ALMOST SPETACULAR

Knowing that it's almost over didn't help much this morning. Dem Der was up early, took a shower and headed for Safed to get his benefits and the key to his flat. By the time I got up, there were three partly used soaps on the floor in the bathroom and a pair his underwear on the counter. This, after I made him take his accumulated underwear out of there yesterday. The next stop was the kitchen where I found chocolate mix spilled all over the microwave and little freezer. I also discovered an empty paper towel wrapper, empty potato sack, and some other odds and sods on the table. They all got crumpled up and tossed into his room. I could have screamed but, contented myself with muttering vile imprecations under my breath. IT'S ALMOST OVER. IT'S ALMOST OVER. IT'S ALMOST OVER. Just a few more days AND IT WILL BE OVER.

I DID IT

Oh boy, did I ever do it. Now, it might not be the greatest accomplishment in the world, but for me it's a big deal. I actually managed to get through the month without borrowing any more money from any one. Ok, so I couldn't go to Haifa for the Doppler ultrasound and to see the plumber, but, it was much more important to not borrow to go there. I also got very lucky yesterday. I got the mess Orna helped make of bank account that caused a check to my grocery store bounce fixed. I was afraid that I might not be able to give checks there any more. THAT would have been a disaster. When I went there yesterday to find out if I could, the only boss there was Pappa Biton who is THE boss. He gave the ok for my checks, and that's the end of that. No one can over turn his rulings. Whew.
The next issue to resolve was fags. Striar and I raided my pippy banks and found enough change for one whole packet of fags. He took the bus into town and bought one. This morning I had the brilliant idea of trying to charge the cost of half carton to my card and it went through. Hooray. I now have more than enough fags to get me to Thursday. I am more than pleased that I didn't end adding anything to what I already owe because of that insane cell phone bill. By next month everything will be back to normal. Thank G-d.
This morning the computer decided to play silly buggers and went off line for no reason. So did my cable phone. The techie just left and it's all working for the time being.

I got some great new pictures of the baby grand girl and it looks like she's a carrot top. I wonder where that came from, not that it matters. She's beautiful no matter what color her hair is. And she can drive too.But it looks like she needs a GPS! My girl all the way!

A WINTER VIEW

This is the view of Mt. Hermon that greeted me when I came out of the clinic on to the roof top parking lot yesterday. Granted it's a crap picture, but if you know where things are you can see the snow on the Syrian side. And to think that there were actually people up there on our side skiing is pretty amazing!
I'm afraid to say anything, but, the pressure sore is getting better. It's still a bit of a pain, but the sore is smaller and looks like it might be closing. I hope it closes quickly. I am well and truly tired of the pillow pyramid that keeps it off the mattress. Even the air mattress doesn't help much now, but it will be essential later.
I think I must have dozed off yesterday afternoon because I was awake until almost 0400, then, guess who woke me up at 0800 to ask if he should take Peg out? Grrrrr.
When I came to the computer last night the lower task bar was a mess and that drives me wild, so now there's a password and no one, but no one will be allowed to use it. When I informed him he tried to convince me that the blown curcuit breaker caused the mess, then, he asked about the lap top. Try explaining to a spoiled man that that the lap top is down and will stay that way until I can afford to fix it. This computer cost enough and I'm not going to let him or anyone else trash it. When things lighten up, I'll have my geek add some extra memory to the lap top, and when that's back, he take this one and add some more and get rid of the stuff in the virus vault. Gee, I wonder where that came from?
Yesterday he asked if I had sent him a particular e mail. I have sent him a few, so, while he was standing here, I looked through some of my sub files and he wanted to know why his e mail client doesn't do that. Duhn. he uses hot mail. I use Thunderbird. And I've been letting him use this computer.
He almost got a knife run through him yesterday. I was in the kitchen to make a sandwich and he parked himself at the entrance. I just put everything down and asked him if he wanted anything. He didn't, so I waited until he took the hint and went away. Who does he think he is, the food police?
Ach, enough. I'm not going to ruin a perfectly nice day with rants about him. He's gone off to Safed and I'M FREE.
I think I'll just take a swing through town and see what's up a little later, then try to sort a few more things on the computer.

