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Friday, June 10, 2011

Awhile from the other side

So it’s funny that my husband mentioned me in his blog, I was just thinking it has been awhile since you have heard from the other side. What Mike says is true, I didn’t know you could cram so much stuff in a day and still have time to sleep. Well usually that’s all I have time to do. I am still working and as he said doing all the running. I too have been working on my Russia some, it is a difficult language. I hear our daughter complain sometimes, but she keeps at it. What my husband left out was the paper work and planning that I been doing to get ready to go. I got all the documents submitted so now our daughter can go to school in the fall. I did apply for the passports. Just a word of advice if you are in this situation the area we live in Iowa, well they have never done diplomatic passports so they have no idea what to do. Make sure you allow for extra time at the passport office, it will not be a quick drop off. Also make sure you take all the documentation and then some. You never know when you might have to complete a new form. I have also begun my job hunt in Russia, working with the HR office in Moscow. I have to say Brandon has been very nice and helpful. Corse there is forms for everything; getting access to this and that. You learn to be patient. Now if I can just hang in there until my week off, when I go see my husband. SSSHHH! Don’t tell him I will sneak up on him. What I am doing this weekend is having a garage sale (a lot of work) and trying to clean a bunch of things out of the house that we don’t want, can’t take with us and/or don’t want to store. What a project that is huh? In between all the events and running are the appointments, doctor, dentist, vet. Everyone wants to see you before you go and make sure you’re well. I too have been a pin cushion and since I do not have shot record, well you can just imagine. Luckily for our daughter she had about all of her shots as a baby; she only needs a couple. Well I will continue to hang in there and work on collecting all things they tell you that you should bring with you. I know I will forget something it’s inevitable. Until next time and who knows when that will be, spare time is a limited supply. Oh P.S. You know I mentioned mowing the lawn before, well now I have a mowing fairy and he just shows up and mows, I come home to nice mowed lawn. And who says fairies aren’t real. Yeah me!

Another week down and a welcome to the 121st Specialist Class

Well I'd like to welcome those new comers of the 121st, especially the new IMers.  It's funny to see you all having the same questions and apprehensions that we had coming in.  Two more weeks of orientation and things will slow down for you.  I promise.
Okay so on to what I've been up to.  I've got three weeks of training down; I've learned more about the jobs of my trade, this week was telephones and PBX.  The course was mostly an introductory concepts and now I know enough to be dangerous; next week a new course with a test on Friday.  Tonight is poker night so I'll be giving my money away to someone I'm sure.  This week I also applied for my diplomatic passport, so I should be getting that in a couple of weeks then it's time to apply for my Russian Visa.  And, I suppose I should start scheduling my vaccines.  They recommend a Rabies pre-exposure series, which is 3 shots.  Should I get infected with rabies in Russia, then I will need one additional shot.  With no pre-exposure series, if you get infected its 7 shots.  I really wish I had my shot records from the army, oh well guess its pin cushion time for me.  Let’s see I’m slowly working on my Russian using Rosetta stone.  It is a little slow going because I am also studying for Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator.  I need to take two more exams to get my certification upgraded.

So, the wife hasn't been posting anything on here for a while, but that's because she's a lot busier than me.  She's still taking care of the house, running Crystal around to gymnastics, working on getting the house sold or if need be working with the property management company to get it rented out, trading in our two cars for one more suited for Moscow.  Oh yeah she got her and Crystals applications for passports submitted.  And she has more than that going on, and she is still working full time.  Basically, "She Rocks!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

What would you do for an iPad2?

Would you sell a kidney so you could buy an iPad and iPhone?  This seventeen year old Chineese boy did.  Me I'll stick to the old fassion way:
1. Get a job
2. Work
3. Get a pay check and then
4. Convince wife I "Need" one.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13647438