Logistics

I found out about the dates of my trip last Thursday.  After a few hours of just plain freaking out -- I took stock of the things I needed to accomplish in the following ten days:  plan a trip to Russia!! - complete with buying a plane ticket, renting an apartment in Moscow, getting a Russian visa, amassing a significant amount of cash in crisp new bills to take with me, get additional paperwork ready , and get organized at work for my departure.  I also had all the pictures and medical info I received on Peri sent to an international adoption medicine specialist to review.  (Cardinal Glennon hospital in STL has one of the best international medicine clinics in the country -- I am very fortunate with that.  They specialize in kids adopted internationally -- the various health concerns from different parts of the worlds, dealing with developmental delays, behavioral problems etc.).  So a little less than three days before departure -- I have a plane ticket (thanks Nicole for taking care of it!!), I think I have an apartment .... I guess we'll see when I get there.  According to the agency I booked it through (my adoption agency recommended them) -- it's a few minutes walk from the Red Square, in an old style apartment building that used to house Communist party officials .... should be interesting.  My bank is working on getting the cash together.  I am frantically trying to get the documents together (little puzzling why I was told about needing them the week I am supposed to leave...).  Real stress is the Russian visa -- it normally takes 2 weeks to get, I didn't have that kind of time, so had to go to some service that expedites them.  After a phonecall with a guy who sounded decidedly Russian -- I fed-exed off my passport, and money order to New York -- and I am hoping it will magically come back to me with a Russian visa by Friday.  If not .... well, that's a big problem.
It's snowing in Moscow, and supposed to be snowing all next week -- so I am packing for winter.