some.one's.been.moving.my.y.y.car

Did you sing along, Giants' fans? (Well, they might be giants...you never know. Laughing at myself...)

On Saturday, I left the flat at noon to go pick up my friend Kat at the airport. You remember what happened after I picked her up. This is the story of before I picked her up. I had some groceries I wanted to stick in her 'fridge so that in her jetlagged state she's have something to eat at 4 a.m. I headed out the door and-yep-no car.

I dropped my bags inside my entryway and headed out to search. I checked the usual places...and didn't find my car. I asked a policeman (here--since you think it's so entertaining to have me struggle in Russian, I'll tell you what I said):

"Hello. Excuse me. I speak only a little Russian. Yesterday my car there, at my house on (address given). Now, I don't know where my car is. Is it possible to help please? (I often forget my formal "you" verb endings when I'm on the spot...so I just talk in infinitives.)

He told me at was on Moika 61--and pointed in the opposite direction. Thinking I mixed up 61 and 16, I confirmed the direction (There?) and walked on. I walked and walked and asked and asked and found my car an hour and a half later. It was, indeed, just past Moika 61--which is across Nevsky and almost to St. Isaac's...about a mile away.

Why was my car moved this time? Was there royalty visiting? Another rollerbalde rally/bike race/marathon taking place? No. The Rolling Stones were in town and were perfoming down the street in Palace Square. I've never been asked for my papers on the street until Saturday. I had to show them to get back to my house. Security for Mick was tight.

Here are pictures from the last time my car was towed. The princess of Thailand (or something...) was visiting. Her motorcade was going to drive down the street and so all the cars were towed. My neighbor knocked on my door to tell me they were towing it, but I was pajama-clad. So, instead, I leaned out the window and took pictures for you.

First, they drove up next to my car.

They attached the lift-thingy and picked up my car...

...and put it on the back of the truck...

...and drove it away.

Fortunately, this time they left it in a convenient spot--in the parking lot of the energy building about a block away (Yes, this camera has a good zoom.) AND I saw where they left it.