I'm headed to Nashville tomorrow, and specifically, Opryland. I'm not sure why UJC decided to have their General Assembly there, but it will at least be a more interesting location than the last few. You don't usually get to see much outside the hotel so it doesn't usually matter what city the GA is in. But at least the hotel and environs should be give us a little more local flavor. Plus, who knows, maybe Dolly Parton will stop by.
And after Nashville, there's no traveling for at least 8 days. It's like my sabbatical week (and a day).
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Friday, November 02, 2007
Here and There Commuting
My regular commute is a 5 minute walk to Einstein's to sit for a while, drink a few cups of coffee and read the paper. If there's time, I can even finish the sudoku. There's a regular crowd that is there every morning and my walk back is only slightly longer because I have to be more careful carrying my coffee refill.
I'm in DC now, and the train from Silver Spring to the office this morning took 50 minutes. It usually takes 17. And it was crowded, which means it's too hard to do the sudoku with people bumping into you all the time. And there was no coffee. I don't know how people do this everyday.
I'm in DC now, and the train from Silver Spring to the office this morning took 50 minutes. It usually takes 17. And it was crowded, which means it's too hard to do the sudoku with people bumping into you all the time. And there was no coffee. I don't know how people do this everyday.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Heeb at a Rugby Match
Last weekend I went with a friend to watch the World Cup of Rugby at the only bar in Milwaukee showing the match on pay-per-view. We got to the bar 20 minutes before the match between England and South America. It was already clear as we drove by looking for parking that the bar was packed. Upon trying to get in the front door, we realized that sardines have more space than we were about to enjoy.
First, there were lots of people sporting South African jerseys and flags painted on their face. Way, way back in the far corner, we saw about 10 Brits, wearing their jerseys and a few brave ones sporting full head and body paint. It was very clear that they had been drinking for a few hours already.
We found a scant amount of space squished up against the front window. And then it was time for the national anthems. First, Gd Save the Queen. I've never heard a more drunken, spirited rendition. I'm not quite sure that's what the folks at Buckingham Palace had in mind. And then came time for the South Africans. Their anthem was too long, and they needed sheets with the words (because it was too long?).
I don't get rugby at all. I now get even less of it. At some point, a woman in front of me said, "I like your hand of Gd", referring to my hamsa. I thanked her, and then she said, "Are you a Heeb?" Naturally, my answer was yes.
She then announced this fact to her friends, and then turned back to me letting me know that she had been their only Heeb friend for the last 20 years.
It turns out that this was only her second rugby match and she was only slightly less clueless than I was. I suggested a viewing section for American girls who don't really get rugby....
First, there were lots of people sporting South African jerseys and flags painted on their face. Way, way back in the far corner, we saw about 10 Brits, wearing their jerseys and a few brave ones sporting full head and body paint. It was very clear that they had been drinking for a few hours already.
We found a scant amount of space squished up against the front window. And then it was time for the national anthems. First, Gd Save the Queen. I've never heard a more drunken, spirited rendition. I'm not quite sure that's what the folks at Buckingham Palace had in mind. And then came time for the South Africans. Their anthem was too long, and they needed sheets with the words (because it was too long?).
I don't get rugby at all. I now get even less of it. At some point, a woman in front of me said, "I like your hand of Gd", referring to my hamsa. I thanked her, and then she said, "Are you a Heeb?" Naturally, my answer was yes.
She then announced this fact to her friends, and then turned back to me letting me know that she had been their only Heeb friend for the last 20 years.
It turns out that this was only her second rugby match and she was only slightly less clueless than I was. I suggested a viewing section for American girls who don't really get rugby....
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Wrong Flakes
I bought the wrong cereal yesterday. The tragedy is that I didn't notice until I'd already opened the box and the plastic bag (my rant on overpackaging will be saved for a future date!). At first, I thought there was really something wrong. Like bugs or something. There were colored pieces in the bag. Upon closer inspection, and noticing that some looked suspiciously like raspberries, I realized I'd bought the fruity cereal and not just the plain, boring kind that I'd hoped for.
And so, into the bowl it went, flakes and fruits. I'm pretty sure that the rabbis would not approve of mixing in this way. My assessment: it looked prettier than my normal bowl of plain flakes, turned my soymilk a little bluish, and every third spoonful or so tasted a little tangy in an otherwise sort of fruity if you know what you're actually tasting sort of way.
And so, into the bowl it went, flakes and fruits. I'm pretty sure that the rabbis would not approve of mixing in this way. My assessment: it looked prettier than my normal bowl of plain flakes, turned my soymilk a little bluish, and every third spoonful or so tasted a little tangy in an otherwise sort of fruity if you know what you're actually tasting sort of way.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
More buses...
We've taken the bus a lot lately. Today, we took it to our other house in Riverwest. But before we did that, we just missed the bus, so we had to wait 25 minutes. In the sun. With little shade. But we had cold water (with lemon, even).
We got to the house and found our miracle man, Steve, already there. The place is looking great. I can't believe we couldn't move back in. That's what kills me.... We met the woman who owns the house across the street. She's looking out for us. And so is the guy next door, who hasn't liked out previous two tenants, but then again, neither have we.
We had an appointment for someone to see the house, but they spent about 2 minutes inside and then let us konw that they really wanted something more modern. Okay. We've got someone else set up for tomorrow that sounds promising, and the woman across the street has a friend who is interested, but can't afford the rent we want.
The good news, we got to use our transfers to take the bus back - we just made it under the time wire. It's the little things that are important, right?
We got to the house and found our miracle man, Steve, already there. The place is looking great. I can't believe we couldn't move back in. That's what kills me.... We met the woman who owns the house across the street. She's looking out for us. And so is the guy next door, who hasn't liked out previous two tenants, but then again, neither have we.
We had an appointment for someone to see the house, but they spent about 2 minutes inside and then let us konw that they really wanted something more modern. Okay. We've got someone else set up for tomorrow that sounds promising, and the woman across the street has a friend who is interested, but can't afford the rent we want.
The good news, we got to use our transfers to take the bus back - we just made it under the time wire. It's the little things that are important, right?
Car Shopping
Looking for a car wihtout a car is challenging. Yesterday, we took the bus, two buses actually, and then walked a mile to the Honda dealer. On the way, we passed all the other dealerships and thought maybe we shouldn't even bother ith a Honda if we had to walk so far (and it was 94 degrees out).
We got to the Honda dealer. They introduced us to Brett, a former financial planner, now car salesman. I thought there was an obvious answer to the most obvious question, but Ronnie was the one who asked it. "So why did you leave financial planning?" Brett replied that he's in a band and needed to be able to travel. I'm pretty sure he just wasn't good at it.
We asked to drive a Civic and a Fit. Reality check on the fit - he said no one test drives them and that there's a 6 month wait and that they are selling for $750 over the MSRP. I asked why their website said they had two in inventory, and he said they were sold. That's annoying.
So we were left with a Civic. He couldn't find the keys to the red one we wanted to drive, but found the keys to a beige one. It had no gas in it, so the three of us got in and drove next door to the gas station. He then said, "Why don't you guys drive around and bring it back when you're ready?"
Ok. We had introduced ourselves but not given him any real information. No driver's license, no phone number, no nothing. But here were were driving this car around. I thought that given our walk, one of us should should drop the other off at the Toyota dealership and then just head back when we returned the car. Or at least we should pick up lunch or something.
Test drive over, we walked down to Toyota. There, the salesman sat in the back seat when we drove the Corolla and the Yaris. He didn't seem particularly rattled by either of our driving. I think we just didn't try hard enough....
We got to the Honda dealer. They introduced us to Brett, a former financial planner, now car salesman. I thought there was an obvious answer to the most obvious question, but Ronnie was the one who asked it. "So why did you leave financial planning?" Brett replied that he's in a band and needed to be able to travel. I'm pretty sure he just wasn't good at it.
We asked to drive a Civic and a Fit. Reality check on the fit - he said no one test drives them and that there's a 6 month wait and that they are selling for $750 over the MSRP. I asked why their website said they had two in inventory, and he said they were sold. That's annoying.
So we were left with a Civic. He couldn't find the keys to the red one we wanted to drive, but found the keys to a beige one. It had no gas in it, so the three of us got in and drove next door to the gas station. He then said, "Why don't you guys drive around and bring it back when you're ready?"
Ok. We had introduced ourselves but not given him any real information. No driver's license, no phone number, no nothing. But here were were driving this car around. I thought that given our walk, one of us should should drop the other off at the Toyota dealership and then just head back when we returned the car. Or at least we should pick up lunch or something.
Test drive over, we walked down to Toyota. There, the salesman sat in the back seat when we drove the Corolla and the Yaris. He didn't seem particularly rattled by either of our driving. I think we just didn't try hard enough....
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Back on the Bus
I had to go to both the library and the bank today. The catch - they're in opposite directions and I don't have a bike lock. Well, I have a bike lock, but I don't have the key to bike lock, so I may as well not have a lock. But I digress.
It's a hot day out and I was willing to ride to one location (and back) but not both. The library is a much shorter trip, but there's no where to leave my bike while I was in the library. I would be able to bring my bike into the bank (to the lobby, not all the way to the counter), but I still had to get to the library.
My choices:
And then I hit on solution number five.
It's a hot day out and I was willing to ride to one location (and back) but not both. The library is a much shorter trip, but there's no where to leave my bike while I was in the library. I would be able to bring my bike into the bank (to the lobby, not all the way to the counter), but I still had to get to the library.
My choices:
- walk to the library and back. Get my bike and go to the bank.
- bike to the library and back. Walk to the bank (~2.5 miles one way, and it's really hot out)
- bike to the libary and then to the bank (again, it's really hot out)
- walk everywhere -doable, but I needed to make sure that I had time to actually walk to the bank before they closed.
And then I hit on solution number five.
- walk to the library and take the bus to the bank.
This proved to be the winner, and, because I got a transfer and was efficient in the bank, I got a bus back about 15 minutes after I got dropped off. It was the same bus driver and he looked at me a little funny, but he was pretty funny-looking to start with.
The buses here have what I like to call Bus TV. They might call it that too, I have no idea. It's a screen that has local news, weather, and a map of the bus route and where you are at any given moment. The map is only helpful if you know where along the route you have to go, but it's a nice feature.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Shorewood is going to the dogs
There are a lot of dogs here. Thankfully, unless you see the actual dogs, there is little evidence of their existence outside of a big dog bowl of water outside of most of the stores. I was out for an early bike ride today and on my way back, the dogs (and their owners) were coming out for their morning walks. At dusk tonight, I went for a walk, and there they all were again, going for their evening walks.
In some cases, it was not clear who was walking whom.
In some cases, it was not clear who was walking whom.
Monday, July 02, 2007
other good things about Milwaukee
Phone numbers are generally only seven digits. It's unusual to hear someone first give a different area code.
The grocery stores sell whitefish.
People who have been here for generations have serious accents.
The temperature in the summer (at least so far) is usually in the 70's.
The grocery stores sell whitefish.
People who have been here for generations have serious accents.
The temperature in the summer (at least so far) is usually in the 70's.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Hybrids
We're living here right now sans automobile. I think we could mainly get by without one, but it would be more convenient if we had one. For a while now, I've been interested in buying a hybrid for our next car. It's less about saving money on gas and more about using less fuel in general. But they are SO expensive! And I wonder if the same energy costs go into manufacturing them as go into other gas guzzlers.
Right now, we're using the hybrid model of walk/bike/bus. I somehow convinced Ronnie to go out for a walk tonight. It's actually kind of cold out, but 2 miles later, you don't notice it so much. And yesterday I took my bike out for the first time. It's generally flat around here, but the small hills that there are, are long! I should have gone back out today, but I can still feel yesterday's ride in my rear end. I also tried the bus. It was pretty easy to use, clean and my only complaint was that the driver didn't wait until I sat down (with my groceries) to start moving again. It's a good thing I hadn't bought eggs.
Right now, we're using the hybrid model of walk/bike/bus. I somehow convinced Ronnie to go out for a walk tonight. It's actually kind of cold out, but 2 miles later, you don't notice it so much. And yesterday I took my bike out for the first time. It's generally flat around here, but the small hills that there are, are long! I should have gone back out today, but I can still feel yesterday's ride in my rear end. I also tried the bus. It was pretty easy to use, clean and my only complaint was that the driver didn't wait until I sat down (with my groceries) to start moving again. It's a good thing I hadn't bought eggs.
Trader Joe's
There is a Trader Joe's in Milwaukee. And it is good. It's not within walking distance, but the bus goes there pretty quickly. And three blocks away is Schwartz's. One of the last independent bookstores around. We walked over last night and hung out for a while. I can see that happening often.
The apartment is sort of starting to come together. Slowly. If living among too much stuff constitutes starting to come together. We haven't hung any pictures yet. I'm waiting to finish moving furniture to do that. And it turns out there's a reason (actually two) I have crappy phone reception in my office - solid, old construction on the house in general, and probably too many layers of old lead paint in between the main phone and the office.
But again, the good news is that Milwaukee has a Trader Joe's....
The apartment is sort of starting to come together. Slowly. If living among too much stuff constitutes starting to come together. We haven't hung any pictures yet. I'm waiting to finish moving furniture to do that. And it turns out there's a reason (actually two) I have crappy phone reception in my office - solid, old construction on the house in general, and probably too many layers of old lead paint in between the main phone and the office.
But again, the good news is that Milwaukee has a Trader Joe's....
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Day 3 in Milwaukee
We live in a nice neighborhood. All the houses have a different architecture. The last neighborhood was nice, but all the houses looked the same. Here, they're brick, or lannon stone, or sided, and they all have different colored roofs. I walked over to the lake today - it's only four blocks away.
They've been doing some sort of digging in all of our yards. Now there's a hole in our front yard about 8 inches by 3 inches by 6 feet. Much to Ronnie's chagrin I did not go out and ask what it was all for. I figured if they're doing it to everyone, we're in it together, whatever it is.
Did I mention that it got cold out? We went from oppressive heat to needing a long sleeve shirt. At least it's easier to get stuff unpacked. Slowly but surely things are at least getting consolidated, if not actually put away.
They've been doing some sort of digging in all of our yards. Now there's a hole in our front yard about 8 inches by 3 inches by 6 feet. Much to Ronnie's chagrin I did not go out and ask what it was all for. I figured if they're doing it to everyone, we're in it together, whatever it is.
Did I mention that it got cold out? We went from oppressive heat to needing a long sleeve shirt. At least it's easier to get stuff unpacked. Slowly but surely things are at least getting consolidated, if not actually put away.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
In case you were wondering...
Laverne and Shirley have yet to stop by and say hello.
Also, it is definitely still very hot in Milwaukee. Theoretically, it's going to get cooler tomorrow. but they were also wrong about the storms we were supposed to get last night and all day today. We had about 15 minutes of rain. No thunder, no lightening (I suppose one does follow the other), just a little rain.
The heat is exhausting. We've made good progress on getting things together, but it's been slow because we can only really work in spurts. The kitchen is sort of usable and would be more so if I were 6 inches taller. The dining room is slowly getting emptied, but figuring out where it all goes is a challenge. And the office is just too crowded. I love our red couch, but really, there's no good place for it now.
I walked down to the library today. They've built a new one since we were here before. It's nice, and well air-conditioned. And tonight we walked to a restaurant we like. It's really not so far away, maybe a mile, but given how tired we are, it felt like a really long walk.
Also, it is definitely still very hot in Milwaukee. Theoretically, it's going to get cooler tomorrow. but they were also wrong about the storms we were supposed to get last night and all day today. We had about 15 minutes of rain. No thunder, no lightening (I suppose one does follow the other), just a little rain.
The heat is exhausting. We've made good progress on getting things together, but it's been slow because we can only really work in spurts. The kitchen is sort of usable and would be more so if I were 6 inches taller. The dining room is slowly getting emptied, but figuring out where it all goes is a challenge. And the office is just too crowded. I love our red couch, but really, there's no good place for it now.
I walked down to the library today. They've built a new one since we were here before. It's nice, and well air-conditioned. And tonight we walked to a restaurant we like. It's really not so far away, maybe a mile, but given how tired we are, it felt like a really long walk.
