06 February 2008

blustery day (edited)

Last Saturday I went shopping. I had four bags of necessary items to carry up to my third floor flat. Pursuing my constant goal to make as few trips as possible, I had the bags doubled up. I've been known to hang bags up my arms, the plastic handles cutting into my wrists, in order to avoid an extra trip. If an extra trip up the stairs is needed, at the very least I'll try to make only one trip from the car to my door.

Usually Saturday is a day on which it's easy to find a parking space. Last Saturday this was not true. The street was blocked off for some reason and parking spaces were scarce. I had to park quite a bit down the block and lug my groceries through the slush and muck. Of course, after trudging through the slush and muck I discovered an empty parking space--right in front of my front door.

On Sunday, I was supposed to meet Tricia and Michael, who were visiting St. P while waiting out their ten days. They missed me, I missed them, and then...

WIND! It was SO windy! It rushed through Palace Square and down my street. The building across the street is still being renovated and was covered in scaffolding. (I'll see if I have an old picture of this...) The scaffolding crashed to the ground, filling the block and damaging cars parked below. The lights on the entire street went out--and still have not be repaired. They're really dark, but here's what it looked like out my window and down on the street:

In this picture, the man is walking right where my car was parked. The scaffolding fell right where the car in FRONT of him is parked. I live (if you can see it...) where the steps are going up after the yellow sign. I was very glad I didn't move to the closer parking space!



eta: I did meet up with Rita's mommy and daddy yesterday and had a great dinner--conversation was better than the food. Tricia was a good blogger and brought her camera. Kate, did not. Bad blogger, Kate.

Today the scaffolding is going back up! My camera is at school. I'll post pix tomorrow...

And, for UN Mama--I don't live on Vasilevsky, although I'd *love* to live there. I'm just two blocks down from the Hermitage.

13 comments:

U.N. Mama said...

God certainly took care of you, Kate! You must live close to my favorite are of the city. (which is looking across the Neva to the Palace and to Peter and Paul).

The McCollum Adoption said...

When we were there in 03 we stayed on your street further down from you in a mini hotel cant remember the name but on the corner was the baller the hemitage was only a 10-20 minute walk our triver drove us took about 3 minutes to drive.

kimberley

Ps do you ever visit babyhome #12 its in the nevesky prospect(sp?) thats where my Emery is from.

Anonymous said...

ah yes... hanging grocery bags off your arms... good times. As a former 3rd floor walkup dweller, that's familiar. Scaffolding falling on the car though... not so familiar.

Anonymous said...

Holy Cow!! I am so glad you didn't park there!

It sounds like you like in a great part of the city, even though you have some challenges with getting stuff up to your apartment. :-)

Deb said...

Wow! So glad your car and you weren't there when it went down.

You get to meet so many bloggy friends living there. You're Cool!! Glad you had a good visit.

Anonymous said...

I think I am finally caught up. It is a little late though. Julie

Julie H said...

Now I have resigned up for a goggle account.

junglemama said...

Close call Kate. Thanks for sharing pictures of where you live. I really appreciate seeing them.

kim said...

Yikes... what is up with all of this wind??? I used to live on the 3rd floor as well... I remember those days of your arms falling asleep with bags hanging off of them. It must be exponentially worse for you with all of the slush and muck.

Roxy said...

First time reader to your blog. I must have seen your comments one of the PAP's blogs. I love Russia and wish I could have lived there. Visited three times to bring DD home, Moscow and Nizhniy Novgorod. I enjoyed reading your blog. Beacuase of my long term frienship with Russians and your description of Holidays, life in RF, etc it adds to what I know.

A Room to Grow said...

holy cow sunday was a windy, cold, snowy day. thanks for showing us around on tuesday night. we are now enjoying the slushy not so cold weather is pskov.

yum that cheesy bread was good.

Anonymous said...

Yikes, close call.
Wish we could have visited too, we were so close to you!
Heidi

6blessings said...

Sounds like Oklahoma- where the wind comes sweeping down the plain (and anywhere else too). Glad you're okay.

I was laughing at the grocery bag thing because I do the same exact thing even just to unload from the car to inside- I'll have deep red indentions everywhere. We're not sure yet, but we got tentative word that we will be on the fifth floor when we move. Ugh! Here we come buns of steel! I can already hear the kids now- I'm tired, my legs hurt, how much further, etc. :-)