Friday, May 26, 2006

IT'S GETTING AWAY FROM ME

I'm leaving for the States tomorrow night and the only thing not ready is me! Flights, car rentals, and such are all made and paid for and organized for easy finding. I have more cash than I dreamed of ready to get put in a bank/be spent, packing lists ready, the business organized, as well as communication with Shmaryah set. There's also a shiny brand new lap top computer all set up and ready. It even has my beloved scrabble in it so I can play on the endless flight over the Pond. So, how on earth am *I* not ready? Simple. Everything else is set to go, and I just realized that I spent so much time and energy getting everything ready that I completely forgot that I'd be leaving home for a month. I now have 26 hours to get my head ready for that. I really really want to go, but I also really really want to stay here and concentrate on getting the business back on track.
Bless Shmaryah. He's almost more excited about me going than *I* am. I think I'm less excited and more shell shocked than anything. I'm going back to the scene of the crime (my childhood) and will visit all those wonderful places in Brunswick Maine that are forever enshrined in my memory. Armed with a camera, I will have those pictures not only in my head's memory, but in the computer's as well.
I never really believed that I'd be able to go on a trip like this, but, here I am, leaving for the airport in 25 and a half hrs.
Lavana, Shmaryah's wife came over last night and we discussed "The Problem" (no details here) and agreed that Son # 2 would be a fixture in the store until I get back, then I will put an end to "The Problem" Had I known the extent of "The Problem" when I made my trip a condition of buying the business, I would have cancelled everything except a week in Maine. Unfortunately I only uncovered the extent as the plans moved along.
There's also the 'fact' that absolutely everything happens for a reason, and it really feels like this trip just might be a major contribution to solving "The Problem" I hope so because I'm going to have a heart to heart talk with Shmaryah on the way to the airport with the hope that something will sink in and get him thinking in a different direction.
Odd, but just typing this out has done wonders and I'm much calmer now, and ready to go. This is going to be an amazing once in a lifetime trip, and even though the idiot who planned the itinerary (me) should be shot for stupidity, I know I'm going to love every minute. I will post as and when, depending on connectivity. The lap top has wifi and blue tooth.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

THIS TIME NEXT WEEK

This time next week I'll be at my brother's in Maine, most likely fast asleep after flying for what will seem like forever! My passport is in Haifa waiting to be picked up tomorrow, along with a ton of other things, like gifties for various and assorted people, my international crip parking card, a swing down to my wheely guy to have BBC gone over, then, back here to sort the rental cars.
I bought a laptop for the trip because, even though everyone over there has a computer, they don't have Hebrew keyboards and Shmaryah's English just isn't up to it, and texting in Hebrew is just too much. Better a computer! It has Bluetooth, WIFI and all the bells and whistles. Now, all I have to do is learn how to use it before Saturday. Should be interesting.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

