Mommy Trauma!

Another 7 hours to get from Iasi to the Black Sea. Or as Kevin puts it, from a Ramada Inn to a whatever. Oddly, they have begun to measure every hotel in Internet access. So the Ramada Inn was only average compared to the Tulip Inn which had killer high speed wireless. The Black Sea hotel (not its real name because of the Witness Protection Program) is rather archaic: it has only 1 20 foot phone cable that the team has to share...fortunately my adorable husband, who packs for everything, including Armageddon, packed an extra one. He and Meghan are Free.

Stressful Side Note: As a result of 7 hours driving over a washboard...or it could be some bad chicken, several folks...Kev and Megh included...have "unhappy" tummies. I don't know the extent of the "unhappiness" but the fact that they are there and not here where I, as Mama of the Universe can't take care of them is causing me a great deal of angst and trauma...and of course you know it's all about ME! ACK! *curls up into a fetal position to pray and/or worry*

Craig (from L.A.) has apparently been instrumental in helping pass the miles. He will regularly burst into a (generally 1970's) song...sometimes with the real words or sometimes updated to fit their current circumstances. He and the others are continually astonished that Megh not only knows the song, but knows the right words to the song and the artist as well. I keep telling people that we at Bryan Homeschooling Academy focus on nothing but the Classics...but no one has believed me...until now! YES!

Project Update: Their time in Iasi was sobering...it was where Sabina Wurmbrand's family and 13,000 others were killed in 3 days. For you Math nerds (like my husband) that works out to be 4 1/2 people murdered every minute. In one alleyway so many Jews were shot the blood ran ankle deep. In Iasi there used to be 37 synagogues...Now there is 1. 70,000 Jews were reduced to less than 20,000 in a few years. I'm reading a book entitled "Night" by Elie Wiesel (Suggested by Tyler Danyla...Thanks!). He was a Jew in Sighet (one of the places the team unknowingly visited) and he ended up in Auschwitz during the Final Solution...the only one of his family of 6 to survive.

A few cultural notes:
Their ketchup is runny and pitiful compared to Hunt's or Heintz. It's Sad Ketchup according to Megh.

Today they had the coldest cokes EVAH...or at least all week. Kev thinks they actually put them in the fridge this time! They don't serve ice with their soft drinks...ice is one of the easiest ways of getting sick...so the cokes come out in whatever state they were stored in. Today it was the fridge! And We Are Thankful Even For This!

Their driver got a ticket from the Lone Romanian Highway Patrolman. Everyone speeds, but their poor driver got the attention today.

Their translator and driver (although they met only to do this gig) argue and bicker like old married folks (or worse.) She (the translator) now refers to him (the driver) as her "husband" because the team has picked on her about their antagonistic communication styles. The translator is also picking up on the aspect of American slang known as Sarcasm. For example, Shane, even though they have 6 hours to go has decided to ask her every few minutes "how much farther"? She in turn responds, "20 more minutes." And then to Cassie, "That's what he wanted to hear, isn't it?" It makes them laugh...because road-weary delirium has set in. Soon they will be wanting to house-sit a giant hotel through a horrible winter is coming that will make them unable to leave...and...never mind!

It's Not All Fun And Games...Sometimes There's An Angry Tummy at: marcyjoybryan@gmail.comn