Codeblue009

We joined a great little gun club here, Sportsman Club of Franklin County which charges only $50 per year and gives you a key to the place so you can shoot anytime you want. They have indoor, outdoor, trap and skeet ranges and archery ranges. They get a pretty good crowd on weekends and have leagues and competitions, but during the week, you are mostly on your own, or they may be a few others there. Plus it is FREE except for targets ($3 per round for skeet, honor system, bring your own for the others)

We often go shooting on Wednesdays but the summer skeet leagues are over. I had to go to work today for a few hours and when I got home, Alla was not home. "Hmmm, probably shopping"

A little while later she comes in the door taking off her shoes and cradling her favorite rifle, the Winchester M52b with Burris 2.5x scope in the crook of her arm

"Where were you?"

I went shooting

"By yourself"

Da, I have a key too you know, it is a family membership. I KNOW how to shoot.

"Uh, yeah, was anyone else there?"

No just me, I shot at 50 meters. Will you clean my rifle?

"uh, yeah sure"

I want to put it in my office, can I keep it in my office? It is really a good looking rifle.

"uh, yeah sure"

I love shooting, I wanted to go shooting today, so what?

"Nothing, Cool. You know now you are driving around in your own car with a rifle on the backseat, so you are kind of Americanized"

Not really, look at my shoes.

Yep...high heels.

Incidentally she brought home her targets and you do not want her shooting at you! Good rifle.

You know the last few months in Kiev the advertisement for guns and sporting activities features predominately women. It appears that women make up a significant portion (market)of gun ownership and they definitely like to go shooting. Probably thinking about some cheating RUB husband or boyfriend? I got to say after watching all the beautiful Ukrainian women in these advertisement, it made me want to go shooting also.

Two minor corrections. Alla is a positive model for women, not just RUB women. I agree she is an exceptional woman. Lucky me. They are our boys. Seeing it any other way will result in failure.

So far I am 2 for 4. Number 3 and 4 well on their way. Thankfully they do not have a male role model that lays around drunk and beats his wife and children.

I do not see how the above has anything to do with who a woman considers number 1, husband or children. I always assume a woman makes children number 1.

Also I do not see how a woman who is strict would lead to some sort of uberpussy man. Counter-intutitive to me. Expecting them to do their job and not accepting less than what you know they are capable of makes them "soft" ???

What do these boys see? A man that does all he can for his family and is not violent, drunk, doesn't whine about sh*t, just handles it. I have even gone through all our bills with them, how to balance their checkbooks, use their funds to their best advantage, do their own tax returns etc. In other words they KNOW that the lights do not just "turn on" when they flip the switch, that someone (that would be the adults who care for them) actually works and deposit money to an account to pay the bill. While WE provide for their needs the way adults should do for children, THEY provide for their "wants" with their own earnings and we make no apologies about it. But for socks and underwear they pay for their own clothes for the most part. We Do buy them things like coats they need for winter, but hey, you want a bunch of "cool clothes"? Get a job!

We also pay for a few other things we want them to do. We buy a season pass for the family for skiing and we pay for Pashas ski club membership at school which includes a bus ride every Friday night to the ski resort. For one thing we WANT him to have this physical activity, it is great exercise, cheap actually. Costs us less than $200 for a season lift ticket and transportation for a 4 month ski season. 50 bucks a month for a good activity to help him be strong and active? Good deal if you ask me. PLUS he gets excellent grades in school and does his job. I have no problem with rewards for doing a good job, it is how the world works. I get bonuses when I do a good job, why not them? If they slacked off and did not do well and we still did this for them, then they would be spoiled. In this case they have EARNED something. I assure you, if Pasha's grades slip he will not be going skiing. We have also paid extra (but not much) to get him in the "outdoors Adventure Program" at school, This is a special PE class that costs extra but they teach them kayaking,(the school is right on lake Champlain) rock climbing, rope climbing (ropes strung throughout the woods behind the school) mountain biking, orienteering, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, plus things like "stormboarding" riding a snowboard on the frozen lake with a parachute! It is incredible! All good activities and teaches him things he can enjoy for many years.

