!?
Back to the update on the weather report as a newsflash for my husband, we did call Dima the moment I got in the car at the airport and he said, “Deborah did you see the news? It’s going to be record lows starting this week in Ukraine and all of Russia, 18F below, currently ZERO as in 0… “Dima, always the bearer of good news!! Gotta love that guy, now I know for sure Oksana and I will have cabin fever. Honestly, the road looks more like a snowmobile trail than a highway, back home these roads would be closed, but not here!!! Lord help me!
At 5 kilometers per hour we just passed a wreck on the other side of the road, cars are now coming toward us in our lane… hhmmm… there are two large semi’s trying to salvage the wreckage, two cars, petty bad, but hard to see in the dark, no lights on this highway, or road in the country, and of course no ambulances or fire trucks. But, looks like they have a fire started on the side of the road and the men are warming their hands... priorities, bodies don’t rot in cold... ok, ok, I know, but have to have a sense of humor to get me thru this drive, my nerves are frayed!!!Ok, I’m going off line now, will continue if we make it to the hotel!!!
Three hours later and two calls from Dima wondering where we were… we made it!! Never such a loud sigh of relief in my life. So let’s cut to the chase, I’m tired and going to bed. Dima and I already had dinner after he showed me to my room which is the freezer, the hallway is the refrigerator, and the bathroom is the meat locker. What am I paying for this room and what happened to the hotel I loved so much last September??? It’s another ball game in the winter, Donna NOW I get it!!!! I didn’t think the two of us were talking about the same place when you were telling me your nightmare stay here, but now I understand… it’s winter! His side of the hotel is the furnace, he said last night he had to open his window he couldn’t breathe for the heat, and he’s above the bar and there was a party going on, so he got your experience. And tonight, as we walked into the morgue, making sure no one grows warm over on this side, he couldn’t believe it! They told us at the desk when we checked in that there was a heater in the room if I was cold and wanted to use it I could. Should have been my first clue!!!! The windows practically have a breeze of air coming thru and at below zero chill factor, that’s not funny.
We went to dinner, cranked the heater, tried to block the windows and when we returned hoped for a warm room, no dice. We went to the other side of the hotel to warm up and then tried again. Finally I said, “Skip it, and let me just keep my coat on, warm up and try to block this huge window. I set my big suitcase in the window, only to cover ½, and then I put bags, coats, anything I could find to block the air coming thru. When I opened the meat locker, alias bathroom, I about died. I knew I wasn’t taking a shower anytime soon, who could undress in near zero conditions??? Ok, ok, perhaps not zero, but if Dima was in shock, I’m not going soft here.
Just about had enough of this Ukrainian Idol, need to turn off the TV and go to bed, I think I can do it, Dima went to the front desk and brought me back another heavy comforter and told me to put on thick socks and did I have warm pajamas??? I don’t understand, am I paying for this?
Oh, about tomorrow… Arkadiy says they have started paperwork on Tolek!! Yippee!!! We meet the woman lawyer doing that tomorrow… keep up the prayers. We pick up Oksana tomorrow and begin the end of the paperwork nightmare to get her home.
Chat tomorrow!!
Lufthansa gave me my second bag free, yippee! Got thru security ok, but I guess when it’s slow they have nothing to do so they do “extra” testing. As soon as I got thru passport check, they stopped me to swipe my hand with a cloth and put it on a reader, I thought, “Gee, Palm reading for free at the airport, hhmmm…”, then of course I got to go thru the scanner and after too much holiday eating I’m sure that view wasn’t a thrill for the boys!! Next came the general pat down by a woman, and finally I was okayed. I didn’t mind it, but this proves they don’t “profile” because out of the group I went thru security with, believe me, I was next to the ONLY one I wouldn’t have sent thru the mill. But, oh well... good for them.
The plane for the first time in a year and ½ was great!!! And that’s because it was NOT full, I got to sit in row 24, the closest to first class I’ve been, and there were two empty seats to my right, I had the isle, that mean t I could lay down somewhat in a fetal position for 7 of the 8-9 hour flight, which I needed as I have this terrible cold, all stopped up and took Nyquil so I could clear up and sleep. So good news for that. Being sick was a small bonus because I had seen all the movies I wanted to the last trip on this airline, they need a larger pick list, I tell you, how often do they change the choices???
But, I knew that a couple that flew last week, let’s see, I left Saturday to arrive Sunday, they left last Saturday, they went thru Frankfurt and when they arrived in Kiev they had to turn around and fly back to Frankfurt, they couldn’t land. Ukraine and Russia had just received a massive snowstorm, so a lot was shut down.
