BACK TO WHERE I STARTED

Now that I'm ready for the next round with our kind loving neighbors to the north with 5 meters of connecting cables, I'm going back to the Tale of the Trip. In fact I'm going right back to where I should have started at the beginning, with Susie. And here she is, our Susie.
I discovered Susie on my beloved A Team List. She's a proper Murdockian as am I as well. She lives in a smallish city in the north western wilds of Maryland and has an issue or two or more with the world around her. She's on meds for a few of those issues, but on she's also a bright, funny, perceptive gal who loves doing things once she overcomes her fear of trying the new. Knowing that her dream was to meet Dwight Schultz, another A Team fan and I decided to take her to England to meet him at a convention that was eventually cancelled for reasons beyond the organizer's control. We went anyway and had a delightful week in London and a noncon in Bournemouth where about 25 of us from that list and other groups met up for the most fantastic day imaginable. Susie became a jet setter! And YES, she did meet her idol at a later date with the help of another A Team fan.
Knowing that travel even in the States is way beyond her means financially,
I invited her to join me on my jaunt, and off she flew to Maine to meet up with me for my niece's high school graduation and the trip of a lifetime across the continent. Right, that's Susie. Oh, she's also a bingo addict. Back to where I left off.
We left Jags in North Carolina and headed into Alberto:a wanna be hurricane and drove for 4 or 5 hours until I decided I just couldn't go on. We didn't get very far because it was slow going, so we stopped for the night at the most annoying Days Inn. By morning Alberto had decided not to mess with me and dissipated. Onward to Florida through South Carolina (a most useless state) it annoyed me no end, through Georgia, and on into Florida where I eventually decided to stop and eat. Poor Susie was a victim of my insane eating habits and was starving by the time I decided to stop. Florida decided to mess with me and there was a sign pointing to a rest area that turned out to be a strip mall in some disgusting town. "FRAUD" I yelled and cussing all the way got back on I 95 where there was a proper rest area a mile on. We eventually found an Olive Garden where we stopped for a proper meal, and wouldn't you know it? They were out of what we had both ordered. The manager was most contrite and told us to order anything else we wanted on the house. I was just fine with bowl of weeds, but Susie ended up with a great meal of fish or something. As we were in Florida, I wasn't about to stop before we found Boynton Beach and a motel. 12 hours after leaving that miserable excuse for a Days Inn, we found an even worse motel in Boynton Beach and checked in. Our High Tech friend (me) turned the air conditioner on ....to heat! The next day, the motel gal sorted it, but the place was still crap.
Susie and I took off visit the Boynton Beach Bitch (Dad's widow) and managed to surprise her. If you didn't see her face when the realized who was standing at her door, you haven't seen the color white. I was about as rude as I can get and only answered he questions in short curt sentences. We left her wondering why I bothered to visit and that has to be the most dastardly thing I've ever done. I was gleeful afterwards. She was subjected to an icy explanation about my brother and told in no uncertain terms that he's just fine and that how he lives is none of her business. She really is a bitch, but, that issue deserves a whole book and we were on a fun trip. After that visit, we went looking for a beach, but, like the Boynton Beach Bitch, the town lived up to it's name and there was a long beach that was accessible only to residents. We drove around town for a while and ate a nice restaurant close to the motel. There were baby alligators/lizards there and Susie took pictures of them.
The next morning we took off for Miami, and I thought I'd do the smart thing and check out the airport before finding a motel. Smart? Not really. I got a bit a lost, but did learn that it would be easy enough to figure out in the morning. We eventually found the motel I wanted and, wouldn't you know it? It was the biggest rip off of all. The room was nice enough, but cost a fortune, as did everything else there. We checked out early and decided to explore Miami before the flight to Reno and look for the sea shells Susie had promised to find for a friend. We found the public beach in Miami and Susie went looking for shells, but didn't find any. We took the car (a Saturn Vue that I quite enjoyed) back and got the plane for Reno with a stop in Phoenix where Susie's bag and my wheely got off for a quick look around. I know this because I saw my wheely getting back on the plane. Of course, Susie's bag didn't At Reno, we reported Susie's lost bag and she handled it like a trooper even though she was very upset. Our wheely drivers were ver sweet and we had a fun time with them, thanks to my Oxeegen emergency nonsense. We picked up the next car-a Pontiac and headed for Winnemucca, but part way there, stopped for the night at a nice motel, and went the rest of the way in the morning. Nevada's I 80 W is quite a highway. 75 mph speed limit, nice, with prisons along the route that have signs warning against picking up hitch hikers or stopping at all. I can't imagine any escaped inmate making it to the road alive through that terrain. Eventually we pulled into Winnemucca and called Jeannie who actually found us from my description of where we were. She found us a cheap local flea trap, and we settled in before going to eat, and seeing the sights in Greater Downtown Winemucca, and going to Jeanie's (she does not live in the middle of nowhere, it's at the END of nowhere) but absolutely beautiful. Susie spotted a Bingo sign right off and after checking out times etc realized she'd have to wait until Tuesday to play.I'll leave the story for now because I have to check my notes. Winnemucca was wonderful and I'm determined to go back, but right now, I have to get ready for work.

