When I got out the Christmas decorations three weeks ago, I was determined that this year we would get a real Christmas tree.  And then I sat back and waited for them to go on sale. And waited. And when they finally did go on sale last weekend, I thought about it until I came to the conclusion that it probably wasn’t worth the effort. I mean, it’s less than a week until Christmas anyway. And I had visions of our attempt at Christmas tree shopping going something like this attempt in Moscow.

Yesterday, our housekeeper brought us this lovely Christmas tree/bush. (I’m obviously not sure exactly what it is.) But it is real, so that’s nice. And if I supplement it with a little Yankee Candle goodness, it’s almost like the real thing. Almost.

One of the Marines also dressed up like Elvis, stealing Shawn’s thunder. However, we quickly learned that it is every Ukrainian girl’s dream to have her photo taken with two Elvises, so Shawn spent a good portion of the evening posing with scantily-clad maids/angels/devils/etc. Score one for The King!

I’ve spent today finishing our Halloween costumes. I’ll be sure to post photos from the party tomorrow night. They should be pretty entertaining.

Before I go further, I will state that I am fine. Honestly. I know that the word “evacuation” causes all sorts of images of me on a stretcher being taken out of Ukraine by Marine helicopter (at least it does in my head), but it was nothing like that. My medical condition was not life-threatening, or even really an emergency. It was just something that needed to be checked out before April 2009, so medevac was the way to go. And for the sake of not sharing too much personal information online, that’s all I’m going to say about my health.

But I will share more details about the experience itself. It was probably one of the craziest weeks of my life. I left Kyiv Monday morning, landed in DC Monday evening, and hit the ground running. I had appointments and testing all day Tuesday and part of the day Wednesday, results were determined by the end of the day Thursday, and I was “cleared” to return to post on Friday (although my return flight was on Monday morning). It was a confusing time of explaining and re-explaining my situation. I had never had an experience with a teaching hospital before, so since all my appointments were at The George Washington University, I got to see the whole intern system in action.

I think my favorite (and I’m laughing only after the fact) intern experience was the one I had at my ophthalmologist appointment. She was very thorough, yet somehow completely lacking in bedside manner. Things came to a head when she was checking the pressure in my eyes. In the past, I’ve always had that done with the weird puff-of-air machine. But in this case, she numbed my eyes and then moved an apparatus in to actually touch my eye. Gross, I know. However, Intern didn’t mention what she was doing in advance and suddenly I realized that my eyes were feeling really funny and something is moving toward them…and getting too close. So I start blinking like crazy - she starts yelling at me that I’m “only going to make it hurt worse” (clearly indicating to me that she plans on causing me pain) - and I finally hear myself shout “What is that thing and what are you doing?!” After Intern took all of 30 seconds to explain what was going on, I was fine, of course. For the sake of her future patients, I hope she learned a small lesson. Oh, and when the real doctor came in the room, she rattled off about 5 things she had found wrong with my eyes. It took the doctor about 2 minutes to determine that there wasn’t anything wrong with them and I stumbled out into the sun, traumatized and with dilated pupils.

So between all the appointments and general craziness of the week, I soaked up some serious American culture. My mom came to spend a few days with me and, let’s say, “over-encouraged” my shopping habit. I was like one of those people on StyleTV that they give the credit card to and tell them to buy a new wardrobe. Unfortunately, unlike the show, I have to pay off my credit card. In my defense, I was in need to new clothes and I now know how lacking my options are in Kyiv. (I prefer to be able to sit down in my skirts.) Additionally, I got to eat at several of my favorite restaurants and saw 4 movies (Harry Potter, Superbad, Nanny Diaries, and Stardust).

So after a week’s diversion, and over 5,000 frequent flier miles, it’s back to real life - loads of laundry and walking a dog that seemed to get a little wilder in my absence. Only 5 more months until our R and R vacation….

I spent most of the past week in Indiana with my family. It was a good, relaxing time, but a little disappointing that it snowed every day I was there! I started my trip by spending a couple days with my brother. I got to see his new house and he got to drag me all around downtown Indianapolis in the freezing weather. We also got in quite a few hours of Lego Star Wars II on the Playstation. It’s easier for me to play with him than with Shawn - I think it’s because I get some respect for being the big sister.

Then my mom and I spent a few days in Brown County, Indiana. When I was younger, we made a yearly trip there, but it had been several years since we’d been able to do that. So it was nice to visit some of the shops we have always loved. (My personal favorite is For Bare Feet, but I have a serious sock obsession.)

And today was back to the reality of moving overseas. I feel like I spent most of the day on the phone canceling utilities and making other arrangements. There will be another big shopping trip (or two) this week, we’ll sell the car, and then the movers will come to take our stuff away on Monday!