I did another dumb thing, I didn’t check the weather myself, I had Arlin check satellite time and that was a big mistake, he said that they were going to have nice weather the entire time I was here, like back home, low 30’s at night and 40’s in the day. What screen was he reading???? And what country???
Munich was full of snow and cold but Donetsk??? As we were flying over Ukraine because this is the far east region next to Russia, the Donetsk region, the entire landscape and all the mountains were covered with snow, I didn’t see the usual ‘cutouts’ for roads. And the closer we got to Donetsk; I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. First clue was the people and the clothes they were wearing, all the cold weather gear kind of like you wear when you go snowmobiling in 30 below in Canada. I have on a pair of yoga pants, boots, one pull over long sleeve shirt and a coat, thank God I thru in a scarf and gloves just for laughs!!!
It’s the usual Russian looking gear, fur lined hooded heavy jackets in addition to heavy boots, gloves, ski hats and scarves, thick pants and turtle necks, pullover sweaters, you know, COLD weather dressing.
Poor Oksana, she and I will not be venturing out during our stay, we will have to stay indoors and just hit the streets to get something to eat, we don’t’ have the clothes… oh well, early winter diet plan!! I just hope I can keep her entertained and she doesn’t get cabin fever.
So Ivan, the driver, meets me at the airport. Let me review our final approach and landing in all the snow as the passengers so willingly clapped as we touched ground. I looked out the window, my first window seat ever, and I wondered where the runway was? I didn’t see anything cleared down there, we’re losing altitude, but where are we going to touch down and not slide thru snow? Then I see as we get just about down that there is a lane that looked like it had been plowed a couple of days ago, not salted, or completely clear, patched of snow and ice, layers actually, but you could see some tarmac. You’re kidding right? I was preparing for a sort of ‘slide into first base’ landing. Again, your will be done Lord, Arlin can raise them alone!
As we touch down without incident, thank you Jesus and we drove to where they are going to park the plane, I realize it’s far away from the airport, which is actually just a small building, remember, this is the one where you get your own luggage off the wagon. They lower the stairs, we get out, load onto the bus, by the way, how is that I am the first to get off the bus and the last to load on the planes or the buses? These people over here are PUSHY!!! I have to get my tactics down for travel over here. Anyway, the bus now has to drive in snow; there are no roads that are cleared or anything for that matter, just the runway we landed on, the ONE strip. And that was semi as I mentioned above.
The joke was that we are following 3 small tractors, each with two men on them dressed like they live in the arctic pulling the wagons with all the luggage, it was a hoot!! We get off the bus, walk to the “terminal”, go thru passport line, the guy asked me so many questions and finally said with a wave of his hand, half laughing, half frustrated, “just go thru!”. I told him I was here for adoption in Mariupol, but I couldn’t make out his other questions, need more brushing up on my Russian.
I run back outside to pick up the luggage, its routine for me now, only this time I have one big piece, another medium, my heavy laptop and purse. This was going to be tough to get all this by myself, get back in the building and find the driver. There were 2 big guys who helped me get my luggage off the wagons this time that was a relief! I kept pointing and they would immediately take the luggage off only to find out it wasn’t mine, I just wanted them to hold it up so I could check the tag, oh well, others had their bags off the wagon and waiting!
Ivan meets me as I am wrestling with the stupid laptop falling off the smaller luggage and ripping around the suitcase so I can’t walk, trying to manage the big one, can’t see from around my hood, hair everywhere, this wasn’t going so well. I was so glad to see him.
Made a quick bathroom trip before embarking on our 3 hour rather scary drive which we are in route now as I am typing, but I seem to want to watch the road more because they aren’t’ cleared, it’s one lane -normally two- because of all the snow and ice, and we are slashing thru it in this little car, no seatbelts but would it matter????
I was concerned about the roads as I saw all the snow. He said that the roads in Donetsk and to Mariupol were good but in Mariupol they were bad. Well folks if this is good, I am afraid to see bad, I think a snowmobile would probably be in order. Come Lord Jesus!
We just get out of the city and Ivan can’t see out the windows. There was a light dusting of snow and the throw off of big trucks so he pulls over to clean the windshield. Well, what was I thinking? That he would pull out a windshield ice scraper like normal people do to clean off the ice and snow. No, he sprays the windshield wiper water from the car and turns on the wind shield wipers. What do you think happened, 3 guesses…?
