and the misc stuff

Like the new fashion in boots among some people- SRW and I went out to the 'most amazing village on earth' (someday, I'll try to remember to do a post on this one- it deserves it); they sms'd the night before: It's been raining out here all day- are you coming tomorrow? Oh sure. Take bags, I advise Sharon- You can use them as boots (but I take none for myself, thinking at the last minute: Bags aren't going to cut it, Dummy). Well, let's just say that it was muddy. Very. There was no walking across the 'flats' (mentioned in that other post) for sure- in fact, there is more water there right now than I think I've ever seen. It's been a wet spring so far- which is good, actually.

This other pic? Well, folks, that is a shot of one of the more wonderful things to come down the Ukr Pike in years.

See, it used to be cause for celebration (and mental post-it notes) if you found any place that sold anything but instant hot coffee anywhere; then various cafes started serving espresso- but not necessarily anywhere within reach of the bus or train station you were currently hanging out in. Fast forward to sometime in the last year or 2. These coffee dispensing machines are everywhere- and especially in bus and train stations. Most of them are NesCafe; yesterday I saw this one- it was, hahahaha Out of Order- but no matter. Why? My travel day started in the Odessa bus station (which is a nightmare of reconstruction and remodeling right now, if you care to know). There were 3 coffee machines side by side there: NesCafe, Jacobs and LaVazza. I got mine from the LaVazza... why not? And you know what? It's good coffee, folks. You can choose Strong Coffee, Strong Coffee with milk, Double shot Strong Coffee, Espresso, Lots of sugar, No sugar, A little sugar... it just goes on and on. And they're everywhere. I remember the long ride between Odessa and Kherson with Linda- and her solemnly taking me to a special spot inside the Mykolayiv bus station and making sure I knew where to find the lady who'd set up shop there with an espresso maker, table and cash-box. That was astounding and wonderful and unmissable. I mean, I would have made that trip just to stop at her table... (come to think of it, she's proly been put out of business by these wonderful machines).

And- a really important question. I've now discovered Sharon A's stashes of: Popcorn, Pesto, Parmesan cheese and WI Maple Syrup. Do I-
a) decide that her presence is my conscience (therefore it's completely missing right now) and consume, devour, obliterate it all with joyful wild abandon
OR
b) dutifully leave it right where I found it, knowing that my conscience really does reside with me all the time and these things are best enjoyed with a friend and fellow-connoisseur of good food
???????
sigghhhhhhhhhhhhhh