Story #10

 Tenth story

It won't be story, I will just tell you about my daily routine. I try to use these words and senteces when I do this. It is a little brain exercise, I hope this will help me switch to English faster during conversations.

I wake up around seven am, but I open my eyes at half past six. It is strange, because in the summer I wake up at eight am and open my eyes at half past seven without an alarm clock. I think my body lives in a +3 hour time zone or it has a psychological setting to wake up at this time depending on the season. I get up, put my phone and headphones on charge, and then go to bathroom. I take a toothbrush,  squeeze out some toothpaste and brush my teeth. I wash my face and dry it with a towel, comb my hair and use deodorant.

 After that I put on my jacket, rubber boots and go outside with my dog. Now in the mornings the grass is covered in dew. That's why I have to wear rubber boots. First, I walk several times from the gate to the end of the yard along the fence,  which is about 90 meters, while my dog walks. Usually sunny and warm, sometimes cloudy and cold. Spruce, pomegranate, fig, pear, apple and orange trees grow here. The orange tree is very young. It's only a meter tall, but there already has five oranges.  

I hear birds. In autumn these are usually titmouse, robin, magpie and sparrows. After the walk I start training my dog. This is important for maintaining both its body and brain in shape. We learn new commands and tricks. Recently he has learned to pass through six poles like a snake with me standing at the end of line. After training we play with a rubber ring, it's one of his favorite toys. The walk lasts 40-60 minutes. It's important that I go for a walk without my phone.

So, after walk I take a pill and go do my morning exercise. It's difficult now, since the working day in St.Petersburg has already begun and sometimes I get distracted. If no one distracts me, then I spend 30-40 minutes on my exercises.

I go to the kitchen and have breakfast. For breakfast I eat wheat porridge and drink a cup of coffee with milk. I leave some porridge for my dog.  I take my pills after breakfast and go to my home office as if I were going to work.  A big part of my job is communicating with my clients' employees. Sometimes the user calls me and the problems solve themself.

I have a lunch about 2 p.m.. I eat soup with a sandwich and a cup of tea with cookies for dessert.  Sometimes I lie on the sofa for 30 minutes after lunch to relax. Then I go back to my mini-office and work until 6 p.m. Until 7 p.m. I can work in the basement or  in the backyard, in short, do housework.

 I have a dinner at 7 p.m. Usually I have a main course with a garnish (pasta, potatoes, rice, buckwheat) and meat, as well as a salad. Sometimes it will be dumplings with meat/potatoes or more complex dish. After dinner, I go back to the office or lie down on the sofa to relax until half past 10 p.m.  At this time I go for a walk with the dogs. Yes, now I go for a walk with two dogs in the evening. We walk for about thirty minutes and come back.

I work two more hours. Sometimes I write these stories in the last hour, or rather, I try to do it every day.  Go to the bathroom and get ready for bed. It's funny, before going to bed I brush my teeth on one leg, it is a little excersize. I go to bed at one o'clock in the morning. While I'm walking the dogs in the evening, or getting ready for bed, or doing housework, I listen to audiobooks. In general, I always try to listen to audiobooks when I don't have to strain my brain. Yes, it is not the same as reading paper books, but I don't have enough time to sit and read. Before going to bed I try to complete the English cards in Duocards, and I often fall asleep in the middle of the exercise.

Story #9

 Ninth story

There are a few more moment of my life because of which I can feel ashamed.

Our apartment had one room, a kitchen, a hallway, a toilet and a bathroom. Opposite exit of the apartment there was a door to the bathroom and a little to the right was a toilet. To the right was a corridor to the kitchen and  perpendicular to the entrance to the only room. The light switch was on the wall to the left of the bathroom entrance and to the right of the toilet. The first is the lighting of the hallway and  the second is the lighting of the bathroom,  toilet and kitchen. The light switch in the hallway had a simple mechanism and was easy to disassemble. One day, I got mad at my little sister and took this switch apart so that if anyone touched it that, the button housing would fall off. I don't remember why I did it. But when my sister came out of the bathroom, she hit the switch and got electrocuted. It was only half a second, but I didn't expect it.

One day, I got angry at my first sister and I threw a crochet hook at her. The hook got stuck in the scalp. It was scary. After that moment, I decided to control myself, it seemed to me that I could harm the people around me.

When I was in the third grade, my classmate and I got into a fight. More precisely, other classmates incited him to beat me. It's funny, I remember his last name - VinogradovI was able to throw him on the floor and stepped on him with my foot. At first, I felt pride; it was my first victory. But it was the only victory of the two real fights I've ever had.