Milwaukee Cable Television
When you think there's nothing on at 4:30am, ou'd be wrong. Now, there are episodes of the original Star Trek. That is definitely something I didn't see in Israel! Of course, in order to find it I had to scroll through more Christian stations than I knew couldexist. And, in case you're wondering, the Star Trek episode was the one with the Scalasians (invisible, needed humans to help continue their people....)
It's 5am now, there's another Star Trek on, (Star Date: 51.25.9), the sun is coming up, and it didn't storm last night like they expected it to. 'm hoping they were wrong about it also being really, really hot again today. To find out for sure, I'd have to switch from Star Trek to a local station and this episode is looking pretty good... (there are Klingons).
It's 5am now, there's another Star Trek on, (Star Date: 51.25.9), the sun is coming up, and it didn't storm last night like they expected it to. 'm hoping they were wrong about it also being really, really hot again today. To find out for sure, I'd have to switch from Star Trek to a local station and this episode is looking pretty good... (there are Klingons).
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Milwaukee
I'm disappointed. In my first 18 hours I have yet to see Laverne, Shirley, Lenny or Squiggy. I could have sworn I told them when my plane arrived....
I finally made it back last night and was welcomed by Ronnie, and lots and lots of boxes. The place in general looks great, if you can imagine it without boxes. It's not that Ronnie didn't do any unpacking - he did - it's just that we still have too much stuff.
And of course, today is one of the 20 or so days during the summer where air conditioning would be really nice. It's just so hot here. If I'm going to sweat this much, I'd just as soon be back in Israel. Thank gd for box fans.
We're in a nice, quiet neighborhood that's close enough to walk to the post office (did that this morning), the grocery store (did that this afternoon), and hopefully, if we're not too tired, to a restaurant we really like (tonight).
My goal for the day is to get the kitchen all unpacked. There's no actual pantry in the house, so I have to figure out which cabinets will get the food. There is plenty of cabinet space, so that's not so much an issue as the fact that I can't comfortably reach the second shelf and even with a step ladder can't really reach the fourth ones. Plus, I have to find the dishes. There's a dishpak in the dining room that I'm hoping has them. If not, it's a big mystery.
The paint colors look pretty good everywhere. The colors work well together and with the architecture. It was a little bit of a guess to make the choices, but they work.
I found two great things at the grocery store that I haven't seen in a few years: bread from Manitowoc and cheese curds. We went up to Manitowoc years ago and got a tour of the bread factory, complete with a pyramid shaped roof on the office of the president (it evidently promotes creative thinking).
I finally made it back last night and was welcomed by Ronnie, and lots and lots of boxes. The place in general looks great, if you can imagine it without boxes. It's not that Ronnie didn't do any unpacking - he did - it's just that we still have too much stuff.
And of course, today is one of the 20 or so days during the summer where air conditioning would be really nice. It's just so hot here. If I'm going to sweat this much, I'd just as soon be back in Israel. Thank gd for box fans.
We're in a nice, quiet neighborhood that's close enough to walk to the post office (did that this morning), the grocery store (did that this afternoon), and hopefully, if we're not too tired, to a restaurant we really like (tonight).
My goal for the day is to get the kitchen all unpacked. There's no actual pantry in the house, so I have to figure out which cabinets will get the food. There is plenty of cabinet space, so that's not so much an issue as the fact that I can't comfortably reach the second shelf and even with a step ladder can't really reach the fourth ones. Plus, I have to find the dishes. There's a dishpak in the dining room that I'm hoping has them. If not, it's a big mystery.
The paint colors look pretty good everywhere. The colors work well together and with the architecture. It was a little bit of a guess to make the choices, but they work.
I found two great things at the grocery store that I haven't seen in a few years: bread from Manitowoc and cheese curds. We went up to Manitowoc years ago and got a tour of the bread factory, complete with a pyramid shaped roof on the office of the president (it evidently promotes creative thinking).
Who Needs Paris?
It's the end of June. It shouldn't be freezing in Paris.
And yet, it was. That was my first indication that Paris is not all it's cracked up to be.
Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is undergoing a lot of construction. This is the place where one of the glass "tubes" collapsed last year and killed a few people. In the mean time, they take you from gate to concourse to gate on buses through the back of the airport. It could be really interesting, even in French, but it's not, and especially not on a cold, dark morning at the end of June. Really, it felt like being one of those post-apocalyptic movies, except they don't usually ride around on airport buses - they get cool motorcycles or old cars that miraculously run and there are cool explosions every so often.
Signage at CDG is non-existant. You get off the plane and have no idea where to go. The most obvious place, it seemed, was passport control, except that since I wasn't leaving the airport, that seemed not to be the place to go. On the otherside of the crush of people there was a small staircase that seemed to lead to the street. I had to ask three people where I was supposed to be going. There was not an immediate concensus (hence the third person).
I finally got to my gate. It was about 6:30am. I wanted to change my seat on the plane and waited 45 minutes to be told there was really nothing farther up (because I hate sitting in the back). But then, as the only ray of sunshine on a dark and cloudy morning, the clerk said the seven magic words that I had not expected to hear. "There's no one sittign next to you". That alone was worth 45 minutes and Row 42.
While I was waiting for my flight (delayed!), I noticed a lot of davening (praying) taking place. In addition to the two Jews putting on t'filin, there were also seven African men in robes and fancy hats who put down a prayer mat and started to pray. It was all pretty interesting.
When you are ready to board the flight, you take yet another long bus ride to get to the plane. A long ride, on a crowded bus with people who have already been flying for a few hours and haven't showered or brushed their teeth. You're dropped off on the tarmac facing a huge ramp leading up to the front door of the jumbo jet. Up close, those planes are huge. And the ramps are not escalators, but they should be.
Lastly, you know you're in trouble when get on the plane and it already smells. And in case you're wondering, it did NOT smell like fresh croissant.
And yet, it was. That was my first indication that Paris is not all it's cracked up to be.
Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is undergoing a lot of construction. This is the place where one of the glass "tubes" collapsed last year and killed a few people. In the mean time, they take you from gate to concourse to gate on buses through the back of the airport. It could be really interesting, even in French, but it's not, and especially not on a cold, dark morning at the end of June. Really, it felt like being one of those post-apocalyptic movies, except they don't usually ride around on airport buses - they get cool motorcycles or old cars that miraculously run and there are cool explosions every so often.
Signage at CDG is non-existant. You get off the plane and have no idea where to go. The most obvious place, it seemed, was passport control, except that since I wasn't leaving the airport, that seemed not to be the place to go. On the otherside of the crush of people there was a small staircase that seemed to lead to the street. I had to ask three people where I was supposed to be going. There was not an immediate concensus (hence the third person).
I finally got to my gate. It was about 6:30am. I wanted to change my seat on the plane and waited 45 minutes to be told there was really nothing farther up (because I hate sitting in the back). But then, as the only ray of sunshine on a dark and cloudy morning, the clerk said the seven magic words that I had not expected to hear. "There's no one sittign next to you". That alone was worth 45 minutes and Row 42.
While I was waiting for my flight (delayed!), I noticed a lot of davening (praying) taking place. In addition to the two Jews putting on t'filin, there were also seven African men in robes and fancy hats who put down a prayer mat and started to pray. It was all pretty interesting.
When you are ready to board the flight, you take yet another long bus ride to get to the plane. A long ride, on a crowded bus with people who have already been flying for a few hours and haven't showered or brushed their teeth. You're dropped off on the tarmac facing a huge ramp leading up to the front door of the jumbo jet. Up close, those planes are huge. And the ramps are not escalators, but they should be.
Lastly, you know you're in trouble when get on the plane and it already smells. And in case you're wondering, it did NOT smell like fresh croissant.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
3201
That's the number of kilometers I drove this trip. how do I know? I started out with a new car that only had 4 kilometers on it, and when I got the airport tonight, it ready 3205. That's a lot of mileage (or kilometrage, I suppose) for four weeks. Other than a lot of dust on the outside, and a lot of pretzel crumbs on the inside, I think it looked ok. There were no discernable scratches or dents and I think I took out all the garbage. And this time I remembered to take all my cds and the parking receipts that were in the arm rest.
Last Day
Well, it's my last day in Israel. Really, my last evening. Shabbat was fine. This week I was at the Knesset Towers. The food was terrible. I don't like that they give our participants food that is bad, but if I were a regular "guest" in the hotel and got food like that, I would not pay the bill.
Today has been full of meetings and packing. Avraham Infeld started at 8am, so I got a reminder of the five legs of the table. Not like I could really forget. (Memory, Family, Sinai, Israel (land and state), and Hebrew Language)
It's also been really, really hot here in Jerusalem, and they say it will be even worse tomorrow. I had a friend who was climbing Masada with his family today - I think his mother took the cable car. I think he's CRAZY to climb the snake path, but he did!
It's been a good trip, although a bit long. I still have to decide if I'm coming back in August. At this point, my guess is no....
Today has been full of meetings and packing. Avraham Infeld started at 8am, so I got a reminder of the five legs of the table. Not like I could really forget. (Memory, Family, Sinai, Israel (land and state), and Hebrew Language)
It's also been really, really hot here in Jerusalem, and they say it will be even worse tomorrow. I had a friend who was climbing Masada with his family today - I think his mother took the cable car. I think he's CRAZY to climb the snake path, but he did!
It's been a good trip, although a bit long. I still have to decide if I'm coming back in August. At this point, my guess is no....
Friday, June 22, 2007
Finding 59 Derech Beit Lechem
One of the things I do every other day or so is collect the mail from the apartment mailbox. Usually it's junk mail. Two days ago I got a notice about a package for the owners. I gave it to their daughter. Yesterday I saw a paper in the entry hall that indicated there was also a package for me.
Packages need to be picked up at the post office. In this case, the one located at 59 Derech Beit Lechem. That's just two streets away, so this morning, I walked down there. Like the US, even numbers and odd numbers are on opposite sides of the street. The first number I saw was 25, so I at least knew which side of the street I needed to be on. It took me nearly another block to find out that the numbers were going down and not up.
But then I glanced across the street and saw that the house address there was 50. Yes, 50 on one side of the street, 17 on the other. Either way, I knew I had to walk the other direction.
So I walked up a few more blocks. The street was getting increasingly residential and I was wondering if I'd somehow missed a quick even/odd block switch. But the numbers on the even side of the street were in the 80s, so I figured I had to be close.
When I reached 57, I was thinking that maybe packages needed to be picked up at the mailman's house because all I saw were big apartment buildings. Hey, this is Israel, anything is possible. And then there was 59. The entrance to an apartment building. Maybe I wasn't so far off?
Then I noticed a guard standing at the entrance of the driveway and thought I should look just a little farther. Aha! Signs for the post office. Basically, it was a little hole in the wall in the back of the apartment bulding. I am still convinced that the mailman lives there though.
There was a long line, and three counters open. No one was wearing a uniform, unless the national Israeli Mail Service uniforms are also layered tanktops. There was a man yelling at them to find out where he was supposed to pay some sort of bill. He had clearly been given the run around and he was finally told he had to go out to the mall to some office there. He did not look happy when he left.
And then it was my turn. I gave them the little slip of paper and after much confusion, I finally got my package. I think they couldn't figure out why there were two packages to the same address, one for the apartment owners, one for me, in care of the apartment owners, but I was only there to pick up one. Since they ultimately didn't ask me for any identification, I probably should have just picked up both of them....
Packages need to be picked up at the post office. In this case, the one located at 59 Derech Beit Lechem. That's just two streets away, so this morning, I walked down there. Like the US, even numbers and odd numbers are on opposite sides of the street. The first number I saw was 25, so I at least knew which side of the street I needed to be on. It took me nearly another block to find out that the numbers were going down and not up.
But then I glanced across the street and saw that the house address there was 50. Yes, 50 on one side of the street, 17 on the other. Either way, I knew I had to walk the other direction.
So I walked up a few more blocks. The street was getting increasingly residential and I was wondering if I'd somehow missed a quick even/odd block switch. But the numbers on the even side of the street were in the 80s, so I figured I had to be close.
When I reached 57, I was thinking that maybe packages needed to be picked up at the mailman's house because all I saw were big apartment buildings. Hey, this is Israel, anything is possible. And then there was 59. The entrance to an apartment building. Maybe I wasn't so far off?
Then I noticed a guard standing at the entrance of the driveway and thought I should look just a little farther. Aha! Signs for the post office. Basically, it was a little hole in the wall in the back of the apartment bulding. I am still convinced that the mailman lives there though.
There was a long line, and three counters open. No one was wearing a uniform, unless the national Israeli Mail Service uniforms are also layered tanktops. There was a man yelling at them to find out where he was supposed to pay some sort of bill. He had clearly been given the run around and he was finally told he had to go out to the mall to some office there. He did not look happy when he left.
And then it was my turn. I gave them the little slip of paper and after much confusion, I finally got my package. I think they couldn't figure out why there were two packages to the same address, one for the apartment owners, one for me, in care of the apartment owners, but I was only there to pick up one. Since they ultimately didn't ask me for any identification, I probably should have just picked up both of them....
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Gay Pride Parade
Today was the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem. They started closing city streets first thing in the morning to prepare and getting around town was not easy given the closures. The ultra-Orthodox have been protesting for days and there were some fears of violence at the Parade.
We got to the area about 5pm, and could tell that there were thousands of people up and across the street for what looked like blocks. From where we parked, about six blocks away, up until where we finally were at the end of the parade route, we saw hundreds of police. And when we finally got to the end of the parade route, we were held back by barricades and more police. There were all sorts of different law enforcement types - regular police, military police, and some guys dressed in all black on black motorcycles. I would have thought 'ninja' if I didn't know better. Really, there was a tremendous amount of weaponry there. I had no concern for my safety, but I was wondering what would happen if there was a crime committed in any other part of the city!
As I mentioned, the streets were all blocked off. We were behind some simple barricades, but up the block, there were two city buses being used to block the streets. We think there were some Haredim behind them protesting. Right next to us - literally 2 feet away - about 8 religious men started chanting horrible things and of course, all the of the television cameras came running. I mean really, it was 8 people, max. And then the religious women started blowing plastic whistles. They were SO annoying, but at least they weren't shouting hateful things.
Other than these folks, it was a really nice crowd. Lots of rainbow balloons, flags, and stickers. And there was a great banner over the entrance to one of the parks announcing the parade that had a skyline of Jerusalem cut out of a rainbow, and a pink lion (the lion is the symbol of Jerusalem). I saw a few people I knew and figured out that I wasn't going to get close to some of the other people I knew were there.
There was supposed to be a big "after-party" in the park, but it was moved to a site a mile or so down the road. We never made it there. By the time we made our way back to the car, drove home and walked back down toward town, it was already getting late....
We got to the area about 5pm, and could tell that there were thousands of people up and across the street for what looked like blocks. From where we parked, about six blocks away, up until where we finally were at the end of the parade route, we saw hundreds of police. And when we finally got to the end of the parade route, we were held back by barricades and more police. There were all sorts of different law enforcement types - regular police, military police, and some guys dressed in all black on black motorcycles. I would have thought 'ninja' if I didn't know better. Really, there was a tremendous amount of weaponry there. I had no concern for my safety, but I was wondering what would happen if there was a crime committed in any other part of the city!
As I mentioned, the streets were all blocked off. We were behind some simple barricades, but up the block, there were two city buses being used to block the streets. We think there were some Haredim behind them protesting. Right next to us - literally 2 feet away - about 8 religious men started chanting horrible things and of course, all the of the television cameras came running. I mean really, it was 8 people, max. And then the religious women started blowing plastic whistles. They were SO annoying, but at least they weren't shouting hateful things.
Other than these folks, it was a really nice crowd. Lots of rainbow balloons, flags, and stickers. And there was a great banner over the entrance to one of the parks announcing the parade that had a skyline of Jerusalem cut out of a rainbow, and a pink lion (the lion is the symbol of Jerusalem). I saw a few people I knew and figured out that I wasn't going to get close to some of the other people I knew were there.
There was supposed to be a big "after-party" in the park, but it was moved to a site a mile or so down the road. We never made it there. By the time we made our way back to the car, drove home and walked back down toward town, it was already getting late....
Same old, same old
Well, another day in Jerusalem. No major crises yesterday and we haven't penciled in any of them in for today. That said, the day is young...
