WHY DOES THIS STUFF ONLY HAPPEN TO ME?

There are times when I really do wonder about myself! I know for a fact that I posted a picture here of something very out of character for me to buy, never mind wear. I went looking for it this morning, but it was nowhere to be found! It wasn't anywhere on here, nor could I find it in any of the stuff transferred from the old computers. Then, I had a brainstorm and thought to look in the camera, and yup, there it was. Let's be clear about this. I only wear this garment when I am playing WoW, and, these days, with my warmest robe over it. It makes me feel quite strange while wearing it; nice strange, though.

I found out a few this week somethingsthat I wasn't really aware of before. One is that you can actually have a physical reaction to someone you've never met except for in a game. Quite interesting, that.

I also realized that the gum grunge I've had for a few months was in fact, eczema! Yes, Nechama, I do know that there's a first time for everything. I've had eczema just about every place else when in money induced stress, but getting it there was a first!

And last, but far from least, I discovered that I am better with computers than I thought! I got that blasted game working again, and rediscovered the guy my main character fell for so hard, after a few months of no contact. I must say that my fictitious character has phenomenally good taste in men.

AH YES

It's over! The financial nightmare I got myself into is now officially over. Homeless worked wonders over the phone with the people I owed a small fortune to by getting them to reduced the interest on the original debt by huge, almost unbelievable amounts and all except 2 have been paid! It's an incredibly wonderful feeling to be free of that stone around my neck after so long!The last two I intend to fight. One is shmaryah's traffic tickets, the other isa back property tax that I am not liable for in any case. Those are not large, it's the principle of the thing. But all the rest are paid and gone forever! I spent two solid mornings at the bank gettting all the *id* dotted, *ts* crossed and all the payments sent out. When I left the bank on Thursday, I declared a holiday from the bank until Monday (tomorrow), when we will sort out the other things, like my account there and all that fun stuff. Right now it looks like I just might be able to buy my flat and just maybe get my Land Rover back. Two things for sure will be done this week. The Ford's butt will be fixed, and I'll get another new Harley, as well as fix the old one. In fact I just called Afikim, the scooter place and told my old pal at the service center that I want to fix Brand New Harley Too, and buy a new one without having to deal with Danny Lev, the guy who screwed me over when I bought my very first one in 1999, and was rude to Savta last week. MY demand that Danny Lev not be involved left her in a bit of a quandry, but, I think they'll figure out a way to keep us far apart so as not to lose the sale. I also told her quite happily that if worse comes to worst, I'll just get McGyver to take me to my dear late exhusband's kibbutz and have his classmate, Baruch sort it there!

The best part is that the main office knows that I am dead serious and a force to reckon with. When the woman in the group of 5 who rode scooters to Jerusalem tells them she wants, the chances of her getting it are pretty good. My only demand is to keep Danny Lev as far away from as possible. They know I mean business! This is going to be fun.

Savta was transfered to my old rehab hospital on Friday and the freaking idiots at the hospital in Safad wouldn't let him take his own wheely on the grounds that they have wheelies there. Um excuse you, stoopid person. You do not separate someone from their wheely and expect them to get along on a strange one. It just doesn't work like that. Our wheelies are as much a part of our bodies as our arms and legs and after so long they fit us like a glove. Poor Savta was so out of it with the pain and meds that he just went along with that lunacy. I sicced Homeless on that one too. He has the hospital in wired and I hope he makes a big enough deal of it to get them to take Savta his wheely. People who have never spent any time in a wheely just don't get it. But those of us live in them know. It takes a long time to adjust to a new every time we have to get one.

Cripple rules number one is do not even think about separating us from our chairs! Where I go, my wheely goes.

I just might go visit him there today. It's back to the bank and car repairs tomorrow! Right. That's sorted. Mrs. Savta and I are going to visit Savta this afternoon! As she can't leave until around 1400, I can try to get onto WoW. Have they ever made a mess of that game. Sometimes it works just fine, at others you just can't get on and it disconnects you from their servers whenever it wants. What a mess!

LOST TRACK AGAIN

It's been one of those months again! When things start moving here, they make a speeding bullet look like it's in neutral, and time just gets away from me! I got a new 'super' computer because the game I play would not under any circumstances download a patch to the old one.