There was a boy at school who bullied me and my sisters. I can't remember where and when, but I bought a penknife and carried it with me. One day, before gym class I was talking to him in the school locker room and he said something rude, I got angry, took out a knife and wanted to stab him in the body. He took the knife from me and left.

This note is not about shame, but rather about our values when we were children. Once upon a time i had a beautiful toy - a fox with glasses. There was a metal wire in his paws. I could bend his paws so that he would sit or stand or wave his paw. I remember that I really liked this toy. But in the second grade I took it  to school with me along with other toys and sold it. My classmate bought this toy very quickly for next to nothing. I still remember this toy, only in fragments of memories, but they are there....

 today, I saw a dream.

I and unknow person were preparing for death. We knew was our last day. Someone gave us a special injection to ease the transition to the afterlife. But my companion disappeared in the middle of the day and I realized this wasn't my last day.

Story #8

Eightht story (continuation seventh story)

Last time I told you about my sin - stealing. Until I was child everything was fine, but in adolescence this sin is repeated. It was not my desire, it was a way to express myself in a social group. If you can do it, then I can do it too. There were small things - usually cans of energy drinks, once smoked cheese. We were buying something or just walking in the hypermarket, and my friend or I would put one or two cans in our jacket pocket. I had a denim jacket with two large inside pocket. I could put up to 4 cans of energy drinks in these pockets. There were a lot of camera in  this hypermarket, but one place, near the refrigerator was in a blind spot. We used this for hide the cans. After that we would go to the playground and eat or drink our catch. It repeated few times.

It seemed like it was the same supermarket as when I was a child. We were walking, took something to еру cart, something in our pockets. At some point I felt something. I  became wary.

- I think we need to put everything back in place- I said this to my friend
- Why?
- I don't know, I feel lke something is wrong
- OK

We put the stolen items on the shelf and went to the checkout. At this moment a security guard comes up to me:

- Where are the cans?
- What are the cans?
- I saw you put some cans in the cart. Where are the cans?
- I put them back
- Show me

I showed him the shelf

- But these cans shouldn't be here. Why did you put them here?
- I decided that don't need them
- And you dropped them here???
- Yes
- Now leave your cart here and go. And I never want see your partner or you again.

He hadn't proof so he had to let us go. After that I never stole again.

Story #7

 Seventh story (shame)

Today I want to tell you about my sins. It maybe seems not matter, but everytime when I remember  it I  feel ashemed. 

I don't remember how old I was when it happened, I think it was in the second or third grade of school. There was a supermarket  10 minute from our home. A woman from the neighboring apartment worked there. They sold groceries, household goods and toys. I liked one toy - a plastic gun, I passed by the shelf several times, I really wanted it, but my parents couldn't buy it for me.... And then one day I decided to steal it... I thought it would be easy... I went to the supermarket, walked between the shelves and put the toy in my pocket. As I was leaving, a securitz guard stopped me. He took me to the service room.

- Did you know, there are cameras there?
- No
- Do you think I saw what you did?
- Yes
- What did you do?
- I stole a toy
- So what should I do with you now? Call the police, right?
- No, please, don't call the police!
- Where do you live?
- I live at number 20 Turku street, apartment 20

It was a lie, because I lived in apartment numbered higher than 70 Turku street, building 24.

- Give me your phone number, I want to talk with your parents. Do you know your home phone number?

- Yes, I know, 7825868

It was a lie, again

He dialed the phone number, it rang....  Nobody answered...

- I'll have to keep you here, until I get through to your parents!
- Please, let me go, I promise, I won't do it again!

We waited 10 or 15 minutes and he brought me out

- If I see you again, I'll call the police!

So, I went home... That day I was afreid that the neibhor would tell my parents about it. But this didn't happen. And at next day too. A week has passed. We rarely went to this supermarket, but sometimes it happend. The next time we went to that supermarket, I was very afraid that this man would stop me, call the police and tell my parents everything. But it doesn't happend. Every time we went to that supermarket I was afraid of this...

Story #6

Sixth story

We lived in an apartment building. For me, it was a large building: six entrances, nine floors, four apartment on each floor, a total of 288 apartments. In general, in childhood everything around us seems bigger than in actually is. The other day I looked at a map and I saw that my route to school, which seemed very long and difficult to me, was actually very simple and short. But in childhood it wasn't just a route, it was an adventure. Every day we looked forward to something new and exciting. For example:

September 1st. Have you noticed how cold it has gotten outside? Yesterday it was warm and sunny, but now it's not.  There is a slight chill around. Every time this day is short, and you return home happy and early. You don't have to do anything, just come to school tomorrow. And tomorrow you will come to school, and this day will be filled with the remnants of yesterday's happiness.