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Survivor
Anyone who knows me knows that I like watching Survivor. On in the background as I work now is the first episode of season five. I remember maybe three of the faces - including one of the best players ever (Stephanie) and the guy who won, who was one of the most boring winners ever. Actually, if memory serves, the whole season was pretty boring. Earlier today they had the season finale of Season 2, which was a pretty good one (and introduced us to Amber, of Rob and Amber fame.
I still say that there's nothing on television during the day worth watching, but at least there's something sort of interesting in the background....
I still say that there's nothing on television during the day worth watching, but at least there's something sort of interesting in the background....
Driver's Education
I think there should be a Potemkin Village built that will allow those learning to drive to take the time they need, allow them to make the mistakes they invariably will, and most importantly, stay off the roads and out of the way of the rest of us. At least here in Israel, those learning to drive are in cars that have a big "lamed" on top of the car, so you know who to stay away from. It doesn't really help that the rest of the drivers on the road are a little crazy....
Monday, June 18, 2007
Life Cycle of the Airport
One of our groups was departing earlier today and I needed to see some of the staff and one of the students before they left. I'd been at a meeting at Yad Vashem (it's sort of weird to go there and really just be interested in the coffee shop) and left a little later than I should have and then encountered construction traffic.
I did make it to the airport by 1pm and I believe I broke a land-speed record or two in my efforts. Needless to say, I made it without a scratch and I think even the cab drivers were impressed.
It was pretty crowded - I guess there are a lot of 4pm departures. It felt like it does before the midnight departures except people aren't already tired from a long day. Mainly, there's no where to sit and lots of luggage carts to get around. And now, at 6:30pm, it's so quiet you wonder if the airport may be closed for some unknown reason. I guess the rush starts again in a few hours.
One sad thing about the airport is that the hummos place no longer has mushrooms. You can get hummos with ful (brown beans), which I had last week, or with chickpeas, which I had today. Neither one is as good as the mushrooms used to be. The man behind the counter said they weren't as popular as the other two. I thought the ful wasn't so good at this place, and the chickpeas on top of hummus is just sort of redundant.
But there's free wireless, and there's something to be said for that....
I did make it to the airport by 1pm and I believe I broke a land-speed record or two in my efforts. Needless to say, I made it without a scratch and I think even the cab drivers were impressed.
It was pretty crowded - I guess there are a lot of 4pm departures. It felt like it does before the midnight departures except people aren't already tired from a long day. Mainly, there's no where to sit and lots of luggage carts to get around. And now, at 6:30pm, it's so quiet you wonder if the airport may be closed for some unknown reason. I guess the rush starts again in a few hours.
One sad thing about the airport is that the hummos place no longer has mushrooms. You can get hummos with ful (brown beans), which I had last week, or with chickpeas, which I had today. Neither one is as good as the mushrooms used to be. The man behind the counter said they weren't as popular as the other two. I thought the ful wasn't so good at this place, and the chickpeas on top of hummus is just sort of redundant.
But there's free wireless, and there's something to be said for that....
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Bik'a, again
Well, once again, I drove down the Bik'a road back to Jerusalem. Only this time I began the drive at 9:30pm, so it was not nearly the beautiful drive that it usually is. There were a million stars out, but it was hard to appreciate them going 100 kilometers an hour. Because it was Saturday night, there was also a fair amount of traffic.
I did have company in the car, which was nice, since we didn't get back until about midnight. Jerusalem is really, really busy on a Saturday night. The most noticeable thing, it smells like pastry everywhere. The bakeries are all starting to bake for the week, and in the three neighborhoods I stopped in (dropping people off and then parking at my apartment), it always smelled like pastry. Which is not bad....
Shabbat was quiet. We were at the King Solomon, which is way on top of the hill in Tiberius. It's also the hotel our students were in last summer when the rockets started raining on Tiberius, so we all (staff) were subconciously relieved to have a quiet Shabbat.
On Friday afternoon, I brought one of our staff people and a sick student down to town for lunch. They ate green olive pizza (ick) and I had my first falafel of the season. I have to say, it was really, really good. It was also my first opportunity to have my favorite sauce - amba. I still don't know exactly what it is, but in my opinion, it tastes like a curried mustard. Someone told me it has mango in it, but I dont' see how that's possible.
And on the down side, I'm out of Pepsi Max again. A Big Gulp would be good right about now. I'm fairly certain that the first person to open up a proper 7-11 would do really, really well here....
I did have company in the car, which was nice, since we didn't get back until about midnight. Jerusalem is really, really busy on a Saturday night. The most noticeable thing, it smells like pastry everywhere. The bakeries are all starting to bake for the week, and in the three neighborhoods I stopped in (dropping people off and then parking at my apartment), it always smelled like pastry. Which is not bad....
Shabbat was quiet. We were at the King Solomon, which is way on top of the hill in Tiberius. It's also the hotel our students were in last summer when the rockets started raining on Tiberius, so we all (staff) were subconciously relieved to have a quiet Shabbat.
On Friday afternoon, I brought one of our staff people and a sick student down to town for lunch. They ate green olive pizza (ick) and I had my first falafel of the season. I have to say, it was really, really good. It was also my first opportunity to have my favorite sauce - amba. I still don't know exactly what it is, but in my opinion, it tastes like a curried mustard. Someone told me it has mango in it, but I dont' see how that's possible.
And on the down side, I'm out of Pepsi Max again. A Big Gulp would be good right about now. I'm fairly certain that the first person to open up a proper 7-11 would do really, really well here....
Friday, June 15, 2007
Back at Hof Gai
Well, I'm back at Hof Gai, trying (successfully) to be back on line and get some work done. I'm in Tiberius through Shabbat and still have to brave the pre-Shabbat shopping insanity to get some things for our staff oneg. There will be 17 people, plus any random tour educators that decide to come. That's a lot of stuff to get and I think it means stopping at at least two stores, maybe three. Or I could brave the shuk, but that would require a level of stamina I just don't want to exert today.
Last night, one of the staff members took me out for my anniversary. He felt bad for me last year when I was here and Ronnie was in the US and said he'd take me out, but it didn't work out. This year, when I knew he'd be staffing, and that it would be this week, I called him and told him he had a chance to make up for last year. It was a long day yesterday and really, all I wanted was a big fountain soda. Knowing that doesn't exist here, I got a bottle of diet coke and a chocolate milk shake. Not the same, but it hit the spot.
Last night, one of the staff members took me out for my anniversary. He felt bad for me last year when I was here and Ronnie was in the US and said he'd take me out, but it didn't work out. This year, when I knew he'd be staffing, and that it would be this week, I called him and told him he had a chance to make up for last year. It was a long day yesterday and really, all I wanted was a big fountain soda. Knowing that doesn't exist here, I got a bottle of diet coke and a chocolate milk shake. Not the same, but it hit the spot.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
McDonalds
The McDonalds here in Israel have free wireless access. And there is no place with wireless access (other than McDonalds) in Tiberius. And there is no wireless access in Tsfat. So today, on the way from Tzfat back to Tiberius, I stopped at the McDonalds in Rosh Pina. I ordered a salad and diet coke, paid, sat down and turned on my computer. Supposedly, the salads are made to order there. Given the time it took to get my salad, I believe that it means that they go pick them up somewhere else.
And I actually got connected to their wireless network with a very strong signal. So far, so good. Until I actually tried to open a browser and nothing would come up. I ran the diagnostic test - I'm not sure why. It's never given me information that was either helpful or understood. This time was no different.
The salad wasn't bad, although it wasn't exactly what I ordered. The Diet Coke was too small for the hot day - haven't they heard of large?! And so I left and am now at Hof Gai, a hotel on the shores of the Kinneret, just south of Tiberius, pretending I am a guest here. So far no one seems to have noticed that there is an American sitting among a lobby full of Israelis attending the "Star Home" conference.
And I actually got connected to their wireless network with a very strong signal. So far, so good. Until I actually tried to open a browser and nothing would come up. I ran the diagnostic test - I'm not sure why. It's never given me information that was either helpful or understood. This time was no different.
The salad wasn't bad, although it wasn't exactly what I ordered. The Diet Coke was too small for the hot day - haven't they heard of large?! And so I left and am now at Hof Gai, a hotel on the shores of the Kinneret, just south of Tiberius, pretending I am a guest here. So far no one seems to have noticed that there is an American sitting among a lobby full of Israelis attending the "Star Home" conference.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Life Cycle of a Shuk
In truth, I wasn't there so early in the morning but my friend Dennis was, and he's a fairly reliable source. He goes running every morning and mentioned to me that he was at Mahane Yehuda (in Jerusalem) while all the booths were being set up, vegetables were delivered, and rugelach were baked.
Mid-day, I spent a few hours in downtown Tel Aviv and walked through Shuk Ha-Carmel. It's a little crazier than Mahane Yehuda, I think. For one, I think there are more cats. And they sell a wider variety of goods, and it's much bigger. There are a lot of tourists in both, but in Tel Aviv, there are also many more foriegn workers who are there. So the shuk also caters to a wider variety of clientele. One big difference - you can't buy pork products at the shuk in Jerusalem.
About 7:30pm, I was walking back through Shuk Ha-Carmel. At this point, the shop owners were literally dumping whatever was left on their tables, straight to the middle of the road. It was like a food fight gone terribly wrong. Tomatoes, lettuce, and melons, were probably the most common, but there were also tons of cardboard boxes, apples, and plums. To make matters only a bit more complicated - there was water running down the middle. My guess is that someone was starting to wash down the street - but it only served to make things really slippery. And, some of the store owners continued to toss fruit (and boxes) into the middle of the street without noticing that there were people walking through....
Mid-day, I spent a few hours in downtown Tel Aviv and walked through Shuk Ha-Carmel. It's a little crazier than Mahane Yehuda, I think. For one, I think there are more cats. And they sell a wider variety of goods, and it's much bigger. There are a lot of tourists in both, but in Tel Aviv, there are also many more foriegn workers who are there. So the shuk also caters to a wider variety of clientele. One big difference - you can't buy pork products at the shuk in Jerusalem.
About 7:30pm, I was walking back through Shuk Ha-Carmel. At this point, the shop owners were literally dumping whatever was left on their tables, straight to the middle of the road. It was like a food fight gone terribly wrong. Tomatoes, lettuce, and melons, were probably the most common, but there were also tons of cardboard boxes, apples, and plums. To make matters only a bit more complicated - there was water running down the middle. My guess is that someone was starting to wash down the street - but it only served to make things really slippery. And, some of the store owners continued to toss fruit (and boxes) into the middle of the street without noticing that there were people walking through....
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Mega-Event
What do you get when you cram 4000 trip participants, a lot of VIPs, tons of balloons, and fireworks into the Sultan's Pool? The first mega-event of the season. It was actually a good one, especially once they resolved the technical glitches. The fact that all of these people were in a venue that only had two discernable exits, both of which were long staircases up was of some concern to me, but we got out early and avoided the insanity.
There was a fire near my apartment today. When I drove by later a small field was all blackened. I'm not sure if it was an accidental fire or an intentional burn. All I know was that sometime in the middle of the afternoon I smelled some smoke, looked out the window, saw a lot of smoke and what looked like paper flying around and then shut the windows tight. That posed a different problem because it's pretty hot today and it soon became rather stifling. Needless to say, I survived....
There was a fire near my apartment today. When I drove by later a small field was all blackened. I'm not sure if it was an accidental fire or an intentional burn. All I know was that sometime in the middle of the afternoon I smelled some smoke, looked out the window, saw a lot of smoke and what looked like paper flying around and then shut the windows tight. That posed a different problem because it's pretty hot today and it soon became rather stifling. Needless to say, I survived....
Friday, June 08, 2007
cloudy day
It's been pretty unusual weather for June, I think. It's been cloudy for the last few days and last night it actually rained just a little bit. It almost never rains here after the spring. and it's been kind of cool, and maybe even a little cold.
Once again, I am NOT spending Shabbat at the Shalom Hotel. This week, it's the Olive Tree for me. The good news is that I have chocolate and cinnamon rugelach from the shuk for the staff oneg. The cinnamon ones are particularly important because they prove that the chocolate ones are overrated. I went to the shuk pretty early this morning to beat the crowds. I was there with all of the old Russians (and a few Israelis) and their wheeled carts walking through the narrow alleys. There's pretty much no way to not get assaulted by them. There are little wheeled (plaid) carts everywhere. At least I didn't have to buy vegetables.
Once again, I am NOT spending Shabbat at the Shalom Hotel. This week, it's the Olive Tree for me. The good news is that I have chocolate and cinnamon rugelach from the shuk for the staff oneg. The cinnamon ones are particularly important because they prove that the chocolate ones are overrated. I went to the shuk pretty early this morning to beat the crowds. I was there with all of the old Russians (and a few Israelis) and their wheeled carts walking through the narrow alleys. There's pretty much no way to not get assaulted by them. There are little wheeled (plaid) carts everywhere. At least I didn't have to buy vegetables.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
so many things...
I drove to Tzfat yesterday morning and went directly to the hospital to meet our staff and student who had been there all night. It's just such a different culture. There are four people to a room, and no where for visitors to really sit. Dennis (our staff person who spent the night there with the student) slept on a balcony. On the balcony. Which had a tile floor. He only had a thin sheet, and it gets a little cold out.
The hospitals are also interesting places because you really get to see all slices of life in Israel - rich and poor, Israeli and Arab and Druze. There was a cell phone that kept ringing with an Arabic melody. It was actually pretty cool and we were talking about how unique that would be if we could get it on our phones either here or in the States.
At some point I went looking for a bathroom. I found one and was surprised to see a larger garbage can there with what looked like garbage from the patient rooms. You know that stiff, molded cardboard that apples come in when they're packed in boxes? Well, that same kind of cardboard was also molded into bed pans and urinals. I'm not sure what kind of time you have between using them and disposing of them.... I shouldn't be so fascinated by garbage in bathrooms, but really, this was nothing I could have imagined.
On my drive back from Tiberius this morning, I saw more animals then ever. More goats than usual (and therefore more shepherds), some sheep (also with a shepherd), horses, donkeys, camels and then, a snake crossing the highway. It turns out that snakes cross the road for the same reasons that chickens do.
Bording the road to Jerusalem is a large field of sunflowers. I thought it was interesting that thousands of them were all approximately the same height. And then I noticed that every few feet or so there seemed to be some overacheivers who were several inches taller than the others. It's probably a safe bet to assume there are also some runts in the field, but I will have to look for them the next time I drive up.
Last night I stayed in the hotel just next door to where our groups were. The story was that there were no rooms. Who knows. I do know that there was no one else in my hotel other than me. That was pretty strange. When I checked in, they asked what time I wanted breakfast. Usually, breakfast runs for a few hours in the morning, so I just asked what time breakfast was. She said since I was the only one eating, it would be whatever time I wanted. I told her I would just go next door and eat with our participants.... The room was nice, and there was a balcony overlooking the Kinneret complete with patio chairs and a jacuzzi. I went out on the balcony only to see the planes that were flying down from the North. They weren't quite fast enough to crfeate a sonic boom that sometimes accompanies the war planes, but they were plenty loud. Rumor has it they were on practice manuevers, but I'm pretty sure they don't do those at 10:30 at night.
The hospitals are also interesting places because you really get to see all slices of life in Israel - rich and poor, Israeli and Arab and Druze. There was a cell phone that kept ringing with an Arabic melody. It was actually pretty cool and we were talking about how unique that would be if we could get it on our phones either here or in the States.
At some point I went looking for a bathroom. I found one and was surprised to see a larger garbage can there with what looked like garbage from the patient rooms. You know that stiff, molded cardboard that apples come in when they're packed in boxes? Well, that same kind of cardboard was also molded into bed pans and urinals. I'm not sure what kind of time you have between using them and disposing of them.... I shouldn't be so fascinated by garbage in bathrooms, but really, this was nothing I could have imagined.
On my drive back from Tiberius this morning, I saw more animals then ever. More goats than usual (and therefore more shepherds), some sheep (also with a shepherd), horses, donkeys, camels and then, a snake crossing the highway. It turns out that snakes cross the road for the same reasons that chickens do.
Bording the road to Jerusalem is a large field of sunflowers. I thought it was interesting that thousands of them were all approximately the same height. And then I noticed that every few feet or so there seemed to be some overacheivers who were several inches taller than the others. It's probably a safe bet to assume there are also some runts in the field, but I will have to look for them the next time I drive up.
