The lengths I will go to avoid lighting my petchka...

Since I wasn't going to be in school anyway, I decided to hit the road early. My flight to the States is Monday morning from Warsaw, which means a bus to Odessa, a train to Kovel, then another bus to Warsaw Saturday night. Well, a few more days in my site meant a few more petchkas; a daunting task in these few feet of snow and with my lungs burning in the cold air. You see, we've had unprecedented amounts of snow the last few days. Literally, I woke up Tuesday morning to a white blanket at least a foot deep. It's very beautiful, and very uncommon (that one foot was more than I saw all last winter). But still, my house is cold!

So yesterday (Wednesday) I decided to head up to Kovel early where I could stay in a centrally-heated apartment. I left my house around 11:00 am, hiring a taxi instead of trying to lug my suitcase thorough the powder for the 20-minute walk to my bus station. I hopped on a bus right away, and we were off! In the next town, however, we pulled over and waited. And waited. And waited. Two hours later, the verdict was in. There is only one road that links the southern part of the Odesska oblast to the rest of the country, and it was CLOSED. There is, however a train that goes from Ismail to Odessa every night at 11:50. I decided to try that route. So, back to Ismail, which is further south than my town (by an hour). Here's a map to clairify things:
My town is in the middle part between Ismail and Moldova.

After six hours on the bus, I arrived in Ismail to discover that they were sold out of tickets for the train. Trying not to despair, I met up with a married couple who are placed in Ismail. They fed me a delicious dinner, I had a wonderfully hot shower, and walked me back to the train station where I hoped to beg a conductor to let me on.

When we got to the station, however, it seemed that about 100 other people had the same idea as I did. NO ONE had tickets! Every now and then, though, someone would walk in announcing they had a ticket they would sell, only to be bum-rushed by those of us who were near-panic. I surprised myself at my own skills in this area, as I competed for a ticket 5-6 times in this fashion. This cold has pretty much robbed me of my voice, however, which meant that I got shouted over and didn't get the ticket each time. Then the thing I love the most about Ukraine happened: it's people.

I had been kind of hanging around with some people who had been on the bus with me to Ismail, and soon enough, my new friend Yura told me to come over; he had bought two tickets! He sold me one for the same price he paid (and the ticket value) with a smile. I was SO relieved I could have hugged him! Instead, we drank some cognac and had a mini-picnic. I took a picture, but can't find my camera cord at the moment so I will upload it later. The train didn't arrive until 3 am for us to board, but we made the best of it for sure! Today, Thursday, I arrived in Odessa at 9:45 am and will be in plenty of time for my train, bus and plane. I am blessed!

I hope the best of outcomes to you as you slog through whatever life (and storm patterns) are throwing your way!

Ukrainian docs (and teachers!) making housecalls

I recently found myself quite ill with a painful, hacking cough, major headache and body aches. This happened on a Sunday, rendering me quite unfit for teaching Monday. Well, the news got out to a few teachers, and then a few more teachers, and before I knew it, my friend and French-teacher/neighbor was at my door at 10 pm with a doctor! He did a quick exam, which meant taking my temperature (under my armpit…pretty sure that hasn’t happened since I was five), listening to my breathing, and looking in my throat. And the all-important: “no work!”

The next day, my French teacher friend returned with milk, bread, lemons and the sprays the doc recommended. My other friend and English teacher also stopped by with a beet salad, tons of apples and pickles, a lemon and clove of garlic “to be healthy!”

I am someone who is not good at being alone and sick. When I’m sick, I love the “poor baby” coddling. It was really hard Sunday night and all day Monday, feeling so helpless and un-coddled. I would have given anything for a mom’s overbearing care or my roomie’s ministrations. I missed my family and friends so dearly. And then, to my amazement and absolute delight was the blessing of my family here. I feel truly grateful to these women who have taken it on themselves to be my people in all circumstances, and because they want to. My service would be very different without them.

Well, I’ve been in bed ever since. It’s been nice; watching the crazy amounts of snow falling softly to the ground, letting batchka out to romp in it, and watching my other best friends, Pam and Jim, and their sweetly hilarious romance. Yes, recuperation is treating me well.

So how about that Winter?

The album is up and ready for you to donate and download! Go to the Winter Is On My Head website: http://winterisonmyhead.com and click on the download link. You can donate right away to benefit the Orange County Rescue Mission, or download right away. And then you're on your way to hearing my jingle: "Christmas With an Outhouse," performed by my talented friends Tim and Steve. Enjoy!

A gallon of gas, or.....

Hahaha...I found this as a draft from AGES ago. Thought I'd publish...wonder what prices are like a year and a half later???


Date written: April 16, 2008
I've been doing some thinking lately, about gas prices. Actually, more accurately, I've been doing a lot of avoiding of said phenomena which actually continues to backfire on me as I'm only putting in about $10 each time, hoping the price will go back down before I need another fill-up, but alas, all this system has done for me is cause me to have to go to the gas station about 3 times a week. I used to think lattes were expensive, especially since I once had a Starbucks employee tell me I could have bought a gallon of milk for what I paid for one latte (hello guilt-ridden coffee-addict!!!). I was going to post something about how we could either buy a latte, or a horde of other things, but now that gas has superceeded guilty lattes, it's all about what we could buy instead of a gallon of gas.

A gallon of milk: $3.70-ish


A latte: $3.60


Half of a black-and-tan: Usually about $5.50


Almost 2 bottles of Chuck: $1.99 each


A loaf and a half of bread: $2.39-ish each


Two dozen eggs: $1.29 per doz


A pound of butter: $2.79 per lb

They've done it!

My friend Tim in Cali has put together an awesome Christmas project to benefit the Orange County Rescue Mission, and called in all kinds of help to do it! The lyrics I posted earlier have been transformed into a song (thanks to his genius and talent and instruments and whatnot) and will be on the album. Next week, he will upload the entire album onto the website, which will have a pay-what-you-want download process. 100% of the proceeds going to the Mission. I will post again when it is up and running; I'm just excited about it now!



Grrr....blogger never lets me put in a hyperlink. Here are the websites:

http://winterisonmyhead.com

http://rescuemission.org

Christmas with an Outhouse!

Some of my amazingly and wonderfully talented friends are putting together a Christmas CD as a charity project for the Orange County Rescue Mission. They asked people to contribute to the disc, musically or other wise. I had the absolute delight to put this little ditty together...to the tune of "O Holy Night." Now that it's post-Thanksgiving, I'm sharing! Have fun!


Snuggled up tight, the roaring fire glowing
Cocoa in hand and the dog on the rug
Woolen socks and cheery music playing
Feeling the call of the nature I shrug

Jacket, boots, gloves, hat and wool scarf a'winding
Step out and take, the first and frozen breath

Chorus
Deeeeear indoor plummmmmbing, how faaaaar from me you arrrrre now,
Chriiiiiiiistmas with an ooooooouthouse, oh night, should be spent warm
Oh night so cold, a night, to be inside

Trudging through snow and narr'ly avoiding slipping
Reaching the throne, it is dark and taunts me
Bracing myself, jaw tight and hands shiv'ring
I lower slowly praying for mercy

Sweet relief is there though begrudgingly accepted
This life half-giv'n half-taken in this land