Ode to a donut.

Oh lovely little cake of yeast
Which beckoned from the store.
I loved your calories the least,
But I loved your chocolate frosting more.

And why did I write this lovely piece, worthy of Shakespeare? Because I found donuts!!! I even took a picture which I was going to include on the blog but I must have screwed it up because I can’t find it in my gallery anymore and, of course, the donut didn’t last 20 seconds after I took the picture.  Which means I’ll have to go get another one so you can see that a Russian donut looks the same as an American donut. At least, that’s the excuse I’m going to tell myself when I buy another donut.

Valeriya and I decided we were going to start going swimming so we started tonight. I acquired the official papers I needed (Don’t ask.) and we walked over to the state-of-the-art Olympic pool about 15 minutes from us at the university. We had checked beforehand and had decided to get the 12-time pass, which you have to use within 3 months.

First you walk in through security, then you check your coat at the coat-check. After that I had to go into the little store and buy a bathing cap and flipflops. Then you go to the counter and tell the lady what kind of swim pass you want. (She was very kind and told me I could buy the senior citizen pass, even though I’m not Russian.) Next you go to the ATM, press the button for the kind of pass you are getting and pay your money. You go back to the lady and give her a copy of your receipt. I was supposed to give her a picture too, but forgot to bring it. She told me I could bring it the next time. She gave us our passes and another lady gave us our electric bracelets which trigger the locks on the lockers.

Then you change into your Flipflops in the lobby and go upstairs to the dressing room. Again, as in the clinic, it’s just one open room. No privacy, but lockers. You change, go through a narrow shower and then into an absolutely gorgeous pool. No kiddie pool in sight. This was serious business for serious swimmers who want exercise. No people standing at the end of the wall and yakking so that you can’t kick off when you get there.

And I have to say, it felt really good. Since it doesn’t get light here until 7:30 and it gets dark at 3:30, I really don’t get much exercise on my bike. Back and forth to work just isn’t enough. (It’s maybe a quarter of a mile each way.) I’m definitely going to make a regular habit of this. I’m going to see if I can’t get myself down there every Monday and Friday. My goal is to be able to crawl for 50 meters straight without having to revert to the breast stroke.

On another note, a couple of my kids are now using full sentences when they speak to me. That is just so exciting. They are catching on really fast. Thursday we’re going to do our Mother’s Day celebration and the moms are going to come. It will be nice for me to meet some of the moms since I usually just see chauffeurs and nannies. It will also be a longer day for me because it goes from 5 till 6. But I’ll just come in later on another day.