Five days of Sun!!

We are on our fifth consecutive day of sun and I am amazed... this is a first! TWO days of sun in a row was a first! So Spring is definitely here - though I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed once more before the month is out, it's still pretty chilly at night. I've been able to spend a lot more time outside, though the park by our house has become mud-city, unlike the walkway along the Volga downtown, which is free from the remnants of winter AND free of garbage, making it a much more pleasant walk.

A main walkway of the mud-city park....

Along the Volga

Yesterday afternoon Daria and I met downtown and went for a walk, and then out for coffee. We talked about all sorts of things - our trip to Athens, shopping and weather, but the main topic of our conversation was BOYS. Daria is 21, and her mother is desperate for her to get married (don't ask me why...) and has even consulted a fortune teller with regard to potential future partners for her daughter. When I kind of gawked at this and choked back a laugh, she told me that it was perfectly normal and "of course! I've gone before many times!" ... right. She asked me if I wanted to go and I politely declined - I've found my mate and furthermore, fortune tellers kind of creep me out; if they tell you your future, will you act to make it happen? Or believe it? I don't know. Anyways, her mother's visit included bringing some photos of guys that she knows and kind of likes (one of them is married), so that Madame Fortune Teller could make her predictions more, er, accurately? I don't know. Anyways, nothing much came of the visit - no startling revelations except that the day after her mother's visit, the married guy didn't call her and hasn't called her since... apparently that is over.

I've heard quite a bit about quite a bit of infidelity here - and several of the guys Daria has mentioned are either married, or she doesn't know if they're married because they haven't said that they are (or that they aren't). My next question was, "So is there anyone that doesn't cheat on their wife/husband when they're married?" And she said, rather frankly... no. She admitted that, okay, maybe there are some people that don't cheat but then said wait, no, everyone does. (I'm sure that not everyone cheats... I mean, that's what I want to believe... but ???) So, my final question was this: "So, you want to get married, but are completely aware that once you do, your husband will probably cheat on you, and you might cheat on him?" And her answer was yes. She didn't seem to like it but then again, she's dated married men. So ??? Blech.

Steve left for Moscow today - they only have three games left! I had a great swim this morning - though I wish I could stay in there for more than 45 minutes - I suppose I could, but $8 for an hour and a half in the pool? Errrr... nope. Alright, I must get outside and enjoy the sun!