Moscow Trip #5 Has Begun

We have landed once again in our home away from home. The flight was uneventful. There were fewer heavy drinkers on this flight, so it was a more quiet ride to Moscow compared to last time.

For those keeping score, we have Tatiana as our translator. She was our chatty translator from our very first trip in 2006. It was rather funny at the Moscow airport. All in a row standing for us were Tatiana, Violetta (or trip two translator), and Katya (a younger translator we have not worked with) waiting for clients. We were the first to show up from baggage claim and we never saw the other couples. Tatiana asked us to choose from one of the three translators and in a moment of diplomacy I said "We will take all three." They were kidding and so was I, Tatiana had been assigned to us by Svetlana. It was good to see Violetta again, but we had little time to speak with her. Katya worked with a couple from Atlanta on our last trip, but we did not see them on the flight.

I don't know where Sonya, our translator from last time, was. Tatiana said she was working with someone else. Part of me thinks they are just spreading the wealth among the couples, or perhaps they are sparing the translators from working with the Lenentines too much. Who knows. I do know that Sonya did not like the long drive to Orekhovo Zuyevo because it bothered her back to be in the car that long, so it is not a surprise we were assigned someone else. I really liked Sonya and was hoping we worked with her again. There is still one more trip.

Lori & Antoine, our driver's name is Anton! He is young and could pass for Antoine's parallel universe Russian driver cousin. The car has WORKING SEAT BELTS! For the first time in five trips to Russia, I buckled up! Anton did also, so I did not feel silly doing it. The car is a five month old Renault. It does not have new car smell, but to compensate it also does not have old Russian smoker smell! Was this the same car you took to Tula? We asked Anton if he know you, but he has not been to Tula.

I am not really sure what other couples from our agency are in town, but two other couples have court on Tuesday.

We are by our lonesomes at our apartment. It is cold outside and inside. Somebody needs to krank the heat! The apartment is smaller overall than the last one, but the TV is bigger. Today is about the only day it will be on while we fight jetlag and before we get to business this week. The toilet is in a separate room from the sink and shower, so you have to walk across the apartment to go wash. Weird Russian logic there!

The computer just showed up so I have something to do to fight the jet lag. Wendy is suffering from it more than me. I have to keep waking her up. A two year old in our house normally takes care of that by saying, "awake! awake!".

That's all for now.