A sunny day at last

I was going to change money when what should I encounter but a Kazakh kitty - very thick fur - he was strolling about in the snow as if cats always like to traverse the white stuff. There are all manner of stray dogs and cats here; Valentin the interpreter said there is no such thing here as an animal pound. How these poor creatures survive the winter, I have no idea, but they do. One of my daily activities is to gather the bread left over from my breakfast and feed the pigeons in the nearby park.
Veeka has been feeling sick the past few days, so she has sniffled a lot and coughed. Today she didn't want to play at all; just wanted to suck on a baby bottle full of apple juice, then fall asleep in my arms. Which was kind of sweet. I, by the way, have been completely well since I came - haven't gotten sick a'tall.
I ate last night at an Italian place; the folks here have no concept of service with a smile. It's not as bad as the old USSR, but the concept of being pleasant just doesn't exist here. Someone was saying yesterday it's the idea of the nail whose head rises above the rest tends to get hammered; thus everyone here just tries to slink into the background and not stand out.
I just paid my hotel for another 2 weeks. Our first 15 days of visits is up tomorrow (Saturday). Our court date is next Thursday and then we have to stick around for another 2 weeks until the judge signs the adoption order, hopefully on Feb. 9. We will then leave for Almaty either that day or the next. I'd like to think I could get home by Feb. 16th or so...we shall see.