The corridor silence. Have you noticed, that the silence in the school corridor varies and depend on various factors? Listen it or try to remember how you felt when you leave the classroom to go to the toilet. Or when you come very early and not all the lights in the corridor are on. Or when all classes are over. These are all different silences and noises, and each of them has its own charm.

The First snow. That feeling when you wake up and see only whiteness outside window. You step  outside, and take a deep breath of the frosty air. It doesn't burn your throat, but rather leaves a plesant sensation. Everthing around is white and amazing. The snow crunches plesantly under your  boots. If you leave early, you will become a pioneer, and even if you leave late you will find a place where no one has ever been before.

The First Ice. Now, even as an adult, I can become a child if I see ice under snow. Who among you  remembers that feeling when you get a running start and push off to fly across the ice. And it doesn't matter if you fall, because you were flying and at that moment nothing exists for you.

Piece of poetry. Sometimes You have to learn a piece of poetry, it is not interesting in most cases. But there is a little worry that you think about when you go at school. Maybe you haven't learned it, or on the contrary, you are joyful, because you really want to recite this poem. While you are walking, you may not notice everything around you or everything will appear bright.

Explosion of foliage. The winter greets us with whiteness, but the fall and the spring can also delight us. The fall colors are varied and bright, you can make a bouquet or wreath of maple leaves. In spring, you suddenly see the tree crown turn green. You remember that just yesterday they were gray and empty, but today they are a riot of green.

Titmouse. I growed up in St.Petersburg. It's in the north, but not as far as the polar bear. In my  memmory titmouse's song began in the spring. You are sitting and doing a test in class, there is silence all around and unexpectedly you hear a loud and bright song. Only in this year I know that it is titmouse. This song is like a trigger telling us that summer holidays are comming soon.

Story #5

Fifth story.

 Today I want to tell you more story from my childhood.

As a child I went to the store to buy bread and was proud of myself, because I could calculate the total cost of the purchase and the change. The stall stood not far from our apartment building. At first it was a middle box with an entrance. Inside was separated section with its own walls and window, where they sold baked goods. The rest of the box sold vegetables and fruits. Then it was a small box divided into two halves: the left one for bread and buns, and the right on for fruit and vegetables. Each half had its own window for costumers. Someone would move a few meters or a few tens of meters along street. A little later the small box was replaced by a clunky old van. Since then, they sold only bakery products. The woman called Larisa worked there. She was always glad to see me. Now this stall does not exist.

 It seemed to me then that the bread was tastier than it is now. I liked to eat rye bread with butter and salt, or pieces of bread fried in a pan until crispy. Sometimes I ate white bread with sugar, for this sandwich I took a lot of sugar. Ow, You have to try this - fresh rye bread with strong, hot and sweet black tea, especially in the fall, when it rains and the leafs are fiery red. 

There was also a government building not far from our house with a store on the first floor. We rarely went  there, but I remeber that there was a stuffed owl hanging on the wall, I liked it. There we were buying frozen foods and sometimes ice cream. 

Remember how I said we had dogs and cat? Sometimes I had eat their dry food - "Chappi" for dogs and "Whiskas" for cats, especialy pillows with meat. No, we had enough food for people, too, but thought it was really tasty. Dry paste is also tasty under certain conditions.

Story #4

 Fourth story

Hi. Today I start with this word - Hi. We will tell about my first grade. It was a closed school, our parents brought us on Monday and picked us up on Friday. I remember some moment of that time:

There was a pottery workshop. I only remember plesant feelings from this room, it was warm and fluffy.

Every week, maybe on Friday evenings, there would be movies shown in the school concert hall for the good students. Once we watched Jurassic Park.

Another time we went to the school cafeteria and run on tables in the dark.

One day I went down and hid in the basement. I was scared, I saw a light in the distance.

At all, a fear of heights is one of my fears, but I don't know why I climbed onto a basketball hoop and hung there. I hung and screamed that I couldn't jump and I was scared. Soon the teacher came and helped me.

Once, when we were going home, we found 50 rubles, it was great, because our parrents bought us jam and we ate bread with jam.

There was a boys' wing on the floor, and a girls' wing on the other. Both wings were were loked at night. Once, ran away and hid under a bed in the girls' dormitory. I don't remember exactly, but I think that I spent the whole night there.

