Moscow Trip Report

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I don't know, Gary. I've been trying to get info. from Diana on things like that and though we write or talk every day she is so focused on the upcoming interview and packing (24th, I leave Friday for UA) that she hasn't answered my questions!

I'll see if I can find out though.

It has been blazing hot in Donetsk. Alla just got back last night and was "freezing" in Vermont at 71 degrees!

I just wondered, the London School is close to our flat. Letiya SSR is about 3 blocks from the central square in one direction and about 3 blocks to the river in the other direction. I asked Alla why she didn't just go down to the river on a hot day and jump in like she does in the lake here.

[bainbridge558 0]

He has an older Cessna 172 he rebuilt and a small pusher prop homebuilt. He let Alla fly the Cessna and she claims she married me for the chance to fly an airplane. He has a practice on both Chicago and Dallas and commutes between the two in his Cessna.

When we went up with Alla, she said "I will fly it but I will not land it because when I tried to land in video games, I break everything around" He said "Yes, OK I will land it" (like he was going to let her do that anyway!) She had fun flying it and keeps begging me to take her back there...yeah, if only we get the time

Nice ! Alla probably could land a 172 ..... not much to mess up with one of those.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Nice ! Alla probably could land a 172 ..... not much to mess up with one of those.

Alla could also break an anvil. No thanks. I didn't have a problem when she was steering the plane at 3500 ft. Nothing around for her to hit and I trust my brother could pull the thing out of a dive (I hope anyway) if needed.

[bainbridge558 0]

Alla could also break an anvil. No thanks. I didn't have a problem when she was steering the plane at 3500 ft. Nothing around for her to hit and I trust my brother could pull the thing out of a dive (I hope anyway) if needed.

I stand corrected !!!

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

Alla could also break an anvil. No thanks. I didn't have a problem when she was steering the plane at 3500 ft. Nothing around for her to hit and I trust my brother could pull the thing out of a dive (I hope anyway) if needed.

Hey! Ukrainian girls are tough! You can't really blame her, if she is juggling anvils and occasionally drops one!

[Casper&Diana 0]

Alla could also break an anvil. No thanks. I didn't have a problem when she was steering the plane at 3500 ft. Nothing around for her to hit and I trust my brother could pull the thing out of a dive (I hope anyway) if needed.

That's funny! ...and a great visual imagining just how she would do that. Diana wants me to teach her to fly too, right after she gets an American driver's license with a motorcycle endorsement! Hm, one thing at a time.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

That's funny! ...and a great visual imagining just how she would do that. Diana wants me to teach her to fly too, right after she gets an American driver's license with a motorcycle endorsement! Hm, one thing at a time.

q

Don't even try to imagine. You will never see it happen. Leave her in a room with an anvil. Come back in 2 minutes, she will be sitting on the floor crying and the anvil will be in two pieces

"Wh......."

"I don't know what happens...it just breaks"

[bainbridge558 0]

That's funny! ...and a great visual imagining just how she would do that. Diana wants me to teach her to fly too, right after she gets an American driver's license with a motorcycle endorsement! Hm, one thing at a time.

A few years back some guy wrote on the old RWL Russian-Womens List proudly proclaiming that his Russian wife had just received her drivers license .... " at only the cost of 2 garage doors, several trash cans, 1 parked car, and a very unfortunate stray dog that was at the wrong place at the wrong time " .... this guy had a gift at telling a story ! ( All completely true I am sure ! ) ... one of the funniest " short stories " I have ever read ..... but it DID get me to thinking !

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

A few years back some guy wrote on the old RWL Russian-Womens List proudly proclaiming that his Russian wife had just received her drivers license .... " at only the cost of 2 garage doors, several trash cans, 1 parked car, and a very unfortunate stray dog that was at the wrong place at the wrong time " .... this guy had a gift at telling a story ! ( All completely true I am sure ! ) ... one of the funniest " short stories " I have ever read ..... but it DID get me to thinking !

Funny!

Learning to drive in Northern NJ will be an exciting proposition for Olga. She says that she does not want to drive. But I have a feeling, after a romp or two in my '53 MG-TD, she may change her mind.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Funny!

Learning to drive in Northern NJ will be an exciting proposition for Olga. She says that she does not want to drive. But I have a feeling, after a romp or two in my '53 MG-TD, she may change her mind.

GHreat car! I bought a car for Alla to smash up at an auction and that was her practice car. She started driving right away, 2nd day here on rural roads near our house, or anyway, mostly on the rural roads...sometimes she felt like a little off-raoding. Happens.

So when she got better I bought her another Mini-van but this oine new and deluxe and a few months in she decides she needs a sports car, a Pontiac Solstice. Cool little car, I like to drive it, I do not like to "put it on" (one "puts it on", rather than "gets in") It is not a good winter car.

So far she has actually not crashed with any other vehicles, YES she has hit all sorts of stationary objects that "should not be there" but with her practice car, so who cares? She drove her sports car off the road into a cranberry swamp in January but did remarkably no damage that was visible, messed up the front end steering mechanisms to the tune of $1000, but the outside looked great after a cleaning. So your MG will probably interest her, but I cannot recommend them as Vermont "winter cars" or for off-road driving.

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

GHreat car! I bought a car for Alla to smash up at an auction and that was her practice car. She started driving right away, 2nd day here on rural roads near our house, or anyway, mostly on the rural roads...sometimes she felt like a little off-raoding. Happens.