DON'T MESS WITH THE GIMP

Sorry for the regression from the trip here but this is too big to hold in! My lawyer stopped in at the store yesterday to tell me that we can get an arrest warrant for the cheating lying stealing business guy who *did* me on the airconditioner a few years ago and his daughter!
It's only taken about 6 years, but....Ha, they're going down and soon. They have taken hundreds, if not thousands of customers to the cleaners and to date I'm the only one who had the smarts to go after his beloved daughter and get her. The judge even called her a liar in the decision. I'm more thrilled about the success than about the money I'll get back. He has something called a "consolidated file" which means that all his judgments are unified in one file and he pays a pittance every month on millions in debt. There's a new law that makes doing that a felony with mandatory jail time if it can be proved that he did it order to avoid full payment. I have the proof and he's going down for that too. I've been grinning like an idiot since I got the news! It's not even the payback element as much as it's no more than what he deserves, and after being told by everyone that it's a waste of time going after him, I went and won. Go Gimp!!

WHERE WAS I BEFORE THAT RUDE INTERRUPTION?

Oh, yeah, before those rude Hizzbullies interupted me I was in the middle of the saga of my invasion of America, which actually went a whole lot better than their adventure here. If'n I recollect rightly, Susie and I had gotten to Jag's in North Carolina and had a great time visiting with her, her twin, and her mom. They are the sweetest, kindest,gentlest, most loving women you could hope to meet.Southern Hospitality? Gracious? Yup, that's them! I could have stayed there forever. Jag's mom even gave me a watch with a purple leather strap that if I understand right belonged to her mother. I wear it proudly, and choke up whenever I look at it. She also gave the one thing I never thought I'd find. A purple nail clipper! What a prize. There's just this one thing. People talk funny down there. They have these funny accents that this ex Mainer had to listen real close to understand. Jags and her mom, whose Hebrew is about as good as my Greek, made some business cards for me and the business. They got them letter perfect. In Hebrew. The last bit that weren't done then just got to the post office and I'm going to get the in a few minutes. As in right now.

WHAT IS NORMAL?