After a brief delay at Reagan National Airport on Friday evening, we arrived in New York and grabbed a taxi to our hotel. Shawn had found a great deal at the Millennium, and our room on the 39th floor literally looked out onto Times Square. Luckily, the curtains were heavy, so we were able to get some sleep despite the glaring neon.

Our main goal in New York was to see a show on Broadway. However, in the weeks leading up to our trip, we realized that shows on Broadway are really expensive. But we also had heard that there is a half-price tickets booth for same-day ticket sales near Times Square. And there are also lotteries for a limited number of last-minute tickets for the really big shows (Wicked, Avenue Q, etc.). So, to play it safe, we decided we would go the the half-price tickets booth on Saturday. We had done the same thing when we visited London, and it worked out really well, so we assumed it would be a similar kind of situation. Ah, ignorance is bliss. First of all, if any of you saw the weather reports this weekend, it was really cold in New York. I mean, really cold. Testing out out new long underwear kind of cold. (Did I mention the ticket booth is outside?) And when we were in London, we literally just walked right up to the ticket booth, purchased our tickets, and walked away. However, in New York, people start lining up for tickets hours before the booth even opens. That’s right, we spent about 2 hours Saturday afternoon standing in line to get some cheap(er) tickets. And there weren’t even any tickets for any of our “top pick” shows. Somehow, even shows like Phantom of the Opera still sell out every weekend.

The good news is, we got tickets. To The Producers. Not really a show I wanted to see. I’ve seen both movies…they’re fine, but nothing spectacular in my opinion. But I underestimated the impact that seeing a show on Broadway can have. It was amazing! The costumes, the energy, the music! And our half-price tickets with an “obstructed view” were in the front row! And did I mention that the role of Max Bialystock is currently being played by Tony Danza? And if that wasn’t enough….one of the cast members from The Sopranos was in the audience.

So besides our mission to get good theater tickets, we determined that the best way to see New York in February in freezing temperatures was to go on a tour bus. It sounds cheesy, but it was probably the best decision we could have made. We purchased a 2-day pass, which allowed us to ride as much as we wanted and get on or get off the bus where ever we wanted. The first day we were adventurous and decided to sit on the top deck of the bus, which was uncovered and gave us some great views of the city. However, we quickly discovered the error of our ways when we had to get off the bus and duck into a coffee shop until we regained the feeling in our fingers and toes. It was inside the bus from then on. But we did get to go all over the city and our tour guide on the second day was really great - we learned a lot about the city’s history and architecture.

And of course, there were some random adventures to be had: We stood outside during filming of the Today show briefly on Sunday. No tv appearances for us, but we did get to see Lester Holt in action. We took the subway down to Chinatown to see some of the Chinese New Year celebrations. We made it to the Top of the Rock to see the city from above. And, as you can see from the photos below, we had an encounter with Oscar himself.

It was an exhausting 2 days, but the most fun I’ve had in a while. Being somewhere new can be so energizing. I know we didn’t get to see nearly as much as we wanted to, but that gives me something to look forward to for next time!

My family was able to travel to Washington to spend Christmas and the days surrounding the holiday with us. Christmas Day itself was fairly traditional (including the screening of Rocky Balboa that evening), but the rest of their visit was filled with things unique to Washington, DC.

We had tickets to Christmas Eve service at the National Cathedral, which was beautiful and awe-inspiring. And I made two trips to the National Mall (one with my brother and his girlfriend; one with my parents) to visit the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, FDR Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial. While all these sites were new to my family, the FDR Memorial was the only one that I had not visited yet. It is so interesting that I actually didn’t mind visiting it twice in a week. Reading Roosevelt’s public thoughts about war hit very close to home at this time.

My family had all left Washington by the time the New Year arrived, but Shawn and I had the opportunity to mark the New Year in a unique way. Yesterday, we joined the 2-hour line of citizens to walk through the Capitol Rotunda to see Gerald Ford lying in State. After the wait in line, the actual walk-through was a somber and overwhelming event. They kept the public moving through rather quickly, so there wasn’t really much time to reflect. As we entered the room, someone “important” must have been leaving, judging by all the camera flashes coming from the bleachers where the media was stationed. And 30 seconds later, we were out of the rotunda. Crazy.

So, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but here are some things I’m looking forward to in 2007:

1. Finishing my job. Don’t get me wrong - I’ve enjoyed it for the most part, but I’m looking forward to having some free time back. With all the knitting books and fabric my mom got me for Christmas, I have some projects I’m just itching to get started.

