Spring in 10 Days!

yesterday, the weather being deceivingly beautiful, i was walking around the center of kyiv in not quite enough clothing.  i stopped at a little stand that sold gloves, hats, scarves, and bought a pair of gloves.  i know, late in the winter, but still, the hands were so cold, and i had forgotten my other pair.

the man there told me there was 10 more days of colder weather, and then spring would come.

i had to laugh because earlier that day, we had more snow, and the almost bare pavement turned once again from snow to slush to ice to snow on ice, making it a bit more treacherous. 

on the flip side,
Last night we had a bit of fun.
lance, sasha, and i were walking home from mc donalds where we had a very healthy family dinner.  when one rather scrawny looking boy kind of started trash talking us...first americans, then sasha, then lance as "4-eyes".  lance told me and sasha to just walk ahead, which we did, all the while looking back.  and at first, the kid was pushing up against lance, trying to get him to fight.  and then, after awhile, they were hugging and having a great ol' conversation about who knows what.  by the end of it all, the boy came back up to me and sasha and apologized for his rude comments, and gave lance one of the bottles of beer which he'd been carrying.    we all parted amicably, lance with a new best friend.