A Day In the Life.....

So, I woke up this morning and realized it was April 29th, I wondered where the month of April had gone. I also realized that I was going to try and do "A Day in the Life.." once a month.  Well, seeing as there is only one more day left in this month I should probably get started.  So friends, happy reading, this is what I did today; April 29, 2011.

7:00: Woke up, realized it was raining outside. :(  I don’t enjoy taking Macy outside to go potty when it is raining.  She met a fat cocker spaniel this morning, he was friendly and she didn’t go spastic.  

7:30: Macy had some yum yums.  We bought her new food and it seems to be working well, she is much less gassy. :)  I had a bowl of cereal.  I signed up for Delta Skymiles.  Ryan suggested I do this since I will be flying so much this month.  He called yesterday and asked what I was doing May 12th-15th, of course my answer was, “nothing, why?” He booked a flight for me to fly to St. Petersburg.  Ryan will be there on a business trip and he decided to fly me up for a long weekend.  I have been researching different things to do in St. Petersburg.  

8:00 Ryan called.  He was walking to work in Moscow.  Now that I think about it, the last time I did a “day in the life” he was gone.  Luckily, when he travels in May, I am going with.  

8:30 Went to the gym.  I love the new gym!!  It is modeled after gyms in the United States.  The owner is a previous pro bodybuilder that moved to the States for a few years, but (making a long story short) moved back to Russia.  He has extremely nice work out equipment and they even have a spin class!!  The spin instructor speaks only Russian, but I know enough about spinning that I can easily follow along.  

10:30 Left the gym.  Stopped at the big Magnit (supermarket) to pick up some more chew bones for my little punkin butt (Macy). :)  Of course, I can’t just go for one thing, I picked up some yogurt and muesli for me.  Vitaley (one of our drivers) was waiting outside the door for me, he carried my bag to the car and was acting like it was super heavy.  It made me laugh.  Ryan and I are very fortunate to have two awesome drivers, Vitaley and Sergey.  

11:00 Gave Macy her new bone.  She is currently chewing like a mad woman, better on a bone than the furniture.  Luckily, she has never chewed on anything.  I think it may be because we have always kept plenty of chew things around.  Her one major obsession is dryer sheets.  Look out, if she gets ahold of one, you will have remnants all over the apartment.  Oh, that and cotton balls.  :)

*Update still raining, and I still hate taking Macy outside in the rain.  Good thing I didn’t give her a bath yesterday, I will wait until the rain ends.  

11:30 Shower and lunch.  Studying my Russian while eating, I have class later today.  My instructor is determined to teach me how to roll my Rs.  She gave me a tongue twister to practice saying and an exercise in making the sound like a machine gun..da.da.da.da.da to strength my tongue muscles.  Weird, I know, but I think I am getting better. 

1:00 Went to Margie’s with some of the other ladies to have tea and watch the Royal Wedding.  I was able to stay for just the arrival of Kate.  I remember when I used to think Prince William was so handsome, he really has not aged well.  On the other hand, I thought Kate looked very pretty and her choice of dress was very nice.

2:00 Russian lesson.  I was not very focused today.  Macy was going crazy and there were a lot of difficult to pronounce words.  I am pretty tired today, maybe because of the cloudy, rainy weather, so that may have had an effect on my concentration.

4:00 Started making stuffed potato skins.  We are having a party/get together for Kevin’s birthday.  Kevin is the project manager and he celebrated his birthday this week.  Everyone from the team (those that are in Novorossiysk) are going to Kevin and Monica’s.  They asked us to bring finger foods to share, and I thought stuffed potato skins would be good.  Kevin is gluten intolerant, so I wanted to make something that he could also enjoy.  

*Sidenote: I threw a load of laundry in while making the potato skins.  It is not a day in Novorossiysk without a load of laundry.  :)  Oh, tiny washing machines, you keep me busy.  

6:00 Left for Kevin and Monica’s.  The stuffed potatoes looked good.  I wrapped one separately to give to Vitaley.  :)  We did a very good job of communicating how to get to Kevin and Monica’s apartment.  There was a small celebration when we arrived.  :)

10:30  Well friends.  I am adding in my last entry for the day.  I arrived home a little after 10.  The get together was great.  I wish Ryan were there, but all in all, it is so very nice to be surrounded by such a great group of people.  It’s great to see how such a various group, coming from different countries, various age groups (myself being the youngest person), varying levels of work experiences can all come together and have such a relaxing, fun environment.  We are very fortunate to have such a strong network.  