It took over two days to finish on the new one. Of course the game was still more glitchy than playable, but that's another whole story. My beloved geek came over to activate the new Windows and couldn't, so he put the ol;d computer back in place and took the new one to sort it's sorry butt. He's putting in a new and better CPU to compensate me for time lost! I was quite miserable at the thought of being without my game for several days, then made the discovery of the century. This computer came back on line with a Windows update notification to download service pack 3. I started jumping up and down in my chair because I remembered seeing someplace that the new patch requires SP 3 on XP machines. I installed and started the patch. It worked. Nowhere on any of the forums or tech pages did I see that as possible solution to the problem, and not one of the myriad tech types I talked with ever thought to ask if it was installed! Well, it is now, and I managed to get into my game. There are still some horrendous glitches, not the least of which is a very low frames per second rate of 4-9 and record breaking high latency rates of over 10000. That's right 10 thousand. But I could get on to play for a while before getting disconnected.

The other and even bigger distraction was getting all the places I owe small fortunes to thanks to Shmaryah to agree to a final settlement amount. I sicced Homeless on them, which meant I was getting calls from him all the time. Be that as it may, he did a great job and the big debts have been cut pretty much in half. That bit of business should be cleared up for once and for all this week. Then, I'll have my life and bank account back! I will admit that those are not the best excuses for not posting, but they are the reasons. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

One night last week, one of my high school pals threw out a question that started a fairly large group of os on a lovely stroll down Memory Lane, reminiscing about all the old places we remembered in town that are no more, and a few that still are. It was a wonderful way to spend an evening and it sure did make me miss them all and mostly my childhood. I've said it before and I'll say it again; my class at Brunswick High School was special. There was something about the town and the schools that made us into a great bunch of kids who still feel strong tugs on our heart strings when the past comes up. Very few of us had a mean bone in our bodies. In fact I can't think of anyone who did. (except maybe me), but I developed that here, not there.

I think part of it might have been because we were a Navy town and new kids were always showing up and others leaving. We locals just seemed to accept the new kids as if they had always been there. In fact, quite a few of them who left before graduation, still consider Brunswick their home town and BHS as their high school. Today I'm not even completely sure who the Navy kids were. They were/are all classmates to me, as well as to most of us.

Every time I get all nostalgic I have to remind myself that I can't go back. Oh, I can go back to Brunswick, all right, but not to my wonderful childhood. I take great comfort in being able to be in touch with so many of those great kids. They might all be as old and gray as I am, but, in my memory, we are still in our teens! Forever Young, to quote a song that has been co opted by Israeli advertising copy writers!

My pal from the Jerusalem on scooters jaunt was in a horrendous accident last Wednesday. A car ran into him at an intersection and sent him and his scooter flying. He came out of alive (thank G-d) and with a broken vertebra or two and a semi smashed pelvic bone. There's not a lot the docs can do for him as the breaks are not in easily accessible places for them to pin and plate (or so they say), so he's stuck in hospital on pain killers that don't help much. They are talking about months. Poor guy can't move a finger without pain. It looks like I'll be going up there to visit him frequently. The hardest part of my numerous stays in hospital was having so few visitors, but I learned early on that it was best to avoid that hospital and get to better ones that were farther and farther away each time I got a DVT!

I won't be going up today because I have sort an issue with my hated new mobile phone. I HATE IT. It never works when I need it to and the blue tooth 'ear' refuses to hold a charge, and the phone doesn't either. With my beloved Motorola Razor I could go a week between charges on both the phone and ear. I don't use it that often, but when I do, I need it to work. Have I mentioned that I hate the new one? Well, I do. And the idiot techies say they can't put my number back in my Razor because it uses a different system to the hated new one. I don't believe that for one minute and Homeless will sort that one day soon. One project at a time is almost more than I can handle with him! I guess I'd better get up there and sort the ear. All it needs is a new battery.

