Advertisement
Published: September 6th 2008
Edit Blog Post
I know I have not been on for awhile so I thought I would give everyone a quick update. First, I hate to say this, but I think I came down with food poisoning. That was about four or five weeks ago, but I am just now getting my system back to normal. It was so bad, I went to the European Clinic in Moscow, twice. The first time, the medication did not do any good and it was on week two so I went back. They took samples (blood and stool), but found nothing. I do not know what it was, but it was something! I am glad to report, the bathroom schedule is all back to normal!
Now on to more exciting things...I went to my first real Russian cookout. Yes, I have eaten grilled products and grilled out at people's house, but this was the first time I actually carried a grill and all of the food to the woods and cooked out. You hear about it all of the time here in Russia, but I have never experienced it. It was one of my Russian friends I met on the cruise two years ago. I went
to his house in Moscow and we walked across the street with all of the supplies to the woods along the Moscow River banks. I would call it a picnic in the park, but at least now I can say I have been to a real Russian BBQ.
I guess the most exciting event was seeing Michael and Dasha this past week. I think everyone knows they delayed the wedding because it was going to be faster and easier for Dasha to get a visa NOT being married and actually get married in the States so Michael flew back in this week to get all of his documents signed (and stamped with the "official" Russian stamp) so Dasha could submit her papers for a visa. Hopefully with all of this Georgia/Russia stuff going on, the US will not deny Dasha visa again.
Any ways, Dasha invited me to her parents house for dinner, which I accepted. Like any good Russian gathering, we had the vodka flowing and the toasts were being said! When it got around to my turn, I got two of my gifts to go with my toast. My first one was just to Dasha and
Facial Mask/Mud
To help save on money and keep from burning your face. the extended part was to all families, which I will tell you about in a minute, but first about Dasha's toast.
It was a week or so ago, I call from Dasha who is all in tears. I ask her what is wrong, "This is the worst day of my life!" I am thinking something happened with her and Michael so I am listen tentatively as she tells me about going to get a facial yesterday and when she woke up this morning her face was all red and burning with this film all over it. She told me she tried to rub it off with rubbing alcohol and then went to sauna (that and vodka are the cure for most anything here in Russia...lol, sorry to my Russian friends, but I just had to put that in there). I am thinking to myself, if your face is burnt, why would you put alcohol on it and/or go into a hot dry room and cook it some more, but I was nice. She told me here parents were taking her to the emergency room in Moscow and she would call me later.
I never heard from her so
Not Funny
It was not funny at the time, but Dasha and Michael got a good laugh about it afterwards. I called her that evening and she was at her parents sleeping. Yes, the facial burnt her face, but it sounded like it was only first degree, no second degree burns. I am glad she did not keep rubbing and/or cooking her face thinking that would help, but she was doing much better. At this point, I start to harass her about it. She still did not find it that funny, but she did laugh even though it was still the worse day of her life.
Okay, I tell you the story to get back to the gift, when I was shopping I saw a home facial kit so I bought it for her. I told her it was to save Michael money because she could get a facial in the comfort of her own home and so she did not burn her face! Although I got hit, she laughed and really got the humor of the joke/gift. I told here if I could have found rubbing alcohol, I would have included it as well as part of the gift but decided the facial mask and mud was enough. I am not sure her mother found the humor in
Does She Come with It?
There were as many good looking women as there were good looking cars! it, but everyone else laughed.
This all lead into the the serious part of my toast, which was to family, immediate (referring to Dasha's), future (referring to Michael's and Dasha's), close and far (all of our families) and extended family like Dasha's parents making me part of their family so from my family (the Kramer's) to the future Smullen (Michael and Dasha), I presented them the towel set my mom monogramed with their future initals on it. It was so funny, Dasha was so busy feeling how soft they were, she did not even see the monogram and her sister had to point it out to her and that is when both Dasha and her Mom were both crying.
Then several toast later, I gave my second one, continue with family and love and telling about how I grew up with a coocoo clock in my home and although it may not represent family to anyone else, when I hear one, I think of my family and the love in our family so I wanted to wish a home and family full of love, like I have in my family and like I know Dasha has in her
Misha Looking at his Next Car
I forget what car this was and Misha did not walk with us so I did not get any other pictures of him looking at cars, but this one. I am glad to have Misha as my driver. He has taken good care of me. family and gave them the coocoo clock that Jetta helped me get in Germany so it is a real German made coocoo clock and looks really nice. When I look up, I see Micheal all teary eyed. I did not realize this, but he had very similar experience and story about the coocoo clock so it hit home for him. I also found out that is why Michael bought Dasha's parents a coocoo clock sometime ago.
So we had a great dinner with many great toasts, but not all was well. I made the desert because Micheal told me how much he loved peanut butter pie and for Dasha's birthday I made one that turned out great, well, this one tasted EXCELLENT (just like it was suppose to), but looked TERRIBLE. It was fine until I cut into it and it just ran every where. Obviously I did not cook it long enough and/or over cooked it but whatever the reason, it runny! Thank goodness it still tasted good and by this time everyone had enough drinks it really did not matter...lol
Speaking of things that tasted good, Dasha mom made several loaves of homemade bread that was
Mach 5
I was a big Speed Racer fan so I had to get my picture taken in front of the Mach 5. yeasty tasting and still warm. It needed butter melted over it and it would have been perfect, but they do not butter their bread like we do so I did not ask for any but that would have made it perfect. I was so glad she offered some for me to take home and I accepted. So when I got home I had another piece with butter spread across it...yummm!
And I will finish with the car show. Moscow got a Class A rating on their show, which I guess there are only five or six Class A shows in the world and I must say, it was very good. I went with Alex who joined me in the States last May and we met my boss there. I also paid for Misha to walk around so he did not have to sit in the car because I know he likes cars. So about three hours later, we headed back for lunch.
No plans for traveling until October so I may not be posted too many entries until then but I will try to stay in touch. I am doing well and I hope all of you are as well.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.37s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 10; qc: 56; dbt: 0.1277s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb