Day 16.5

Day 16 ½

I’ll give everyone one guess what we’re doing this evening. Come on now, it shouldn’t be too hard… Nope, not that. Try again. Congratulations!! You got it!!! That’s correct, we’re sitting in our apartment playing gin rummy! I knew we had the brightest family and friends. No, we won’t count that one person that always gets confused with the light switch on both sides of the room. That will be our little secret.
After we left everyone at the internet café today, we walked the streets of Donetsk. Our plan was to hit the bazaar, perhaps with a stop for some food at a restaurant on the way, and then make our way home. Well we walked quite awhile and found one of the restaurants that Rashid told us was very good. We went inside and saw all the little “reserved” signs on the tables, and when the hostess came up to us and asked us if we had a reservation… What? You actually think that we understood every word she said? Not at all. I think it was the blank stare that Kelley and I gave her that clued her in to us not having a reservation. Then she said in perfect Ukrainian, with the international signal of pointing to the door, that there was no room for us. That – we understood. So we were off, to the other side of the street and back towards the bazaar.
But we were off and eventually found the “Cherry Pizza” restaurant. I know what you’re thinking, but it was actually very good. And the waitress spoke very good English, so that helped out as well. After this we were recharged and ready for some shopping!!! Okay, one of us was ready for some shopping…
We spent awhile walking around the bazaar, walking off the pizza and taking a phone call from Linda. We picked up a few necessities for the apartment and then started our trek back. A quick stop by the market for “dinner and a movie”, without the movie, and here we are. Thankfully, our card games have been broken up by a couple of phone calls from Oma and Ricia, as well. We appreciate everyone that has called – and tried to call, as we know it can be very difficult – since it keeps us up to date with everyone back home.
Me here….Ricia, we just got cut off. Yes, we are going to call him “Chas”. “Charles”, if he is doing something bad; and “Charles Everett” if it is horrible! Let’s hope he never hears, “Charles Everett Van Der Werff”.
Okay, it is obviously time for us to close. Kelley and I are now tied in our gin rummy tournament. She used some stratagem that I was unaware of to best me tonight. Everyone can be confident that I will not be so gullible next time (tomorrow…). Have a great night!
God bless,
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