Ok so I have totally lost track on my days. I think it's Wednesday and I think it's day 3. So they day started with me waking up and playing on the computer at 11:45pm then I went back to sleep about 3am and got up just before 8am. Jet lag is a you know what.... UGH. Anyway I got up and washed my hair and let me just say I clean up right nice if I do say so myself. I was a mess for 3 days due to traveling and the first hotel room didn't have a blow dryer like it did the last trip... Oh well. If only my hair dried decently naturally but it doesn't LOL.
I went and met with Sophia for a short period of time to get her schedule and eating menu. Then off to the grocery store. Which for the first time I had them drop me off and I walked back to my hotel. Now it's not far in fact I can see it from my hotel room however you do have to cross a very large street. I think I mentioned on another trip's post how scary the drivers are here. So this was an adventure all by itself. But I did it! I also bought some baby food for Sophia probably too young for her but it will serve it's purpose until I can get her home and trying new foods.
I was late meeting Boris and Irina... I fell asleep oops. No big deal though the person we were going to see the lady at the police station who let us in early because it was cold so I could be cited and pay my fine. I was bringing her chocolate wasn't in until 4 and it was 3:30. I wish people would bring me chocolate for helping them at work... lol.
From there we went back to visit Sophia. I was with her for 2 hours and she looked so cute all bundled up. She looked like a red Michelin Man. Hee hee. Pictures are coming.... I did bash my head on the playground rushing to grab a 1/2 eaten apple somebody left on the ground that Sophia thought might still be good. OUCH. But I made it in time and disposed of the apple. :)
We will be leaving for Moscow early, like 4am early on Friday. There is a fair chance I might be coming home Thursday instead of Friday depending on cost and ability. Stay tuned for updates. I should know Tuesday.
Sorry the pictures won't load but I will try again.... :(
Up and ready to go. We left for Sophia's region. I fell asleep for about an hour in the car. Seriously jet lag is an understatement this trip. UGH. Dropped off paperwork with the social worker checked into the hotel. I had hoped they booked the same type of room that I had upgraded to before (It had a massive tub) but they didn't they did save me some money though. It is a double standard room so it is bigger then the standard I had before but no tub :(
It is COLD here now. The last two trips HOT and humid. It was 46 degrees yesterday. I didn't bring a coat (I didn't think I would need it weather.com said in the high 50's /60's HA! wrong. plus I didn't think I had room, had I known I would have made room or wore it hee hee) I did bring Sophia one, thanks Shauna!
Then we went to pick up Sophia to get her photo taken for her passport and visa. She did as well as I expected she took it all in and was fascinated with everything. Funny thing though Boris was adamant that I bring a car seat this trip and yet he left it in the trunk when we picked her up and put a pillow in front of us for an "airbag" LOL All was fine though. I will use the car seat when we go to Moscow.
We had her photo taken and then returned her to the orphanage :( She got into the nannies arms and promptly turned and latched on to me :) I felt badly having to leave her there. This is the reason I don't want to go visit and then leave visit and then leave. I think that is harder on her at this point then just waiting until I can take her permenately which I think might be tonight or tomorrow morning! I hope that doesn't make me a bad mom. I just think it is easier on her and me while we run around doing official paperwork.
So off to the passport office to turn in official paperwork. Meeting got moved to a later time. Off to the police station so I could get cited for having a tourist visa and not an adoption visa (which the consulate here, USA, wouldn't give LOL) No biggie I knew about the fee, about $70. Paid for Sophia's fee for her visa check or something. Of course like this whole trip when we got there today they were closed from 1-4 and it was 3:15 when we got there LOL. So we waited. No big deal. Off to the Passport office again. Went nice and smooth and then said it should be ready tomorrow (Wednesday) after 2pm! Yippee!
To the market and back to my room. Took a hot shower, I was so cold. Those that know me in real life know I hate cold. LOL Ate some dinner and tried to blog...fell asleep again didn't fight it just went with it. I woke up at 11:45 pm and got all caught up on my blogging. It is now 12:55 am and you are all up to date!
Now maybe to try and sleep some more since I don't have to be ready until 11am for Day 3!