Last night I stayed in the hotel just next door to where our groups were. The story was that there were no rooms. Who knows. I do know that there was no one else in my hotel other than me. That was pretty strange. When I checked in, they asked what time I wanted breakfast. Usually, breakfast runs for a few hours in the morning, so I just asked what time breakfast was. She said since I was the only one eating, it would be whatever time I wanted. I told her I would just go next door and eat with our participants.... The room was nice, and there was a balcony overlooking the Kinneret complete with patio chairs and a jacuzzi. I went out on the balcony only to see the planes that were flying down from the North. They weren't quite fast enough to crfeate a sonic boom that sometimes accompanies the war planes, but they were plenty loud. Rumor has it they were on practice manuevers, but I'm pretty sure they don't do those at 10:30 at night.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
updates +
1. The box that was packed with something that began ticking every morning at 6:30am every morning, has not yet been upacked and it continues to tick. Only now that the box resides in the Central Standard Time, it begins it's call at 5:30am.
2. The proper quote and citation is: "We will know we have become a normal country when Jewish thieves and Jewish prostitutes conduct their business in Hebrew" The author: David Ben Gurion.
3. I cannot use a hospital as home base as our participants get taken to too many different ones! Tonight, for example, we are using Ziv hospital in Tzfat for one of our students. We have not yet had a hospital chosen for us in Jerusalem, but the night is still young.
It's another clear, cool night in Jerusalem. You would never know it was blazing here during the day. The participants are all exhausted having come from an early morning at Masada, a hike at Ein Gedi and a dip in the Dead Sea. Hopefully it will be a quiet night.
We had another shehechiyanu ceremony today with four buses. For the first time, there was an awning set up at the site we use. Given the heat and the sun, it was great. I think it's only up for the Hebrew U Board of Governers meetings, but it doesn't matter to me. The good news, is that I didn't get another parking ticket while there. I got one last week, but at least Aryeh also got one and took care of both of them. They're 100 shekels - that's like $25! I've never gotten a ticket at a shehechiyanu before. Today I found the parking ticket machine and put in my three shekels and paid for plenty of parking. I did not buy a ticket for Aryeh - he was on his own!
2. The proper quote and citation is: "We will know we have become a normal country when Jewish thieves and Jewish prostitutes conduct their business in Hebrew" The author: David Ben Gurion.
3. I cannot use a hospital as home base as our participants get taken to too many different ones! Tonight, for example, we are using Ziv hospital in Tzfat for one of our students. We have not yet had a hospital chosen for us in Jerusalem, but the night is still young.
It's another clear, cool night in Jerusalem. You would never know it was blazing here during the day. The participants are all exhausted having come from an early morning at Masada, a hike at Ein Gedi and a dip in the Dead Sea. Hopefully it will be a quiet night.
We had another shehechiyanu ceremony today with four buses. For the first time, there was an awning set up at the site we use. Given the heat and the sun, it was great. I think it's only up for the Hebrew U Board of Governers meetings, but it doesn't matter to me. The good news, is that I didn't get another parking ticket while there. I got one last week, but at least Aryeh also got one and took care of both of them. They're 100 shekels - that's like $25! I've never gotten a ticket at a shehechiyanu before. Today I found the parking ticket machine and put in my three shekels and paid for plenty of parking. I did not buy a ticket for Aryeh - he was on his own!
Monday, June 04, 2007
Jerusalm
Well, there is something to be said for sunset in Jerusalem. There's a great breeze, it's a clear night, and it's a great night. Jupiter could be seen pretty clearly for a few nights, but if it's still visible, it's not from here. Of course, that could be because there's an apartment building in the way.
I stopped by the grocery store on my way home today. They had a lot of American products but I couldn't believe how expensive they were. Who in the world is going to pay more than $4 for cheese curls? I mean, you really have to be pretty desperate to do that, don't you?
I didn't exactly get lost on my way to my meeting, but I did get a little turned around. And pretty much, I never would have found it on my own. It takes a little pressure off not to get lost anymore though.
I stopped by the grocery store on my way home today. They had a lot of American products but I couldn't believe how expensive they were. Who in the world is going to pay more than $4 for cheese curls? I mean, you really have to be pretty desperate to do that, don't you?
I didn't exactly get lost on my way to my meeting, but I did get a little turned around. And pretty much, I never would have found it on my own. It takes a little pressure off not to get lost anymore though.
Daytime Television
It's offical. Israel is a normal country just like any other. There is nothing on tv during the day. I did find a Law and Order rerun, but it's one I've seen before. Or I could watch Odetta. Like I said - nothing on television.
What is not usual, is that at Hadassah Ein Kerem, there is an attached mall and even a hotel. It was a pretty busy hospital. Given what else it looked like was going on, we weren't surprised to wait a while for the various tests and exams.
Bonus, I'm going on day 8 without getting lost yet. I had good directions to the hospital last night, so that turned out not to be an issue. But today is another day....so getting lost is still a possibility.
What is not usual, is that at Hadassah Ein Kerem, there is an attached mall and even a hotel. It was a pretty busy hospital. Given what else it looked like was going on, we weren't surprised to wait a while for the various tests and exams.
Bonus, I'm going on day 8 without getting lost yet. I had good directions to the hospital last night, so that turned out not to be an issue. But today is another day....so getting lost is still a possibility.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Getting Lost, or not
As luck would have it, I did not have to drive to my meeting alone. Had I driven alone, I would have been hopelessly lost. Crisis averted. And I didn't get lost leaving there. That doesn't mean I knew where I was going, but I was headed in the right general direction and figured out how to get where I needed to go. Now I have to get to the hospital to meet a student. If it's one of the two I know how to get to, I'm good to go. If it's the third, I'm not so good....
I have done a lot of driving already today. I drove to Jerusalem from up north this morning. I had all morning to do a two hour drive and I figured I'd take my time and not push too hard to get to town too early. But then there were cars going way too slow. So it became the typical drive. I also had to decide when I was leaving Tiberius whether I wanted to stop for gas before I hit the desert or not. I figured I used half a tank from Beit She'an to Jerusalem and back up to Tiberius, and that the other half-tank should get me back to Jerusalem. Right?
Well, to make a long story short, I did make it. I even had more than a quarter-tank left by the time I got to the gas station right outside Jerusalem.
I have done a lot of driving already today. I drove to Jerusalem from up north this morning. I had all morning to do a two hour drive and I figured I'd take my time and not push too hard to get to town too early. But then there were cars going way too slow. So it became the typical drive. I also had to decide when I was leaving Tiberius whether I wanted to stop for gas before I hit the desert or not. I figured I used half a tank from Beit She'an to Jerusalem and back up to Tiberius, and that the other half-tank should get me back to Jerusalem. Right?
Well, to make a long story short, I did make it. I even had more than a quarter-tank left by the time I got to the gas station right outside Jerusalem.
Getting Lost
So far I've been here a week and haven't gotten lost once. That's pretty much a record for me. But I think it's about to happen. I just have that feeling. I have to drive over to the other side of town to a place I can never find. I guess it's part of the adventure, sort of. What's the worst that can happen? I have a full tank of gas, a big water bottle, and a bag of almonds. I can survive for at least a day....
Thursday, May 31, 2007
back in J-lem
I'm back in Jerusalem for one more night before heading back up north for two more nights in Tiberius. I think this trip I'm hitting most of the Roman cities. I waas in Caesaria a few days ago, and then in Beit Shean today (formerly Skitopolous). They all look pretty similar - a theater, a cardo, baths....
It's really, really windy here and actually pretty cool at night. Up north, things were very hazy the whole time. Rumor has it that it's dust and sand from Africa. I believe it given how close we are. Either way, it makes the desert less beautiful to drive through.
It's really, really windy here and actually pretty cool at night. Up north, things were very hazy the whole time. Rumor has it that it's dust and sand from Africa. I believe it given how close we are. Either way, it makes the desert less beautiful to drive through.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
JFK....
You have never seen a car so packed to the gills as when Ronnie dropped me off at Dulles on Sunday morning. Needless to say that got a little better when I got out of the car with my two bags, but still. I specifically wanted to get to the airport early because Dulles always has horrible lines to both check in and for security. We pulled up to the airport and there weren't so many cars in front, which was already pretty strange. Even more strange - almost no one in the airport and only one person in line to check in at the Delta counter. Even the staff thought it was weird.
I then had a solid 7 hours at JFK. The thing about Terminal 4 at JFK is that if you're not at one of the few tables crowded into the food court, there's almost nowhere else to sit. Unless you want to sit on the concrete benches that they have thoughtfully put in everywhere else they can think of. And, there are virtually no outlets anywhere, so if you want to work on a laptop, it better be charged. Needless to say, mine was not. I wound up sitting on the floor outside a store and using their electricity. I figured if I was going to be sitting on concrete, it didn't really matter if it was on the floor or on a bench. I was right.
When I checked in for the flight to Israel, they gave me a seat in the aisle in the 53rd row. Neither part excited me. They told me it was a full flight, seats all already assigned and that there were no seats available further up in the plane of any kind. The man checking in next to me was upset that he didn't have an aisle. He was pretty tall so I figured he really needed one. I asked where he was sitting. As luck would have it, he had a window in the 33rd row. So we switched. When I saw him at the gate as we were waiting to board I remembered to ask if he'd ordered a special meal. I was relieved to find out that he had not.
I'm here. I've got a new phone that even has a camera, not that I need it. I lost all my old numbers, which is unfortunate, but I've got most of them written somewhere. I moved into the apartment, got caught in the worst traffic I've ever been in today, drove to Netanya and ate dinner with the students in a restaurant where they think that fish is vegetarian. That said, I have a balcony that overlooks the beach (all the rooms here do) and that's good enough for me.
I then had a solid 7 hours at JFK. The thing about Terminal 4 at JFK is that if you're not at one of the few tables crowded into the food court, there's almost nowhere else to sit. Unless you want to sit on the concrete benches that they have thoughtfully put in everywhere else they can think of. And, there are virtually no outlets anywhere, so if you want to work on a laptop, it better be charged. Needless to say, mine was not. I wound up sitting on the floor outside a store and using their electricity. I figured if I was going to be sitting on concrete, it didn't really matter if it was on the floor or on a bench. I was right.
When I checked in for the flight to Israel, they gave me a seat in the aisle in the 53rd row. Neither part excited me. They told me it was a full flight, seats all already assigned and that there were no seats available further up in the plane of any kind. The man checking in next to me was upset that he didn't have an aisle. He was pretty tall so I figured he really needed one. I asked where he was sitting. As luck would have it, he had a window in the 33rd row. So we switched. When I saw him at the gate as we were waiting to board I remembered to ask if he'd ordered a special meal. I was relieved to find out that he had not.
I'm here. I've got a new phone that even has a camera, not that I need it. I lost all my old numbers, which is unfortunate, but I've got most of them written somewhere. I moved into the apartment, got caught in the worst traffic I've ever been in today, drove to Netanya and ate dinner with the students in a restaurant where they think that fish is vegetarian. That said, I have a balcony that overlooks the beach (all the rooms here do) and that's good enough for me.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
inflatable beds and Ready, Set, Cook!
Late last night we were ready to try out the new inflatable bed. So I take it out of the box, find the pump and actually look at the instructions before just assuming I know what to do, which, if you know me, you know that's already a little unusual.
The first half of the book is in Spanish, which I do not read or understand. I find the English and see that before the bed is inflated for the first time using the enclosed pump, the pump must be charged for 24 hours.
What?! Why wasn't this on the box? Ronnie thinks it is a disincentive to buy something that you purchase knowing you cannot use right away. I believe that I will never recommend this brand to anyone else because they should have told me in advance to charge the pump!
It's a good thing we had sleeping bags.
This morning, I had to figure out what to make for breakfast. I'd kept out a frying pan, a plastic bowl and a wooden spoon so that Ronnie would have the bare basics when he got to Milwaukee before our stuff. I looked in the fridge. We've been making good progress, but there's still too much there. We had egg beaters. But I'm not the biggest fan unless they can be seriously doctored up. What to doctor them with....
I found sun dried tomatoes, frozen basil in olive oil from our farm share two years ago, and some grated parmesan cheese. Not bad, and in fact pretty good. So I made the same thing for Ronnie along with many fake saugages. Remember, we had to eat in shifts because we only have one bowl....
The first half of the book is in Spanish, which I do not read or understand. I find the English and see that before the bed is inflated for the first time using the enclosed pump, the pump must be charged for 24 hours.
What?! Why wasn't this on the box? Ronnie thinks it is a disincentive to buy something that you purchase knowing you cannot use right away. I believe that I will never recommend this brand to anyone else because they should have told me in advance to charge the pump!
It's a good thing we had sleeping bags.
This morning, I had to figure out what to make for breakfast. I'd kept out a frying pan, a plastic bowl and a wooden spoon so that Ronnie would have the bare basics when he got to Milwaukee before our stuff. I looked in the fridge. We've been making good progress, but there's still too much there. We had egg beaters. But I'm not the biggest fan unless they can be seriously doctored up. What to doctor them with....
I found sun dried tomatoes, frozen basil in olive oil from our farm share two years ago, and some grated parmesan cheese. Not bad, and in fact pretty good. So I made the same thing for Ronnie along with many fake saugages. Remember, we had to eat in shifts because we only have one bowl....
Friday, May 25, 2007
the ticking box
Did I mention that when I went to set my alarm to wake up early this morning, that the clock radio had been packed? (see the previous post - it hadn't been nailed down) So I had to go with plan B, which was to set my cell phone alarm. It went off at 6:15am and I tried to wake up. I hit snooze, which I actually didn't know was a possibility on the cell phone. Sidenote: since I already seemed to have learned something new so early in the morning, it really seemed pointless to actually wake up. but I did anyway.
At 6:30am, I heard a beeping. From a box. Across the room. At somepoint during the packing, the alarm button on one of our travel alarm clocks must have been pushed or pulled or whatever needs to happen to be set. And since I'm pretty sure I know which one sounds like that, it's going to go off every 12 hours until the batteries die....
At 6:30am, I heard a beeping. From a box. Across the room. At somepoint during the packing, the alarm button on one of our travel alarm clocks must have been pushed or pulled or whatever needs to happen to be set. And since I'm pretty sure I know which one sounds like that, it's going to go off every 12 hours until the batteries die....
post-packing....
I got home with working brake lights to find the house in boxes. That is except for one drawer of kitchen stuff, all the paint brushes and rollers in the utility room, and all the lightbulbs in the basement.
You don't really think about the fact that with the exception of things they just forget (mentioned above), that they're really going to be packing everything that isn't nailed down. Like the backpack that I always take with me to Israel that has a padded section for a laptop and also usually the permanent storage place for my passport. Or anti-frizz spray for my hair. They live in DC, they know what the weather is like now - why on earth would they think I don't need that for the next few days?! They also left things like televisions and a cable box, but packed the remote controls. And they packed the base for one of our phones, but not the actual phone. And all of this stuff - books, dishes, pots and pans, clothes, towels, etc, not including furniture filled 119 boxes. I knew we had a lot of stuff, but criminy!
And for some reason, I was under the mis-impression that they would be leaving clothes in the dresser drawers. They do not. Nor do they leave stuff in the drawer of the nightstand. I chose correctly when I had to open a box this morning to find the caps for the air mattress components of our bed.
What they intentionally don't pack are things like liquids (cleaners, as opposed to spray conditioners, evidently!) and batteries (totally annoying that we have so many right now). They also don't pack all the opened but definitely still good things in the door of the fridge. If anyone reading needs pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, ketchup, parmesan cheese, curry paste call me as soon as possible.
The loaders are theoretically at the house now so when I get home from work, there should be very, very little left in the house other than the stuff in the refrigerator, the stuff that one of my co-workers was supposed to pick up yesterday but didn't, the stuff that I need for Israel, the stuff that Ronnie is going to stuff into our little car, and the stuff we leave for Misha that we'll just have to pick up on our next visit.
Lest you think there is no good news, I was able to watch the season finale of Lost this season. Thank gd - because it was a really, really good one. During the two hours, there were definitely times where I did not breathe for minutes at a time. Needless to say I seemed to have recovered from whatever hypoxia I suffered.
