It is another seven-degree day and the temperature hasn’t really moved all day. I walked to the embassy and thought I might just have to have a skin transplant from my ankles to my waist and from my neck to my forehead. I was dressed like a little down dumpling, but the wind was fierce and found ways to penetrate my protective barriers. Goodness I now remember why I hate places that have extreme temperatures! I felt like an astronaut going on a spacewalk as I started dressing. I had to make sure everything was in place before heading out the door and it takes a full five minutes to suit up. It is, however, still more interesting that walking up and down a stairwell.
As I was walking through the living room listening to the wind howling, I stopped to consider the fact that no windows were open, so how was I hearing the wind howling? It turns out that the rubber thermal gaskets around the door to the little balcony were installed incorrectly and they don’t seal when the door is closed. There was a cold wind blowing the entire length of the seven-foot door at the spot where it hinges on the wall. This was a job for DUCT TAPE! I found some fabric that we had left over from altering the curtains and got the roll of duct tape and started winterizing. It is a temporary fix until the Green Guys can get a work order, but it has made a big difference already. I had mentioned in early writing that we were told the apartments could get stifling hot in the winter, but this is not the case in our apartment. If you sit near a window, you’ll feel a breeze and I’m typing now with a fleece vest zipped up over my long sleeve shirt. Poor Cindy had to sit with her hat on in her office since the heat there doesn’t do the job. I think I’ll make sizzling curry pasta tonight to get us though the dark hours.
Last night I made a salad of shredded beet and cabbage with diced tomatoes, garlic and ranch dressing doctored with olive oil, balsamic, tarragon and parsley. I let it sit for about two hours to let the flavors blend. Cindy wanted a hot turkey sandwich with dressing, cranberry sauce and gravy. Not being much of a hot sandwich type of guy, I didn’t quite catch on and thought that if the gravy was hot enough that would qualify. It did not and Cindy has dropped one of my star ratings! I had a cold sandwich, which is so much easier to eat and harder to screw up. The salad was swell and I’m told that if dinner is okay tonight, I might get my star back. From CC: I think he has forgotten that I have a cold sandwich for lunch every day – but I’m glad I could finally teach him something culinary, i.e., that a hot turkey sandwich contains hot turkey!
I’m feeling doubly sorry for the boys, there are only boys now, in The 54 Club. Not only does the Clubhouse (bus stop) not provide adequate shelter from the cold and wind, but also the price of vodka is about to jump yet again. In an announcement today it was stated that the minimum price for a half-liter of vodka was set to go up 10% to 98 rubles ($3.13). This comes one year after a similar increase in price and at a time when you can no longer purchase vodka from 11pm to 10am. The boys just can’t catch a break!
That’s it from the frozen tundra, Cindy and Wm
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