Bowling

We woke at 7:00 and I threw some laundry in and got in the shower. I blogged on Kevin's computer while he got ready and we walked up to the Intourist Hotel. It wasn't quite 9:00am but John was waiting for us in a taxi cab. We went to his apartment, a 5th floor walk-up (no elevator). Evelyn was there preparing the most marvelous breakfast. Their apartment was beautiful. They apparently had bought it because they had made a 10 year commitment in the Ukraine, and they had remodled it completely. The kitchen alone was a thing of beauty, gas stove, lovely cabinetry, center island, coffee maker, and lo and behold, a dishwasher! There was a guest bedroom and a large master bedroom, open floor plan with living/dining areas off the kitchen. But in the bathroom was something that you will not see in all of Ukraine....a clothes dryer. We had a wonderful time eating and sharing Ukrainian adventures. When we were done, Evelyn walked us back to Lenin Street where we stopped in at the Coffee Life (Coffee As Life Style) to blog for a bit. We went home, rested for 20 minutes and headed out to the orphanage.

We got there just after 2:00 and everyone was there. Kai was wired. He was so excited about our outing that he was doing flips off an old tire in the playground with some other boys (I have video). We went to the store for snacks and then left to get the bus by 2:45. We took 2 buses and got there by 3:30. The bowling alley was on the 3rd floor of a mall. The mall was very upscale and expensive. No one was there and it was a Saturday! The bowling alley was busy but not crowded. It was clean, modern and very nice. They give you socks that look brand new when you get your bowling shoes. They hold your shoes in plastic shoe boxes that the bowling shoes were in. What a nice idea. They also take your names at the desk and program the score board for you.

We got 2 lanes for 2 hours. The six boys played on lane 16 and the grown-ups were on #15. I think there were only 16 lanes in the whole place. There were pool tables and a restaurant/bar area, too. The lanes were smooth and fast, the balls in good condition. I have bowled in worse places by far. The boys were so funny. All 6 of them crowded onto the bowling platform and they grabbed all the balls, even when it wasn't their turn. When one kid was bowling, the others were all in their way, but no one seemed to mind. It was like watching "Committee Bowling". They were all in each other's business. It was hysterical.

Meanwhile, Marina's husband Big Dan was bowling for the first time in his life. He got better as the afternoon progressed. Marina was useless, but managed to get a few random strikes amid her gutter balls. Jessica made a weak attempt to support the American contingency and left-handed Anya held her own. She daintly rolled the ball until it gently kissed the pins, and they politely fell down for her. Kevin attacked the pins until they cowered before him, but the real star was yours truely. Yes, I have to admit it, I was hot. I smoked everyone the first game with a respectable score of 164. Kevin was second with 107. The second game is when Kevin usually comes alive, and he didn't disappoint. He came in with 165 to my 148. We didn't get to finish the 3rd game before our 2 hours were up, but I was smokin' again and had Kevin by a respectable lead. Since they add all your scores together, I was the undisputed champion. I can give autographs when we get back.

Meanwhile, the boys were duking it out next to us. Sergei was the best and most consistant bowler. He posted in the 120's, but Andrei came out of no where and gave him a run for his money. Ludwig sucked but was a real good sport. The others all hung around in the 70's or 80's, bowling inconsistantly. We ordered 2 pizzas and 2 liters of orange juice and the boys hung in there. (They conveniently left all the snacks in the classroom at the orphanage, but we wouldn't have been able to bring them in anyway. Everything had to be left at the coat check.)

The bowling for 12 people for 2 hours, shoes and pizza with OJ came to about $70 total. What a bargain! I know for a fact that we've paid almost twice that for bowling alone for 9 people in Williamsburg. Jessica, Kevin, Kai and I discussed plans for tomorrow as time was running out. We decided that we would go to Calvary Chapel with Jessica again because John and Evelyn wanted to go with us. Then, in the afternoon, we would go and get Kai and head back toward our neck of the woods for an afternoon meal and to hang out at the apartment. Then take him back in the evening. It will be good to have some alone time (relatively speaking) with him. Perhaps we will go to the Mustang restaurant. I think he would like that.

I gave Anya bus fare home and she, Jessica, and the boys left to return to the orphanage. Marina, Big Dan, Kevin and I went to find that Ukrainian buffet that I had gone to with Victor. It was nearby, but it was closed. Marina was a "local" so she said she knew of a good Ukrianian buffet style place about 10 minutes walk from there. We found it and the food was good and inexpensive. We all had salads, steak, and potatoes. We talked about Ukrain and some current events including the terrorist attacks in Moscow and the Polish president and wife dying in a plane crash. Unbelieveable!

After dinner, we all caught a bus right outside the restaurant and rode home. Kevin and I got off before Marina and Big Dan and we were home before 7:30. What a great day! We relaxed, watched some video/TV and went to bed. I'm tired but happy. Today was really fun and the best part is that I had the energy to do it all. Plus I rocked at bowling!