I wish someone could explain to me exactly what normal means in this country. As far as I can figure out, it means jumping every time a door slams, fighting with government clerks for the very things the government sent them here to give us and watching those who are usually law abiding citizens submit claims for damage that never happened. One of our well known political figures in town was photographed leaving his house almost hysterical after a katyusha fell a few houses away. It seems he left town right after that because they did a TV segment on him coming home and being shocked at the damage in his house. Sorry, but you really can't have it both ways, unless you live in this town. And even then, you can't be sure. I hope someone calls him on it.
The only damage we had was to the store. A katyusha landed right in the junction by the stop lights and broke a window, blew the cash register and computer right off my desk.
It only took 3 days, but we got the damage assessor over to approve our claim. I just hope and pray that the payment will be prompt, because we really are stuck financially right now. We should be able to hang on until then, but Mr. Shmaryah and I are going to have a very serious discussion about a few things on Sunday. There are one or two issues that must be settled right now. Among them, why a certain person has a business cell phone and demands a salary even though I have yet to see so much as one sale from her, never mind the money from the sales I have yet to see.
Yesterday was a long hot day and the phone calls for replacement doors are flooding in. The problem is that we won't see any money from those doors until they are reimbursed by the government which will take at least 20 days.
I got home early yesterday and collapsed in bed, and didn't even have the strength to go to Orna's for Friday night dinner. I fell asleep and was woken up by Golan, who brought me a loaf of bread his neighbor had baked for me. I went right back to sleep and woke up again when Orna brought me a plate with din dins on it. I dozed off and on all night and woke up this morning still tired and not in great mood. I posted at the other blog after taking Peg walkies and got a phone call in the middle of posting from someone whose voice I couldn't recognize. I wonder why I didn't just ask him who the hell he is? The number on the caller ID was blocked, so I have no idea who it was. I do know who it wasn't, though! I guess that's a start. While that number isn't unlisted, it does not appear in the phone book! Wrong number, maybe? If so, it was the weirdest wrong number I've ever had.
I'm thinking it might be a good time to leave town for a few days. All the neighbors and their kids are back. I preferred the noise of the artillery to the noise they all make.
Orna and I are searching the house for the DVDs that came just before I left for The States. I took one to my brother, but the other two are well and truly missing. It's driving us nuts because we knew they were in the house simply because of the one I packed to take to Jeffro. The way things go with me, I'll reorder them and they'll show up the day after. I think it's time to take a much needed shower and crawl back into bed.

BACK TO NORMAL???

I guess that's one way to put it. People are coming home in droves and the insane Israeli bureaucracy is well on the way to making wishing the fighting against the Hizzbullies was still going on. People are flat broke, business are on the verge of going under and the government is dragging it's feet and making it next to impossible to continue. We'll be ok in the long run because so many doors were damaged and we already have signed orders for over 100,000 shekels in replacement doors. Between 15 to 29 % is ours of that amount. We also will be getting compensation for salaries and partial comp for losses due to having been closed for a month. It will take a while to get it, but we'll make it in the end. I really shouldn't whine too much because we were damn lucky. Our houses are whole, and all that happened at the store was a broken window and computer and we'll get comped on those pretty much immediately.
We'll be going back to Lebanon fairly soon to finish the job and I hope to have the business in good enough shape to get through round two.
Other than that, I'm fine, if tired, both physically, and emotionally from the stress of dealing with authorities today.
Orna and I going to the head office in the morning to get the head guy to move quickly on our claim because he owes me big time! He's the guy who put me in a wheelchair, and he knows it. It'll be ok. So will I.