Well, I have put the trash outside the door for tomorrow’s pickup, washed the pan from the potato skins (they were a success!), and made myself a cup of tea.  It’s now time to call Ryan, see what he’s been up to, then snuggling on the couch with Macy, enjoying my tea and reading before bedtime.  Love (Ryan) comes home tomorrow!  

Good night everyone!  

Battling with Nancy...

Negative Nancy is doing her best to get to me.

I think I have finally exceeded my comfort zone involving the wait for our sea shipment.  I don't know why today is the day, or why I am thinking about it so much, but I am really ready to have our things here.  It was great to get our air shipment and all the comforts from home that came with that, but I personally, am ready for more "comforts."   This is going to be very materialistic of me, but the things I want most are my clothes, shoes, purses, etc.  The weather has been beautiful here and I want to "break out" my spring clothes.  I am also thinking about what to pack for our trip next week to Istanbul.  All this thinking (which is my first problem) is making me want our sea shipment to arrive.  I know I am not the only one here that is having these same thoughts, there are many families waiting for their shipments.

The last I had heard, our sea shipment left Rotterdam and is scheduled to arrive for customs in Moscow next week.  They are predicting delivery in Novorossiysk the 3rd week of May.

Ok, in order to stuff a sock in Nancy, I will end this post with things I am thankful for.

I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity Ryan and I have.  We have an amazing adventure ahead of us.  The opportunity to say we have lived in Russia is going to be exciting for years to come.  To be able to travel around the world and see so many different countries and cultures is going to be memorable.

I am very happy with the way life is progressing.  I can't believe how much life has changed for me in the past year.  A year ago today, I was in the process of finishing my last month of teaching 1st grade in Indiana.  I moved to Texas, and now I am living in Russia.  I truly enjoy living here, it provides a challenge (a good one) and challenges are what I need to keep me on my toes.

Well, I believe Nancy is definitely out of the picture.   I feel so much better. :)

I thought I would end this post with one of my favorite pictures.  Ryan stopped to take this picture during a walk earlier this month.  I am wearing the white coat in the middle of the picture, definitely not the woman pushing the stroller hahaha. :)
 I really enjoy living near water, it is so relaxing.  

One BIG Update

I realized I have been neglecting our blog and it has been over a week since my last post.  I shall take the time to update everyone.  We have truly settled in here and have figured out our daily schedule and ways to occupy our time.  I believe that may be one reason I am forgetting the blog, I figure everything we are doing is just typical (which it is) of our lives.  

Currently, Ryan is in Moscow.  He left for work on Monday, came home from work early, packed and left for the airport.  We didn't think he was going this week, but plans changed.  He is supposed to be back Saturday.  Looks like it is just Macy and me this week.  

This past weekend, we had a luncheon with all the Chevron families.  It was at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the sea.

This past October, in preparation for our move to Russia I had my french tips removed.  I did not think I was able to have my nails done in Russia.  To my surprise and excitement, there is a salon that does a beautiful job.  I went on Monday, and spent 3 hours in the chair while she "constructed" the nails.  I am not kidding, they do not use tips here, they use a gel that they mold onto each nail to create the tip.  It was a test of my patience, but surprisingly it did not seem like I was there that long.  I was surprised to look at the clock and realize how long I had been there.  In the end, they're back, and I am loving it!

I did not notice this before, but after seeing this outside our apartment building, I realized that Russia needs more pick up trucks.  This, I would assume, is Novorossiysk's substitute for a lack of pick up trucks.  My apologies for the picture quality, I saw this parked outside and by the time I ran to find the camera, the car was pulling away.  Large bungee cords of some kind are holding large cardboard boxes to the top of this vehicle.  Luckily for the driver we were not having a windy day.  I believe that would have been very entertaining to witness.  

Lastly, I know that Mike and Rose regularly read the blog.  I wanted to give a big congratulations to them on the birth of their first grandson Bryce!!! :) 

Trip to Gelendzhik

Ryan and I decided to drive to Gelendzhik on Sunday.  It is a city about 30 minutes away from Novorossiysk.  They have sand beaches, restaurants, shops, very similar to a boardwalk city.  The weather was nice and sunny, but as always, it was windy.  :)  I took some pictures along the drive and while we were there.  I am excited to see what it is like when the weather is warmer and more people are out and about.

