Day 2 - Getting settled

So today, we got up at 10:30; we were soooo tired.  We knew we had to try and locate mom.  From e-mails from last night we thought she might be arriving in LT today at 13:40.

So Peg made some breakfast.  She cooked up some eggs and heated some meat that looks like salami, it wasn't, but it was good.  We had also bought some bread so we made "breakfast" sandwiches.  We got ready to go to the airport and find mom.

Where ever we go, we call Elona.  She contacts the takis for us and tells them where we need to go.  So she called and minutes later it was there.

So while at the airport, the plane has already landed, but we don't see mom.  After about a half an hour later she walks out with an airport employee; her bag has also been misplaced.  She gives us a big hug, and tells us what has happened to her.  This is an e-mail she wrote to her friends and family.

Dear Friends  Family,

We are finally here to adopt Akvile.  It was a disaster getting here.  Ginny took me to Cleveland and stayed with me until it was time to check in to board.  Then the fun begins.The plane was delayed and then they told us to board and then they kept us on board for a couple hours because there were problems with snow in Newark and there were too many planes in the air so they waited for a release to say we could fly.  The trip itself was 1 hr & 10 min.Whoo Hoo!  Now I in Newark New Jersey.The first flight time was to be like 2:00 and then after numerous delays, we finally board for a departure time of 11:55 PM.  When we are all on board, the Captain (a woman) gets on the mike and tells us she has been in the air and now scheduled for too many hours, so she said it was against regulations and she must walk off  the plane.,  She said for us not  to disembark, as they would try to find a pilot who has not flown too many hours that day.  About twenty minutes later, they announce that all pilots are tapped out and we need to disembark, as we will not be flying that night.  We would have to find a comfortable spot to rest in the airport as there are not hotels available.  So about a half hour later, they brought out oranges, apples, orange juice and cookies and mini pretzels for us to eat if we were hungry.  Oh, I forgot to mention that one of the delays was because thay needed the plane fixed.  Things didn't look good, so they had switched us to another terminal to board.  Then they finally  called us to come back to the first terminal because the plane had been repaired.  The next day we were to fly to Frankfurt at 10:30.  They had another flight going to Frankfurt at 9:30.  I kind  of knew they wouldn't do two in an hour. And they didn't.  It was rescheduled  for 5:30.   I decided To check  at the Continental terminal to see that all was OK and was advised that I would have to reschedule flights, as there would not be a connecting flight to Vilnius, Lithuania.  So I went to Copenhagen and then went to Vilnius by Scandanavian Airways.  Only I more hitch no suitcases.  Wayne & Peggy didn't get theirs either.  Theirs are in Detroit.  Only God knows where mine is, we haven't found out yet. I should fly  home on Feb 17th.  I hope it only takes 2 days instead of 3.

So we call Elona to be picked up to head back to the apartment.  We get back, get mom situated and then Peg and I (mom didn't want to go) head out to "Akropolis" (http://www.akropolis.lt/akropolis-vilnius).  This is a huge 150 shopping mall with a very large supermarket (Super Wal-Mart is what I am calling it).  We go through the aisles trying to decifer the LT language and get what we needed.  The interesting thing is they do not bag your groceries and they charge you for the "plastic bags."  So once again we call Elona and she calls a takis for us; and we head back to the apartment.

So we decided to have spaghetti with ground meat in the sauce for dinner.  We checked the package to our dictionary to make sure it actually was "ground beef", which we were in luck; it was.  This is the pictures that Peg took.

So after dinner me and Peg went out to the ATM and the little grocery store because we forgot a couple of things at Super Wal-Mart.  Peggy snapped a couple of pictures.

Sorry some are a little blurry, because we had a "bum" following us begging for money.

This is a view of the apartment.  We are on the second floor, behind this tree, the 4 windows are to our apartment.

I forgot to mention this earlier in the blog, but this morning as I am checking my e-mail I see an e-mail from a "Family" site that I used to go to.  Inside the e-mail states "Happy Anniversary Wayne and Peggy Griffith".  Oh, its our anniversary; I chuckle and look over at Peg and tell her "Happy Anniversary".


One last thing before I sign off for the night, Peg took some pictures of our "money".

For the picture above; the coins on the right, starting from the top

20 centu

10 centu

5 centai

2 centai

The Bills are

200 Litas

100 Litas

50 Litas

20 Litas

10 Litas

and the coin under the bills is a 5 Lita coin; no bills for a 5.

Good Night All, we are going to visit Akvila tomorrow!