Ding, ding, ding, and the winner is… YES it froze!! So, he grabs the windshield cleaner, looks like a bottle of Windex, from the floorboard of the front seat and I’m thinking, “He’s not going to try and spray the windshield with that is he? It’s 8 degrees out it will freeze on contact and of course the car is off so there is no defroster keeping the windshield warm and my toes are now freezing in my Ug boots… but guess what? As he goes to spray it, I can see it is frozen in the bottle, so he, yes he does! He opens the bottle and tries to pour out any of the liquid, it’s gel like now, and then guess what all that does? You got it, it freezes!!! Now we cannot see AT ALL out the windshield. I start emptying out my purse for the cotton ell wipes that a friend from bible study had given me. I open one and tell him to clean off the windshield with this. It worked! He had a dry rag in the car that he wiped it dry with. O Lord and we haven’t even started the drive to the orphanage yet. Will I have any adrenaline left when we get there IF we get there???? My adrenal glands will be pea size after stressing out over this one.
Ladies honestly, I don’t want to hear another birthing story, I’d rather be hooked up to an epidural and push than go thru all this!!!! There‘s going to be a million grammar errors in this leg of the story simply because I cannot type and watch the road at the same time, well I can, I’m typing as I’m telling the story but I am watching g the road as he drives in the dark down the unplowed highway. I said to him, “I thought you said that the roads were cleared???” he said that they were on his drive to the airport, but the snow has all drifted now and there is no one to plow, the radio keeps calling and asking for people to come and plow the roads because they paid the snowplowers and they pocketed the money and did not plow. Wow, now why didn’t I think of that and why are they so surprised!?
Back to the update on the weather report as a newsflash for my husband, we did call Dima the moment I got in the car at the airport and he said, “Deborah did you see the news? It’s going to be record lows starting this week in Ukraine and all of Russia, 18F below, currently ZERO as in 0… “Dima, always the bearer of good news!! Gotta love that guy, now I know for sure Oksana and I will have cabin fever. Honestly, the road looks more like a snowmobile trail than a highway, back home these roads would be closed, but not here!!! Lord help me!
At 5 kilometers per hour we just passed a wreck on the other side of the road, cars are now coming toward us in our lane… hhmmm… there are two large semi’s trying to salvage the wreckage, two cars, petty bad, but hard to see in the dark, no lights on this highway, or road in the country, and of course no ambulances or fire trucks. But, looks like they have a fire started on the side of the road and the men are warming their hands... priorities, bodies don’t rot in cold... ok, ok, I know, but have to have a sense of humor to get me thru this drive, my nerves are frayed!!!Ok, I’m going off line now, will continue if we make it to the hotel!!!
Three hours later and two calls from Dima wondering where we were… we made it!! Never such a loud sigh of relief in my life. So let’s cut to the chase, I’m tired and going to bed. Dima and I already had dinner after he showed me to my room which is the freezer, the hallway is the refrigerator, and the bathroom is the meat locker. What am I paying for this room and what happened to the hotel I loved so much last September??? It’s another ball game in the winter, Donna NOW I get it!!!! I didn’t think the two of us were talking about the same place when you were telling me your nightmare stay here, but now I understand… it’s winter! His side of the hotel is the furnace, he said last night he had to open his window he couldn’t breathe for the heat, and he’s above the bar and there was a party going on, so he got your experience. And tonight, as we walked into the morgue, making sure no one grows warm over on this side, he couldn’t believe it! They told us at the desk when we checked in that there was a heater in the room if I was cold and wanted to use it I could. Should have been my first clue!!!! The windows practically have a breeze of air coming thru and at below zero chill factor, that’s not funny.
We went to dinner, cranked the heater, tried to block the windows and when we returned hoped for a warm room, no dice. We went to the other side of the hotel to warm up and then tried again. Finally I said, “Skip it, and let me just keep my coat on, warm up and try to block this huge window. I set my big suitcase in the window, only to cover ½, and then I put bags, coats, anything I could find to block the air coming thru. When I opened the meat locker, alias bathroom, I about died. I knew I wasn’t taking a shower anytime soon, who could undress in near zero conditions??? Ok, ok, perhaps not zero, but if Dima was in shock, I’m not going soft here.
Just about had enough of this Ukrainian Idol, need to turn off the TV and go to bed, I think I can do it, Dima went to the front desk and brought me back another heavy comforter and told me to put on thick socks and did I have warm pajamas??? I don’t understand, am I paying for this?
Oh, about tomorrow… Arkadiy says they have started paperwork on Tolek!! Yippee!!! We meet the woman lawyer doing that tomorrow… keep up the prayers. We pick up Oksana tomorrow and begin the end of the paperwork nightmare to get her home.
Chat tomorrow!!
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