Thanks for coming with me on my journey! I am still fundraising as I go. So if you are led there is a chip in (not tax deductible) on the top right or use the Reece's Rainbow link here to make a tax deductible donation
So this time, now Sunday morning off to the airport again. Checked in (with a notice that one or more of my flights maybe overbooked am I willing to take a $200 credit....NOPE get me to Russia please LOL) and made it to the terminal with an hour to wait. And wait I did. Another full flight before an agent even got to the counter the sign on the board said "Flight full, No seat changes" WOW I don't think I have seen that before. Also 40 people on the stand-by list! Hmmmm now that I think about it I wonder if any of those were from my flight the day before... Oh well I had a seat and I wasn't giving it up (by the way I had gotten word to Boris and Irina so all was good). I would be getting in at the same time a day later (Monday).
I had a window seat on this flight. Not my favorite but since it was only 3 1/2 hours I was ok plus I couldn't change anyway lol. I had two nice guys in my row one was a pilot for another airline. The plane was an oldie but a goodie they actually had the tv monitors hanging form the middle. Most planes have individual monitors now. LOL Movie for the flight "What to expect when you are expecting" I apparently had watched half that movie on a previous trip but this time I got to see the whole thing. The adoption story line brought tears to my eyes LOL
When we get to Houston (I'm only two rows from the exit door yippee! they line up the Jetway and start to open the door which doesn't open since it isn't lined up right. Everyone is up and by the half opened door. They end up having to re-align the plane with the door partially open people standing in the aisles and I'm sure phones on. LOL The pilot in my row said "I can't believe how many rules they just broke! I can't believe it." All was good though.
Off to find my terminal. Found and now a 3 hour wait. I wanted to make sure I had an aisle seat so I went to the agent and he changed my seat. I liked me seat. The plane had a left center right configuration. I was in the center on the right aisle and there was someone on the left aisle and no one in the middle. (although they said it was a full flight there were open seats) I was happy though. I actually slept for a bit on this flight not sure how long but some. This was a Singapore airline flight which the pilot from my previous flight said he heard was nice. It was they were very nice.
I arrive in Russia an hour early which I thought was fine since I had to collect my bags go through passport control and customs. Which all were a breeze. I found Irina and off to meet Boris we went.
Got checked in to my hotel and then I went to the market. Got some food ate and fell promptly asleep as I tried to type my post. So I was asleep by 7:45 pm. I was supposed to be up and ready by 5:45 at 9:15pm Boris called me to make sure I didn't need anything (very nice) but he scared me to death I though my alarm didn't go off and I was late LOL. No worries fell right back to sleep. Oh they also worked it so I didn't have to pay for the room I wasn't in due to the flight delay/cancellation. :)
Day 2 next post.....
Well I was supposed to leave on Saturday but for some unknown reason that wasn't meant to be. I checked my bag and car seat and then proceeded to security. I decided to stop at the bathroom before and good thing I did. I had brought with me a lightweight stroller I bought. As it hung on the door I noticed one of the tires was coming of the wheel. I thought I can just pop it back on, boy did I think wrong. So I called my mom back to claim. I didn't want to throw it away even if it was only $14. My mom, sweet as she is turned around after driving 20+ miles away from the airport to pick up the stroller. I then got to go through priority security...awesome. I got to my terminal and settled in to wait. A little ole lady came up on an airport tram with her son. Turns out she was 90 and going to live with her other son. Her son asked if she wanted a bagel, I thought I didn't see any bagels. So I said "I think I will follow you to the bagels." He asked the tram driver for a lift and I got to go too. Unfortunately thy closed the Starbucks in that terminal and the one place that sold bagels wouldn't have any for at least 15 min. Lupe the tram driver, said she would take us to terminal 7 and then bring us back. We well I he was just escorting his mother to the gate. We got there and there was long line. I got in the La Brea Bakery line and was told there was bagel. SCORE. We finally get up to the register and the gentleman orders his mom a plain bagel. I ordered and paid and then was told they were sold out. :( Oh well it was a fun ride.
I boarded the plane and with the awesome ticket I had I was in first class I guess. I was the first row window seat. I sat next to a very nice lady on her way to San Antonio to visit her daughter and grand kids. She reminded me of Laura Bush. Anyway so as I sipped my OJ and waited to taxi we chatted. The captain took us by the Endeavor and the plane that flew it in. That was very cool. Of course I didn't have my camera out since I don't usually need it on the plane. We were 3rd in line to take off. LAX was down to 2 runways for both in coming and out going. I started to doze when the captain came on and said there was a pressurization and issue and was returning to the terminal to have the mechanics take a look. Oh boy... It was warm but not hot on the plane of course I was sitting way up front. So I headed to the back to use the restroom. It was warmer back there.