You don't really think about the fact that with the exception of things they just forget (mentioned above), that they're really going to be packing everything that isn't nailed down. Like the backpack that I always take with me to Israel that has a padded section for a laptop and also usually the permanent storage place for my passport. Or anti-frizz spray for my hair. They live in DC, they know what the weather is like now - why on earth would they think I don't need that for the next few days?! They also left things like televisions and a cable box, but packed the remote controls. And they packed the base for one of our phones, but not the actual phone. And all of this stuff - books, dishes, pots and pans, clothes, towels, etc, not including furniture filled 119 boxes. I knew we had a lot of stuff, but criminy!
And for some reason, I was under the mis-impression that they would be leaving clothes in the dresser drawers. They do not. Nor do they leave stuff in the drawer of the nightstand. I chose correctly when I had to open a box this morning to find the caps for the air mattress components of our bed.
What they intentionally don't pack are things like liquids (cleaners, as opposed to spray conditioners, evidently!) and batteries (totally annoying that we have so many right now). They also don't pack all the opened but definitely still good things in the door of the fridge. If anyone reading needs pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, ketchup, parmesan cheese, curry paste call me as soon as possible.
The loaders are theoretically at the house now so when I get home from work, there should be very, very little left in the house other than the stuff in the refrigerator, the stuff that one of my co-workers was supposed to pick up yesterday but didn't, the stuff that I need for Israel, the stuff that Ronnie is going to stuff into our little car, and the stuff we leave for Misha that we'll just have to pick up on our next visit.
Lest you think there is no good news, I was able to watch the season finale of Lost this season. Thank gd - because it was a really, really good one. During the two hours, there were definitely times where I did not breathe for minutes at a time. Needless to say I seemed to have recovered from whatever hypoxia I suffered.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The Packers
The door rang at 8:30am this morning. Outside there were three men. It was unclear whether they were wise. The house was a veritable hurricane zone and in little more than 6 hours, the place is in boxes.
I, of course, was conveniently out of the house all day at the mechanic's. Given that Ronnie is driving to Milwaukee on Sunday morning, I thought it best if the car didn't shake everytime it hit 50 miles and hour. And it's probably best if the brake lights work, too.
There's still a lot of stuff that's not boxed. Cords, phones, and other random things that I thought would have been stuffed into something by now. The technology part is probably the most complicated - between the cable boxes and wireless router and phones and remote controls, I have really no clue how it's all going to be put back together.
And of course, I will be conveniently out of the country for all of this, spending another month in Israel....
I, of course, was conveniently out of the house all day at the mechanic's. Given that Ronnie is driving to Milwaukee on Sunday morning, I thought it best if the car didn't shake everytime it hit 50 miles and hour. And it's probably best if the brake lights work, too.
There's still a lot of stuff that's not boxed. Cords, phones, and other random things that I thought would have been stuffed into something by now. The technology part is probably the most complicated - between the cable boxes and wireless router and phones and remote controls, I have really no clue how it's all going to be put back together.
And of course, I will be conveniently out of the country for all of this, spending another month in Israel....
Sunday, April 08, 2007
strange things i find
I seem to have a knack for finding weird links, usually by starting to follow more normal ones that progress slowly into the realm of strange.
http://www.robertbolesta.com/2005/valuepack.htm
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17025280@N00/sets/72157600038845249/detail/
http://www.robertbolesta.com/2005/valuepack.htm
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17025280@N00/sets/72157600038845249/detail/
Friday, March 30, 2007
Walmart and kosher Broccoli
I only made one trip to Walmart today. I usually make two runs during the day and yesterday I actually made three, so I guess it evens out more or less. The thing is, I have no cell phone reception here at camp so my daily trips to Walmart are the only times I really have communication with the outside world.
So today it's been just me and the students cooking for Shabbat. They spent all day in the kitchen. But really, it's not so much cooking as it is assembling. Pasta salad, veggie stir fry, honey/cinnamon carrots, tuna and egg salad, instant mashed potatoes with fried onions (really good), and broccoli.
Our mashgiach has never supervised a kitchen that's made frozen broccoli before (he's a student). After many calls to the great rabbis (no clue who, but I assume that's who they were). It turns out that he needed to boil the green stuff for two minutes, then put it in cold water and agitate each individual spear to check for bugs. We had a case of broccoli and this took a good hour. By the end of the hour we were all agitated and the broccoli lookes pathetic. Oh well.
Most of our menu has been dictated by the over buying from he last two weeks. There are still 15 pounds of baby carrots that we'll never use and cases and cases of bagels and the accompanying cream cheese packets. Plus, there are more industrial size cans of tuna than I knew what to do with. At least they ordred hard boiled eggs already peeled....
So today it's been just me and the students cooking for Shabbat. They spent all day in the kitchen. But really, it's not so much cooking as it is assembling. Pasta salad, veggie stir fry, honey/cinnamon carrots, tuna and egg salad, instant mashed potatoes with fried onions (really good), and broccoli.
Our mashgiach has never supervised a kitchen that's made frozen broccoli before (he's a student). After many calls to the great rabbis (no clue who, but I assume that's who they were). It turns out that he needed to boil the green stuff for two minutes, then put it in cold water and agitate each individual spear to check for bugs. We had a case of broccoli and this took a good hour. By the end of the hour we were all agitated and the broccoli lookes pathetic. Oh well.
Most of our menu has been dictated by the over buying from he last two weeks. There are still 15 pounds of baby carrots that we'll never use and cases and cases of bagels and the accompanying cream cheese packets. Plus, there are more industrial size cans of tuna than I knew what to do with. At least they ordred hard boiled eggs already peeled....
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Chili for 100
How many pounds of dried beans do you need to make chili for 100 people? If the answer is about 12 pounds of assorted beans, then we're on the right track. Plus we added about 10 bags of Morningstar Farms crumbled "meat". Some diced tomatoes, onions and spices and hopefully it will be done in the next 30 minutes.
I say (and mean) hopefully because despite soaking the beans overnight and even changing the water once, they are still a bit "crunchy", and that's after simmering with everything else for almost 2.5 hours.
I hope the cornbread is ok...
I say (and mean) hopefully because despite soaking the beans overnight and even changing the water once, they are still a bit "crunchy", and that's after simmering with everything else for almost 2.5 hours.
I hope the cornbread is ok...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Katrina, 18 months later and counting
This week I'm staying at a very rustic (emphasis on the "very rustic" part) camp in Kiln, Mississippi, just north of Bay St. Louis and Waveland. The house that was the main office of campu was flooded to about the 5 foot mark. I have no cell phone reception there and rare email access.
The devastation is so much more than one might imagine so long after the hurricane. Not only are the houses boarded up or undergoing gutting or rehab, but so many of the businesses are closed and it doesn't appear that they're going to reopen anytime soon. Everything seems to be for sale.
Our students are working on houses in Chalmette, Louisiana in St. Bernard Parish right outside of New Orleans. They're gutting houses, sorting out the valuables to save for the homeowners and pulling out appliances, drywall, floor tiles, carpeting, and whatever else is between them and the frame of the house. If the homeowners decide to rebuild, it's there for them, if not, the houses are leveled to the ground. I haven't seen it, but they say that takes about 30 minutes to go from a standing house to the bare concrete foundation.
Today they heard from Colonel David Dysart, the person in charge of recovery efforts for St. Bernard Parish. According to him, FEMA has basically abandoned the parish and its people. The houses aren't even close to being ready, but FEMA is already asking for their trailers back. Because the hospital there was private and FEMA won't fund private enterprise, they have been unable to rebuild the hospital. The process to get a Right of Entry to start gutting a house is a long and complicated one and that's compounded by the fact that the parish doesn't have the information they need to communicate with the property owners. FEMA has it but won't share it because of privacy concerns. He also told us that the budget for the parish comes from two primary sources, sales tax and real estate tax. There is very, very little real estate tax income coming in, and since so many business are still closed and unlikely to reopne, not so much sales tax either.
I've been out at the work sites with the students yesterday and today. They're really working hard. I've been running the kitchen, which means telling the students what to do to set up breakfast, supervise the students making dinner, and get the lunch-making students set up at night so I can finally go to sleep.
I've seen some really, really big bugs here. I think that they might be considered a new species if anyone bothered to come study them. And I've spent a lot of time at Wal-Mart stocking up on supplied. The kitchen people from last week ordered way, way too much food, but unless we're going to eat bagels all week, I've got to do some shopping. The kitchen we're using to cook for 90 people is small, by the best comparisons. there's one small oven, 4 burners, but only 2 of which can be used at any time, and a scant amount of counter space. And there's no where to really put the pots and metal pans we've been using.
Did I mention the really big bugs?
We were supposed to be staying in Slidell, Louisiana. We went by there on Monday to pick up some of the things left behind when we moved to the Mississippi camp. The place there was formerly a furniture warehouse and the activity and food tents are in the parking lot. The dorms are in the warehouse and the lights are never turned off. And the security guard was wearing a holstered gun. We're not sure why. Rustic beats industrial any day.
The devastation is so much more than one might imagine so long after the hurricane. Not only are the houses boarded up or undergoing gutting or rehab, but so many of the businesses are closed and it doesn't appear that they're going to reopen anytime soon. Everything seems to be for sale.
Our students are working on houses in Chalmette, Louisiana in St. Bernard Parish right outside of New Orleans. They're gutting houses, sorting out the valuables to save for the homeowners and pulling out appliances, drywall, floor tiles, carpeting, and whatever else is between them and the frame of the house. If the homeowners decide to rebuild, it's there for them, if not, the houses are leveled to the ground. I haven't seen it, but they say that takes about 30 minutes to go from a standing house to the bare concrete foundation.
Today they heard from Colonel David Dysart, the person in charge of recovery efforts for St. Bernard Parish. According to him, FEMA has basically abandoned the parish and its people. The houses aren't even close to being ready, but FEMA is already asking for their trailers back. Because the hospital there was private and FEMA won't fund private enterprise, they have been unable to rebuild the hospital. The process to get a Right of Entry to start gutting a house is a long and complicated one and that's compounded by the fact that the parish doesn't have the information they need to communicate with the property owners. FEMA has it but won't share it because of privacy concerns. He also told us that the budget for the parish comes from two primary sources, sales tax and real estate tax. There is very, very little real estate tax income coming in, and since so many business are still closed and unlikely to reopne, not so much sales tax either.
I've been out at the work sites with the students yesterday and today. They're really working hard. I've been running the kitchen, which means telling the students what to do to set up breakfast, supervise the students making dinner, and get the lunch-making students set up at night so I can finally go to sleep.
I've seen some really, really big bugs here. I think that they might be considered a new species if anyone bothered to come study them. And I've spent a lot of time at Wal-Mart stocking up on supplied. The kitchen people from last week ordered way, way too much food, but unless we're going to eat bagels all week, I've got to do some shopping. The kitchen we're using to cook for 90 people is small, by the best comparisons. there's one small oven, 4 burners, but only 2 of which can be used at any time, and a scant amount of counter space. And there's no where to really put the pots and metal pans we've been using.
Did I mention the really big bugs?
We were supposed to be staying in Slidell, Louisiana. We went by there on Monday to pick up some of the things left behind when we moved to the Mississippi camp. The place there was formerly a furniture warehouse and the activity and food tents are in the parking lot. The dorms are in the warehouse and the lights are never turned off. And the security guard was wearing a holstered gun. We're not sure why. Rustic beats industrial any day.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Laverne & Shirley, Lenny & Squiggy
I think we saw one of their apartments this weekend while we were looking at duplexes in Milwaukee. It's a common Milwaukee thing, but evidently not so much in the rest of the country. What we saw ranged from "frat boy chic" (and I used the term "chic"extremely liberally) to uber-modern.
We learned several things:
We learned several things:
- Living closer to campus might be nice for students, but isn't so nice if you want to be a landlords.
- Polka dots all over the walls leading up to the second floor entrance may only be a nice idea if it's not the owner's apartment.
- There are many versions of the alcohol periodic table that also tells you how to contruct various drinks.
- Pool tables and ping pong tables are popular in dining rooms of college students.
- Too many people paint over wood trim for no good reason.
- A queen-size bed will take up most of the space in the largest bedroom in nearly all the apartments we saw.
- A house that costs $125,000 more than another, really is a lot nicer than its less expensive counterpart.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Beware the Ides of March
Well, once again we're at the Ides of March. A lot of people don't know that every month has an "Ides". The ides of March, May, July and October fall on the 15th of the month, and on all the other months, it's the 13th.
It's also my half-birthday, just in case you were interested.
It's also my half-birthday, just in case you were interested.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
From 20.75 to 83 in no time
I was in St. Louis last week for my father's 20.75 birthday, or 83 if in human years. He celebrates in leap years, so next year he'll finally be old enough to buy a beer his doctor won't let him drink.
Friday afternoon we went driving. About a year ago, we went driving for the first time in a long time. We were in a big, empty parking lot and it wasn't easy for him to shift his right leg enough to cover the brake and stop quickly if he needed to, but I think it was good for him to get back behind the wheel. A few weeks later, still in the parking lot, he was definitely better but not quite ready to drive in case of any emergency (not that any were expected). And last Thanksgiving, we went out on "real" streets really early on Thanksgiving days without many cars. But this past Friday my dad pulled out of the driveway and took us around the subdivision, onto the main roads, through a parking lot, back up through the neighborhood, around the corner into the next subdivision, back onto the main roads and then back to the house. Definitely an improvement. Maybe highways next time?
Friday afternoon we went driving. About a year ago, we went driving for the first time in a long time. We were in a big, empty parking lot and it wasn't easy for him to shift his right leg enough to cover the brake and stop quickly if he needed to, but I think it was good for him to get back behind the wheel. A few weeks later, still in the parking lot, he was definitely better but not quite ready to drive in case of any emergency (not that any were expected). And last Thanksgiving, we went out on "real" streets really early on Thanksgiving days without many cars. But this past Friday my dad pulled out of the driveway and took us around the subdivision, onto the main roads, through a parking lot, back up through the neighborhood, around the corner into the next subdivision, back onto the main roads and then back to the house. Definitely an improvement. Maybe highways next time?
Friday, February 23, 2007
Casual Friday
I seem to have surprised everyone today by wearing jeans to work. It is casual Friday, but I think given how relatively casually dress on a daily basis, no one thought I could get much more casual without wearing pajamas to work. Evidently they just don't know me well enough. My boss did a double take - that was worth the whole thing.
I have to say, it is very comfortable to wear jeans and a t-shirt (long sleeve, from a Hillel conference - they shouldn't give them to us if they don't want us to wear them!) and tennis shoes to work. I may have to do it more often.
I'm pretty sure it won't effect my work product, so maybe I can lobby for Casual Wednesday...?
I have to say, it is very comfortable to wear jeans and a t-shirt (long sleeve, from a Hillel conference - they shouldn't give them to us if they don't want us to wear them!) and tennis shoes to work. I may have to do it more often.
I'm pretty sure it won't effect my work product, so maybe I can lobby for Casual Wednesday...?
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Amazing Race
Well, the all-stars edition has begun. And while popular opinion says that Rob and Amber are completely annoying, they're also a great team to watch. They've got one goal in mind, they are are ruthless, completely competitive, and they aren't mean to each other. Dave and Mary don't have a chance, even though I wish they would.
Work these days also seems like an amazing race of sorts. Will we actually get 4000 students on buses, or even have time for them to apply before registration closes? Who knows?! The numbers are creeping up way, way too slowly.
And in March, the travel begins again - Chicago/Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, training (who knows where) and then back to Israel. St. Louis at some point? more Milwaukee? Unfortunately, Phil won't be waiting at the mat to tell me whether I've been eliminated or not....
Work these days also seems like an amazing race of sorts. Will we actually get 4000 students on buses, or even have time for them to apply before registration closes? Who knows?! The numbers are creeping up way, way too slowly.
And in March, the travel begins again - Chicago/Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, training (who knows where) and then back to Israel. St. Louis at some point? more Milwaukee? Unfortunately, Phil won't be waiting at the mat to tell me whether I've been eliminated or not....
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
March Madness
Well, it's official. The March round will be the death of us yet. We probably won't really die (and boy would that be bad if we did!), but we might be placed in an undisclosed location for an indeterminate period of time while we regain basic the life skills which have been put aside in order to get 200 people on flights.
For us, it's not even 10% of the population we brought this winter, but we're doing it in 10% of the time....
For us, it's not even 10% of the population we brought this winter, but we're doing it in 10% of the time....
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Austrian Airlines...
