Yes, I know I have *all* The A Team episodes on tape and even a couple on VCDs, but there seems to be some kind of law that can not be broken in my head that will not allow me to miss an ep when it's on TV. That totally screws up my day as TAT is on Star World at 1000 which means I don't get out until 1100 and by then it's really really hot. Maybe I'll get around it when AXN brings them back at 1700 on 3 July along with my beloved Sorbo guy as Hercules AND Adrian Paul as The Highlander. TV is looking better than ever for the summer. Hey! It's called entertainment for a reason and I pay enough for cable, so let the entertainment begin. It's fun, and a fair amount of the humor in those shows is actually very sophisticated. I love it. So there.
I just got wheeled home from a very nice BBQ at Danny and Orna's. There were wings, chicken legs, hearts, and my steak. I'm the only inveterate carnivore around and I picked up a great steak at the shop today. There's another one for tomorrow and five in the freezer just in case.
Orna was supposed to give me 100 of the 190 she owes me for a pair of shoes I put on my Visa for her, but didn't. I'm getting nervous bout the remaining 200 for the car I've rented for the wedding on the 27th, but I'll figure it out by then. Renting a car is a lot cheaper than taking a taxi, so not as extravagant as it sounds and Etti and Yaakov's son doesn't get married every day. I still have nightmares about their oldest son's wedding. I took a bus to Haifa and a train to Binyamina and waited for ages to be rescued from the train station by Etti's brother, who took me as far as Tiberius where I again waited forever (or so it seemed) for the last bus up here. That was pre gimp. No way am I going on another such adventure. A rented car for me this time! And Orna's going with me to manage the chair. I'm quite excited about as I haven't seen "the family" for years and they were my family back when we lived in Nazareth Elite. And it's only a week from yesterday. I'm almost counting the hours!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Sunday, June 19, 2005
NOT PLEASED IN THE EXTREME
I've had a bad feeling about the computer from the day it came home supposedly fixed, bug free and fine tuned. That miserable trojan horse is still galloping around in here. As evidence I offer the little hour glass that appears next to the cursor arrow at odd times, the list of sites at Explorer that I never went to, not being able to connect to the net-this I fixed temporarily by using System Restore, but it's all still way too hinky. Thunderbird isn't exactly working and Norton is disabled and refuses to change to enabled. Oh, yeah, we got ourselves a nasty little bug.
Bezeq, our intrepid phone company decided to get in on the act too and none of my 7 connected phones-2 on the fax line and 5 on the *use* line just refused to work. No dial tone, and busy ring when I called from the cellphone. I did what the lady at the phone company *it's busted* number told me and disconnected each phone in turn and after a bit, the fax line came back and I used it to call *it's busted* and they sent a fix it guy. He checked the whole system and found that my cordless phone was the source of all the trouble. We hooked up the cordless phone O got with the fax that never worked and at least the phones are working now. The cordless has about 12 hours of charging before it can be used. Now, if Gerald would just answer his phone, maybe we'll be able to get the computer sorted. The list of hinky stuff is getting longer by the minute, but at least it;s sort of working now, so the hysteria is gone.
My pressure sore is almost all better thanks to pending most of my time with it propped up in bed. I really am tired of it, but, now have hope that it will get all better soonish.
Not much else of interest at Gimp House. Irit et al were up here for the weekend and couldn't be bothered to visit. Too bad. Irit? Who?
Bezeq, our intrepid phone company decided to get in on the act too and none of my 7 connected phones-2 on the fax line and 5 on the *use* line just refused to work. No dial tone, and busy ring when I called from the cellphone. I did what the lady at the phone company *it's busted* number told me and disconnected each phone in turn and after a bit, the fax line came back and I used it to call *it's busted* and they sent a fix it guy. He checked the whole system and found that my cordless phone was the source of all the trouble. We hooked up the cordless phone O got with the fax that never worked and at least the phones are working now. The cordless has about 12 hours of charging before it can be used. Now, if Gerald would just answer his phone, maybe we'll be able to get the computer sorted. The list of hinky stuff is getting longer by the minute, but at least it;s sort of working now, so the hysteria is gone.
My pressure sore is almost all better thanks to pending most of my time with it propped up in bed. I really am tired of it, but, now have hope that it will get all better soonish.
Not much else of interest at Gimp House. Irit et al were up here for the weekend and couldn't be bothered to visit. Too bad. Irit? Who?