Some young adults were in the back of the plane. One guy asked me if I knew the show Dharma and Greg. I said I did and he said Greg in on the plane in the front. REALLY I thought. So when I returned to my seat, I took a peak. Oh my goodness there is the guy from Criminal Minds!! It finally occurred to me Thomas Gibson is the same actor on both shows! How cool he was two rows back and across from me. <3 I wanted to snap a pic. But didn't want to bother him on his time. He wasn't at a premiere or on set or anything so I didn't.
They decided to have us all exit the plane. Mr. Gibson was in the terminal kneeling down texting. One of the guys from the back of the plane approached and said "Aren't you the guy from that show?" Mr Gibson looked up and I swear his face said "Sigh, no you have me confused with someone else" (my thoughts not his words) but instead he said "What show?" the guy "um Greg and someone? Hey what was that show (to his buddy)" buddy " Dharma and Greg" Mr. Gibson said "Yes that's me" so now the buddy approaches him. Keep in mind he is still kneeling texting. Mr Gibson looks up holds up his index finger and says "Just a minute guys" I was thinking seriously you ask him about a show from 20 years ago when we all have all just exited from our flight knowing people are waiting or connections aren't going to be made etc. I mean really if you are going to approach a star at least do it at a more appropriate time. Oh well back to the story of how I got to Russia.
So I realized I wasn't going to make my connection in San Antonio to Houston which meant I would most likely miss my connection to Moscow. So I asked the agent and she said they wouldn't know anything for another 30 minutes and showed go to customer service and try to reschedule. Off I went. Luckily there was only one person in front of me in line. So he was trying to get to a wedding that evening yikes! He was telling me there was a flight to Houston at 11:40am. The customer service agent sent him away and said they aren't canceling your flight go back. Turns out he was pretty annoyed with the customer for being a know it all and telling me to basically demand to get on the 11:40 to Houston (which by the way may not have made it in time for my connection anyway) So he was nice to me and said yes there is a flight but there aren't any seats. He did at one point while trying to get me to Moscow say he was going to "Force a seat for me on that flight" but then realized I still wouldn't catch my connection. So they (another agent tried too) tried every which way to get me out with no luck. They called United and I talked to an agent there who tried as well. She said I could get you in at 3am (nope not going to work, especially since I didn't have direct contact with Boris or Irina) or I could spend the night in Germany (nope didn't plan for a hotel in Germany...plus fun but a little scary) so it was decided to try again the next day. This time straight to Houston and then Moscow.
I called mom... "Guess what you did such a great job today you get to do it tomorrow! Will you come get me?" Mom "Now? " Me "Well yea, I am hanging out in the airport." LOL I also texted my friend Jodi and semi jokingly said "Wanna come get me?" She thought I was in Texas LOL She was so sweet and offered to come get me, let me hang with her and crash at her place and then take me back in the morning. WOO HOO! "Mom, you are off the hook!" She was happy hee hee. So I got to watch the UFC fight with friends (Jodi was a trooper she is not a UFC fight fan) lol
Russia take 2 next post....
Shauna is putting together a Quilting Bee Biltz! That is 48 hours of fundraising! Her words are more articulate than mine so click on the Quilting Bee Blitz link and if we all do a little GREAT things will happen
799 more people needed to donate $5.00. Thank you to the person who started the fundraising! That's right I needed 800 people to donate $5.00 and someone started the ball rolling. Let's keep it going please. I need to go raise the funds to bring Sophia home next week! That's right she is finally coming home. Can you spare the cost of a Starbucks drink or value lunch? Please share with your friends. www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsormeier Donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE!
A fellow adopting mom has gernerously offered to do a bow fundraiser for Sophia's GOTCHA trip (yes I meant to yell that. I seem to only find the the appropriate way to write GOTCHA when it is related to bringing my daughter home! LOL) Priscilla made ALL the bows and has set up the auction on her Kenzi's Kraft Korner Facebook page.
Please click the link above and check out these darling bows and then share the link with your friends and families. With all the holidays coming up who couldn't use a little something pretty for your 'do. Some are even sassy enough for the over 5 crowd!
Stay tuned for GOTCHA day news!
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