We knew the good weather couldn’t last and it didn’t. Today is cold and wet and windy. Lots of trees shedding shade and they say the temp tonight will drop to 32, Dos Svidanya autumn.
I have just returned from the worst five hours I’ve spent in Moscow. I made the mistake of taking the car to IKEA, which is normally a half hour there and another twenty-five back. Today, I set an international land lack of speed record for the trip. Two hours there and two-ten back. My gosh the traffic was horrible, no doubt as a result of the rain, which was very heavy at times. I swear the Russians have the worst maintained vehicles of any country I’ve every driven in. There were no fewer than fifteen disabled cars and trucks, just stopped in the middle of traffic causing everyone to have to inch around them. Then there is the common practice of parking where ever you find it convenient. There is a big MacDonald’s that is on the side of the road and there were cars parked in the right hand traffic lane, so that the driver wouldn’t have to walk to far since the parking lot was full. This caused an even bigger jam, as everyone had to get over from the right lane to get passed these jerks. Civility is not a concept that is catching on in Russia.
Well the inevitable happened today, Yuri the Mayor was sacked. Only those who were deep in his pocket will miss him much. I’m sure he’ll retreat to his villa in Austria. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11424183
Last night we had a simple meal of boiled carrots, (I boil them with two thick slices of lemon so that they keep their color and have a zesty zip) basmati rice and pan seared tuna fillets. It was a pleasant change of pace from beer and brats. I did some heavy duty shopping at both the Liberty Store at the Embassy and the Auchan that is next to IKEA. Given the traffic, I decided I might never go back again so I got ten liters of that good Italian box wine and a six-pack of assorted wines in bottles. I wanted to leap into the back of the car and crack open one of the boxes while I was sitting in mind-numbing traffic jams. Just as I was schlepping all the bags into the house, the rains came with a vengeance and just drenched me. A fitting end to a miserable day. I’m hoping we’ll go out to dinner since I can’t even thing about cooking.
That’s it, I’m too tired to even type and I need to engage my feet. Ciao, Cindy and Wm
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