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
HEALING AND PLANNING
Keeping my idiot pressure sore propped up in the air is not my idea of fun, but there's not much else to do if I want to keep the foot. It *is* getting better, but still hurts a bit if I forget and let the ankle drop. Oh, the joys of drop foot.
In the meantime, I've been busily organizing my jaunt to Holland. Leia Fee and I decided to change the venue and date of our A Team fan get together to coincide with a con in Utrecht on Sept. 23 and 24. I got my hotel and flight reserved and am planning a hop over to Wales and other places in England before I fly out of Heathrow on the Friday, I think. It's going to be a fantastic week and I can't hardly wait.
Other good news includes The A Team coming back to AXN as of 3 July. Two doses a day. How great is life?
I saw my shyster yesterday when I left the travel agent and he says the court order in the case against Alblilia should be in hand any day now. I told him to march it straight over to the execution office where liens will be put on all of his and his daughter's and business bank accounts. That means that any money in them will be taken and given to me and that he can't use his accounts until he pays me in full. Of course he'll just do what he always does, hold the money, checks and credit card slips until he can use his accounts again. It is next to impossible to run a business without a bank account and the way it works here is that even he tries to open an account in another bank, those funds will be taken. As his beloved cow of a daughter is included in the suit, he'll pay off PDQ. The shyster says neither he nor his daughter have filed objections to my claim, so it's pretty much a done deal. The judge here does not like people who try to swindle gimps.
Things are pretty boring here at Gimp House what with me spoiling my pressure sore and spending most of my time in bed with a book, TV, and planning the trip to Utrecht. Of course as the sore gets better, I'll be able to spend more time here boring you to tears.
In the meantime, I've been busily organizing my jaunt to Holland. Leia Fee and I decided to change the venue and date of our A Team fan get together to coincide with a con in Utrecht on Sept. 23 and 24. I got my hotel and flight reserved and am planning a hop over to Wales and other places in England before I fly out of Heathrow on the Friday, I think. It's going to be a fantastic week and I can't hardly wait.
Other good news includes The A Team coming back to AXN as of 3 July. Two doses a day. How great is life?
I saw my shyster yesterday when I left the travel agent and he says the court order in the case against Alblilia should be in hand any day now. I told him to march it straight over to the execution office where liens will be put on all of his and his daughter's and business bank accounts. That means that any money in them will be taken and given to me and that he can't use his accounts until he pays me in full. Of course he'll just do what he always does, hold the money, checks and credit card slips until he can use his accounts again. It is next to impossible to run a business without a bank account and the way it works here is that even he tries to open an account in another bank, those funds will be taken. As his beloved cow of a daughter is included in the suit, he'll pay off PDQ. The shyster says neither he nor his daughter have filed objections to my claim, so it's pretty much a done deal. The judge here does not like people who try to swindle gimps.
Things are pretty boring here at Gimp House what with me spoiling my pressure sore and spending most of my time in bed with a book, TV, and planning the trip to Utrecht. Of course as the sore gets better, I'll be able to spend more time here boring you to tears.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
SO I WAS WRONG-SORT OF
I got the reason for that odd phone call wrong, but only a little wrong. They were not thinking about coming up on the holiday, rather, they are going to be up north the following weekend and said I could meet them at Amburger. I told her that they could come here as I have no intention of going haring off all over the country when I have a perfectly good home. I *know* she hates my cooking, so I suggested they stop and get what they want at Amburger then come here. What on earth was I thinking? She then pulled out the Romi is allergic to dogs story. Yeah, right, and it makes no difference that Peg is now bald. How much do want to bet that her new story is that they didn't stay with her father because of his cat. Yeah, right. They were at his house for hours on end and there was no problem that I heard of. Maybe I should call him and ask? I'll do that as soon as I turn down the TV volume. No joy there. They aren't home. I'll try later or tomorrow. I'm sick and tired of her crap. Not only will they not come here, she actually thinks I can get myself to Amburger on Harley Too. I really don't think I'm about to even try. Not the way my back is feeling. The last thing I need is a 35 minute ride on the shoulder of a main road each way. I'm also beyond the point where I could manage with just my stick were they to pick me up. I need the 4X4 and there's no room for it in their car, rather, they won't make room for it. I'll just stay home. I suggested they come over after they eat, but, no, Romi goes to sleep right after dinner. The hell with it. If they *do* come up here for the weekend and can't find the time to visit me in my own home, she can just live with the result. It's not like one quick visit would change everything, but it might have been a start. I'm through letting her try to call the shots. I'm a 53 year old gimp, and if she/they can't accept me as I am and come to see me at Gimp House, the hells with the lot of them! Her excuses are just that, excuses. That box of all her stuff is going to find it's way to the dumpster this week, after I sort through the pictures, which will find their way into *my* albums. That stuff has been sitting there taking up room for 3 years and if she can't be bothered to come get it, why should I save it?
