Elevators

We live on the 14th floor. Whenever we tell people this inevitably we get asked if there is an Elevator.
There are two: one small one and one for moving large objects.
Last year, they normally had the freight elevator turned off, except at the busy periods when people were coming home from work. This year, however, it has been working steady.

This summer, coming home from our travels - we greeted the doorman (Jolly - who was very happy to have us back) and then proceeded to the lift. We pushed the button for the floor - the doors closed but nothing happened - that's not unusual so I pushed the button again. The lights went out and we were STUCK in our freight elevator.
After awhile of banging - Jolly came running - but neither he nor we could get the door to budge - so the repair man was called. We did have some light - from our cell phones (which didn't work though they proclaimed "emergency use only" who are you supposed to call when you get stuck in an Elevator?)
More unusual was that after about 15 minutes the lights went on and the door opened - all by itself and without a repairman. We quickly hustled out and crammed ourselves and our suitcases into the smaller lift.
Since then, I've ridden in the freight elevator a couple of times and it seems to be working.

A new addition

Since spring - well probably at least since the mouse episode, I've been wanting a furry animal. Initially a cat (see mouse) - but then it metamorphosed into a bunny rabbit. I spent hours (okay days) obsessing and searching out bunny information on the internet - how to care for them, the types, etc. I even visited various pet stores to look at bunnies and did a cost/benefit analysis of Rabbit to Cat ownership.



I'm sure I drove Alister insane because every other day I would change my mind - we should get a cat - and then - We should get a bunny. And though I kept my eyes pealed - no homeless kittens appeared on the street so there wasn't a ready excuse. Alister was great, and since a bunny wasn't a dog, was really willing to get either as long as it was okay with the landlord.



After our string of summer adventures - I was in bed sick - a combination of dehydration, exhaustion, and I think food poisoning - but Alister isn't convinced. After laying in bed for 24 hours - I decided a rabbit was just too high maintenance - we were getting a cat (Alister was secretly relieved).



Still no kittens materialized on the streets - but a friend of ours sent us a link to a craigslist type website and we found our cat.



Haggai (pronounced in Sarah colloquial as Haggy-eye (ps - we had picked this name for a future cat ages ago when we were still dating - even then Alister liked to make fun of my (mis)pronunciations) was free, already litter trained, and seems like a good fit for us (playful - but not violent, affectionate - but not needy, independent - but not solitary). In other words - he fits Alister's criteria of being small and cute and mine of being furry and quiet. We are very pleased with our new addition.

Dirt, Manure, Wattle and Daub

So - I didn't really think there were any terrifically interesting pictures of Crimea to post - so we're skipping that and moving on to the Dacha Remont project in pictures. (click to enlarge)

This shows the process - from the state of the wall before -

to the making of the daub - you can see I'm up to my knees in it at one point -

and then the satisfaction of one daubed portion of wall.

Along the way we were helped by Natasha (pink shirt)

Pete - Blue shirt, brown hair

And Iura (blue shirt leaning over Alister at the wall).

We normally had a BBQ each day afterwards and I had promised Pete a Lemon Merengue pie for his Birthday and so it finally materialized during our work as well.

Picture insert - pt 5

Click on the picture to enlarge.
From top left and top to bottom:
Saftey poster from abandond school in Priput
Monument to the firefighters in Chernobyl town
Geiger counters - the difference between the air and the ground
Jeff going through the Radiation level detector - we all passed
Model of the damage inside reactor 4
Reactor four from the outside (one with monument)
Pictures of soviet leaders and heros - left behind in Priput
Ferris wheel at Priput

Picture insert - pt 4

Click on the picture to enlarge it

Picture insert - pt 3

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Picture insert - pt 2

Click on the photo to enlarge it.