Just found out this morning: We got the grant for the climbing wall. I got the same line from the commitee member who informed me as from everyone else in every step of the application process: "We've never had a project like this before." Which could go either way. Luckily, this time it was followed with: "and we really like it."
So the money should come in July and construction can begin then.
In other Polissya news (the organization that I'm working with to build the wall), the Extreme Marathon, which Carrie and I are competing in, is June 9-12. We're both training for it (more on that later), but here's the other good news I got in my inbox: a Ukranian company is coming to film the competition for part of its series on self-starting, successful Ukranian companies (the company being Polissya and their successful extreme races). Who sent the television company a press release when another volunteer told me about their project? And who is now coordinating their arrival and filming locations? Me! Should be cool, and should give a lot of press to Polissya, which is an organization that truly deserves it. I mean, they let me climb with their gear and show me all the cool climbing spots. It was the least I could do.
Anyway, got to go. Carrie is doing shashlik today. Shashlik is Ukranian shisk-kabob, except more than that. It's actually a big spring/summer tradition, and this is the first one of the season. Should be fun!
Life is good!