OF PROPELLERS AND STUFF
The Danny and Yechiya traveling road show showed up yesterday to install my 'propeller' and I so wish I'd had a video camera to record the goings on. It was great fun and now my ceiling fan is happily whirling away. It will save me many shekels in a/c operating costs, and it looks quite nice, and not a wobble in sight. I've decided to leave the one in the living room as is because I like the way it looks and I rarely use the livingroom, so it's no big deal. The a/c in the *liberry* covers the computer corner and is much cheaper to run, so, I'll just use that one when it gets too hot here.
Now that I understand that my walking/lurching days are just about over and that standing in the kitchen to do more than cut up a few veggies is beyond me, I'll be heading for Danny and Orna's for Friday nights. I missed that while I was mad at them. Of course I only go there if I contributed most of the ingredients. Last night was the first time in ages and it was like I'd never not been going. It was not only fun, but yummy. I can't wait til next Friday!
I am giving serious thought about going to Holland for the weekend Dwight and Dirk will be there together. Seems Leia is too. Maybe we'll shift the Noncon there instead of having it the next month at Heathrow. Considering that I'm on pretty good terms with Dwight, we just might get the two of them to drop by for a bit to our private party? Never know with that lot, and I would love to give Dirk a copy of my cookbook and get his signature on the cover of my copy. We shall see. I'm going to look at hotels in Utrecht and see what I can come up with.
Odd odder and oddest. The phone rang at 0659 this morning and by the time I answered, no one was there. A quick glance at caller ID when I surfaced at around 0900 showed Irit's number. I wonder what that was about. I know that if I call to ask she'll say it was Romi playing with the phone, so I'll not be calling to ask. SHE will have to swallow it and call herself. Of course she could be wondering if I'll be making *the cheese pie* for Shavuot and hoping I'll let her have some if they come to visit. She LOVES that pie, and yes, I *am* making a couple-already have the ingredients! I will be ever so gracious if they do come, and with any luck, Orna will find a few minutes to toss a bucket of water and do the floors, which are in pretty good shape except for my room where propeller installment drilling went on. I'm not holding my breath, but I *will* be ready just in case. It's not so much that miss her/them, but, she *is* my kid, and it does hurt to realize that both are so alienated. The other one is a total loss and I really have no interest in them, but Irit is a different story completely. I never would have made it back after my stroke if not for her. The day we had the raging fight a few months after I escaped from rehab was the milestone that got me out of my somewhat suicidal funk, and back to myself. I really should have a heart to heart with her if and/or when she ever shows up here. Yup-that's a plan!
Now that I understand that my walking/lurching days are just about over and that standing in the kitchen to do more than cut up a few veggies is beyond me, I'll be heading for Danny and Orna's for Friday nights. I missed that while I was mad at them. Of course I only go there if I contributed most of the ingredients. Last night was the first time in ages and it was like I'd never not been going. It was not only fun, but yummy. I can't wait til next Friday!
I am giving serious thought about going to Holland for the weekend Dwight and Dirk will be there together. Seems Leia is too. Maybe we'll shift the Noncon there instead of having it the next month at Heathrow. Considering that I'm on pretty good terms with Dwight, we just might get the two of them to drop by for a bit to our private party? Never know with that lot, and I would love to give Dirk a copy of my cookbook and get his signature on the cover of my copy. We shall see. I'm going to look at hotels in Utrecht and see what I can come up with.
Odd odder and oddest. The phone rang at 0659 this morning and by the time I answered, no one was there. A quick glance at caller ID when I surfaced at around 0900 showed Irit's number. I wonder what that was about. I know that if I call to ask she'll say it was Romi playing with the phone, so I'll not be calling to ask. SHE will have to swallow it and call herself. Of course she could be wondering if I'll be making *the cheese pie* for Shavuot and hoping I'll let her have some if they come to visit. She LOVES that pie, and yes, I *am* making a couple-already have the ingredients! I will be ever so gracious if they do come, and with any luck, Orna will find a few minutes to toss a bucket of water and do the floors, which are in pretty good shape except for my room where propeller installment drilling went on. I'm not holding my breath, but I *will* be ready just in case. It's not so much that miss her/them, but, she *is* my kid, and it does hurt to realize that both are so alienated. The other one is a total loss and I really have no interest in them, but Irit is a different story completely. I never would have made it back after my stroke if not for her. The day we had the raging fight a few months after I escaped from rehab was the milestone that got me out of my somewhat suicidal funk, and back to myself. I really should have a heart to heart with her if and/or when she ever shows up here. Yup-that's a plan!
