Monday, May 2nd, 2011

The Beatle's tune "Back in the USSR" is rolling around as the blog is written tonight. Probably jet-lag and lack-of-sleep induced. To turn the song to praise: it is very good to be back in Kiev.

At the same time it is very sad to be without Dave and Lucas. Sad and so different.

The good news is that Skype rocks! Seeing both of their faces and hearing both of their voices today (5000 miles away) was amazing and gratifying. Didn't know a virtual hug could be so sweet!

This day came with a real live hug too: Jason (Sasha) came with Igor and Sergei to the airport today! Such a gift Igor gave both of us. He sat right next to me in the car the entire way. Got a chuckle while buckling my seat belt and he said: "Iss ukay! Iss Ukraine!" (No seat belt laws over here.....)

The new apartment is on a quiter street just a block from the first one. Smaller in size but very charming. While we waited for a key to get into the building Jason saw a cat trapped in a garden level window well:

Igor encouraged him to rescue it and a little later the owner came out of the building saying the cat had fallen a few stories to the street level and had been lost. A day for joyous reunions it seems!

Right now the 'sea leg' sensation is getting stronger. That rocking feeling one usually gets from being on a boat - haven't had it from air travel before.  It was very surprising to land and read Dave's email that Bin Laden was killed. 3 airplanes and 4 airports later it's interesting to look back at how his death evidently affected security. It explains few things at least: Luftansa disallowing carry-on luggage from Chicago forward; Frankfort security combing through liquids and interviewing traveler after traveler; and just the general sense that something was up.

Safe and sound. The Lord reigns. May his Kingdom come and his will be done.