Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Ukraine Driving

Check it out! I forgot to tell everyone about our first trip in the taxi when we arrived here. Ok, you get off the train right in front of a huge coal mine with all your luggage. It is an open dock and you stand in the cold waiting for a taxi that will be to "foot" small to haul you and the six bags of luggage you brought because there are no cars here bigger than a Ford Pinto. While standing on the dock I noticed Sharon had all of these the black dots on her face and then I realized we are getting rained on by the coal plant. The taxi guy shows up. A young kid who smelled like the butt of a donkey that has been working the Grand Canyon trail. He crams two bags in the trunk and lays on the lid to get it closed. Now five other bags Sharon the facilitator and I pile in the car. The taxi driver turns on some tunes for us to enjoy. Dig this..... his radio is his cell phone that is velcroed to a vent. You know how drive-thru speakers at a very old Jack in the Box are.....oh Jack in the Box I want super tacos, a Jumbo Jack,and a root beer.....sorry, back to the story. The music from his phone was just like the drive-thru speaker. The car is a standard and the taxi driver....newbee... starts the car while the engine is already running. He tries to take off and kills the engine. Mind you we have just gotten off a 14 hour train ride landed in a new city and must go to the orphanage to visit the children before we can do anything else. By the way there is lots of ice on the roads. The drive to the orphanage is about twenty minutes and the terraine is hilly. There are no street lights, traffic signs, or any clear evidence of a real road. The driver slides thru a few intersections and kills the engine again. He tries to pass another car that is going, uh, 12 MPH and he is in the wrong gear .....like 4th trying to pass. Needless to say we over took the other car about 3 miles and two hills later. Now all you can hear me sreaming from the back seat(buried under luggage) is downshift you moron! We are going to die.

Had another good visit with the kids today. V beat Tim at checkers and so did Y. They have different rules for checkers than we do or we are just too old to remember how to play. They all beat me the other day too. It was extremely cold today. Snow covered the ground and the wind was blowing. We usually meet the kids in the school house and either go to a private room or one of the classrooms if the private room is occupied. Lately, the private room has been occupied so we have been going to different classrooms. It's nice to see where the kids go to school. The classrooms look like classrooms at home except from the 50's. They are very clean and organized and they are decorated with history or the theme for the semester. There are drawings done by the kids in the school house. Tim likes to use the chalk board. He and the boys play tic-tac-toe or draw goofy faces on the board. Of course, they clean it up before we leave. O, me, and M played more cards today. Slap Jack is a favorite. They both cheat. Of course he thinks she's cheating and she thinks he's cheating. Typical brother and sister. V was full of energy today. He was the most outgoing since we've been here. I think we are all feeling pretty comfortable with each other.

We hope everyone is doing well.

8 comments:

JWOOD83 said...

OMG! I'm laughing so hard right now i can just imagine Aunt Sharon Screaming "whats the guy doing up there!" and i can picture Uncle Tim going Nuts at the driver ha ha ha ..... Uncle tim i bet you scared the holy crap out of that driver, i can't wait to see you two both

adopting2fromUkraine said...

I think they make up their own rules to all their games. Only they don't tell anyone else. LOL

Anonymous said...

Tim, you are too funny! I can't stop laughing. Sharon, I bet you were dying. That is so funny! Glad you had another good day with the kids. All kids are the same aren't they? I love it.

Kathi

Marilyn K said...

The titles on your daily writings are great... just enough information to give a slight clue what that article's info will be be about but yet, still spike our curiosity. I'm laughing out loud over the first cab ride with the cell phone velcro'd up to play the music. Sounds like something straight out of a Mel Brooks movie (or Borat!). Did you get a picture of Sharon with the coal dots on her face? I'm hoping that after you get back home, you will be able to post some more photos for us to enjoy.

It's too bad you're not going to get back to Kiev one day earlier. Americans and Cub fans worldwide will be gathering on Feb 21st at selected watering holes around the world for the 10th Annual Worldwide Toast to Harry Caray. I noticed the designated location in Kiev is T.G.I. Fridays so the place could well be filled with Americans around 5 PM Thursday. The Houston location is the Home Plate Bar & Grill. It would be such a memorable event to attend in Kiev but I believe you will be on train doing your bobble-head routine at the time. It also would be the perfect time to have a celebratory drink after your court date. Heaven knows you've earned one after the roller-coaster adventure you've been on for the past month, complete with upset stomachs and all. Hope all goes well on this final lap of the roller coaster and I hope you get a couple good meals on the plane trip home!

Becky Maxwell said...

The only thing funnier than reading what happened (according to Tim) would be him telling the story with your sound/action included. (Remember Wain and the cigarette ash??? - oh and Marty and the lips???) LOL

One more day before your court date. I know you are so excited!!

Glad you had a good visit with the kids. I bet they are ready to start their new lives. It must be great for all of you!

Let us know what happens tomorrow. You will be in our thoughts and prayers!!

Kisses, Becky and Mike

ibbabs97 said...

I wish I would have had the link sooner. I spent all afternoon reading it instead on doing the million things I needed done. Also while reading the kids have torn up the house. What else is new. I hope all went great with the courts and can't wait for you all to return home. I will be praying for you!
Barbara

Erin said...

Like Babs, I just got the link today. I guess we should visit the old office more often. Anyways, I am so impressed and proud of you. You adventure seems amazing so far and will only get better and more rewarding when you bring the kiddos home to Texas. I hope everything went well in court and that you are on your way back. I will be praying for the new and improved Coons family!
God Bless!
Erin & family

JLW said...

I spent most of Wednesday reading your blog from start to the Ukraine Driving. I got a kick out of all your activities and happenings in a strange country. I have been praying that everything went great in court on Thursday. O & M don't realize what good parents they will have. Have a safe trip home.

John & Ann