(no subject)

Well its been quite a day already. I woke up this morning to find out that I am definitely not preggers - hurrah! I need to really learn to wait until CD-30 to start worrying, since today is indeed CD-30. I was never this happy to menstruate while I was on the pill. I'm sure in a while I'll have more confidence in the sympto-thermal method, but for now, even though I never have unprotected sex anywhere near ovulation, I still feel freaked out when my luteal phase seems too long.

In other news, my lil bro apparently got caught throwing a party at the empty house of the people he was pet sitting for. My folks found out about it and have made him give the money back that he earned for pet sitting and are postponing his driving test. My mom asked me for input because she's feeling helpless and worried about lies and integrity and basically how to make sure that K, the little bro, will be a good person as an adult (I think every parent worries about this). Anyway behind the majic cut tag is my long winded response to her - I'm not sure it was a good one, but for some reason I want to hang on to it. ( Read more... )

(no subject)

R and I had a dodgy experience this morning. People in police uniforms knocked on our door this morning asking to come in and do an "inspection." I have heard of this happening before, infact it happened to one of our other american friends just yesterday. After a knock on the door (which was remarkably weak, expecially for the police) R looked through the peep hole and saw that it was people in police uniforms and told me to go deal with it. I asked them what they wanted (in Russian) and they waved a folder at me (but no identitfication) and said they needed to do an inspection. I wasn't buying it so I said that the landlord wasn't there and that I was going to call her. They asked for the last name of the landlord and I said "just a minute, I'm calling her." The landlord didn't pick up the phone but by the time I went back to the door they had gone. It was a very mild experience, all things considered, but rattled my nerves a little. I've spent much of today calling our friend who had this happen yesterday, the Embassy, ACCELS, and am still trying to reach our landlord. I'm very grateful that R is here with me, and hopefully all will be okay. Still I find it very possible that we are being specifically targeted, because they did the same thing to my friend yesterday and she lives on the other side of Tashkent. I also spoke with my neighbor and she said that noone knocked on her door today and gave me the normal advice of not opening the door for anyone.

At the embassy I found out the specific protocol incase the actual police come knocking. I still don't have to open the door, I can ask for their name, badge number, and regiment and then call the Embassy and they will double check that the inspection is legit. Also I have the right to request an official letter be slid under the door explaining the exact nature of the need for inspection.

So I'm a little freaked out, but am glad that this has enabled me to learn what the specific policy is for this kind of situtation.

Just wanted to keep you all informed, please don't worry - I really am safe here - the embassy would have sent someone over if they thought I was in real danger.