HAPPY HAPPY GIMP

Here we are at Tuesday already. It started as a fairly strange week on Sunday. I ended up sleeping most of the day and only got up at 1530 or so! I have a feeling that I was so tired from the stress of waiting to hear from the lawyer about the final payment from Dad's estate. I'm not a money grubbing female by any stretch of the imagination. I just want to get out from under the mess I made by being so stupid as to believe one thing Shmaryah said and get it all paid off. The email withe details came last week on Wednesday before I had downloaded a PDF reader. So, I did that and almost passed out on the spot. It's all over except the shouting. Somehow I got the printer to print out one copy and took it and my absentee ballot along to get the former photo copied and the latter mailed. Wednesday evening was the start of one of our holidays that I loved as a kid. I got the WoW installment going and then the download that lead to getting this monster computer going. After the holiday I got back into the game after a week of being away. On Friday I got to thinking about all the fall holidays that I had enjoyed so much as a kid and decided to take a look around Facebook to see if I could find some of the major players from those days. I did, and we exchanged lovely catch up mails. He and his brothers might be all grown with grown kids of their own, but they will forever be the kids we were then to me!

I guess everything just hit sometime Sunday night and when I finally got to sleep, I just kept sleeping until I got all caught up. I'm still a night owl and it is not at all unusual for me to fall asleep at around 0300 and get up at 0900. It works for me. Then, on Monday night I fell asleep just after it got light out, around 0530 and Homeless started looking for me and got all ftutzed when I didn't answer any of the phones. I just didn't hear them. I was asleep. So he sent a mail and said that he almost called the cops to have them check on me. Good thing he didn't. The last thing anyone needs is a run in between me and cops before morning coffee! I finally dragged myself out of bed and instead of getting things properly sorted on the new super computer (yes, I do know that it's already long out of date) I just played WoW all day and most of the night. I might have gone out on a fag run. Oh, now I remember. I went to the bank and got enough money to pay for new batteries for Harley. Savta and McGyver were there too and they gave me an escortt to the battery place because I was carrying a fair amount of cash. So, there we were, three cripples riding along in a line, with me in the middle. How we would have handled a would be thief, I have no idea, except that McGyver has a stout stick close to hand for marauding dogs! It was kind of like the Great Trip to Jerusalem, minus 2. We reminisced about that while waiting for the batteries and entertained the other customers who were waiting for things there too! Much fun and silliness. Yay. Harley has new batteries and I don't have to worry about getting stuck with the old almost dead ones, which lasted for just over two years. An amazing feat in scooter terms!

Then, my character on WoW went and fell for a Paladin there and she's dragging me along with her. He's so sweet. I do wonder if anyone could really be like he seems to be? I guess time will tell. With my luck, he'll turn out to be even a bigger con man than Shmaryah. I do hope not.

So, all in all, I'm a very happy gimp this week, and life seems better than usual, which is saying a lot.

I CAN SAY I TOLD YOU SO TO MYSELF, RIGHT?

I knew it! I just knew it! I told myself and I was right! It is going to take close to forever to get this new computer sorted the way I like it. On the upside, it did let me get back into my game, which was the sole purpose of getting this monster! This thing is faster than anything I've ever seen or even imagined. Even the move to Windows 7 has been pretty much painless despite dire warnings to the contrary. Windows is Windows! So far I am quite enjoying it and am ever so glad that I skipped Vista. I have quite enough tech issues without adding that to the list! It's a good thing that my memory is still pretty good and that I remember most of what was in the old one. I can add things as and when. And wonder of wonders miracle of miracles, my idiot annoying e mail prog actually configured itself with absolutely no problems. That saved me hours on the phone with my server trying to get it to work! Good old Harley ran for over 2 years on the batteries I got him not long after the jaunt to Jerusalem! I don't know how they lasted that long with all the running around I do, but there it is. I just hope these will last as long. Herley batteries are not cheap. I did get a good deal on these because I didn't get them throght the company where they cosst twice as much as I paid for these! Now I can happily scoot around town without worrying that they will quit suddenly. Happy gimp with wheels-that's

I don't know if I want to cry or laugh. That game I've been playing so much to keep a grip on what's left of my sanity needs a patch that refuses to download. I've done absolutely every single thing they suggested but it will not download. Last night, or rather this morning, I got their tech support on the phone again and it seems the critical elements of my OS are corrupt. Working on the principle that Gimp House is a corruption free zone, I have 2 options. One is to reformat and install my beloved XP, or become upwardly mobile (an interesting thought for a gimp) and go with Windows 7. My beloved geek is coming to clean up the corruption and put in Windows 7 tonight. He says I should have the computer back late tomorrow or early Wednesday. At least I'll have the lap top until then for mail and interweb. Today I'm going grocery shopping, and just hope that Harley doesn't misbehave too much. The store I shop at is pretty far away. I'd best get dressed and get on with that. I'm almost out of computer fags!

