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....
Friday, March 30, 2007
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.
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