That is the way my parents raised me and it worked! Gary has the right of it and it is a good model for men to follow. Respect your wife, children, family and yourself and lead a positive and fostering enviroment. Mentor and educate your chidlren and support your wife. Sounds like a good marriage to me.

Hard-headed? Absolutely.

But let's not forget intolerant and temperamental!

Oh yeah... and jealous... I could probably think of a few more...

Ditto!!!!!! Just remember that you do not understand and never will and they are always right and you are always wrong. Even when you are right and they see it, you get that look like so what I am still right and you were lucky! For me in one ear and out the other and I smile a lot, as to not get upset. Not worth it in my opinion.

Congratulations!!!!!! Good luck to you both and Happy New Year!!!!!!!

200 degrees CELSIUS

Ahhhhh...Thanks, now I feel like A DURAK!!!!

She doesn't do toilets and she does not do "man's work" Man's work is anything done with a "greasy machine" (lawn mower, chain saw, weedwhacker, etc) or anything which is "heavy lifting" or "dirty" So trash, moving furniture (she will wash the windows but you have to move the sofa out of the way) She does not "fix" anything...man's job. Light bulbs, change furnace filter, unclog toilets, broken handle on the pots and pans, hanging pictures and curtain rods...all man's work.

She does not clean her own rifle! Hoppe's number 9 is not her favortie fragrance.

Also she would accept assistance on anything but I have to be supervised because men generally cannot do these things properly because it is not in our nature and this knowledge is way above us...except for toilets

Got a lesson on being supervised. Jenia was watching me cook for New Year's eve (I'm in Donetesk now, less than two hours for New Years!!! See Gary, I actually got here finally :-))She was telling me I could cook this way and that. I wanted to oven to reach 350 degrees and was told, "are you crazy!!!!!!" The oven only goes to 200. :-) Now how do you cook a proper salmon on 200? Very slowly!!!!! :-) Anyway, it is good getting to know each other domestically.

Sorry I've been away from the boards for awhile, but at least I've been making my time very useful!!! Been to Ukraine 6 times the last 6 months. :-) Every fourth weekend I come here. I love this country!!!! Oh... Of course the beautiful women make this sacrifice ll worth it!!!!;-)

Tbone...sorry for the reference about New Yorkers moving to Texas.

I also moved from Brooklyn, New York to Texas. Well....my parents moved and I was forced to follow.

I have now got to meet some of them! HOLY #######! All I can say is Kip would go stark raving mad! These girls are 16 and 17 and if they told me they were 22 I would not ask for ID. It is crazy! Still, not that I am attracted myself, I would be more interested in their mothers (if I was in that market) but HOLY #######! How will we ever get him to go back? Oh yeah, I forgot, the only way he can afford all this crumpet is with a job paying American wages.

Alla has the typical Ukrainian mother reaction.... I have the typical father reaction...

Not with a RUB woman! (just ask the ABC American/British/Canadian women and they will tell you how subservient RUB women are) The more upset they get, the quieter WE get! That is why you have to have a woodshop, or go shooting or some other hobby.

Truer words have never been spoken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saakashvili on Fighting 'Russian-Planted Slave Mentality'Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 21 Jul.'11 / 02:42

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TV grabs showing (left) Saakashvili in Sarpi, Adjara Autonomous Republic, where he dived, just after skiing (right) in mountainous region of Svaneti on July 19. "After skiing at about 4,000 meters from sea [level], we are now diving - in which country else can one do that?" Saakashvili said. President Saakashvili said that major development projects in Batumi and other parts of the country was contributing to destruction of "slave mentality", which Russia was planting for years to make Georgians believe that they are losers.

Saakashvili made the remarks while speaking at a ceremony of opening Radisson Blu hotel in Georgia's Black Sea resort of Batumi on July 20.

"Today is a historic day for this city and a very important day for Georgia's most important sector - tourism." he said. "Not only an architectural masterpiece is being opened here, but, what is the most important, something that will really turn into a symbol of Georgia's success, Georgia's development and Georgia's better future."