I flew Austrian Air home. Truth be told, the flights were excellent, if you could get beyond the green seats with yellow and red fabric where your head rests. It looked like a big circus tent. And all the flight attendents wear read from head to toe. Pants (or skirts with red tights), shoes, jackets and when I saw them getting their luggage (not all red, interestingly enough), they had red coats and briefcases. The pillows were good and I got a little bit of sleep and saw two and a half movies. And I also learned that Diet Coke (here, Coke Light) could be considered Halal, but there it was, the Halal hechsher. It was produced in Malaysia, which could explain why there was no OU on it, but I really didn't know that Coke had to be Halal....
Sunday, January 21, 2007
4:45am - does it matter where?!
This hour should just not be allowed. I'm checked in for my flight, my bags will hopefully make it with me to DC. The airport is actually a pretty busy place at this hour. The road here was empty, until the last few kilometers when cabs magically appeared out of nowhere, all en route to the airport.
My two cents - every airport should have free wireless. I'm not sure what to do for the passengers without laptops, but I just can't worry about them right now.
And for the first time I have two very full bags checked. I usually check two bags back, but they usually have a good amount of extra room in them. This time, they're both stuffed. Between gifts for the rakazim (which I really hope don't break), a small container of rugelach for the IT team and two extra fleeces, there's really no extra space. And this means I have two carry-ons, which I hate. My backpack (with the computer) and my other bag with my binder and a few pita/hummus/eggplant sandwiches I made 12 hours ago but that I'm sure will be really tasty for breakfast in Vienna.
When I moved in to the apartment, there were 2 eggs, 1/2 a loaf of bread and the dregs of the last person's orange juice. All those things are still there, plus I left three apples, the rest of the hummus and eggplant, and two liters of Pepsi Max (aka diet pepsi). I guess it will be interesting to see how long it all collects there... Mostly, I regret leaving the Pepsi Max.
And, as crazy as it sounds, I need to go some cash. I think I have maybe 10 shekels to my name right now, which means I can't buy something to drink now, and have enough left to buy something when I come back. I tried to get money yesterday, but the machine was closed and the next bank didn't like my card.
My two cents - every airport should have free wireless. I'm not sure what to do for the passengers without laptops, but I just can't worry about them right now.
And for the first time I have two very full bags checked. I usually check two bags back, but they usually have a good amount of extra room in them. This time, they're both stuffed. Between gifts for the rakazim (which I really hope don't break), a small container of rugelach for the IT team and two extra fleeces, there's really no extra space. And this means I have two carry-ons, which I hate. My backpack (with the computer) and my other bag with my binder and a few pita/hummus/eggplant sandwiches I made 12 hours ago but that I'm sure will be really tasty for breakfast in Vienna.
When I moved in to the apartment, there were 2 eggs, 1/2 a loaf of bread and the dregs of the last person's orange juice. All those things are still there, plus I left three apples, the rest of the hummus and eggplant, and two liters of Pepsi Max (aka diet pepsi). I guess it will be interesting to see how long it all collects there... Mostly, I regret leaving the Pepsi Max.
And, as crazy as it sounds, I need to go some cash. I think I have maybe 10 shekels to my name right now, which means I can't buy something to drink now, and have enough left to buy something when I come back. I tried to get money yesterday, but the machine was closed and the next bank didn't like my card.
4:45am - does it matter where?!
This hour should just not be allowed. I'm checked in for my flight, my bags will hopefully make it with me to DC. The airport is actually a pretty busy place at this hour. The road here was empty, until the last few kilometers when cabs magically appeared out of nowhere, all en route to the airport.
My two cents - every airport should have free wireless. I'm not sure what to do for the passengers without laptops, but I just can't worry about them right now.
And for the first time I have two very full bags checked. I usually check two bags back, but they usually have a good amount of extra room in them. This time, they're both stuffed. Between gifts for the rakazim (which I really hope don't break), a small container of rugelach for the IT team and two extra fleeces, there's really no extra space. And this means I have two carry-ons, which I hate. My backpack (with the computer) and my other bag with my binder and a few pita/hummus/eggplant sandwiches I made 12 hours ago but that I'm sure will be really tasty for breakfast in Vienna.
When I moved in to the apartment, there were 2 eggs, 1/2 a loaf of bread and the dregs of the last person's orange juice. All those things are still there, plus I left three apples, the rest of the hummus and eggplant, and two liters of Pepsi Max (aka diet pepsi). I guess it will be interesting to see how long it all collects there... Mostly, I regret leaving the Pepsi Max.
And, as crazy as it sounds, I need to go some cash. I think I have maybe 10 shekels to my name right now, which means I can't buy something to drink now, and have enough left to buy something when I come back. I tried to get money yesterday, but the machine was closed and the next bank didn't like my card.
My two cents - every airport should have free wireless. I'm not sure what to do for the passengers without laptops, but I just can't worry about them right now.
And for the first time I have two very full bags checked. I usually check two bags back, but they usually have a good amount of extra room in them. This time, they're both stuffed. Between gifts for the rakazim (which I really hope don't break), a small container of rugelach for the IT team and two extra fleeces, there's really no extra space. And this means I have two carry-ons, which I hate. My backpack (with the computer) and my other bag with my binder and a few pita/hummus/eggplant sandwiches I made 12 hours ago but that I'm sure will be really tasty for breakfast in Vienna.
When I moved in to the apartment, there were 2 eggs, 1/2 a loaf of bread and the dregs of the last person's orange juice. All those things are still there, plus I left three apples, the rest of the hummus and eggplant, and two liters of Pepsi Max (aka diet pepsi). I guess it will be interesting to see how long it all collects there... Mostly, I regret leaving the Pepsi Max.
And, as crazy as it sounds, I need to go some cash. I think I have maybe 10 shekels to my name right now, which means I can't buy something to drink now, and have enough left to buy something when I come back. I tried to get money yesterday, but the machine was closed and the next bank didn't like my card.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
4-peat
Well, I'm headed back to the Shalom hotel for the fourth Shabbat in a row. At least its predictable, and there is only one other bus there other than our four. I believe I can fairly accurately predict the menu for both dinner and lunch and where they will hide the vegetarian shnitzel so that it will sufficiently cool before anyone who actually wants it, will find it.
There are four elevators at the Shalom hotel. One is a service elevator that holds three people, max. The other three each hold about seven people, maybe 8. One of them, on Shabbat, is a Shabbat elevator that stops at every floor on the way up to 17, and every floor on the way back to the Lobby. Of the other two, one usually broken. The fun begins because you never know when the elevator is going to break and who will be in it when it does.
What this Shabbat also means though is that I'm due to leave Israel soon. As always happens, I'm inevitably caught between being ready to go back, and not ready to leave. I'm cramming in a few last meetings this morning and Sunday, and yesterday was pretty packed as well. Still left to do, buy rugelach to bring back to the office and deliver the plant that I was given for Shabbat a few weeks ago to Esther's parents.... And drop off my laundry so that I have something clean to wear tonight.
The good news is that I'll have 4 hours in the airport before I can even check my luggage in on Sunday night so I'll get a lot of work done in the off chance that I'll be able to keep my eyes open.
There are four elevators at the Shalom hotel. One is a service elevator that holds three people, max. The other three each hold about seven people, maybe 8. One of them, on Shabbat, is a Shabbat elevator that stops at every floor on the way up to 17, and every floor on the way back to the Lobby. Of the other two, one usually broken. The fun begins because you never know when the elevator is going to break and who will be in it when it does.
What this Shabbat also means though is that I'm due to leave Israel soon. As always happens, I'm inevitably caught between being ready to go back, and not ready to leave. I'm cramming in a few last meetings this morning and Sunday, and yesterday was pretty packed as well. Still left to do, buy rugelach to bring back to the office and deliver the plant that I was given for Shabbat a few weeks ago to Esther's parents.... And drop off my laundry so that I have something clean to wear tonight.
The good news is that I'll have 4 hours in the airport before I can even check my luggage in on Sunday night so I'll get a lot of work done in the off chance that I'll be able to keep my eyes open.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Lost in Mea She'arim
Yes, I finally got really lost in Jerusalem. And not just Jerusalem, but Mea She'arim. I needed to find the Prima Hotel. I had an address and a really good map. And at some point when I was only a little lost, I called someone who gave me great directions, but I got a little more lost trying to get out of where I was. I was only a few blocks from where I needed to be, but I wasn't dressed appropriately enough to walk the short distance (read: I was wearing pants). Plus, even if I'd been wearing a skirt, the only skirts I have here are short.
Plus, the streets there are very, very narrow, with cars parked on both sides. It's a little harrowing to drive there when there are people dressed in black running across the streets all the time. The streets aren't so well lit and it's incredible that more people aren't hit by cars. I was lucky in that I only slightly bruised two teenagers.
The end of the story - I gave up the search for the Prima. I'll look again tomorrow...
Plus, the streets there are very, very narrow, with cars parked on both sides. It's a little harrowing to drive there when there are people dressed in black running across the streets all the time. The streets aren't so well lit and it's incredible that more people aren't hit by cars. I was lucky in that I only slightly bruised two teenagers.
The end of the story - I gave up the search for the Prima. I'll look again tomorrow...
It's Raining Camels and Dogs
Camels: Yesterday on the way up North, I saw a camel and her baby camel. It was pretty cute and I'm not aware that I've ever seen a baby camel before. Someone told me that baby camels are born just at the right height to nurse from their mothers. I think that the reverse might also be true - that the mothers don't grow taller than their babies can reach.
Dogs: Today, for the second time, a dog attacked my car. I'd slowed to let the sheep cross the road (there's a joke here somewhere) and the dogs that were there came up and jumped at my car. Last Friday at Hebrew U, I was driving with someone and four wild dogs attacked my car. Strangely, the person who was in the car with me on Friday was on the phone with me this morning when the dogs attacked. Lesson learned - don't talk to Hal....
Our last bus arrived yesterday. That's 55 in six weeks. Only 9 days to go (I leave in 4...).
Dogs: Today, for the second time, a dog attacked my car. I'd slowed to let the sheep cross the road (there's a joke here somewhere) and the dogs that were there came up and jumped at my car. Last Friday at Hebrew U, I was driving with someone and four wild dogs attacked my car. Strangely, the person who was in the car with me on Friday was on the phone with me this morning when the dogs attacked. Lesson learned - don't talk to Hal....
Our last bus arrived yesterday. That's 55 in six weeks. Only 9 days to go (I leave in 4...).
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Al Weiner
Ronnie's father passed away Sunday and the funeral will be today. Ronnie was already in Chicago and will be headed back to DC, we're just not sure when. After many conversations and a lot of thought, it was decided that I'll be staying in Israel until next Monday when I was originally scheduled to return.
It's a bit surreal to be here and not there, with life basically going as normal here. But if I'm not going to be there, then it should be as normal as it can be here. I'm headed back up North today to stay at Ein Gev overnight with some groups. I don't think I'll make it to Tzfat this time, but we'll see.
It's a bit surreal to be here and not there, with life basically going as normal here. But if I'm not going to be there, then it should be as normal as it can be here. I'm headed back up North today to stay at Ein Gev overnight with some groups. I don't think I'll make it to Tzfat this time, but we'll see.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Staff Ills
Well, I was back at the hospital. This time with a very, very sick staff person. What I hadn't realized until yesterday, is that Shaare Tzedek is a religious hospital. I've never been there on Shabbat, so if I did know, it just hadn't mattered. We actually drove down in two cars and I was in the second car. It turns out, that unless you are the sick person, or have them in the seat next to you, you cannot drive into the hospital on Shabbat. No amount of "she's my student and he's just the driver (he's not) would get me in. So I parked a few blocks away. Oh well.
The good news about being at Shaare Tzedek in the emergency room, is that based on my last trip there, I know where things are. Which means that when she needed another blanket, and a pillow, I could go to the supply closet and get them. The bad news, is that never having been there on Shabbat, I didn't know where the Shabbat elevators are.
I left for about an hour in the afternoon and when I got back, she was on the 7th floor. By the time I got up there, she was already back down on the 2nd floor. They released her as soon as Shabbat ended with a really, really bad virus. Thankfully she's got family here and they picked her up and she'll recuperate there.
The three times I've been in the hospitals this round have all been with staff people - one gastrointestinal, one with mono or Epstein-Barr (I don't know if they ever figured it out). And we've had a few others that weren't "hospital-worthy" but who were also very sick.
And one staff person's grandparent died on the 2nd day of the trip, and another's grandmother is not looking long for this world either. I'm not sure what it is this round....
The good news about being at Shaare Tzedek in the emergency room, is that based on my last trip there, I know where things are. Which means that when she needed another blanket, and a pillow, I could go to the supply closet and get them. The bad news, is that never having been there on Shabbat, I didn't know where the Shabbat elevators are.
I left for about an hour in the afternoon and when I got back, she was on the 7th floor. By the time I got up there, she was already back down on the 2nd floor. They released her as soon as Shabbat ended with a really, really bad virus. Thankfully she's got family here and they picked her up and she'll recuperate there.
The three times I've been in the hospitals this round have all been with staff people - one gastrointestinal, one with mono or Epstein-Barr (I don't know if they ever figured it out). And we've had a few others that weren't "hospital-worthy" but who were also very sick.
And one staff person's grandparent died on the 2nd day of the trip, and another's grandmother is not looking long for this world either. I'm not sure what it is this round....
Monday, January 08, 2007
Seasonal changes
This past summer in Israel, I was able to watch coverage of the first few stages of the Tour de France coverage in Hebrew, and last night I had the opportunity to watch the Paris-Dakar rally coverage. Only this year they're leaving from Lisbon before heading to Dakar. It's pretty cool, although I'm not sure why. I forget that this is the only place that I really ever see coverage....
There's s no food in my apartment. I'm leaving to go up North for three days, so it doesn't make sense to buy any, but eating dry granola is just bad and causes choking. There are two eggs left from the last tenant, but for all I know they could be left from the tenant a few months ago. Needless to say, I'm going to leave them for my successor as well, along with the 1/2 loaf of bread in the back of the fridge.
The third and final mega-event was last night. There's really just not much more to say than that. It's always loud, full of screaming students and lots of VIPs. The Prime Minister came so secruity was pretty tight. The swabbed and tested all of our hands and cell phones. I'm not sure for what, or if they also swabbed all the students as well. The best part was the ability to check our coats.
There's s no food in my apartment. I'm leaving to go up North for three days, so it doesn't make sense to buy any, but eating dry granola is just bad and causes choking. There are two eggs left from the last tenant, but for all I know they could be left from the tenant a few months ago. Needless to say, I'm going to leave them for my successor as well, along with the 1/2 loaf of bread in the back of the fridge.
The third and final mega-event was last night. There's really just not much more to say than that. It's always loud, full of screaming students and lots of VIPs. The Prime Minister came so secruity was pretty tight. The swabbed and tested all of our hands and cell phones. I'm not sure for what, or if they also swabbed all the students as well. The best part was the ability to check our coats.
Friday, January 05, 2007
5am this morning, no hospitals involved
The flight that is supposed to arrive at 12:40pm today took off from JFK last night, and turned around because of engine trouble. They're hoping to get out tomorrow night. When I mentioned to someone that I was alerted to all of this at 5am, they didn't understand why I had been called. Their exact response, "What, did they think that you could fix the plane?" I responded that I have many skills that while not used in my everyday job, could be called on should the timing be right....
I then went to the shuk at about 8am to buy rugelach, because gd forbid there should be a staff oneg without rugelach from Marzipan. It's good, but the chocolate ones are over-rated, in my opinion. The cinnamon ones are definitely better. In any case, I walked out without having showered, and wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt previously stained with amba, a sort of curried mustard sauce that can be put on falafel (and in my case, was also put on my shirt). I was really hoping I didn't see anyone I know. Which I didn't. But the boys at Marzipan still laughed at me. I'm not sure if it was my completely disheveled hair, the fact that I have no voice, or the fact that I handed them a list of what I wanted because I knew I wouldn't be able to actually tell them in a voice they could hear.
I have no voice. And when I do, it's very squeaky. For all the talking on the phone that's required, it's a bit of a problem. Some of it might have to do with the fact that I've only slept about 4 hours a night for the last 3 nights. Probably on Pluto, or some other fast-spinning planet, that would be a full night's sleep.