Thursday, June 09, 2005
THE A TEAM IS BACK
Imagine my joy when I discovered quite by accident that The A Team (TAT) is now running on Star World. I can get my TAT fix every day except Sunday at 1000. Of course it completely messes up my morning schedule, but who cares? I DON'T. All that means is that I can get up in the middle of the night and go do errands, or go out during the hottest part of the day after my fix. Yeah, yeah, I know I can shove a tape in the VCR any time I want, but it isn't the same as seeing it "fresh" on the tube. I picked it up about 10 minutes through There's Always A Catch, about half way through season 2. But that's not the point. The point is THEY ARE BACK!! Ok, it just started and Water Water Everywhere is an old favorite.
Monday, June 06, 2005
THERE ARE MOMENTS
I did the most amazingly stupid thing. I've been obsessing about the state of my bank account lately and running the figures daily and having quiet hysterics. Last night I realized that I was forgetting to figure my monthly disability payment into the mess. How dumb is that? I'll be well and truly in the green on 01.07!!! Not just overall when figuring in savings accounts, but no more on the brink of financial disaster. That was one of my more stupid goofs in figuring. Now I just have to decide if I want to bust 4000 out of savings to get my account permanently out of the authorized overdraught zone. I'm leaning towards doing that, now that I've gotten monthly outgoings to several hundred less than my disability!! I'm even considering turning on the a/c, but not quite yet. It's been very hot lately but, I've managed with the small fan so far. Then there's the judgment against Albilia to figure in tentatively. I rather doubt he'll pay it one go, nice as that would be. If he goes for the deal on the fridge, that will be sorted too. I'm feeling quite chuffed and chipper this morning all told. This time it is well and truly over.
My neighbor called a pal of his to come fix the fridge this morning and said pal was supposed to be here at 0700. It's now 0740 and no sign of him yet. I'm *so* glad I got up in the middle of the night to be awake (after coffee) by the time he arrived. (not) I'm going on 3 weeks without the fridge, and I figure I can last until my bank account is sorted, at which time I'll be able to buy the fridge I want. Of course it would be nice if this one would chug along until then. I *do* prefer cold cukes and peppers, but can survive quite nicely as things are. On the off chance that Albilia refuses my deal, I'll go looking to see who can give me the best deal on that fridge. There are 4 stores other than Albilia I can get it from and they are not thieves/con artists. Oh yes, things are definitely looking up. Woohoo. The fridge fix it guy just came and there is hope that it might live until I can get a new one. Turns out the freaking thing is Turkish. Should have known, but the company is Italian, they manufacture the dratted things in Turkey-#2 on my boycott list, right after Germany. Well, we'll know soon enough if it will chug along for another couple of months!!
My neighbor called a pal of his to come fix the fridge this morning and said pal was supposed to be here at 0700. It's now 0740 and no sign of him yet. I'm *so* glad I got up in the middle of the night to be awake (after coffee) by the time he arrived. (not) I'm going on 3 weeks without the fridge, and I figure I can last until my bank account is sorted, at which time I'll be able to buy the fridge I want. Of course it would be nice if this one would chug along until then. I *do* prefer cold cukes and peppers, but can survive quite nicely as things are. On the off chance that Albilia refuses my deal, I'll go looking to see who can give me the best deal on that fridge. There are 4 stores other than Albilia I can get it from and they are not thieves/con artists. Oh yes, things are definitely looking up. Woohoo. The fridge fix it guy just came and there is hope that it might live until I can get a new one. Turns out the freaking thing is Turkish. Should have known, but the company is Italian, they manufacture the dratted things in Turkey-#2 on my boycott list, right after Germany. Well, we'll know soon enough if it will chug along for another couple of months!!