He said the new Radisson hotel in Batumi would be followed by other international brands like Holiday Inn, Kempinski, Novotel, Hilton, Conrad, Ritz-Carlton and others.

"I am saying this for those, who do not believe, that it is possible to do it in Georgia and for those who do not believe, that Georgia is really a special country," he said.

Saakashvili said that skeptics, who do not believe that it would be possible to turn Batumi or other places in Georgia into European standard resorts, "are classical archetypes of a slave created by Russia in Georgia."

Saakashvili said that this "slave mentality", involving a wrong notion as if Georgians "are the most retarded and losers" was "planted into our brains" for hundreds of years by Russia. He said construction and major facelift process ongoing in Georgia was now destroying this mentality.

"By the way I was in Nice [France] few days ago for a business meeting and I want to tell you, that even already today Batumi with number of components - public spaces, cultural centers, green space... is better then Nice and in two-three years it [batumi] will be better than Nice and Cannes with all the other parameters too," Saakashvili said.

He said that population in Batumi would increase to 200,000 by early next year and to 500,000 by 2015. Currently about 124,000 people live in Batumi, according to the state statistics office.

"My goal is to make all these developments irreversible," Saakashvili said.

"The country, whose territory's 20% is occupied, the country which is threatened every day... has turned into an example of the most dynamic development and reforms in the world. It happens because the government is not stealing, not a single minister, thier deputies or gamgebeli [head of the provincial districts] are corrupt... and if there is still someone who is [corrupt], we will find a proper place for them," he said.

I like it!!!! That means soon I will be able to get my Tvilisi Georgian wine here in Houston. Ohhhh....that's not good, because that is my excuse why I go to Ukraine!!!!! Heaven forbid it is because of the beautiful women!!!

Reporting from far East Ukraine. The people here say "divide what you hear by 1000 to receive the truth" That's about it.

They have much more to say about Obama...

Roughly translated

"The earthquake moved Washington DC 10cm closer to Moscow, But Obama is trying to do better"

"Obama was happy when he heard the magnitude of the quake, 5.8, thinking it was his popularity numbers"

"the earthquake caused Senator John Kerry to drop a martini on his foot and he is asking for another purple heart"

Amazing, if you ask Americans if they have heard of Yulia Tymoshenko...

They are also having great fun with the news that Ghadafi was all hot for Condoleeza Rice (Condi Rice is not popular in east Ukraine, she was a big supporter of Yushenko and was seen as an instigator)Some of the things I will not repeat here for fear of an American/British/Canadian (we should call them the ABC countries) invasion of our forum. Suffice to say it loosely (or not so loosely) connects this type with the type of men American women attract.

The weather is great right now, there are 48 million super hot women in high heels outside (possible slight exagerration) and Alla wants to go for a walk! Wear are my sunglasses?

Ahhhhh... a walk is what they call it???? I always thought it was window shopping! Gary, make sure you behave!

My parents went back to Russia yesterday and they really missed home all the time they've been here. The hardest thing for them was not being able to talk to anybody, they always needed my help. They also missed Russian food a lot, one day we all went to a Russian store, but still... They've seen lots of beautiful places though, that's good. They had fun at the wedding, which is also good (yep, I'm a wife now ).

Congratulations!!!!!!

Well Gary, enjoy your time in the land of milk and honey!!!! I plan on going back in October. This time I might be visiting Donetsk. Oh, stop at any sports store and get the EuroCup 2012 shirt. They already have them on sale. Addidas is a little pricey, but they are selling the same shirt at the markets. I am thinking about going to EuroCup in Odessa next year.

16 is legal here in Alaska....just sayin is all.

there seems to be more emphasis on hitting one another in the balls than giving people wedgies, from what I have observed.

Damn!!!!! I remember those days in college!!! Guys still do that? What do they think, it's a form of birth control?

I think GG stands for "good god"

My kind of woman!!!!!

Thanks. By the by, my name is actually Pat.

Thanks for the information. There are no direct flights to Mexico from Kiev. Plus, I want her to come through Houston so we can fly there together. Thanks about the consulate information. I still wonder if it will be difficult to get a transfer visa from the U.S. consulate, especially if they allow a 29 day stay in U.S.