I then went to the shuk at about 8am to buy rugelach, because gd forbid there should be a staff oneg without rugelach from Marzipan. It's good, but the chocolate ones are over-rated, in my opinion. The cinnamon ones are definitely better. In any case, I walked out without having showered, and wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt previously stained with amba, a sort of curried mustard sauce that can be put on falafel (and in my case, was also put on my shirt). I was really hoping I didn't see anyone I know. Which I didn't. But the boys at Marzipan still laughed at me. I'm not sure if it was my completely disheveled hair, the fact that I have no voice, or the fact that I handed them a list of what I wanted because I knew I wouldn't be able to actually tell them in a voice they could hear.
I have no voice. And when I do, it's very squeaky. For all the talking on the phone that's required, it's a bit of a problem. Some of it might have to do with the fact that I've only slept about 4 hours a night for the last 3 nights. Probably on Pluto, or some other fast-spinning planet, that would be a full night's sleep.
11:30pm at Shaare Tzedek, yesterday
I actually only got the hospital for the closing act. Someone else went at 8:30pm with a student and a staff person, both of whom had different presenting issues. By the time I got there, my primary role was to find water for the student, and then to find pants for him. He hurt his knee and it was bandaged up so much, that he couldn't put his jeans back on. So the nurse sent me to look through their closets. It was only strange in that no one asked me what I was doing rummaging through piles of smocks, shirts, laundry bags (I really should have taken one of those) and sheets, before someone finally helped me find a pair of xxl pajama bottoms.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
4:30am at Poriya hospital two days ago
Ok, I got the call at 4:30 and we didn't get to the hospital until 5:30am, but still...
The staff person I went with is fine. Here's what the hospital is likeat 5:30am. Really, really quiet. No one was there. So things went rather quickly, at least at first. And then they slowed down, but not so much.
Around 6:30, more patients started to arrive. One was wearing leopard print slippers, and blue and pink flowered socks. There was no visible blood, and so I mistakenly thought that barring a real, urgent, dire emergency, no one would have otherwise put that combination together.
The doctors there were nice, and by 10:30am, we were on our way back to Ramot to sleep for an hour and shower, before driving back to Jerusalem. The drive back on the Bika road was stunning, as always.
The staff person I went with is fine. Here's what the hospital is likeat 5:30am. Really, really quiet. No one was there. So things went rather quickly, at least at first. And then they slowed down, but not so much.
Around 6:30, more patients started to arrive. One was wearing leopard print slippers, and blue and pink flowered socks. There was no visible blood, and so I mistakenly thought that barring a real, urgent, dire emergency, no one would have otherwise put that combination together.
The doctors there were nice, and by 10:30am, we were on our way back to Ramot to sleep for an hour and shower, before driving back to Jerusalem. The drive back on the Bika road was stunning, as always.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Fluffy white towels
I drove up to Ramot today. It overlooks the Kinneret, and is sort of just across the Kinneret from Tiberius. And I only got just a little lost on my way here. Driving up the Bikaa road was beautiful as always, and as desolate as always, which is nice, until you find yourself behind the only truck for miles on curvy roads unsuitable for passing.
I checked in and was put into a chalet. This is not your regular hotel room. It's a stand-alone little wooden house, kind of like, well, a chalet. With a jacuzzi. And a sauna. And a big bowl of fruit. And big fluffy white towels. And a robe and slippers and fancy shampoos and conditioners that I've already taken. And a cappucino machine. And a DVD player. And too many remotes that I will never understand how to use (The one that has the most buttons, is only used to turn on and off the television. Go figure.) And the windows aren't drafty and there's a lot of heat. And I'm pretty sure that in the morning I'll see a small deck in the back with a table and chairs. All in all, I think it's completely unreasonable for them to put me in this room and then expect me to work for the next few days.
I think I'm headed to Tzfat tomorrow, which will be great. We've got a lot of groups there, and I'm interested to see the work that's been done since this summer.
I checked in and was put into a chalet. This is not your regular hotel room. It's a stand-alone little wooden house, kind of like, well, a chalet. With a jacuzzi. And a sauna. And a big bowl of fruit. And big fluffy white towels. And a robe and slippers and fancy shampoos and conditioners that I've already taken. And a cappucino machine. And a DVD player. And too many remotes that I will never understand how to use (The one that has the most buttons, is only used to turn on and off the television. Go figure.) And the windows aren't drafty and there's a lot of heat. And I'm pretty sure that in the morning I'll see a small deck in the back with a table and chairs. All in all, I think it's completely unreasonable for them to put me in this room and then expect me to work for the next few days.
I think I'm headed to Tzfat tomorrow, which will be great. We've got a lot of groups there, and I'm interested to see the work that's been done since this summer.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Portuguese?
This Shabbat, we had a Hillel group from Rio in the hotel with us, also on Taglit program. They had three girls who wanted to have a Bat Mitzvah (one each, not one for all three) and the staff only knew how to ask for help and wasn't really prepared to help plan the service or ceremony. So we helped them, and had some of our Shabbat scholars lead the service and read Torah. And each of the girls spoke after their aliyah. But the entire thing was in Portuguese. I'm sure they spoke beautifully, but I didn't understand one single word....
It's still pretty cold here in Jerusalem. I definitely didn't bring enough long sleeve shirts. That was a strategic packing error on my part. And at some point, I have to do laundry. But I've got a new fleece and a new sweatshirt, long underwear and heavy socks. And this year, I remembered to bring an umbrella.
Yesterday on the radio I heard them announce a song called "Shir Ha-Mitria" or the Umbrella Song. I couldn't imagine what it was going to be, but sure enough, it was all about rain, and definitely appropriate for the way the weather has been around here.
Yes, Israel needs the rain. But it would be nicer if it was a warm rain...
It's still pretty cold here in Jerusalem. I definitely didn't bring enough long sleeve shirts. That was a strategic packing error on my part. And at some point, I have to do laundry. But I've got a new fleece and a new sweatshirt, long underwear and heavy socks. And this year, I remembered to bring an umbrella.
Yesterday on the radio I heard them announce a song called "Shir Ha-Mitria" or the Umbrella Song. I couldn't imagine what it was going to be, but sure enough, it was all about rain, and definitely appropriate for the way the weather has been around here.
Yes, Israel needs the rain. But it would be nicer if it was a warm rain...
Saturday, December 30, 2006
A new Saturday night program
Well, it's finally happened. A Saturday night in Israel that did not involve the Campus Club. I think we have a group there next week, but that's at least 7 days away, and at least for now, we can honestly say that we had a season without Campus. Instead, we were at the Israel Museum to view the mini-model of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea Scrolls, to hear Avraham (only the second time this trip for me), and to hear a band called Shine.
It should be noted that the lead singer in the band dresses badly. Not just strangely, but badly. And he only has 1/2 a mustache for reasons that are not readily apparent.
And now, it's way too late with an early morning to follow....
It should be noted that the lead singer in the band dresses badly. Not just strangely, but badly. And he only has 1/2 a mustache for reasons that are not readily apparent.
And now, it's way too late with an early morning to follow....
Thursday, December 28, 2006
implications of snow in jerusalem on students
Of the 40 students who flew in from Berkeley yesterday, most were wearing shorts, t-shirts and flip flops when they got off the bus in Jerusalem for their first time, where it had just stopped snowing, at least for a few minutes. Needless to say it was a really quick shehechiyanu ceremony.
One student got off the bus wearing a colorful Taglit scarf that was part of the swag from the first round of birthright. Being of suspicious nature, I approached her and said, "great scarf, where'd you get it?". My fear was that somehow she had also participated in the first round. She didn't look old enough, but you never know.... It turns out, she got it for $5 at at a thriftstore in San Francisco!
And of the 40 students from Central Florida who arrived yesterday, 10 of them did not bring coats with them. Why? Because they don't own them! Evidently it's never cold in Orlando, or wherever else they're from.
One student got off the bus wearing a colorful Taglit scarf that was part of the swag from the first round of birthright. Being of suspicious nature, I approached her and said, "great scarf, where'd you get it?". My fear was that somehow she had also participated in the first round. She didn't look old enough, but you never know.... It turns out, she got it for $5 at at a thriftstore in San Francisco!
And of the 40 students from Central Florida who arrived yesterday, 10 of them did not bring coats with them. Why? Because they don't own them! Evidently it's never cold in Orlando, or wherever else they're from.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Cold and rainy in the orange room
Well, I moved into my apartment. In the rain. And the cold. From a parking spot two blocks away. With an empty fridge. Well, the last part was taken care of at 11pm last night, but only because I was hungry then and knew that by breakfast time, if it was still cold and rainy, that I was going to be in trouble. The good news, I didn't get lost finding my way. Strange, very strange, but true. I basically just had to remember that once I found Efraim, I needed to just figure out where Menashe went wrong (see my last post for explanation).
I actually got the keys earlier yesterday, but didn't really get back until late last night. Why, because it was time once again to hear about Avraham Infeld's 5-legged table. They haven't changed, in case anyone was wondering.
Back to the apartment. The walls are very orange. And when I picked up the keys yesterday, Aviad (the landlord's son) was wearing an orange sweatshirt. I'm pretty sure it's not a political statement at this point, but you never know around here. The apartment is furnished in Ikea. Much of which is familiar from our house in DC, including the kitchen table and counter. And living room lamp. And chair. And probably some kitchen items I haven't explored yet.
But it's a nice space, and while it's much smaller than the apartment I was in this summer, it's plenty big for one person, and once I figure out how to keep the windows closed in the cold, blowing (did I mention cold?) rain, it should be perfect.
I actually got the keys earlier yesterday, but didn't really get back until late last night. Why, because it was time once again to hear about Avraham Infeld's 5-legged table. They haven't changed, in case anyone was wondering.
Back to the apartment. The walls are very orange. And when I picked up the keys yesterday, Aviad (the landlord's son) was wearing an orange sweatshirt. I'm pretty sure it's not a political statement at this point, but you never know around here. The apartment is furnished in Ikea. Much of which is familiar from our house in DC, including the kitchen table and counter. And living room lamp. And chair. And probably some kitchen items I haven't explored yet.
But it's a nice space, and while it's much smaller than the apartment I was in this summer, it's plenty big for one person, and once I figure out how to keep the windows closed in the cold, blowing (did I mention cold?) rain, it should be perfect.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Efraim and Menashe
I learned something about the streets in Jerusalem last night. It turns out, that if you know Jewish history, then it's easier to find your way around. The twelve tribe streets are in Baka, and the sites given up in the War of Independence have streets named for them in Talpiyot.
My apartment is on Menashe street, so I figured he would be near Efrayim (his brother). He is, but around the corner. Maybe he was a little twisted? I don't know. I also found it once, parked, and then made my way to the coffeeshop (named, appropriately, Coffee Shop), and I'll be able to walk back, but I'm really not sure if I'll ever find it again driving. It's too many one way streets, many of which I think I drove down incorrectly to find it the first time.
It's cold here (and summer-like by Milwaukee standards) and it might even snow tomorrow. And me without a camera. It's already snowing on the Hermon - and they're expecting 4 or 5 feet!
My apartment is on Menashe street, so I figured he would be near Efrayim (his brother). He is, but around the corner. Maybe he was a little twisted? I don't know. I also found it once, parked, and then made my way to the coffeeshop (named, appropriately, Coffee Shop), and I'll be able to walk back, but I'm really not sure if I'll ever find it again driving. It's too many one way streets, many of which I think I drove down incorrectly to find it the first time.
It's cold here (and summer-like by Milwaukee standards) and it might even snow tomorrow. And me without a camera. It's already snowing on the Hermon - and they're expecting 4 or 5 feet!
Monday, December 25, 2006
Dulles, the Haaj and Afula
I hate Dulles airport. It's far away, the lines are always long, and there just has to be a better way to start a trip, even erev Christmas eve, than their disorganization. I got the airport 2.5 hours before my flight. Which turned out to be good, because I waited in line for an hour just to check in. And then to drop your bags off to check, you had to weave in and out of all the other people checking in to get to the x-ray machine. And then there was security, and then the shuttle to the terminal, and then really, really long lines at all the places I wanted to stop and get a drink. oh well.
I got on the plane, found that might seat was thankfully much closer to the door than I expected, and sat down in my window seat. There was already someone in the aisle and no one yet in the middle seat. And by the time the plane took off, we realized we had the only empty seat on the plane, next to us. So we started talking. I was headed off to birthright, and he was heading to Jedda for the Haaj. We figured between my trip to Israel and his for the Haaj, someone either figured we needed the space between us, or deserved the space between us. And I got an invitation to his family's kabob restaurant in Faifax when I get back....
I changed planes in Frankfurt, and really, they just shouldn't tell you that you're going to be delayed while they de-ice the wings, you know!? So I said T'filat Haderech again figuring it couldn't hurt.
Landed in Israel, handed off a laptop and a big check to the person meeting me (I'm not sure I'm allowed to name her here, but for those that know her - she's the one that meets all of the Hillel groups), met my cousin Ayelet, picked up a car and drove to Afula.
It was nice to catch up with Steve, Galit, Or, Nadav and Ayelet now, because starting today, the craziness hits. Plus, they have a new cute puppy (who did not pee on my stuff).
I got on the plane, found that might seat was thankfully much closer to the door than I expected, and sat down in my window seat. There was already someone in the aisle and no one yet in the middle seat. And by the time the plane took off, we realized we had the only empty seat on the plane, next to us. So we started talking. I was headed off to birthright, and he was heading to Jedda for the Haaj. We figured between my trip to Israel and his for the Haaj, someone either figured we needed the space between us, or deserved the space between us. And I got an invitation to his family's kabob restaurant in Faifax when I get back....
I changed planes in Frankfurt, and really, they just shouldn't tell you that you're going to be delayed while they de-ice the wings, you know!? So I said T'filat Haderech again figuring it couldn't hurt.
Landed in Israel, handed off a laptop and a big check to the person meeting me (I'm not sure I'm allowed to name her here, but for those that know her - she's the one that meets all of the Hillel groups), met my cousin Ayelet, picked up a car and drove to Afula.
It was nice to catch up with Steve, Galit, Or, Nadav and Ayelet now, because starting today, the craziness hits. Plus, they have a new cute puppy (who did not pee on my stuff).
Friday, December 22, 2006
back to birthright...
Well, I'm back to Israel tomorrow for another round of birthright. Thankfully, I'm not on a flight with students. The other good news - all the students are going to be in the desert Sunday night, so I'm not going to see anyone until Monday. It will at least give me a day to get over the jet lag and run up and see my cousins.
We've already got 12 buses on the ground and already, there are stories. The tamest - a cat bit one of our staff people. Who pets the cats in Israel?!
And Debbie - if you found this - stay tuned for more over the next month.
We've already got 12 buses on the ground and already, there are stories. The tamest - a cat bit one of our staff people. Who pets the cats in Israel?!
And Debbie - if you found this - stay tuned for more over the next month.
Monday, December 11, 2006
You've got mail!
What I didn't mention in earlier posts about the shiritaki noodles I ordered on-line, is that there was a serious delivery problem. As in, when I ordered them, they didn't get delivered. So they agreed to send more out. They said they would arrive in 3-5 days, and when I called 2 weeks later and asked for tracking information, they sent some a few days later. Strange, but then again, I'm ordering noodles made from a smelly flower, what should I expect?
So finally a box arrived and you know what happened with the "meatballs". Not good. And I've got 19 more bags of assorted shapes and sizes that I've been avoiding ever since.
But tonight, there was a box on the doorstep, and lo and behold, it's another box of 20 bags of assorted smelly noodles. So now I'm thinking, I didn't like the first kind, I'm wary of trying a second, and now there are another 20 bags that I'm going to have to ship back to them. But first, I figured I should try them again. I also figured I should try a shape that I'm more familiar with, like spaghetti.
So I tried it. With plain marinara and a lot of grated parmesan (I figured if they were bad, at least they'd be edible). Ki Tov. And it was good.
And now I have to write them again and pay for the second box. It's hard being so ethical.... But at least it's nutritious, too.
So finally a box arrived and you know what happened with the "meatballs". Not good. And I've got 19 more bags of assorted shapes and sizes that I've been avoiding ever since.
But tonight, there was a box on the doorstep, and lo and behold, it's another box of 20 bags of assorted smelly noodles. So now I'm thinking, I didn't like the first kind, I'm wary of trying a second, and now there are another 20 bags that I'm going to have to ship back to them. But first, I figured I should try them again. I also figured I should try a shape that I'm more familiar with, like spaghetti.