OOPS

I haven't had such a fun yell-up at idiot Israelis since, I can't remember when. It started yesterday when my new, very expensive cell phone (the business one) just wouldn't ring long enough for me to answer it, and went straight to voice mail. It continued when said new, (did I mention that it's very expensive?) cell phone didn't connect properly and Shmaryah kept saying "Hello hello" and I could barely hear him. The phone ended up in the ashy trash bin three times. Shmaryah had a good yell up with them, but got nowhere.
Then, when I got home and opened my mail, I found a letter from Pointer(car security company) informing me that I hadn't paid for the new secret thing they installed on the Disco. Wait just a minute. Here's the invoice-paid in full and the check stub with a check mark that means it was paid.
The interesting thing is that the secretary at the place that installs Pointer is the sister of the other bike store in town. Did she not forward the payment "by accident?"
I got to work already in the mood to mix it up with the first unfortunate to cross my path and got a blast in at a manager of the cell company I am already upset with-Orange. How dare anyone call a cell phone company Orange? Don't they know it should be called Purple? Really, it's just too much. Ok, so we got past the miserable name of the company and I ordered the top of the line Motorola phone, which spends more time in the bin than any place else. I have to arrive at the store on Harley in order to save parking spaces for paying customers rather than the Disco, only to find said manager type parked right in front of my steps with his car with the huge Orange sticker?
I had a very refreshing yell-up at him while the rest of the Orange staff held their sides laughing. After he removed the ugliness of that sticker from here, I started in on the freaking phone itself. The sound has been shite since day one and they already fixed it once. Now the speaker wire thingy doesn't work as well. The manager guy brought me a new one which is the worst yet but promised to bring me a blue tooth one tomorrow. If that doesn't solve the problem, things will really get fun! This is the only cell phone of the 10 or so I've had that has been problematic. Other people have the same problems with it so I know it's not me, or maybe it feels my antipathy towards Orange? Wouldn't surprise me a bit!
Shmaryah brought me a present today. He went to our ad guy man early this morning and saw a net bag with a stuffed purple hippo, a purple message brush and a shower washy thing from purple net.
We have decided to change the company logo and use my witch on wheelbroom one as the base. We are going to add training wheels to the wheel on the broom, and handlebars with keys dangling off. Maybe even have my witch flying the contraption out of a door. Yes, of course in shades of purple! Lucky me that Shmaryah also likes my color and the 'bits' I do with/about it.
Danny painted the bars, pipes and loo window things purple yesterday and Gimp House is now Purplegimp House! He's doing the security bars on the windows today. I will take a picture and post it tomorrow!
We finally found a pedicurist who would come to my house and sort the foot I've been threatening with an ax. She fixed the humongous callous and got the nails all short and nice and it hurts a lot less to walk now.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

DAyS AND NIGHTS OF INSANITY

The closer the day of my flight to the States comes, the wackier I get. Two weeks from today and I will be in Maine! With Susie, and my baby brother. I can't hardly believe it. I'm in a daze. So much to still do and so little time. I'm making lists.
Tomorrow I get the petrol gadget installed on the Disco, then, go to buy a pickup for the business. One way or another I have to get a vehicle for Shmaryah because the Renault Express we have now is for all intents and purposes dead. And there is no way I'm letting use the Disco while I'm gone. Sorry, it's mine, and I drive it. End of story.
Rami has a few pickups that will do and we can afford on a lease basis, so that's what we'll do tomorrow.
It's almost midnight and I've been on the go since 0830, been to Orna and Danny's daughter's birthday party and only just now come in. Time for bed. Long day tomorrow.