NOT THE BEST Of DAYS

Anyone who doesn't know me well is in for a rude *awakening* (pun intended) if they try to say so much as "good morning" to me before my first coffee. The plan was to go to Petach Tikva and buy M&Ms. Due to circumstances beyond my control (no details so as to protect the innocent) I only woke up when Simon arrived spot on time. I told him to give me 20 minutes and off we'd go. Poor Simon made the mistake of informing me that his mother had sent a package for his brother who lives and works in Petach Tikva. The very thought of running around looking for said brother caused me to be more than bit rude (no coffee, remember) His feelings were hurt so he disappeared. Just as I was ready to leave a monster barrage was released on us....might be a good idea to get on the road now. I went to the car to get situated and ready to move out, only to find that it wouldn't open. It seems the battery in the remote is almost dead. Shmaryah came down from his roof top observation post and got it open and running. I called Golan to see if he still wanted go. He didn't. He wanted to stay in the shelter, so, I decided to go anyway and visit Teadrinker near Ashkelon. She had no idea I was going to see her, and I danced with glee at the very thought of her surprise. Not 10 minutes after I left town a katyusha landed 3 meters from me just on the other side of the road. The car shook and my ears rang. Thanks to my habit of always leaving the window on my side open a crack, the blast didn't break it. Scared? You bet. I didn't relax until I was out of the danger zone, about an hour and a half later.
When I was just on the street teadrinker lives on, I called her and told her to put the coffee on. She was properly surprised...oh, yes, she was. When I finally got into her house, I announced the plan, which was to have a cup of coffee, chat and visit for a while, have a 2 hour nap another coffee and visit, then, head home. The plan worked and at around 1730 I headed for home, wondering if I had one at all. The worst barrage of all had been going on all day up here, so it was reasonable to worry about Gimp House. Not 15 minutes on the road and I ran straight into a monster traffic jam. It was stop and go until after Tel Aviv. Keeping a sharp eye on the fuel gauge, I decided to stop after Afula to tank up. Just as I was turning into the gas station, Teadrinker called all worried about why I wasn't home yet. While the nice guy pumped 60+ liters of diesel, I explained that I was taking it nice and slow.
At Golani Junction I decided that I was hungry and stopped at Mac Donalds drive in, got a Mac Fish and parked to eat it, and call Shmaryah to find out what was going on here. He told meit was quiet, so I continued. I knew that if my house had been hit, he'd tell me. Deep breath and ONWARD. No sooner had I gotten to the Upper Galilee area than I saw flashes.
Us or them?
Us.
Ok.
Keep it nice and steady.
Drive through town nice and slow.
Park.
Get keys out.
Uhoh.
No keys.
Take everything out of bag.
Still no keys.
Draft neighbor to help look.
Still no keys.
Search the Disco
Still no keys
Call Shmaryah, my own private locksmith.
Wait for him to come.
Call Teadrinker.
Use up the cell phone battery.
Watch Shmaryah open the screen door and find the keys on the floor between the screen door and the house door.
Turn 3 hundred bazzilion shades of red.
Have good laugh at self.
Call Teadrinker who had spent a hour on the floor looking for the keys just in case they were there.
Apologize.
Go to sleep.
I woke up this morning to dead quiet. They are telling us to stay in until further notice. No one trusts the cease fire. Damn right. I'm staying in today. It was too much being so far from home and not knowing what was going on back here. It might be physically safer to be off the shooting range, but it makes you sick with worry.
I called Orna and asked her to explain to Simon about the previous morning and the *no coffee* clause. She's on the way home and should be here by 1800 or so. I'll go get them at the bus station (what's left of it) when they get here. Shmaryah had to go out of town today, so we won't be reopening the store until tomorrow, depending on what happens with the cease fire.
I'll just post this, take Peg walkies then do the other blog.

THIS FAT LADY IS NOT GOING SING

To quote a childhood hero, "It ain't over till it's over"
I finally got around to putting the remaining pictures here. The first picture if of a building supply store that took a direct hit. The tall mini sky scraper(14 stories) behind it too a direct hit yesterday. The second is of my store. If you look closely you can see the jagged edges of glass in the window. My desk is right there behind that window!
The Kiryat Shmonah damage report to date:1116 apartments;115 cars;3 kilometers of underground pipes;14 educational facilities, including 4 direct hits on schools;45 new holes in streets;and 100 gravestones. And that's just here, and as of last night. You can count on even more destruction in town before it's over.
Where are the animal lovers? There are some gruesome pictures at www.readme.co.il of cows that were killed yesterday at a kibbutz not far from town. Pardon the oddly worded captions. The guy who wrote them is one of the few people his age that didn't end up with me for an Englishes teacher. Hang on, I'll get the url of the picture page.
Just scroll down and keep a barf bag handy.
http://www.readme.co.il/8on/index.html
We had a council meeting on my ramp last night and it was decided that the M&M search and seizure commando team will go to the Tel Aviv area to replenish my arsenal's figure this is going to go on for at least another 10 or so days. It will take that long to get the cease fire agreement signed, sealed, and delivered. Until then we will keep on shooting at them and they will use up several hundred katyushas in our direction. They seem not to have figured that resupply for them is not going to be as easy as they seem to think it will e and the more they use, the less they'll have.
I did some minor clean up in Gimp House this morning. Very minor; took out almost all the trash (I forgot one) and now for my next trick, I will put new trash bags in all the bins! I might even do the dishes. No how, no way am I going to wash the floors. Peg managed to turn the living room into a yellow swimming pool and I quite simply can not do anything about it. Too many things to pick up and move, not to mention messing about with mops etc. I will just have to wait. At least the new A/C with the plasma filter keeps the smell down, and he hasn't done anything in the liberry/shelter, so that's ok.
I'm feeling like having a wee rant at the other blog....so, feel free!

