Monday to Wednesday (September 21 to 23): Our days at Baikonur blend into one another, as we fall into a light little routine for the week. In general, we eat breakfast at 10:00 a.m., followed by an information/review meeting and video presentation. Max and I do 30 minutes of tilt table and rotating chair. Since the rotating chair doesn't agree with me, I was able to negotiate with my doctor to do it only every two days. Yay!
An hour a day, we have a signing session to autograph pictures and posters. I have never signed so many autographs in my entire life; boy, I don't envy the stars, not one bit! I honestly think I've signed thousands of them. It's part of the local tradition, whereby people like to collect pictures, posters, badges, flags, etc. It's also a way for us to thank everyone involved for all their support and hard work.
Then, we usually have a bit of free time to work out and go for a stroll in the garden (which is highly recommended to us). We wrap up with a steam bath (bania) around 6:00 p.m., a little game of Russian pyramid and a beer. We come back for dinner and everyone enjoys the good wine I brought from my personal wine cellar! We have some great discussions all together (main crew and back-up). Still, we have to eat quickly because we're on a strict schedule, with everything timed to the minute!
In the evenings, my routine is to read La Presse and Le Journal de Montréal and to surf the web to find out what's happening in the world. I also do interviews with the media and my documentary crew, and I take advantage of my time alone to read all the magazines I get and don't have time for during training. Of course, I also have work sessions with Fernand and make a few calls to make sure that the event on October 9 will run smoothly—everything seems to be falling into place.
The weather is nice and warm during the day and cooler at night. As you know, we are holed up in a specific hotel with all the support staff. On site, there is a small bar, ping-pong table, and garden with a view of the steps and river at the very end of the grounds—it's peaceful.
From time to time, you can hear a dog barking, but up to now, I've only heard a mosquito buzzing in my room once.
I'm slowly working my way through the 3rd season of Heroes; I usually fall asleep while watching a show.
Every night, I wake up feeling as though I've been swivelling in my bed. But I don't dream of space aliens kidnapping me or hiding under my bed, so I can at least be thankful for that! ;-)