OOOPS I DID IT AGAIN

Now I've really gone and done it! My last post was over a month ago. I don't even have a good excuse for it other than Time just gets away from me. No, wait! it's Bush's fault! I shouldn't even say that as a joke because bad as he was, he was far and away better than the joker now occupying the White House. I'd gladly blame him, but he doesn't deserve even that much attention from me!

I just get myself lost in my game and idiotic TV shows. I've even stumbled across a few new 'house' shows that almost satisfy my craving to see the interiors of houses. I don't even know what it is that causes me to be such a house freak. I just like to see different houses. I have two American shows, an Australian, two Brit and one Kiwi show that I DVR regularly. The DVR just records every show after you tell it to, so, I have a steady diet of house shows.

The High Holy Days came and went, and except for Yom Kippur, passed me by almost without notice. I went to the Savta's for the New Year, stayed home for Yom Kippur and fasted, except for half a yogurt with my meds. Succot I might go to the Savta's, then, stay in for most of the long weekend.

I'm starting to display symptoms of stress as the settling of Dad's estate drags on. An ache here, a pain there and a minor come back of eczema on my hands. It's been almost 2 months and I had hoped things would move faster, as it's already been through probate. From what I understand they are tracking down all the assets. That I don't really get. If I had been the executioner, I would have known where every single stock, bond and note was at all times. I'm also a bit concerned that what was left might have taken a big hit in value thanks to the Communist in Chief. I try really hard to not think about that, and spend a lot of time playing WoW because I'm so bad at it that it requires my full attention and there's no room to think of other things.

I'm also very sad that I missed my 40th high school reunion. I foolishly hoped against hope that the estate would be settled in time for me to go, but should have known better to even think for a nano second that it might. I'll just have my own mini reunion when I finally get there, and get there, I will!

I was so sad on the day of the reunion. I sat and looked at the list of friends who went and was so sad I wasn't there. I remember every single one of them so well. It would have been so very wonderful to see them all now, even if from a very different angle. I was one the taller girls in my class, but, now, from my wheely, I'm one of the shortest. That's ok. Enough of spilt milk!

Other than that, I'm quite happy and contented. I'm still here and quite enjoying myself in this life, now that I seem to have the pain med issue sorted, and the freaking pressure stockings are ok too. They aren't as hot as I feared they'd be and I can get the right one on and off now! Neither is easy, but I can do it.

Somehow things aren't the same without Peg. I miss him so much and even find myself yelling at him to move if I wake up for very late night, early morning loo run. I'm not anywhere close to ready for another dog. Maybe in a year or so. Pegasus and Ragamuffin were such special dogs. It was an honor to be their human.

NEVER GIVE UP

Many long years ago, back when the earth and I were much younger, I went to a Jewish summer camp. I was all of 10 years old in 1960. I find it amazing that I remember so much from that summer 50 years ago. I can still clearly see the camp itself, learning to water ski, my bunk, and several of the other girls in it. My clearest, and best memory is of the counselor I had who was from Israel. I also clearly remember how devastated I was when camp was over that I'd probably never see her again. I had a snap shot of us on the archery range that I kept on my desk at home for years. I never forgot her name, and when I found myself in Israel, I started asking every single person I ran into with the same last name if there was a person in their family with that first name who had been a counselor at a camp in Maine. The answer was always "No". Not being one to give up, I searched her name at Facebook, and there she was! One look at her picture told me that, yes, after 50 years, I had indeed found her! So, of course I sent her an e mail, and surprise, surprise, she actually has a vague memory of having had a camper named Franne in her bunk! Wow.