SLEEP?????

Could someone please remind me what sleep is and why we feel so tired without it? There was I time, I think, maybe, when I could just doze off whenever I felt like it and wake up when I woke up and everything was just fine. Most noises didn't bother me. In fact, back in the good old 90s the sound of a helicopter overhead was soothing and even acted as a lullaby. Now, we are living with air raid sirens day and night. Not to mention the actualy explosions of the katyushas.
Last night I was up fairly late as were our artillery lads. I settled in for a sleep at around 0215 only to be rudely awoken by the siren at 0228. Ok, the way that's supposed to work is that a few minutes after, or even during the siren, katyushas or mortars fall like rain. The way it went down last night was the siren wailed at 0228 and the bombs fell at 0430. Is that timing, or, is that timing?
I've gotten to the point, gone way beyond it, truth be told, where I think they should just skip the warning stage. We know they are going to shoot at us, so let us have quiet until they do. The sirens don't actually do anything except get adrenalin rushing through our poor stressed out bodies. We really don't need the warning. Trust me, when a katyusha or mortar falls, you know it. No way you can miss it.
Ah, yes, see? You can recognize them with or without sirens. That was one just now, and I recognized it just fine without the siren that didn't go off!!
We also know that if we so much as stick our noses out the door that there's a pretty good chance of having it shot off if a big chunk of metal falls out of the sky. All this warning stuff is way OTT.
I'm trying to decide what, if anything I want to do today, other than try to sleep. The boys and I were talking about going on another M&M search and seizure mission, but I'm too sleepy to drive that far, so, it will have to wait until Sunday. The upcoming mission will have to be further afield than the last one. Hadera or maybe Netanya or maybe even Raanana! I KNOW they have them down there. Petach Tikva is an option too. I know where there's a store there that has them and a few other things I'd love to buy. Yup, Petach Tikva sounds good.
Now that that's decided, it's time to make coffee and get the pictures out of the camera and in here. More later!

PLANS PLANS AND MORE PLANS

I finally got out of here and went into town to get the loan applications for the loans the government is offering to small business that were closed by the war. Hey! That's me!! I got there before any sirens went off, in spite of having been warned by a neighbor that the shooting would start in 15 minutes. I asked him if he'd gotten a fax or e mail from Nassralla and he said that some soldiers had told him. After I got the forms I decided that as long as I was out, I'd go get 2 more cartons of Marlboro light oxeegen. There was a crowd at the store so I politely waited outside under the overhang roof. Of course the sirens went off and every one went into a panic and ran to the nearest shelter-the underground one I can't get to, so I waited.After a few minutes everyone came running back, and the sirens sounded again. We went through this 3 more times until I just rode in on Harley when they all fled to the shelter. One of the town's better known screw ups was outside yelling at everyone and creating even more panic. When he yelled at me, I just told him to calm down and stop acting like an idiot. He was just making things worse. I got my oxeegen and headed home while katyushas fell around town, but not in town for a change. I have a picture in my camera of a business across from the local cop shop that is a bit of a mess. I'll get it out of the camera and post it tomorrow. Right now I want to get something to eat. What? 1830 isn't a good time for breakfast? Says who?

PSYCHIC (PSYCHO?) SIRENS?

How do the sirens know what I'm thinking? Every time I think about going out the siren goes off. There! It hapened again. I was going to take him out after posting this and it just went off. Last night when we were already out for his walkies it went off while I was begging him to finish his business. He was so upset by it that of course he couldn't.
This is so not good. We ducked into the cover of a circle planter thing on our usual route and when things got quiet charged home. I left him in the liberry/shelter when I finally packed it in and went to bed at around 0300.I just stuck my nose in there and he's been a good boy and not done anything. Well, there's no help for it. I have to take him out and make a quick run into town.
My favorite local site seems to be having operational issues and the page that shows what has been hit in town isn't loading. Why does this not surprise me? It's starting to feel like this will never end, but more of that at the other blog later. I have things to do first.It's just that yesterday every time I so much as thought about posting here, the siren went and I just sat it all out in the liberry/shelter, through 2 power failures, and booms that seemed to get closer and closer.Ok, I'm not going to think about it, I'm just going to do it. More later, I hope!