I was the most serious injury of my life at this school. I was running after a boy and crashed into a door frame on a turn.There was a lot of blood, I cried,  but I didn't fell any pain. The teacher called an ambulance and we went to the hospital. I remebered a bagel. I don't remember how many days I spent in the hospital, but at least two. I played caps in the hospital with my roommates. My roommate told me that a nurse came and gave me injection while I slept. It was lie. After my parent came and took me to home. Before that, I hid my winning caps behind behind the toilet. Nine years later, I was interning as a male nurse at this hospital. I tried to remmber which ward I'd spent a few days in as a child, but I couldn't, because they were all the same.

It was at this time I saw the full beauty of motherhood. But one case, during this internship, began to make me doubt, that my path, in this life, was connected with medicine. It was just an injection into a little boy's muscle, I hit in an infiltrate, it isn't dangerous, but I felt how the syringe heedle crunch into muscle and I thought that I hit in the bone. This feeling haunted me for a long time.

Story #3

 Third story.

Did you believe it when your parents told you, that all animals around us talk to your parents and discuss what you do while your parents aren't at home? I believed. Every year, a family of crows would to a nest in the tree opposite our house, just below our windows. It started in the spring, continued in the summer and ended in the fall. At that time we spent most of our time at home and this fact strengthened belief that crows were talking to our parents. But my skills now show me that we made so many mistakes, that it was very difficult not to guess what we had broken or messed up.

As in most Khrushchev-era apartments, we had a "refrigerator" in the window in the kitchen. Just a metal box without one side on the window side. We hardly used it as a "refrigerator" in the summer, but it was the excellent freezer in the winter. Across was a nine-story building similar to ours. Its shadow on the  "refrigerator" helped us determine the time and decide whether to play or do our chores. I liked washing the floor because wet parquet smells very good.

Have you tried to hammering a screw into a reinforced concrete wall? I tried, because I didn't know about hammer drills. I was little. Why would I need to hammer a screw?, I don't know, I just did it.

Story #2

 Second story.

That I said early - I wanted to become a veterinarian. But I think that this wish was imposed upon me. A little later I wanted to become a pediatrician, I think it was a result of my interest in one girl, her mother was a doctor. But, this moment is also interesting, because I didn't pay attention to her until my sister said something like: "she is pretty, you should marry her".

Sometimes I feel like I wasn't kind to our dogs, because I used walk  time for myself, and would kick dog. This is one of the reason why I decided to get a dog in my adult life, as atonement for my sins.

Rabinovich liked to sleep on the fridge, that was his place. He loved to purr while lying on lap. Sometimes he would suck the skin on arm like he was sucking his mother's breast. Sometimes he was shitting behind kitchen stove. The distance from the wall to stove was 10-15 cm, so cleaning up after him was quite difficult. But one day he didn't wake up.

So, they left us one by one. Unfortunately, I can't remember anything  else interesting about dogs and cat.

But I remeber one funny happening. As I said, we lived on the 7th floor, and one of our favorite activities was playing with toys on the windowsill, such as car or animals ... and one day me or my sisters dropped a toy and I went down. While I was looking for a toy, I found an anthill. It was like in a film - a big hill and ants. There were a lot of little red ants around me and they were climbing all over me. After this I don't like lying on the ground/grass.

Story #1

 This is my English homework.

I will try to write some stories on English. These stories could be truth or imagine.

First story.

When I was born, I want to become a veterinarian. I didn't know why, but it is was a big wish. When I was small our family has dog. Unfortunaly I don't remeber anything about him, I only have some photos with him. After his death a puppy appear under our door, not right away, but soon... It was a girl, she was a little smaller than average dog. She had a white medium length wool. So there was wool everywhere. We called her Berta.

A little later, a family friend moved to the USA and left his dog (Rafael) with us, because he couldn't take his dog with him. I don't remember exactly when, but at that moment a kitten comes to our home. He stayed with us and we called him Rabinovich. We lived as big family in a small appartment (only one room). 

I remember that I was hiding from Berta in summer vacation under blanket, because I want to read book (Robinson Kruzo), but if Berta noticed that I don't sleep, she started run and asks to go outside. So, I hid under the blanket and read a book. At that time I often dreamed about a similar situation in my life, what would I do if I found myself alone on a lost island. In general, I often dreamed different things and it was fun.

But I left my theme...

I can't remeber when I started walking with dogs, but it was in childhood, maybe in second school grade. We lived in seventh floor of nine-floor-build. And because I was very young and had little weight I climbed up to the seventh floor by stairs twice a day. I knew almost all the neighbors on each floor, there were 28 apartments in total, each with its own story. Unfortunately, I remember little now.

Sometimes, I have a dream where I'm climbing up this stair and it collapsed, but I still carefully continue on my way... In the end, on 9th floor I understand that the stairs are destroyed and my dream breaks off ...