So I tried it. With plain marinara and a lot of grated parmesan (I figured if they were bad, at least they'd be edible). Ki Tov. And it was good.
And now I have to write them again and pay for the second box. It's hard being so ethical.... But at least it's nutritious, too.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Forty is the new Seventy
Part 1: 40 = 70
It's 3:00pm. I get a phone call from someone who asks how things went today at Ronnie's doctor's appt. I answered that it took forever at the doctor and that we'd just gotten home.
When did I turn 70?
Part 2: Boing and Thud
I actually got to go to two doctors with Ronnie today. The first was the orthapaedist that made the spine surgeon recommendations and the guy that did my knee surgery. He used the rubber mallet to hit Ronnie in the shin and see how far his foot kicked up. The left knee popped up with a boing (yes, there really were sound effects). The second was a resounding thud, with no appreciable kick (or accompanying sound effect). Fascinating, actually.
It's 3:00pm. I get a phone call from someone who asks how things went today at Ronnie's doctor's appt. I answered that it took forever at the doctor and that we'd just gotten home.
When did I turn 70?
Part 2: Boing and Thud
I actually got to go to two doctors with Ronnie today. The first was the orthapaedist that made the spine surgeon recommendations and the guy that did my knee surgery. He used the rubber mallet to hit Ronnie in the shin and see how far his foot kicked up. The left knee popped up with a boing (yes, there really were sound effects). The second was a resounding thud, with no appreciable kick (or accompanying sound effect). Fascinating, actually.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Wet Meatballs
Well, I tried the "meatballs". I made them like I'd make any veggie meatballs and figured that would give me a good comparison. Basically, after I rinsed them off, I let them soak while I cooked up a big sauce pan of onion, mushroom, pepper and tomato.
They look like scallops, which is weird, because I've really only seen scallops on television. But these are rounder (I think scallops are flat?).
Here's the thing, these noodles are sometimes called "wet noodles" because usually you want to dry them out before you put sauce on them or they just feel too wet. I don't know how to describe it. They look like wet scallops, only round.
I think I didn't dry them out enough, and they taste, well, like scallop-sized but rounder wet balls in the middle of pretty good tasting mushrooms, onions, peppers etc. I'm pretty sure there's no way that Ronnie's going to try this...
Oh well. I think I'll try the spaghetti next...
They look like scallops, which is weird, because I've really only seen scallops on television. But these are rounder (I think scallops are flat?).
Here's the thing, these noodles are sometimes called "wet noodles" because usually you want to dry them out before you put sauce on them or they just feel too wet. I don't know how to describe it. They look like wet scallops, only round.
I think I didn't dry them out enough, and they taste, well, like scallop-sized but rounder wet balls in the middle of pretty good tasting mushrooms, onions, peppers etc. I'm pretty sure there's no way that Ronnie's going to try this...
Oh well. I think I'll try the spaghetti next...
Big Box o' Shiritaki
Well, the box of shiritaki noodles I ordered nearly a month ago finally arrived yesterday. There are 20 bags, each of a different kind of noodle. But I think it's all going to taste the same. In addition to regular types of noodles, there are"shrimp", "meatballs" (do you put these with the spaghetti made out of the same stuff?!) and something called "hand knot" pasta.
I saw the white squirrel again today. I took more pictures, and I think I could tell that he has pink eyes and not blue. The other squirrels didn't seem to be shunning him at all, which is a good thing.
I saw the white squirrel again today. I took more pictures, and I think I could tell that he has pink eyes and not blue. The other squirrels didn't seem to be shunning him at all, which is a good thing.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The Elusive White Squirrel
I took pictures this morning of the white squirrel. It's a good thing it wasn't snowing though, because that thing is really white! At least we now know where he lives. And since this was the third sighting, I don't think we're in a Loch Ness situation where it won't be seen again for decades (plus, squirrels don't live that long, I don't think).
Friday, November 24, 2006
Walgreen's and Denny's
The streets were empty yesterday morning, which was a good thing, because I went driving with my father. First around a relatively empty parking lot, and then he drove us home. And we remembered to bring his driver's license, which it turns out we didn't really need since he didn't drive poorly enough to get pulled over.
But before that, I knew the streets were empty because I'd made a Walgreen's run. The reason that no one was on the road - they were all at Walgreen's. Seriously, you'd think that they were giving stuff away. They were the only place open that I saw, so I guess if you were just trying to get out of the house and wander somewhere at 8:45am, that was the only place to do it, but still...
And later in the afternoon, all those same people were at Denny's. Go figure.
But before that, I knew the streets were empty because I'd made a Walgreen's run. The reason that no one was on the road - they were all at Walgreen's. Seriously, you'd think that they were giving stuff away. They were the only place open that I saw, so I guess if you were just trying to get out of the house and wander somewhere at 8:45am, that was the only place to do it, but still...
And later in the afternoon, all those same people were at Denny's. Go figure.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Over the River and Through the Woods...
This song conjures up a long journey to family, them waiting at the door for your arrival, maybe even with a cup of hot chocolate for you at the ready.
We left our house at 3:30am EST on Wednesday morning to try and beat the Thanksgiving driving traffic on our trek to St. Louis. Considering that treks are generally arduous, maybe this wasn't a trek. We had snackage, bottles of water, books on CD, a borrowed CD player (key for the books on CD), sunglasses (to be used once it got light out), a blanket and pillow, and a generally positive attitude. Plus, the weather was good.
We made a few stops and got to my parents house at 5:30pm CST after 15 hours. We decided to surprise them by being a few hourse earlier than they had likely expected us. Likely, because Ronnie and I realized that neither of us had actually spoken with them about what time we might arrive. My parents know us well though, and so if they were thinking, they should have expected us this early.
Here's the thing. We drive up to the house and there's no one waiting for us at the door with hot chocolate. From what we can see, there's only one small light on somewhere in the back, and after much knocking and doorbell ringing, we figure out that no one is home.
WHAT?!
Now we thought it was strange that we hadn't heard from them all day about when we thought we might arrive (so they could have the hot chocolate ready, of course), but we figured they were busy.
So we move their porch chairs onto the driveway where there's a bright motion-sensitive light, take out the blanket, some water and snacks, and the rest of the newspaper, and Ronnie sets up camp. I went up to Trader Joe's figuring they must have run out for some last minute things.
They aren't at Trader Joe's, and on the way back I trolled the parking lot at the big grocery store and figured out that they weren't there, either.
On my way back, I got a call from Ronnie that the driveway light had gone out. My recommendation to him - wave your arms around a lot until it goes back on.
About 15 minutes later, I knocked on the door of a neighbor two doors down who I haven't seen in 20 years at one of the few houses that still has people in it that I know. Turns out, he doesn't have a key to my parent's house.
About 30 minutes after that, I get in the car to try to find a key at another friend of my mother's who lives about 6 blocks away. As I'm driving down the street, Ronnie comfortably sitting on the patio chair with the blanket, water and snacks, I see a car pull into their driveway.
10 seconds later Ronnie calls, but I'm already headed around the block, having correctly assumed that my parents were now home.
My parents thought we were arriving today, not yesterday. Needless to say there was no hot chocolate.
We left our house at 3:30am EST on Wednesday morning to try and beat the Thanksgiving driving traffic on our trek to St. Louis. Considering that treks are generally arduous, maybe this wasn't a trek. We had snackage, bottles of water, books on CD, a borrowed CD player (key for the books on CD), sunglasses (to be used once it got light out), a blanket and pillow, and a generally positive attitude. Plus, the weather was good.
We made a few stops and got to my parents house at 5:30pm CST after 15 hours. We decided to surprise them by being a few hourse earlier than they had likely expected us. Likely, because Ronnie and I realized that neither of us had actually spoken with them about what time we might arrive. My parents know us well though, and so if they were thinking, they should have expected us this early.
Here's the thing. We drive up to the house and there's no one waiting for us at the door with hot chocolate. From what we can see, there's only one small light on somewhere in the back, and after much knocking and doorbell ringing, we figure out that no one is home.
WHAT?!
Now we thought it was strange that we hadn't heard from them all day about when we thought we might arrive (so they could have the hot chocolate ready, of course), but we figured they were busy.
So we move their porch chairs onto the driveway where there's a bright motion-sensitive light, take out the blanket, some water and snacks, and the rest of the newspaper, and Ronnie sets up camp. I went up to Trader Joe's figuring they must have run out for some last minute things.
They aren't at Trader Joe's, and on the way back I trolled the parking lot at the big grocery store and figured out that they weren't there, either.
On my way back, I got a call from Ronnie that the driveway light had gone out. My recommendation to him - wave your arms around a lot until it goes back on.
About 15 minutes later, I knocked on the door of a neighbor two doors down who I haven't seen in 20 years at one of the few houses that still has people in it that I know. Turns out, he doesn't have a key to my parent's house.
About 30 minutes after that, I get in the car to try to find a key at another friend of my mother's who lives about 6 blocks away. As I'm driving down the street, Ronnie comfortably sitting on the patio chair with the blanket, water and snacks, I see a car pull into their driveway.
10 seconds later Ronnie calls, but I'm already headed around the block, having correctly assumed that my parents were now home.
My parents thought we were arriving today, not yesterday. Needless to say there was no hot chocolate.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
White Squirrel
You've heard of White Russians, and you've heard of white Christmases, but this morning, I saw a white squirrel. I suppose it could have been albino, but I wasn't close enough to see if it had light blue eyes or not. And I don't think it was a ghost (think Casper the friendly squirrel), because it wasn't quite translucent enough.
I would suggest that tomorrow on our 14+ hour car ride that we play the famous car game: what white animal do you see now? but I'm afraid that would jinx us and we'd wind up seeing all sorts of animals covered in snow.
According to mapquest, it's only 842.10 miles to St. Louis, and 842.19 back to Silver Spring. I'm not sure why it's just a tad longer coming back, but I'm pretty sure that's just the psychological distance because it always feels longer on the way back.
For our in-ride listeing pleasure, we've got Great Speeches from History, Nickel and Dimed, Lost and Found Sound, Farenheit 451 and a lot of other books on tape and CD. Unfortunately this time around we did not check out the collected writings of Sigmund Freud.
I would suggest that tomorrow on our 14+ hour car ride that we play the famous car game: what white animal do you see now? but I'm afraid that would jinx us and we'd wind up seeing all sorts of animals covered in snow.
According to mapquest, it's only 842.10 miles to St. Louis, and 842.19 back to Silver Spring. I'm not sure why it's just a tad longer coming back, but I'm pretty sure that's just the psychological distance because it always feels longer on the way back.
For our in-ride listeing pleasure, we've got Great Speeches from History, Nickel and Dimed, Lost and Found Sound, Farenheit 451 and a lot of other books on tape and CD. Unfortunately this time around we did not check out the collected writings of Sigmund Freud.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Skid Row
You've probably seen on the national news lately that the city of Los Angeles is suing local hospitals for dumping indigent and homeless patients on Skid Row.
It was cold the night we were there and while I think that they appreciated the food, they kept asking for blankets. The streets there are more littered than any I've ever seen, save after a big parade or street fair. But we realized pretty quickly that it was because people like us bring food down in containers (in our case styrofoam and brown paper lunch bags) that get left in the street when the food has been eaten. We saw very, very few garbage cans available for trash, even if someone had wanted to use one.
Hit by a bus - or perhaps a small bakery truck
I woke up this morning, and yesterday too, feeling like I'd been hit by a bus. It's possible that it was more of a delivery truck (and I choose to believe that if it's a delivery truck that it would be delivering donuts rather than office supplies).
It's been way, way too much traveling. Last week was New York, back to DC for about 10 hours, and then off to Los Angeles. Once there, I went to Huntington Beach, back to LA, and then up to Simi Valley to the Brandeis Bardin Institute before heading back to DC on a red-eye.
In California, it was shocking how much of my driving time was actually spent in traffic. And I didn't see one movie star. Not one! Not on the highway, not in the Starbucks, not in the hotel and not on my flights. Evidently they don't fly Southwest or America West, or I'm sure someone recognizable would have been on my flights. Evidently the night I checked out of the hotel to go to BBI, the American Idol "Hollywood Week" began and there were all sorts of folks around.
My flights back were actually interesting. One of my friends (who generally requests anonymity) makes fun of me for talking to people on my flights, but on one flight I sat next to the CFO of ProActiv, and on the next one, I sat next to an ex-marine who now dismantles bombs for a living. In between we had a 2 hour layover in Vegas. There is a decided lack of neon in the airport and we didn't see one Elvis impersonator. Not one!
But I did see a bunch of cousins while I was out there, which was nice. The kids were fun and we went to the beach, which was a first for me on the Pacific side (and I think I've only been to any beach on the Atlantic once, so now they're even).
It's been way, way too much traveling. Last week was New York, back to DC for about 10 hours, and then off to Los Angeles. Once there, I went to Huntington Beach, back to LA, and then up to Simi Valley to the Brandeis Bardin Institute before heading back to DC on a red-eye.
In California, it was shocking how much of my driving time was actually spent in traffic. And I didn't see one movie star. Not one! Not on the highway, not in the Starbucks, not in the hotel and not on my flights. Evidently they don't fly Southwest or America West, or I'm sure someone recognizable would have been on my flights. Evidently the night I checked out of the hotel to go to BBI, the American Idol "Hollywood Week" began and there were all sorts of folks around.
My flights back were actually interesting. One of my friends (who generally requests anonymity) makes fun of me for talking to people on my flights, but on one flight I sat next to the CFO of ProActiv, and on the next one, I sat next to an ex-marine who now dismantles bombs for a living. In between we had a 2 hour layover in Vegas. There is a decided lack of neon in the airport and we didn't see one Elvis impersonator. Not one!
But I did see a bunch of cousins while I was out there, which was nice. The kids were fun and we went to the beach, which was a first for me on the Pacific side (and I think I've only been to any beach on the Atlantic once, so now they're even).
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
My train of thought...
It was pouring this morning as I walked from the parking garage to the metro. I was wearing leather shoes and my feet were getting wet. That bothers me. Leather should be waterproof. The animals don't seem to get particularly bloated when it rains, so therefore the rain must not be seeping into them like it's seeping onto my feet. And then I figured out why.
Cows don't have seams.
Yes, this really was how I thought my way through this question....
Cows don't have seams.
Yes, this really was how I thought my way through this question....
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Paneer and Pier 1
So after a yummy lunch of Indian food, a friend and I mosied across the parking lot to Pier 1. It's a fascinating store. First, they're totally ready for Christmas already. There are ornaments of every shape and size, and if you don't have a tree to put ornaments on, there are lots of different kinds of bowls and baskets. I picked up one bowl that seemed to be made of banana leaves, or something equally organic. It was actually very cool looking and the tag, while not letting us know what the material was, let us know that it was a "Havana Bowl". So I figured the banana leaf possibility might not be so far off, assuming they grow bananas in Cuba. Upon turning over the tag, we were compelled to ask ourselves another question. Do they grow bananas in Vietnam, where the bowl was actually made?
And then we saw the pyrite wreath. It was made of metal wires, and covered with little clear crystals and pieces of metal that someone probably thought looked like pyrite, but it really didn't. I would have to call that a post-denominational wreath...
Oh, and while walking across the short parking lot, we noticed a car whose license plate was sponsored by the National Association of Black Scuba Diver's. (see, I even looked up their website to make sure I got the name correct!) I don't scuba dive, but I watch tv, and it seems to me that whenever you see people scuba-diving, they've got a wetsuit, tank and mask on. Who can tell if you're black or white?! That said, I did look at the website now, and I'm still not 100% sure I get it, but they look like nice people...
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Is this weird?
Ronnie and I were on the phone with my parents tonight, and Ronnie mentioned that he'd hurt his toe. Is it weird that my mom asked "did you hurt it kicking your wife?" ?
I mean, I think it's weird that Ronnie made an appointment to see a podiatrist in Chicago and not somewhere a little more convenient to where we live, but in case there's any question (from someone other than my mother), it didn't happen from any violent interaction between me and Ronnie....
I mean, I think it's weird that Ronnie made an appointment to see a podiatrist in Chicago and not somewhere a little more convenient to where we live, but in case there's any question (from someone other than my mother), it didn't happen from any violent interaction between me and Ronnie....
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