Of course she's not in Israel these days, but lives in New York. From her mail back to me, we'll start playing catch up at the end of the month. I guess she's on vacation away from home now. This is one of the most amazingly wonderful things that happened in ever so long. I actually found her after 50 years! How cool is that? Oh, how I wish I still had that picture. I may not have the snap shot itself, but I do still have it clearly fixed in my memory. Brain damage? What brain damage? After finding her, the whole directionally challenged thing suddenly is no big deal. So, I used to be a human GPS, and now get lost in my own neighborhood. So what? I did find my childhood idol after 50 years. That pretty much makes up for it all.

Pegasus

Poor Peg. Poor me. These are the last pictures taken of the darling. The first is after all lovely fluffy hair that can be seen in the second one was cut off. He'd been so sick over the past two or so weeks, that the inevitable decision had to be made yesterday. He knew and his ever so sad eyes said that it was indeed time for him to leave me and go to Ragamuffin. I'd bee waffling over it for all week, but yesterday, when I woke up, he was lying right next to his bowls ad made pee pee lying down. He didn't even have the strength to get up and go outside. After he did stand up, and laid back down, his head fell to the floor with a bang. I had a little talk with him, and called the vet. There really was no other thing to do. He was with me for close to 19 years, and it really was time. He knew it too. I took him off his chain, and he showed no interest in getting up to any of his usual antics, except that he did make one last attempt at getting to the kitchen bin. For the first time ever he failed to rearrange everything in all over the floor. He slunk back to the living room and looked longingly at his 'bed'. I somehow managed to get him up there. He wet it and got himself down again. Golan was in and out all day to check on things. The vet finally arrived at 1845 and was the final vote to do it. So, I got on my bed, he put Peg in my arms and gave him a shot to put him to sleep like before an operation so he wouldn't feel anything when he got his last shot. I talked to him while he drifted off, then, he for the last shot that stopped his heart, and broke mine. Somehow knowing that it was the right thing to do and the right time, doesn't help all that much.The only thing that almost does is thinking that he and Raggy are together again. They were such a pair. Both of them were four legged souls of pure love. All they wanted and gave was unconditional love. They did get it back from me. It's going be very sad and weepy here for a long time.It's clear to me that eventually I will get another dog. I don't know when. Those two appeared as if sent from Above. How many times can a miracle like that happen? I could go on for hours with Raggy and Peg stories, but the crying makes my head hurt, and squeezes my insides.They were both well loved and will be missed.

JUST STUFF

I must admit that I have been in better moods than I am now. Things are moving at a snail's pace in Florida and I don't know what the hold up is. Dad's will is not connected to Marcelle's in any way other than being dependent on her passing, as it has already been through probate, things should be flying along. They aren't. And just for fun, my email isn't coming through. I know of at least 2 people who have sent mails that haven't gotten here. The computer is acting up with other things too. I think I see a reformat in the very near future.

Other than that, things are pretty much the same old same old. The only other thing of any interest is that I turned myself into an experimental lab rat! I figured that as I'm already taking rat poison (coumadin) and that there is some anecdotal evidence that vitamin E can do the job as well as the rat poison, I decided to try it and find out. My doctor was not excited about it but is going along with my whim. The worst part is getting up in the middle of the night to get my blood tested. Getting my arm to clinic before 0900 is so not my idea of fun. The possibility of maybe getting off the rat poison is more than enough incentive.

I also saw a neurologist yesterday about the worsening pain in my right leg and he prescribed something that is not an N SAID or controlled drug, but does require a special approval from someone. He sent that off and with just a little luck, the approval will be here tomorrow and it just might help. You know how bad the pain is when you start thinking about the nerves severed. When I found myself thinking about that, I knew I was in big trouble, so, went to the neurologist.

On the happy side of the ledger, I found my cousins on Facebook! That has me looking for an old picture that I know is hiding here somewhere. I saw it just the other day. Why do things like that always go and hide just when I want them? And why can I never find the disk I know they're on when I want it? I'll did it out of it's hidy hole and add it later in an edit to this post. I KNOW I have it, and I WILL FIND IT.

