1/20/2008 8:30pm Kiev

Tomorrow at 3:00 is our appointment!  We are very anxious to see the paperwork on our daughter-to-be.  I really don't know what to expect except that we know these meetings usually are pretty quick and often times the most recent photo is from when they were registered as a baby.  So it will be interesting to see what Aleksa looked like a little smaller ☺  The pic's I have of her are from August, so pretty recent.

We were told that we're not far from the SDA and that we'll walk there tomorrow.  I et guess our driver is going to meet us at the apartment at 2:50 or so and walk with us.  Seems weird that we wouldn't just drive if the driver is there… but who knows.

Oh- and our apartment!  Before I forget, it's really not as bad as I first thought.  Daylight helps.  It was dusk when we got here yesterday and today coming in and out wasn't bad at all.  Of course we're really glad we brought flashlights, but it doesn't seem like a long dark alley in the daytime.  During the day there are all these little booths set up all along the street up and down the road where our apartment is!  They are all run by locals and had some really neat things!  We bought a few little things- some for gifts and some as souvenirs- but we  really enjoyed ourselves doing it.  When we got near the top of the hill (yes, it is a STEEP hill that we're on, hence the sliding up and down it last night!) we turned off on another road that was covered on both sides with pictures.  They were mostly painted, but there were a few others that were charcoal or other mediums.   When we got to the top of the hill there was a BEAUTIFUL church.  I wish we'd had our camera!  It was the only time we've gone out without our camera.  Maybe we'll have to hike our way back up there sometime tomorrow just for that picture.

Oh, and for those of you wondering about how us Florida people are faring in a Ukrainian winter?  We're doing just fine.  The weather really hasn't been as brutal as we were imagining.  I know, times may change, but it has been quite nice.  I am glad we bought heavy jackets for the trip, obviously, and we've worn our warm hats (something you never do at home).  Both of us put on long john pants this morning under our jeans but with just that we were fine!  No scarves yet, although we forgot to bring them when we went out to dinner.  The sun had set when we came home and boy did that temperature drop.  I wished I had my gloves then!  Mike had his so I stuck my hands in my pockets ☺ 

My jacket is quite a bit big on me- but what can I say?  I'm a small person.  It is an adult small and that doesn't seem to matter.  Regardless, it was a warm jacket that was available in Florida.  Do I really expect it to FIT too??  Anyhow, it keeps me warm so I am happy ☺  Just think, Aleksa will probably fit I the jacket with me too!  So no laughing at our goofy clothing!  (I know, you all probably don't think it's goofy because you wear warm clothes all the time, but we DON'T and feel silly in all these clothes ☺ ). 

After buying souvenirs we came back to the apartment because by then my pants had about 3" of wet on them and Mike's socks were damp (there are a LOT of puddles and slush on a warmish day after snow!).  We got clean dry clothes on and hit the city again.  This time we knew our destination and it was to get an early dinner at McDonald's so that we could get back to the apartment before it was too dark out.  Yep, they have Mikky D's here ☺  Some chicken nuggets, French fries, and Sprite hit the spot after my lunch  a "sandwich with chicken" that was topped with LOTS of mayo, onions, and mushrooms.  Oh, and lettuce too.  I ate a few bites as-is but had to take the mushrooms off.  EW.  And for those of you that don't know me too well, I hate mayo too.  But I ate it.  Onions and all.  I was HUNGRY.  And I drank 2 bottles (tiny bottles) of Sprite too.   Rejuvenating.  I needed that!  Mike ordered a cheese pizza and it was really good!  I had a slice of it too (it was a tiny one with about 6 slices).  So McDonald's was a sure bet for some food we could scarf down and know we'd get at least a full meal, even if it wasn't all that wonderful!

We also stopped on the way home at a restaurant to pick up some dessert to take with us. Oops.  It was 22 grivnas (about $4.50) for a slice of pie.  That's quite a bit for pie in my opinion.  So we got one and split it (said- Mike ate it and I too a bite then decided I didn't like it so he finished it off).  Kindof like my mac 'n cheese and snickers bar yesterday.  And my meals on the plane.  Just kidding, he's good for finishing it up tho ☺.

We watched Spidey 3 on the computer today and felt we were really in a foreign country because about halfway through the movie the voices stopped lining up with the picture.  It's been burned into the computer from a disk and I guess it goofed up half way.  So we felt like we were watching a foreign film that'd been dubbed.  It was still a good movie though!  
 
Oh, and I want to add that though most people in Ukraine are pretty much like you and I (so far) and many of the people we've dealt with during the day spoke English (or someone nearby has so we were able to get our point across), there have been a few people that stood out.  For instance, we saw two men that immediately catch you eye just for their size.  They were- is the correct term now "little people" because that sure sounds odd to me- anyway, that's what they were.  Midgets.  But that's not all.  One of them obviously had no use of his legs.  He didn't have a wheelchair though, he had a little cart.  Similar to one used to move large pieces of luggage or that we used to p lay with in elementary school (which I think are now banned because too many kids used them on their stomach and ended up on their face.  Anyway, you get the idea.  This guy was getting around by sitting on this and sort of pushing himself with his feet.  So I guess he had some use of them, but he couldn't walk. 

These to men then crossed a busy street (after coming up from the subway tunnel- not sure how they managed that one!) and about got hit twice.  Once was when the man on the roller thingy climbed off of it and into the snow to haul it up onto the sidewalk!  He had to be WET and FREEZING after pretty much laying down in the snow to get himself up onto the walkway.  Then the other man was trying to help him get his scooter thingy situated and was honked at by a bus.  What an unusual duo they made.  I wonder how they live.  I wonder how they get by.  Even the man that was fully able to walk alone had an unusual gait to him that suggested that he also had difficulties walking, but was able.

Ok, enough boring you with details.  I know you'd rather have them tomorrow after our SDA appointment when we can tell you something—anything- more about our girl!

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