BUYING MEDS UNDER SIEGE

I was unhappy in the extreme when my clinic opened it's own pharmacy here because I got a perverse enjoyment out of buying my meds from a pharmacist named Osama. Today was my opportunity to buy there again. The paharmacy was sold and the new owners kept Osama on. He was on the phone getting authorization for us to fill our prescriptions there when the siren went off. The new owner got all excited and asked me to open the door. One of the other people asked "Why?" And I jumped in with "So the katyusha won't break the door on it's way in" She then explained that it's so the blast won't break the windows, conveniently forgetting that they had been broken by a katyusha the day before that fell across the street on the central bus station yet again. The floor was covered in glass shards and she wanted to open the door. Talk about closing the barn door after the horsies escaped.
Gotta go, they're getting closer.

NOW IT'S REALLY PERSONAL

They actually bombed my interweb connection and cable TV and cable telephone. If that's not enough, cell phones up here are only allowing emergency calls. Humph.
I am more than willing to stay in my Gimp Cave/liberry/shelter for another year as long as they don't bomb my interweb again!
Aside from the almost 2000 books in there, I can entertain myself by watching the wall clock run backwards. I've never seen anything like it. I really is running backwards. The second hand clicks it's way around counterclockwise.
I also learned that it is not comfortable to sleep on a fork if the tines are sticking your butt. The same goes for cell phone chargers. Never you mind where I had to pull it out of!
There is also an issue with regular phone calls. There is so much noise up here that it's impossible to talk on the phone. If it's not their katyushas, it's our artillery making noise.
I just came in from getting my meds and it was not easy. My clinic took a direct hit and is operating out of another clinic. The pharmacy is closed too for the same reason. The docs are working in a shelter that I can't exactly get to-lots of stairs, so the doc came up to give me the scrit I needed, then... go find a pharmacy. I called 'headquarters and the gal told me she'd check and get back to me. In the meantime I went to the private pharmacy that we aren't allowed to use any more and got approval to buy there. So, I'm set for another month. While I was in the drug store, the siren went off and everyone got all nuts. I took my meds and decided to check mail as long as nothing was falling. There was a registered slip there so I went back into town to the post office. It was a second notice and I'd already picked it up. I was about 50 meters from Gimp House when the gal called to tell me I could get my scrits filled at the pharmacy in the bombed out mall-the one with do not enter on all the doors. Sheesh. I told her it was already sorted and that no way was I going in that building.
The town really has taken a pounding and even though I had the camera, didn't take any pictures.
Any way, please don't worry if I disappear for a few days. It just means they bombed the interweb again and it's too noisy for phone calls and the SMS network is unavailable. I'm really really not doing anything foolish;as in I'm not rolling around outside looking for trouble.
Time to put some laundry in the machine, make a cup of coffee and write a nast letter to a TV station!

ANOTHER VIEW OF MY KATYUSHA

My store is just behind those trees on the far corner. I'll take better pictures tomorrow with my proper digi cam and post them. For now, I'm indulging my passion for Lichtenstein and reading about it on line. Must plan the trip there soon.

MY KATYUSHA

Here it is, at last! The katyusha that broke my store's windows and made a mess of my desk. There isn't as much comfort in the fact that the ugly *Orange* sign is probaly broken too. They'll just put another one up for me to growl at.
I'm going down there first thing in the morning to see exactly what the damage is and Nassralla had better hope he didn't break any of my purples! I'm going to look for pictures from a better angle now.

NOW IT'S PERSONAL

A katyusha hit the juction just outside my store and broke a couple of windows, which in effect trashed the office Shmarya worked so hard to make for me while I was away and which I barely had time to enjoy before the Hizzbullies started this.

