I DON'T BELIEVE IT MYSELF!

It's certainly been a week, this past one has. After Bat Chen's call about Tsion, I got my mind and self organized, threw a few things in a bag and headed off to Petach Tikva armed with very unclear directions to her house. They were unclear for one reason and one reason only! I scribbled them carelessly. Bless my Cit'ruin'!(new name for Citroens. note the last 4 letters) it started pretty much right away but the water level warning light came on so I had to organize a 'get water mission'. Orna drafted Danny's brother who didn't know where the radiator cap was and he drafted yet another neighbor, then got a bottle of water which the other neighbor poured in the radiator. Light went out. They put the bonnet(hood) down and off I went, only to discover that the bonnet Wasn't latched shut. I wasn't about to stop and get out so I turned into a village and drove around looking for anyone who could close it properly. I finally found someone who closed it firmly (read slammed) and gave me a somewhat strange look. I really must get the gimp parking permit taped to the windscreen. It saves explanations. Please keep in mind that the first part of the trip is one I made daily in 1990 and know well. I made the first turn just fine, then sailed right by the next one and only realized it when I was almost in Carmiel. Right. Turn around, go back and look for the turn, which was exactly where it always was. ONWARD. And eventually there was the Petach Tikva sign. Stop. Read directions. Turn where it says turn. Ok. Read next direction, follow it. Turn. Stop. read next direction. Follow it. Stop. Look around. Ooops. On the wrong road. Drive around looking for a place to stop and be able to describe to Bat Chen. There's a place! Pull over, call Bat Chen, tell her where. Sit and wait. Four cigarettes. Follow Bat Chen home. Stop car. Cry tears of shear relief.
It was some drive down there and it's a damn good thing that I can't listen to Don McLean too many times. I sang myself hoarse with that disk. Good job no one was with me to hear it!
Next problem was how to get BBC (Big Blue Chair) out of the boot(trunk). Bat Chen and I started to wrestle it out and a pal of hers drove up at just the critical moment and got it out for us. We chatted a while, then went into her yard where I met Balthazor, her new Great Dane. What a beauty. Then, inside for a rest and coffee. She went off to get her son from kindergarten and I watched Europeans.
We talked late into the night about Tsion and how to solve her banking issues. Tsion held all her money because she can't leave any in her account without it being snatched to repay a debt caused by an ex. We got all the wrinkles ironed out of my plan by 0230 and went to bed.
We woke up a bit late and put the plan into effect. It worked just fine and stage two will be put into effect on the 29th. Orna will go down with me this time and do a quick clean at Bat Chen's. She just can't do it herself and understandably doesn't even feel like it. I did a quick sweep with the broom and almost collapsed. The plan was to leave around 1200 or 1300. I left at 1315 with good directions (properly written) and got on the main road North with no trouble. There were a few traffic jams at intersections and at one of them I found myself in the wrong lane. I signaled the car next to me with a hand gesture and waved my crip card at him while making a sad face. The driver cracked up laughing and let me in.
I left with the sun shining and about an hour from home the rain started. It stopped then started again several times. As I got into town the heavens opened and it poured down. That is not good for a gimp with bladder issues on anti pee pills. I called Orna just before I turned into our street but she couldn't get the spare chair and I started dancing in my seat. MY parking place was taken, so I stopped where I could and suddenly there was Golan, a neighbor with an umbrella. I gave him the house key and he got the chair. I got in the chair and we piled my bag, the footrest that had fallen off the chair and my slipper that also fell off me, on my lap. The footrest on the chair hit a bump and almost went drove the one on my lap through my chin and everything fell off my lap. Golan picked it all up and loaded it back on me while I danced in my seat and in the end he got me in to the house in the nick of time. He went back out to lock the car while I went to the loo. I didn't pay attention to where he put the car keys and had a panic attack when I couldn't find them. After I calmed down, I looked in the bear slipper that had fallen off and there they were! I finally got into my jammies, turned on the heater and TV and got into bed. Oh, right, I called Bat Chen from the loo to tell her I'd arrived. I know I watched Europeans and had yet another hissy fit at our dancer's ranking. Scandalous.
For the story of today's computer reformat and reinstallment of the OS you'll just have to come back tomorrow because I'm freezing here and I'm mentally and physically exhausted.