today we got lyala's applications sent off to yale and duke! she has been working on them, including the 3 essays she had to write for each, for over a month now. this weekend we are going backpacking for three days in the carpathian mountains. i am leading a trip of three newbies. should be fun, i hope they can hack it. we might hike up a 2 kilometer high mountain if the weather is good! i have been getting gear together for days now, i cant wait! here's a picture of the newbies(lyala, ola, and sergey):


well it is officially fall here, as far as the weather goes. we are in a drought, which is uncommon for this area from what i hear, but it is getting pretty cold at night, like down to around 5C.

lyala's birthday is also coming up soon. oct 16 and she will be a quarter of a century. we are thinking of having a halloween party here, in the US fashion, since they don't really celebrate it here.

i am planning to start an artsey picture blog, for my art fag/faghag friends to critique what i think is my stab at art. but this is not it, just some random pics.
this is kiev's "golden gate" it is a reproduction built on original pieces of the 10th century gate to the city. it has been under renovation for about a decade now, you know government work.

some ukrainian wh-- er -- women