I'M ALMOST BACK (read first for pic explanation)

Yes, well. Truer words were never spoken than that line about the best laid plans of men (and women)........I've had a slightly wild (understatement much?) two months. Aron, Liat and their kids were here for much too little time. They came over for Liat's sisters' wedding and it was lovely. I usually HATE events like that and avoid them like the plague, but I wasn't about to miss so much as one minute with them, so, I worked hard on my head to get it into shape to tolerate the event. In the end it was a huge waste of time. That wedding was the most enjoyable one I've ever been to.

Obviously seeing Aron and the kids was the highlight, and I have tons of pictures. I'll start with the one of the infamous hair cut on the sidewalk. My hair gal moved to a new place with stairs. Her brother is a genius who suggested that I park Harley across the doorway and that she stand there and do it! It worked.

Next project was to find a dress. I did and it's not strictly mine!

I hate that I can not stand up straight any more, but I guess that's just part of being a crippled gimp!

Aron and his family got to the wedding a little late thanks to their charter flight making them miss their connecting flight and they arrived very late, but arrive they did.

I'm still trying to sort a lot of things out in my head, so I'll just post my favorite picture of all. I got Adee a sippy glass just like one I have and her face says it all in this picture.

As it is quite impossible to get the pictures uploaded here in the correct order, I'll just stick them all in as they fall. It is most frustrating, and this is the 8th attempt.

A GRAND DECLARATION

I don't much care what the weather geeks and calendars say, as far as I am concerned, it is now officially summer. I base my declaration on the fact that both my air conditioners are set on 'cool', the blast door to the Liberry is open and the little fan in there is on. The fact that we have had many days that came close to 100 degrees and that I have yet to use the a/c matters not. I intend to muddle through as best I can with my big propeller, small fan and snow storm screen saver for as long as I can before resorting to the a/c. I quite like getting the lower electrickery bills.

I guess the biggest news here is that I am no longer an addict to oxycontin. I decided after that brief brush with withdrawl, and a lecture from my son, that I'd best get off the stuff while still on the relatively low dose of 20mg. I am finally off it and have started looking for something else as naxyn has again raised it's ugly head started me barfing. I went to my doctor yesterday, and he was pleased that I'm as good as off the stuff and gave me a prescription for something to try. So far, so good. It works on the pain and after 3 doses there have been no strange reactions. Way back when we started looking for a pain killer I went through at least 10 that either didn't touch the pain or gave me side effects, some of which were not even in the book. Then, we tried naxyn and it was just fine until 10 years later. Oh well. Being back at square one is not exactly fun, but the pain is even less fun, so, here we go again. I really do hope this new one will be the answer, and that I won't have any weird reactions to it. I'll take it until I'm sure one way or another.

Most folks just don't get how debilitating chronic pain can be. It doesn't

let you sleep while at the same time causing you to be tired all the time from fighting through it to do even the simplest things. It's hard to sit, lie down, or do anything else. Your body is never comfortable. Then, of course, there's the issues that go with being completely pain free. That is also not good because you don't just can't feel if something else has gone wrong. The trick is to keep the known pains down to a bearable level so new ones can be identified and dealt with.

Oh, to be able to go back to pain free days of youth. As that isn't about to happen any time soon, I'll just have to aim for that balance.

I had the most amazing luck with my cable company the other day. I absolutely adore Top Gear with Jeremy Clatckson, but the channel that carries that show was not part of my new deal with the cable company. I didn't get the part about having all the 'packages', but not that channel, so I called them for an explanation. After explaining it to me The Cable Guy asked why on earth I (a woman) would want that channel. He made a comment after I told him which show I wanted that had me explaining that I had been a partner in the first motorcycle garage up here which lead him to ask if I still ride. After I told him that these days I ride a collection of wheelies, a scooter and crippled cripple car, he gave me the channel for free for 3 months, after which it will cost me NIS 13 a month ($3.50) a small price to pay for Top Gear, and still within the savings of my new mobile phone deal! The very best thing of all is that my son will be here in 20 days with his wife and both kids. I haven't been this excited since the last time he was here. And it's getting closer by the hour. I'm still on day count down, but it won't be long before I go into an hourly countdown mode.