MISERABLE ROTTEN LYING WEATHER PEOPLE

If I were the paranoid type, I'd think they do it just to annoy me. But, being the sane, even tempered gimp that I am, I know they don't. Even when it seems like they do. The weather people have been going on for more than a week about the storm that was supposed to dump snow on the lower elevations yesterday. Well, it didn't. We just got some high winds and rain. And they're already talking about another storm for next week. I live in perpetual hope for snow. I did grab the camera when I took Peg walkies in the hope that there would be even more snow on the foothills than there was last time, but the only flake around was me! The camera did come in handy for taking pictures of Golan's 'new' used pick up and trailer. Is it any wonder he fell for it when he saw the picture on the interweb? I had a close listen to the engine and it sounds just fine. It looks good too, doesn't it? My only issue with it is that you need a ladder to get into it! There are step like running boards in the bed that he'll put on later today.
I'm so happy for him. He's been looking for *his* pick up for ages, and now he has it. He also bought almost all the new tools he needs for the gardening business he's going to start as soon as the weather changes. I've seen some of the garfens he's done and they are beautiful. He doesn't just have a green thumb. He was green hands and feet! I can't wait to able to have him do my garden. With any luck I'll have clawed my way out of the mess that is my bank account (thank you Orna) and be able to buy what I need for the fence in front. There's no sense in doing anything out front until it's fenced.
He has a few things to look for on the interweb later and he offered to help me clean up here later, as in do the floor properly, help me change the sheets, and anything else that needs doing. He's just one of those guys who likes to help when and if he can. And boy, do I ever need help in here. It's also cool that he understands about Dem Der and isn't one of those types who ask why I don't get someone in to do it. He knows perfectly well that the person who used to do it for me is the reason I can't pay anyone else to come in. Right. I'm staying in today and getting started on the things I can do.

NO MORE

I'm not going to do it any more. That's it. No more whinging about Dem Der here unless he does something spectacular. It's just gettting me down all this moaning and groaning about him. It's not his fault he's the way he is and that it drives me mad. There are more than enough things that *I* do that drive *me* mad to have to pick on him all the time.
In the end I didn't go to Haifa for that test. I'm in deep enough thanks to Orna without borrowing even more money. I'll go when I have the dosh to put some petrol in the car. The weather also played a very small part in not going. They've been predicting a huge storm for today and it started at the same time as my appointment. I wasn't too thrilled about the thought of driving home in that. We might even get some snow tonight. Oh, I do hope so.
Golan wandered in early this evening to report that he'd just gotten back from Beersheva with the Toyota Hilux he's been panting over all weekend. He saw the picture of it on the interweb and knew that he had to have it. I'll check it out tomorrow. I can't wait to see it. It's so cool when stuff like that works out.
I'm in a generally foul mood, so might not post for a few days. Don't worry. It will pass!

WHAT A GREAT MORNING

My son feels about Yahoo Messenger the same way I feel about MS's. He won however, and I downloaded it so I'd be able to see the baby live on my screen. He called just a litle while ago and we had a lovely chat. She even cooed into the phone for me. Ah, she's a beauty and has personality all her own. I wish there was a way to climb through the monitor, or at the very least to reach through and pinch her cheek. If they don't come over here this spring, I'm going to swim over there!

HOW COOL WAS THAT?

We just had an earthquake. The whole house rumbled and shook but nothing fell. When it started I just looked around and quickly decided to stay right where I am, in the computer corner which is right next to the shelter and the only spot that is safer than this corner is the shelter. There's all kinds of yelling and hollering outside.
Gosh, I haven't felt an earthquake in I don't know how long. Poor Peg. He's still cowering between my bed and the antique wardrobe. Smart dog. Oh, there was just a tiny aftershock tremble. I have a feeling I'll be sitting here for a while. It will not do at all to be knocked off my feet by a tremor. I think I'll give it a half hour or so, then, at least turn the TV to a radio station. It's not that I'm afraid of earthquakes. I quite simply can't get up if I fall, and my fall could well trigger a bigger quake than that one was.

ONE WHOLE DAY

Yes, I know it's bitchy of me, but I had a wonderful day yesterday. Dem Der took himself for the whole day and got back at around 2200. It's not that I got much done. It was just knowing he wasn't here and wouldn't walk in any time soon. I did manage to get most of the floor washed and all of it swept, so there's that. Wheely floor washing is not fun, but it's the only option for someone who can only free stand for 30 seconds.
That miserable pressure is getting better. The patch that nightmare of a substitute nurse put on it fell off in the night and I got it taped back on in place where it stayed until it was time to change it. I have hopes that by the end of next week it might be all gone. At least it is now past the point where it keeps waking me up all night long.
The last few days have been rainy and windy. Not much thunder and lightning for me to enjoy, but the wind and rain was lovely. New Harley Too is finally fixed and goes in the rain just like he's supposed to. There are two lessons for Afikim in that. The first and most important is that Yefim can fix anything. The second is that when the gimp says there's a problem, there is a problem. Now, all that's left is to make Afikim's upper management miserable, and I'm going to start on that fun project first thing Sunday morning. I did, of course call Yefim and tell him. The bosses can wait for my organized attack. It's so much better to do these things with a proper plan. They don't know it yet, but they are going to give me a deal on a baby scooter that folds up and goes in and out of the car easily like they've never given before, and be happy about it.
Here it is Friday again, a short day and all I have to do is hop into town for the local papers, and then, just take it easy for the weekend.