JERUSALEM AND BACK

The big day finally arrived and I stuffed the Sagron family into the Disco and off we went to The Western Wall for Omri's swearing in to the Army at the Western Wall. He's in an elite unit that gets sworn in at The Wall and it's a very big deal. It was also the first time all 7 seats in the Disco were used. We decided to go by the Jordan Valley route which goes right along the border with Jordan and is breathtakingly beautiful. We ran into a major problem in Tiberius where there was a major event at a shrine for a long dead holy man and traffic was being rerouted the long way around, but as I have a wheely card on the windscreem and a wheely hung off the spare tire on the back door we were allowed through with only minor discussion with the cops! We stopped for a rest on the way and my cell phone announced that we were actually in Jordan. I then got a notice from the Israeli cell company to switch the phone to the Israeli company. As I wasn't planning on calling anyone, I ignored it but saved the Jordanian notice.
We got to the right gate into The Old City right on time but the cop had no intention of letting us in, wheely or no. By that time, I was in no mood for it, put the car in park, pulled the hand brake and asked the cop (a very nasty woman, who must have been trained by my daughter) if she'd ever seem a traffic jam from there to Metula AND Eilat? Horns were honking. I wan't moving. Shmaryah got out and found an officer who gave in when he realized I was dead serious about not moving in any direction other than forward! We finally got into the closest parking lot to The Wall and got to the ceremony just as it was starting. Go Gimp! After the swearing in, Omri found us and we all went down to the Wall itself. Then we did the traditional family picture 'thing' They all gathered around me and we had our pictures taken. All I did was drive them there, but they made feel like a treasured family member. Then, of course we took a group picture in front of the Disco that will be in the paper next week.We got my step stool out so I could climb in but something went wrong and I found myself hanging half in and half out and yelling for Shmaryah. He came charging around from the back where he was hanging the chair on the new carrier we'd hung on the rear wheel that morning and managed to get me in! It was a bit scary for a minute because if I'd let go, I'd have landed on my left shoulder and that would have been very bad. But, in the end, all was well and now it's back to the drawing board to find a better system. I was adamant about driving home on the grounds of practicing for the Maine - Florida run. We took the new toll road that has a speed limit of 110 kpm and made good time, arriving at 0215. Shmaryah followed me home and helped me in. It was decided that I could be late to work, but as no one told Orna to let me sleep in, she woke me up as usual, and I hopped into the Disco to take it to Uzi because the camera quit working about an hour before we got to Jerusalem. We decided to sort it on Sunday, I took the Disco home, hopped on Harley and went to get my hair cut as it had been blowing into my eyes with the window open and I hate that. It's all nice and chopped short short. Let the wind blow!
I've been having a 'sleep in' all weekend. Go to sleep, wake up, drift off to sleep and so on and so on. Levana, Shmaryah's wife arrived last evening and had the good sense to call me from the window as I was in the sleep cycle and I told her to come on in. She'd had a huge fight with him and stormed out to talk with me. We had a long heart to heart talk and I assured her that I had already figured things out and that the issue would be sorted shortly. The problem is that there's another woman involved and as it's not me, and she knows I'm no threat to their marriage, it made perfect sense for her to come to me. I overheard a phone call and could assure her that things would soon sort themselves out. Having already figured it out and decided to do something about it, Levana was reassured and felt better. I even know how to go about it now. It will be ok and as soon as she's (the other woman) out of the picture, all will be well. And it shouldn't take too long. It might even be done before I leave. I have two weeks to get it done, and with a little luck, just might accomplish it. If not, when I get back, and Orna will be there to keep an eye on things and report. It's not surprising that things took a downward turn for Shmaryah when 'she' appeared on the scene. He just has to be made to see that and all will be right again. It's almost 0300 and I think I'll take a shower and go back to sleep. It's going to be a long week.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

INCREDIBLE DAY

Shmaryah and I went to Haifa today to tie up the loose ends with out new door supplier. I was up, coffeed, dressed and in the car at 0620 and we arrived at the store at exactly the same time. He hopped in and off we went. Hot damn, I do like driving that Land Rover. We were 10 minutes late because of parking issues, but had to wait for our guy in any event, but it was ok. When he did show up, he put everything on hold for us and took us through everything step by step. He runs a very impressive outfit and I have never seen anyone in this country so thorough about absolutely everything. His catalogues are put together in such a way that even I will be able to sell the doors using them, the price lists are easy to use and the order forms are easy and very precise.
After the crash course, we loaded a door frame into the Disco and headed for home. We stopped for sandwiches and arrived at the store to find people waiting for us. One guy was on the cell phone with Shmaryah and he was told to look behind, we were the 'jeep' pulling in. Dumb ass Israeli guy just had to make a wise crack about a woman driving a car that big and Shmaryah, (bless him) told him that rather have me driving than drive himself!When one Israeli man says that to another Israeli man, it really means something!
Things started hopping the minute we opened and I even sold a bicycle all by myself, and managed to get the credit card to work in the machine after two false starts. Things are starting to come together for me there and I'm learning!
I'm a lot more confident now when Shmaryah has to go out and do door lock stuff and I'm alone in the store.
It's almost 2300 and I'm knackered. Tons of stuff to do tomorrow, so it's beddy-bye time.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

'LECTIC WHEELY


This is just about the greatest thing I've seen at all the electric wheely sites I've visited, and I fully intend to order one today and have it sent to The Jeffey's so I'll be able to use it over there, then bring it home. If it's half as good as it looks, it will be brilliant. It also solves my third chair problem. I need one at home, one at work and one to live in the car. This one breaks down into four parts and can pretty much be the at home one, then get put in the car. It's a bit slow only 3.5 mph, but that's ok.