JUST WATCH THIS AND SHUT UP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOGG_osOoVg&feature=player_embedded

THE LONG HOT JOURNEY

Savta had an appointment with a top ENT doctor in one the big hospitals in the Tel Aviv area on June 2. I had planned on taking him Mrs. Savta before my poor car had it's rear bumper almost pulled off by some jerk who didn't even have the courtesy to leave a note. I've been putting off getting it fixed/replaced because I am still flat broke and my deductable is high, not to mention that my comprehensive insurance rates will go way up for the next three years if I do it under my policy. Golan did a brilliant job of securing the mess with plastic bands, and I know that there are lots of other little things in there holding the whole thing up. I just didn't feel like taking such a chance with both Mr and Mrs. Savta in the car on such a hot miserable day on such a long trip. Savta quite understood how I felt and decided to try to rent a car. Unfortunately we starting looking for a car for him to rent too late and I broke down and off we went. Three cripples in a cripple car that was itself somewhat crippled, on a hot muggy day with an a/c that wasn't working all that well. We discovered early on that my right side wing mirror was adjusted just right for me and also allowed Savta to keep and eye on the state of the bumper. There are several ways to get to Tel Aviv from up here. All of them go by several not over friendly Arab villages, and those villages were feeling even less friendly on that day. I did chose to take the way with the least number of villages. We were about half an hour out of town when I missed a turn. I breezed right by it and never even noticed. Savta was paying attention and I realized it myself a few seconds later and started looking for a place to turn back. I finally found one and got us back on track. They are working on roads all over the place and as I don't go to Tel Aviv all that often I don't really know all the changes. Luckily Savta does and he warned me when we were coming up to a change. Of course I messed up again but not really, I had wanted to turn left and get on road 4 but found myself on road 2 which was actually just fine. Thing is; that hospital is just off road 4 so we had to get off 2 and onto 4 which is not a problem at all. We finally got to the hospital and the great Parking Adventure started. After a lot of helpful directions on how to get to the gimp parking area we found the closest spot to the entrance was free so I grabbed it! That freaking hospital is a mini city in it's own right, and as some of the so called peace activists were there, so was the press. We somehow managed to get inside and find the right place which I swear was in the next city to the west after all the miles of corridors we had to traverse. The Doc saw Savta right away, and was intrigued by what he was has and wants to handle the case himself. This is one of the top ENT guys in the country and he wants to take care of Savta himself! That's great news. The bad news is that he has to go back in 3 weeks. I'm not sure I want a rerun of that trip again so soon. But I digress. On the way back to the car we made a loo stop and had coffee and water. After the Trek back to the car, poor Mrs. Savta had to wrestle the wheelies back in to their respective places. I spotted a guy walking by and asked him to help. Wouldn't you know it? He was the younger brother of one of Savta's childhood friends(after open heart surgery) and were their neighbors before the Savta's moved up here. Old home week in the car park! His car was parked in front of mine so, I waited for him to leave and moved out enough for Mrs. Savta to get the wheelies in more easily, and off we went homwards during the hottest time of day with a crap a/c. She wanted to stop on the way to visit a bit with their daughter and grandkids who live pretty much on the way but at that stage all I wanted was to get home, so home we went with a short stop at a roadside mall for a quick bone stretch. The farther north we went the cooler it got, then, at long last; Home Sweet Home. I dropped them off and finally got parked and in the house where I realized that every single muscle was screaming at me and that I was on the verge of dehydration. I got a 750ml bottle of water and climbed into bed with it and drank it down nice and slow. After a rest I even gave in and had a shower, got another bottle of water, took my meds and settled in for my Star Trek fix and went to sleep. Yesterday I spent the day recovering, after going to my mail box and finding my new credit which had to be activated at the bank, got my meds, fags, and home for a long rest. I'm just about rested now, and more hydrated. I will be going out soon for water. I don't drink tap water because the pipes are so old you can see the junk in the water. I, for sure will not be doing anything much for the next week or so. It takes this gimp a long time to recover from a day like that. The car came through just fine. And I am very busy thanking G-d for that.

I DID IT! I FINNALY DID IT!