So when she got better I bought her another Mini-van but this oine new and deluxe and a few months in she decides she needs a sports car, a Pontiac Solstice. Cool little car, I like to drive it, I do not like to "put it on" (one "puts it on", rather than "gets in") It is not a good winter car.

So far she has actually not crashed with any other vehicles, YES she has hit all sorts of stationary objects that "should not be there" but with her practice car, so who cares? She drove her sports car off the road into a cranberry swamp in January but did remarkably no damage that was visible, messed up the front end steering mechanisms to the tune of $1000, but the outside looked great after a cleaning. So your MG will probably interest her, but I cannot recommend them as Vermont "winter cars" or for off-road driving.

I am prepared, in case Olga takes a liking to the TD. I also have a kit car, that has a 52 MG-TD fiberglass body sitting on VW Bug running gear. This is lighter than the TD, and a lot faster too. Plus, if you crash it, just remember to pick up all the fiberglass pieces, and it can be 'glued' back together. The kit car is due for a carburation upgrade. Later this summer, I will put the pair of Solex P40-II carbs from the Porsche into the kit car. Going from one barrel of carburation to four will provide a majpr boost in power. The Porsche received a pair of Webber carbs when I rebuild th engine.

I suspect that Olga will say Да to driving, after a few trips to the many malls within a 20 mile radius.

The Solstice is a nice car! Unfortunately, I can not fit into the car. I am 6' 04" and a tad north of 275lb;. It would take major surgery (me or the car) to get me into a Solstice. When I get out of the TD, it looks like the car is giving birth!

[bainbridge558 0]

I am prepared, in case Olga takes a liking to the TD. I also have a kit car, that has a 52 MG-TD fiberglass body sitting on VW Bug running gear. This is lighter than the TD, and a lot faster too. Plus, if you crash it, just remember to pick up all the fiberglass pieces, and it can be 'glued' back together. The kit car is due for a carburation upgrade. Later this summer, I will put the pair of Solex P40-II carbs from the Porsche into the kit car. Going from one barrel of carburation to four will provide a majpr boost in power. The Porsche received a pair of Webber carbs when I rebuild th engine.

I suspect that Olga will say Да to driving, after a few trips to the many malls within a 20 mile radius.

The Solstice is a nice car! Unfortunately, I can not fit into the car. I am 6' 04" and a tad north of 275lb;. It would take major surgery (me or the car) to get me into a Solstice. When I get out of the TD, it looks like the car is giving birth!

Thank You Tim and Gary !!!!!

I KNEW my idea of a " practice car " had merit !! My old '91 contractor van and rural roads here in Illinois will be perfect !!

I bought a 2010 Ford ranger in April and sent Olga pics of it ...... she loves it .... and then asked " you will be close to me when I drive it .. Yes ? " .... Oh Yea ! VERY VERY VERY close !!!

3 years ago I thought it was a good idea for her to go to driving school and get her license in Russia. She sent me a pic. of her behind the wheel ... I swear the first thought that came to my mind was what a photo of an unwillingly kamikaze pilot must have looked like. Seated upright, belt on, shoulder harness on, hands 10 and 2 on the wheel, and eyes WIDE open. I also thought it was interesting that the instructor was seated in the back seat ! She made it and got her license.

In all honesty I think she will do very well at driving because she has a healthy respect for it. She has heard many of my stories of flying to an accident and picking up what remains of somebody acting stupid.

[AKguy 1]

I was never too worried about Anna getting here, getting her license and then driving as she drives all over the place in Russia. Until she mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, "We can just get me a cheap car because I will be crashing it a lot".... Her new Schwin is awaiting her arrival.

Edited June 18, 2010 by AKguy

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

I was never too worried about Anna getting here, getting her license and then driving as she drives all over the place in Russia. Until she mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, "We can just get me a cheap car because I will be crashing it a lot".... Her new Schwin is awaiting her arrival.

he he he... Olga has had her license for years, but she does not like to drive. She offered to take a bike as a substitute.

I plan on easing her into driving here. Northern NJ is like a combat driving environment. So, this is going to be exciting. I wonder if anyone makes a car with Nerf fenders?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I am prepared, in case Olga takes a liking to the TD. I also have a kit car, that has a 52 MG-TD fiberglass body sitting on VW Bug running gear. This is lighter than the TD, and a lot faster too. Plus, if you crash it, just remember to pick up all the fiberglass pieces, and it can be 'glued' back together. The kit car is due for a carburation upgrade. Later this summer, I will put the pair of Solex P40-II carbs from the Porsche into the kit car. Going from one barrel of carburation to four will provide a majpr boost in power. The Porsche received a pair of Webber carbs when I rebuild th engine.

I suspect that Olga will say Да to driving, after a few trips to the many malls within a 20 mile radius.

The Solstice is a nice car! Unfortunately, I can not fit into the car. I am 6' 04" and a tad north of 275lb;. It would take major surgery (me or the car) to get me into a Solstice. When I get out of the TD, it looks like the car is giving birth!

I defintely think you would not fit. I am 5' 11" and 180 (ish) and my leg hits a place where it doesn't want to go any further in and I am kind of "stuck", after some pain and unusual bending, I get in and then it is OK. The car is fun to drive, really. It reminds me of a go-kart in handling and Alla much prefers that to the minivan which she says is like "floating", not driving. Comparatively, yes, that is true. But there is little room for all her "stuff", extra pair of heels, make up, shoe polish...you know, essentials.