Photos of Gelendzhik

Proper Dog Fashion

A couple on the Chevron team was recently in Moscow and brought back a newspaper article to share with us.  Ryan and I found it very entertaining, so I thought I would share it with everyone.  Thanks for bringing this back Margie!

The caption says: Hat, shoes, jacket - and a blue leash to match.  A pooch taking a brisk walk Monday on Leningradsky Prospekt. 

Giving credit where credit is due...

Ryan has become quite the observant husband.  I have a flower vase in our entry/office area, and Ryan quickly notices when the "vase is empty."  It also helps that there is a nice flower market near our apartment.  Ryan very frequently has the driver swing by the market on his way home from work and Ryan has the fun task of picking out the newest flowers.  :)  The most recent choice:

He thought they were happy looking flowers.  I would agree.  :)

On a separate note, I have an addition to make to my travel calendar.  I am very excited about this addition!  Ryan has training in Dubai the last week of May.  Dubai: warm weather, beaches, sun, Ritz Carlton, etc. etc. oh yeah, spending time with Ryan.  :)  Sign me up, Ryan booked my ticket last night!  Ryan was in Dubai and Abu Dhabi a couple months ago,  I did not go with then, but I will not miss my chance the second time around.  

What goes through Macy's head?

I recently finished the book The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  The book is narrated through the perspective of a dog, Enzo.  I can't remember how I came across this book, I am assuming it was recommended on Amazon.com based on my previous purchases, but either way, I purchased and read it.

While reading, and even still, after I have finished the book, I find myself wondering what Macy is thinking.  Enzo, the dog in the book, had some very interesting insights into his owners' behaviors and now I wonder what Macy must think of me.  :)  The two of us spend a lot of time together, she is currently sitting on the rug next to me, and each time I look over she tilts her head, and occasionally will give a small whine when I giggle at how cute she is.  So, I ask myself, What is going through Macy's head?

This post may cause readers to come to the conclusion I have spent entirely too much alone time with Macy, but I thought I would share this recent book.  I recommend it for any pet owner, or someone that has owned a pet.  It is nothing too intense and is a very quick read.  I have the feeling it will leave you questioning what your pet is thinking. :)

And, just because she is so stinking cute, here are a couple recent pictures of Miss Macy.  :)

She enjoys sitting under the desk while Ryan and I are at the computer.  

I wish I had video of this.  She was snoring. 

Let the traveling begin...

Traveling is something I have always wanted to do, and our current assignment in Russia is going to allow us to travel.  Up to this point in my life I have only travelled around Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, and various locations in the Caribbean Islands.  Oh yes, and Russia.  :)  Ryan's list is much more extensive because of work, so I will not even try to list his locations.

Ryan and I sat down and looked at some travel locations and have come up with a couple locations for our R&Rs this year.  We have also decided that since there is a Russian holiday May 9, we are going to take a long weekend vacation.

Currently, our tentative travel locations are:
May: Istanbul, Turkey (long weekend)
June: Scotland & London (R&R)
August: Thailand (R&R)

I mentioned to Ryan that maybe I could try and reduce luggage size for our trips and see if I can bring only minimal amounts.  It gave us a good laugh.  If you know me, then you know my inability to pack lightly.  :)

Air Shipment has Arrived!

We received our Air Shipment Tuesday!  The delivery went smoothly and all our items were in good condition.  I was a bit anxious while they were cutting the box open because I could not remember exactly what I had thrown in last minute.  Luckily, I made some excellent last minute choices and we are thankful to have a few more items from home.  Our apartment does not look any different with the arrival of our air shipment.  We mostly packed kitchen items, a few more bedding items, and Ryan's beloved Nespresso machine and PS3.  Personally, I was most excited about the additional pillows for the bed and pillow top mattress pad.  Our sea shipment is scheduled to arrive in Rotterdam today and I am not sure when it will arrive in Novorossiysk, I am assuming it will be another month.

I did take a couple pictures during the unpacking process.  Our friend, Kimberly was here while I was unwrapping items and she was impressed with our large collection of Bath & Body Works products we had packed in our air shipment.  Ryan arrived home for lunch an hour after the shipment arrived and he very quickly assembled his Nespresso machine and made a cup of coffee.  :)

I would not consider it an obsession but rather an appreciation.  In our defense, there is no Bath & Body Works in Novorossiysk.  :)

The Nespresso machine.  The large box to the left is a transformer so Ryan is able to plug the machine in.