They must have shown the junction 6 times before I realized it was "mine" Boy did I feel stupid when I finally recognized it. I had a fine yell up at the Hbullies, then Shmarya called from there. Now I'm really pissed off. I'll have to go down there tomorrow and check it out myself. I just hope Shmaryah took pictures with his cell phone.
For some idiot reason someone decided that a siren is better than our usual PA warning system. I have news for that idiot. It isn't. It just causes more stress and tension than the old way.
I found a news picture of my junction but the site is taking it's own sweet time loading. I'll go back in a few minutes to see if it's done. It's way too fuzzy to try and post.
Ooof, there goes that pesky siren again, it sounds really weird with the noise of katyushas mixed in. A soundman's nightmare.
Oh great, now I have a headache. Just what I need now.
Ok, we have the picture now. My store is on the corner across from the one shown here. There seems to be a problem with my connect (so what else is new) and picture isn't loading. I'll post it later if things sort themselves out.
In the meantime, thanks to Jags, Fingers, Susy and Susie for your encouragement. I appreciate it, and owe you all e mails. Back to the Liberry/shelter for me. I'll post the pic later.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Ok, now we're having fun! The M&M Commando left Kiryat Shmona at 0930 as planned and headed towards Haifa. The mission: find and buy as many M&Ms as possible. We no sooner left town than the radio reported a hail of katyushas in and around town. So far there have been at least 250 katyushas today alone.We stopped at the first large grocery store we came to and found 16-count 'em 16 large bags of Peanut M&Ms. Well, duh, yes, I took each and every one. Cleaned the shelf I did! Then we went to another 3 stores but didn't find any. We stopped for lunch at a mall that was once a textile factory, and then looked in a few more stores with no results. It was decided that we'd go home by a different route to the one we took going and stopped a few more times but found nothing. Golan bought watermelons and honeydews at one of the stops, and we came straight home while the radio reported on katyushas in all the places we had been. It's time for the Gimp driver to rest for a while. It *is* stressful driving in a war, and my muscles are tense from it. Rest time!

NOT FUN

No, we are not having fun yet!
It is not fun to be stuck in the house 24/7 with a dog who barks at every boom instead of just the incoming ones.
It is not fun taking said dog walkies.
It is not fun to sit in a sealed Liberry-shelter when it sounds like every outgoing shell is an incoming landing in your yard.
It is not fun sitting on the bog when there are booms of any kind outside.
It is not fun listening to suppsedly knowlwdgable experts talk rubbish on TV.
It is not fun listening to that Iranian headcase say you should be wiped of the face of the earth because you are Jewish.
It is not fun when your legs are safe in Beer Sheba and you are 'Home Alone'
Other than that, yes, I guess we are having fun. Golan and Simon hang out here alot and Shmaryah either calls or comes down several times a day.
Today the troika-Golan, Golan (me) and Simon are going on a mission. We are not coming home until we find M&Ms. It's just that simple. Simon has to sign a paper for his disabled sister who is in an institution in Tiberius, so we are starting there, then, going to either Haifa or Hadera to find M&Ms.I suppose I could find something a little more 'normal' to obssess about, but this is much more fun, and I never had delusions of normalcy!
Right! It's time to gat dressed and head out.

MORE

More what?
I don't know.
I just know that it was way too quiet today and even though I had a nice long sleep today after last night, I feel crap right now. Nothing hurts, I just feel weird, lethargic and a bit dizzy, and fuzzy.
Maybe it has to with the great thing that happened yesterday. After Simon and I finished shopping, I got into the Disco all by myself without my little stool or even a curb. talk about exciting! Woohoo, ALL BY MYSELF. It's about time. Yes, it is a bit awkward, and I'm sure it was comical as all get out, but, hey, I did it! What I want to know now is, why the excitement of that major success would cause me to feel so lousy today? Ok, it could be a whole bunch of things together. Like being pretty much stuck in the house for 20 straight days, not eating right, and lack of sleep. I'm not going to worry about it unless it continues tomorrow. I think I'll take my water bottle and go sit on the ramp for a while.