Sunday, June 05, 2005
THINGS COULD BE BETTER THINGS COULD BE WORSE
Ok, so no one promised me a rose garden, but is it too much to ask for a break between battles? I swear I'm going to bash the next the idiot who tries to tell me that there's something wrong with the electrickery for the fridge. Not possible. The baby freezer, and the micro wave are both plugged into that socket and are working just fine at the same time. I don't unplug the freezer when I want to nuke something. The only appliance that doesn't work is the fridge. If I plug the fridge in and it blows the breakers, it ain't the 'lectrickery, duh, it's the freaking fridge!!! DUH. Don't need a doctorate in advanced rocket science to figure that out.
I just might have found a way out of this mess. That jerk Albilia who owes me almost 30,000 shekels can just give me the exact fridge I want and I'll reduce his debt by that amount. I gave instructions to that effect to my lawyer today, and he'll run it by Albilia tomorrow. To make things better here, I'll get Danny in to break down the wall between the kitchen and door, then the fridge can go in the nook where the bamboo bookcase was. That way I'll be able to get in the kitchen with my wheelchair. I'm actually feeling pretty good about having come up with those solutions, but am somewhat skeptical about pulling them off. Maybe for once things will go my way?
I've spent the last few days buried in papers while looking for much needed things for our version of Social Security. They remain elusive and I'll have to go there in person to get copies unless a miracle happens. Don't hold your breath, I'm not holding mine.
I have to go to a wedding on the 27th and it looks like the only way I'll get there is to rent a car. My license stipulates automatic gear and a pommel on the steering wheel. The former is no problem, the latter might be. I'll check it out tomorrow. I'm too hot and bothered to mess with it now by phone and one of the car rental places in town knows me well and just might let me have a car even without the pommel!? I've driven both ways and it's actually easier without. We'll see.
I just might have found a way out of this mess. That jerk Albilia who owes me almost 30,000 shekels can just give me the exact fridge I want and I'll reduce his debt by that amount. I gave instructions to that effect to my lawyer today, and he'll run it by Albilia tomorrow. To make things better here, I'll get Danny in to break down the wall between the kitchen and door, then the fridge can go in the nook where the bamboo bookcase was. That way I'll be able to get in the kitchen with my wheelchair. I'm actually feeling pretty good about having come up with those solutions, but am somewhat skeptical about pulling them off. Maybe for once things will go my way?
I've spent the last few days buried in papers while looking for much needed things for our version of Social Security. They remain elusive and I'll have to go there in person to get copies unless a miracle happens. Don't hold your breath, I'm not holding mine.
I have to go to a wedding on the 27th and it looks like the only way I'll get there is to rent a car. My license stipulates automatic gear and a pommel on the steering wheel. The former is no problem, the latter might be. I'll check it out tomorrow. I'm too hot and bothered to mess with it now by phone and one of the car rental places in town knows me well and just might let me have a car even without the pommel!? I've driven both ways and it's actually easier without. We'll see.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
CRAP CRAP AND MORE CRAP
It's just too insane. Yeah, I decided not to even think about getting a new fridge, but I did intend to get this one repaired in the hope of keeping it going for at least another year. What I didn't take into account was that we are at the start of the air conditioner season and all the fridge fixers are also a/c installers. How stupid of me. I *did* clean everything out of the fridge and get it all out of here before things got too stinky. It's also a big plus that I'm lactose intolerant so dairy products aren't an issue. AND I have the little freezer, AND the veggies I like keep outside for two days AND I can freeze individual sized servings of other stuff, so, it's not as bad as it could be. How on earth did people live before 'lecticky fridges were invented?
This staying in to wait for the fixer guy is driving me nuts. I call him in the morning and he says, "later, if things let up" and I just stay in hoping. No matter what, I'm going out tomorrow. Both cell numbers are on the door, so....
I'm also not thrilled with Danny, the neighbor who is making my patio. The bricks were delivered 3 weeks ago and aside from throwing some sand around, no progress has been made. Everyday he says, "Tomorrow" then goes fishing. I think we are going to have a wee chat tomorrow, even if I have to go to his fishing spot on the Jordan! Of course I know where it is and can get there on Harley Too!!
This staying in to wait for the fixer guy is driving me nuts. I call him in the morning and he says, "later, if things let up" and I just stay in hoping. No matter what, I'm going out tomorrow. Both cell numbers are on the door, so....
I'm also not thrilled with Danny, the neighbor who is making my patio. The bricks were delivered 3 weeks ago and aside from throwing some sand around, no progress has been made. Everyday he says, "Tomorrow" then goes fishing. I think we are going to have a wee chat tomorrow, even if I have to go to his fishing spot on the Jordan! Of course I know where it is and can get there on Harley Too!!
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