Wouldn't you know it, after waiting all day, I fell asleep 10 minutes after Man In The Moon Marigold started and missed the whole thing. I figure it run a few more times, cable being cable, so I'm not too upset.

PLANS PLANS AND MORE PLANS

Pland for the grand tour of the USA are coming along nicely, and I have the tickets just about sorted. They are all paid for and all that's left is to get them and courrier Susie's to her. We'll work on the rental car stuff sometime after I talk to The Jeffey. Is it any wonder that I'm rolling around with a goofy grin all day? I've given ample warning to just about evrryone I plan on visiting, and those who haven't be alerted will probably get updated by Alice.
At least I have until the 28th to plan the route to Florida. I intend to it nice and easy with stops to visit on the way. I'm going to take my achey bones to bed and doze until Gamma Rays and Man In The Moon Marigolds comes on. I've only been wanting to see that again for I don't know how long, and found it by accident today! I'll post a picture of the 'lectric wheely I want to buy later.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

PEG'S FIRST RIDE

Today was pretty much a lazy day, as Independence Day should be. No battling traffic to go to some national park that was full to overflowing with rude noisy Israelis and their kids. We had a nice BBQ in the yard with the whole Maimon clan, Orna, Danny, their kids and Danny's brother Morris, his wife, Orly and their brood. Orly made the mistake of wearing purple shoes and I promptly comandeered them. They not only fit, they don't hurt! As I only had 100 shekels in my wallet, Orna and I loaded Peg in the Disco, hit the ATM, got ice cream for the 3 of us at Mickey D's, got fags and beer after an argument with the poor unfortunates who were blocking the road because of tonight's entertainment, but let us in because I'm a gimp. Then we went up to Orly to give her the rest of the money for the shoes, and made a swing through the garage area to see if any Isuzus were out on the lot, then, home. Peg didn't want to get in the car. He hates cars, but we bribed him with some bones from the BBQ and he loved the ice cream. I'll have to get him an ice cream every time and maybe after a few times he'll be easier to get in. Once in, he was just fine. Next time we'll take him for a longer ride. He got a bit excited while we were ar Orly's because she lives in our old neighborhood and he recognized it, and wanted to get out and play. He's such a sweetie pie.
Tomorrow after we sort the lease for the pick up, I'm going to my travel agent to get it all set. I just spent an hour with a calendar figuring it all out and I think I have it! Details will be posted once they are confirmed and tickets are in hand! It will be an insane month, but lots of fun too and I can't wait. Obviously, the longest stop will be in Maine. Lots of people and places to see and I really can't wait for that.