A SLOW WEEK

I sort of just drifted through the week and didn't get much done. I did have two days pretty much on my own when Dem Der took off for the day. I just sat back and enjoyed the quiet. I did take my poor pressure sore to the clinic on the appointed days. On Wednesday we found that the antibiotic patch had fallen off which explained why it hurt so much. There was a substitute nurse there who really got me going. She wanted to wrap it up her way, so I let her. Then, when I got home, I took most of the mummy wrappings off and taped the gauze pad on so it wouldn't fall off. I'm taking the whole mess back today in the hope that at least one of the regular nurses will be there to get it done properly. Actually, that will have to wait until Sunday. I just found out that the substitute nurse is still there. RATS. Now for some fun with that miserable English newspaper. They finally got the delivery sorted and it gets here every day in the correct place. The new trick is that it's not wrapped in it's own little wrapper. Of course that's only a problem when we have a wild windy rain storm. A soggy newspaper is not easy to read. The gal I just spoke to promised that it would start coming in it's wrapper on Sunday. Yeah, right.
I guess I'd better get Peg in, take my meds, get dressed and head for town.
It really has been a most boring week

SO MUCH FOR NICE QUIET ALONE DAYS

Yesterday I was supposed to have a 'day off' from Dem Der. I forgot about phones. He started calling at around 0900 as if I was just sitting here waiting for progress reports from him and so it went all day until he finally staggered in. In retaliation I decided to take pictures of his toxic watelands and post them here. The first is a shot of his bed. I don't how he finds room to sleep there. The next is the infamous table in the living room. He just dumps everything on it and leaves it there. And last but not least, we have the floor at the entrance to his room. Is it any wonder I don't go in there? I'd break my neck before getting past the first obstacles. Now there's an idea! Maybe the army could use him to set up obstacle courses for training.
On the up side, it won't be for much longer. He's found a flat in Safed and they are going to start work on it soon. Then, out he goes! And I can have my nice quiet solitary life back until the next crisis. He's developed a new habit. Every time he comes out of his toxic hidey hole he asks if I want anything. Granted, it's his way of trying to help, but it s so annoying. Maybe next time he asks I'll tell him that the only thing I want is for him to stop asking if I want anything. I've explained to him a hundred thousand times that I did everything myself before he came and will have to go back to doing everything myself after he leaves, so there's no reason not to do everything myself while he's here. I do understand that he does it from a genuine desire to help. It just drives me wild. It's probably mean of me to be so happy when he leaves early and comes back late, but...I like knowing that I have a few hours of having things my way. The toilet seat stays down, his TV doesn't compete with mine, I don't get news alerts from him every hour. If I want news there are more than enough sources that I can check myself. I do not want to get alerts all the time, especially not today or tomorow. No news for this gimp until tomorrow morning when I'll get the primary results from the interweb.
As it's a nice sunny day, I think I'll get dressed and go for a ride around town.

IF ONLY I HAD BEEN PAYING ATTENTION

I staggered out of the computer corner to the kitchen and suddenly saw the flashing red lights of a fire truck outside my living room window. After a quick look around Gimp House to be sure it wasn't on fire I sent Dem Der out into the cold night to investigate. He quickly popped his head back in to tell me that a bus parked outside (illegally) was on fire and that two fire trucks were there. Of course it never entered my mind to grab the camera and shoot a couple of pictures to illustrate this post. I did lurch over to the door to take a look, but the excitement was over by then.
That bus often parks there even though there is a local ordinance against parking buses and trucks on residential streets and he was in a marked no perking zone. In fact my car is the only one allowed to park on that side of the street and is a marked and signed disabled spot for my car only. I rather like having that bus parked there because it's much wider than my little Focus and protects it from being hit by suicide drivers. Law, what law? People here just park where they want and no one bothers about it. KNowing how things work here, I won't lose the protection the bus provides for the Focus even though the driver should be at the very least cited for parking in a red/white no parking zone. For that to happen there would have to be a minimum of cooperation between the fire and police departments. As that is not the case, I can rest knowing that the bus will continue to protect my car. Not very civic minded of me, but, very, very, very, Israeli.