Hello All,

I need some help with obtaining a Mexican visa for my Ukrainian girlfriend. Ok here is what I know.

She has never traveled outside Ukraine (not good); She is currently not working (yeah, not good); There are travel agencies I know we can use in Ukraine who can arrange such a trip, but it will cost more than if I did it myself. I know she doesn't need a visa for Cuba or Dominican Republic, but it would be beneficial to me for her to be in Mexico (selfish reasons-need to be close to work, cost to go to Mexico, and flight convienence).

So I am thinking if I purchase the plane tickets and the hotel for her, do you think the Mexican consulate in Kiev would grant her a visa? If not, please give me some ideas. I already know about the travel agencies in Ukraine and I kind of wish to avoid them. Ohhh...before I forget, I will have her transfer in Houston, Texas and I will board the plane in Houston with her. Do you think she needs a transfer visa from U.S. for this? She will have to go through customs at POE to connect to her flight. If so, how do we get that one? Thanks in advance for all your help.

I'm no expert on divorce, especially concerning annulments, but as I stated before, many states require a 6-month or 1-year period of separation before granting a divorce. Not sure about overseas but I'm guessing no waiting periods.

Anybody know more about waiting periods?

It does vary from state to state, but the work still needs to be accomplished. For example, Texas requires a 90 day period and other countries vary also. I believe the point of this was to give our opinion on the best way to proceed, with respect to the OP. I believe there was concurrence with the fact he needs to pursue initiating a divorce, and/or annulment if he legally qualifies. The road is not simple, but the work still needs to be done.

That is not true. The USA recognises foreign marriages, no need to register the marriage separately in the USA- plus they know about his marriage because of the visa petition. So he is married in the eyes of the US government. He needs a divorce, even if he never marries any foreigner again.

Agreed!!!! Remember if you had a civil marriage in Ukraine it is legally binding in the U.S.A. Now about divorce proceeding in the U.S. You can file for divorce here, but there is a catch. One must serve her (service of process)the divorce motion documents at her current residence. Reason being, the judge will not approve a divorce without giving her the opportunity to contest the divorce. You must retain all evidence of your (or your servicer in Ukraine or Russia) attempting to serve her. If sucessful, make sure it is legally notorize in the country you serve her. Then bring it back with you on the day you go to court and explain to the judge the circumstances. Have all the immigration documents you have ever filed with you for the judge to look at. Note: You may have the ability to prove fraud and get an annulment, based on the fact she may have misled you to thinking she would be living with you as man and wife in U.S.A. If she does not appear in court or request a continuance by the prescribed court date, the judge may grant you a divorce or annulment, or he may allow additional time to pass before rendering a decision. Also, it would be beneficial to show the court that she has no intentions of coming to U.S.

I hope some of this information helps you. You should definitely get a divorce or annulment. Make the attempt on your own if you need to, but do it and keep all records of your attempt. Good Luck!!!!!

Congratulations!! Ukraine lost another beautiful Ukrainian woman!

Yeah, but that's the thing with Ukraine. Take one beautiful woman away, and there is millions more to choose from!!!!!

As of today, she's officially an American! Just want to say thank you to all the VJers and especially the RUB forum for helping me keep my sanity (mostly) throughout this process! Oleksandra's VisaJourney is finally done! Now her mother's is just about to begin!

Congratulations!!!!!

So, I arrived yesterday, Voronezh-Moscow-Vienna-Washington DC, it was a long trip!

I came with my parents, everything went fine, except that, for some reason, they decided to make me go through additional security check before boarding in Vienna (me only, my parents went through the standard procedure). The POE was easy and relatively fast - it took us approximately 40 min. to go through. Then about an hour and a half ride and welcome home!

I guess, now I'm going to spend a lot less time online, especially since the wedding is August 20th. Everything is pretty much prepared for it, just need to work on some minor details.

Congratulations and welcome back. Forgive the first reply. I'm stuck at the Airport in Frankfurt coming back also.

Congratulations and welcome to the USA!

Congratulations and welcome back!!!!