BETTER AND BETTERER

I'm absolutely dizzy with happiness! Yesterday was another great day. It was Memorial Day which is very sad here, and I was appropriately sadly sober during the time of the ceremonies for our fallen men and women. We opened as usual, but didn't expect to much business, however, we had a very good day and closed at 1530. I got home in time to round up Orna, Eliad, her son and Shimon, Danny's brother (who needed to bring a ladder from another neighborhood) pile them all in the car and go get the ladder, stock up on BBQ supplies for today's traditional BBQ,(it's Independence Day) buy 4 car flags, 2 for me, 2 for Shmaryah, take them up to Shmaryah, who wanted to wait and put them on the new pick up that we are leasing, hopefully by Friday. His OLD Renault Express is literally falling apart at the seams and every day he has to bolt another part back on. Silly man kept going on about 'a station wagon will do'. But I'm not having it. We need a pick up, with a double cabin, and we need it now. No more 'make do' solutions. They cost more in the end, and leasing is a deductible expense, so, leasing it will be. Isuzu makes a nice pick up and the guy who has Isuzu here is on our 'good guy' list. So, I'll do the deal on Thursday. We found a number for a pick up on the Interweb and Shmaryah told me to call. I refused on the grounds that locals know me and respect my knowledge of things automotive, but no way am I mixing it up with some Israeli guy from out of town. He agreed and we decided on the Isuzu. When we left his house, I just had to swing by Uzi's and Orna said "He's closed" To which I responded, "He's inside with the door closed. Go bang on it" She did and he came charging out, and we had a huge hug fest, and he invited us in for coffee. As we had fresh meat in the car, I took everyone home, hopped on Harley and had a wonderful visit with him and Etti, his office manager. I adore them both and we concocted a plan to give this town what it loves most. A reason to gossip. This week, Shmaryah gets his picture in the local gossip column riding a bike, and next week Uzi and I start tongues wagging with a picture of us, and a few lines designed to get the stories going, then, the next week, we'll have one of three of us at Uzi's kitting out the pick up. Publicity is always good for business and the local gossip column is almost better than a paid ad!
Today, Orna and I are taking Pegasus for his first ride in the car. I have a special thing that connects to the seat belt thingy that clips to his collar. Getting His Highness in will be interesting, and I plan to go up to the fire trails over my old place for a bit of run sort of off road! Absolutely can't wait.
The picture I took of the newly painted house came out crap, so I'll take another one from a different angle so there will be less fence and more house. I'll get the ducks later today.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

OH YES, LIFE *IS* GOOD

In spite of 'The Bat Chen' incident, I am happy as a clam (not that I ever understood what a clam has to happy about). I sold a pile of $s yesterday and covered everything I "loaned" Bat Chen, then wrote it off in mind. Finished, finito, done, all gone, the end, that's that. It will take a while to get over the hurt of the betrayal, but I will. I agree with Shmaryah and Orna that it's her loss. End of subject: at least until she needs next time. Thank G-d for called ID. She'll go ballistic when I don't answer.
The car phone was installed yesterday and I already know it's going to drive me nuts. Every time it turns on it says "Have an Orange day" Orange is my least liked color. Why oh why didn't they name themselves Purple instead of Orange? Looks like I'll have to write purple on a piece of sticky tape and stick it over where the word orange comes up.
I was sitting in the doorway of the shop just before closing and a lady I don't know walked by. I smiled at her and she came over to ask why I smiled at her when we don't know each other. She was shocked when I said that I smiled at her because I'm so happy, and I smile at everyone these days. We chatted for a few minutes about it and both said that it's sad that it's so rare that people just walk/sit around smiling at other people. Maybe I'd better watch it in case someone decides it's aberrant behavior and tries to lock me up. Is being happy a mental illness? I guess in my case it could be! At least let the padding on the walls be purple. If the straight jacket is, I'll go quietly!
Danny painted the exterior of Gimp House light purple yesterday and it looks beautiful. I'll take picture of it and the duck family that lives on the dash board of the Disco. The ducks are huge smile causers. I adore them and can't not smile when I glance at them, most often after a crazed Israeli driver does something scary! and post it tomorrow. He also found a guy who cleaned out the weed jungle that was the side garden. As soon as I buy the paint, he'll do the railings and security bars and the sides of the ramp. The color of the house gave me a craving for icecream! The shade is what we used to call icecream pastels in the rag trade. I might just get one on the way to work if Mickey D's is open. It's Memorial Day and lots of things are closed. I have to go to the bank anyway and as they are in the same place, it'll be easy. If they are closed today, I'll have one tomorrow.
Susie, and Fingers, Thanks for your comments. You are both part of why I smile so much these days. I am truly blessed with wonderful friends.