2. Finishing Russian classes. So this one has definitely been less than enjoyable for me at times. I know that it’s a good exercise in dedication and hard work, but I’m still looking forward to being done.

3. Getting to Kyiv. If you could see my list of things to get done before we go, you would understand why I’m ready to just get there!

4. Figuring out what our life in Kyiv is going to be like. I know that it’s the journey, not the destination and all that jazz, but there are still so many questions about living there. It’s going to be fun experiencing everything the next year has to offer and getting settled in our new home.

As some of you may have known (and I may have already mentioned), I spent the last two Christmases running wardrobe for the production of A Christmas Carol at Trinity Rep. It was draining, to say the least, but I’ve found that I’m missing it a little this year. So Shawn surprised me by getting tickets to the production here. A slightly different production (no Food Song), but very much the same (a game of Yes and No).

The really cool part was that it was performed at Ford’s Theatre. Only the most famous historical theatre in the country! It’s a really nice theatre, especially considering how old it is. It’s much smaller than today’s theatres, which makes you feel like you’re right there in the action. And then there’s the interesting and slightly creepy fact that while you’re watching the play, you can basically look into the booth where President Lincoln was sitting when we was shot. I know you all know the story, but have you ever wondered exactly how Booth jumped onto the stage after shooting the President? Well, I can tell you now, it really wasn’t that far of a jump. Lincoln was practically part of Our American Cousin. I tried to get a good photo of it, but I was using the phone in my camera, so it doesn’t really do it justice.

So the play….it was really good. I’m a little bit embarrassed to say that even though I’ve seen/heard A Christmas Carol over 100 times, I still tear up a bit at parts. Especially when I’m not busy throwing clothes on somebody. It was really interesting to see how things were done differently with this production - some for better and some for worse. All in all, it was a great evening.

Monday was the U.S. Botanic Garden and the National Museum of the American Indian. I don’t know much about plant life or American Indians, so I did a guided tour of each sight. Both were very interesting. I found the Botanic Garden very relaxing and was amazed by the variety of plants. They even have some endangered species. The thing I really liked about the tour at the Museum of the American Indian was the fact that all of their guides are native peoples. Anya, my guide, was able to add a lot of personal insight during our tour that I really appreciated.

Tuesday evening, Shawn and I went to see the Marine Drum and Bugle Corp and Silent Drill Platoon. Every Tuesday during the summer, they perform in front of the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington at sunset. Besides the fact that it was amazing and a little intimidating to see so many Marines in dress uniforms in one place, the Silent Drill was very impressive. The Marines performed a series of maneuvers, including tosses, with their 10 pound rifles complete with bayonets in total silence.

Thursday, I visited the National Museum of American History, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the Jefferson Memorial. The National Museum of American History will be closing in September to undergo major renovations, so there were many exhibits that were already closed. But I did get to see the exhibit on the “Star-Spangled Banner,” which includes the original flag on which the song is based. I had to get downtown early to get a ticket to the tour at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, but it was well worth it. It’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular tours in the city as you follow walkways and look down upon thousands of dollars being printed. It’s hard to believe the quantities of bills being printed at one time.

And finally, on Saturday night, Shawn and I spent some time at the newly re-opened National Portrait Gallery. We saw some classic portraits as well as some modern ones. By far the most innovative/disturbing (depending on your point of view) one was titled “Mom and Dad” featuring a middle-aged nude couple done in the medium of hand-dyed Lite Brite pegs. Yeah. I’m serious.

Whew. So that was last week. Who knows what I’ll see this week. Or maybe I’ll just sleep in.

When we found out that we would be moving to the DC area in May, the first thing I said was that we had to go to the Mall for fireworks on the 4th of July. Then Shawn’s family announced that they would be visiting over the holiday weekend, and we were forced to change plans, as we were not about to drag a bunch of out-of-towners (including a two-year-old) through the masses to see the fireworks. However, Shawn’s family decided to cut their trip short (I guess we’re not as interesting as we thought…), so we had the evening free to do as we pleased.

After the aforementioned storm let up, we gathered our blankets, bottles of water, and camera and took off for downtown. We decided to head for the Capitol lawn, as that was where the symphony would be playing, and we could get a good view of the Washington Monument, where the fireworks would actually be fired off. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people at the Mall. It was crowded, yes, but it was not scary-crowded. We found a great spot where we would be able to see the fireworks and hear the concert.

I have to say that it was amazing. So totally worth the effort. Besides the excellent people-watching (and the inevitable making fun of said people) before the fireworks, it was awesome to see the show on the Mall. I remember watching the event on tv as a kid, so there was something special about seeing it in person. I think it’s just something that you must experience if you ever have the opportunity.