After I don't know how many years of trying, I finally did it! My mother used to make the most delicious roast beef imaginable. I have spent I don't know how much money, and I don't know many hours, or attempts at making a roast that only came close to the ones she used to make. I went grocery shopping on Wednesday and the farthest thing from my mind was getting a roast! Then, I saw a hunk of meat in the fresh meat cooler and knew I had to have it! When it was finally delivered, and after the rest of the stuff was put away, I started, and am still somewhat in shock that it came closer to the ones Mom used make than I ever imagined I'd be able to make. It was as close to perfection as can be. It's nice and pinky in the middle and as tender as can be! Hey! I did it at last! I knew I was at least close when I made the first cut and that slice looked just right. Then, I tasted it, and had a bit of a crying jag that Mom hasn't been here to make her roasts since 1978. Granted I miss much more than her cooking. She was so amazing in so many ways. I will always miss her and, still talk to her every single day. And now I can make a roast that comes out as close to hers as can be. Yup! I finally did it.

OF TVS, CELL PHONES AND ADDICTIONS

This is another one of those things that really only can happen to me! As susual I completely misunderstood the deal my cable company was offering, (well, maybe not completely, but, I did get a major part of it all wrong. They have been advertising a fantastic deal for getting an HD digi box, faster interweb and heaven only knows what else, so I called to find out about it, and decided to go for it, because it costs almost exactly what I paying now,(NIS 10 more) and includes all the channels. There's just one minor glitch. You have to have a plasma or LCD TV. My LCD upped and died pretty close to 3 years from day I got it, so, I had a friend drag out one of my old 21" flat screens because I really can't justify getting a new one right now. Strange, but the picture on that is actually better than it was on the LCD. I'm told that it's because the LCD was rectangular and this one is square. I'm not going to argue about that. After calling Cable, I called my interweb server to find out how much more it will cost to go to 5mb instead of the 1.5 I've had for years; all the time thinking I had 2.5mb. It's only NIS 10 more a month. Ok. The next project was to go to my mobile phone company to find out they guy there, who sold me a new batery for my old phone, was yammering about my being able to save a lot of dosh by getting a new phone and changing my 'package'. I adore cell phones but was in no mood right then and there to get a new one! When I found that I wanted to find a way to save those NIS 15-20, I went up there and found out that I could save not NIS 10, 20 or even 30, but a whopping NIS 90 a month by getting a specific phone! There was one phone that I really liked that would have saved maybe NIS 10 a month, but as the whole point was to shave as much off as possible, I went for the one that saved NIS 90. Of course that's where the real trouble started. They got my phone book switched over just fine, and my 'wall paper' picture, but not my beloved ring tone. Ok, I'll just download it again from their site. I've only been signed up at their site for like 7 years with my username and password. Would the site let me in? Of course not. Even worse, they didn't even have a blue tooth ear in stock for me. None of my geeky pals have been able to get my motorola ear to connect with the new phone. It does recognise it by name, but will not connect. So, now, I have to wait for one to come in....grrr. I did manage to get a USB cable for the new phone. You'd kind of think that a new smart ass phone would come with one, right? Wrong! It doesn't even come with a little booklet that tells you how to use the phone and I could not find one at the cell company's site, or even the phone maufacturerer's site, unlike most of the other phones I have. They all came with 'How To' booklets and have them on line too. But not my new one! Ok ok, I do know how to do the basic stuff, but more advanced, less used functions are a slightly different story. One way or another I WILL get the ear sorted today, as well as the ring tone. I love my ring tone because it's the song Ofra Haza sang in the Eurovision song contest in Germany years ago, and won with. Every time I hear it, it's like sticking my finger (you know which one) in the Nazi's eyes and swirling around! (Thank you for that, S.E. Cupp!) The cable techy arrived in the middle of the night, 0745 to install the HD digi box only to discover that I don't have a set to install it on! I was pleased to see that it was the guy who almost had to move here a few years to keep everything working, who I really like! Ok, so TV stays the same as it is now. No big deal and I stay on the same plan except the interweb speed is supposed to go up at no extra cost because I didn't get the HD box. Works for me. Next call was to the server to tell them to up the speed NOW! That's another NIS 10 a month. Fine. I saved NIS 90 with the phone and even the ear won't eat that up over the 5 payments it adds to that bill! Thing is, I can't tell if the speed went up or not. The two little computers down in the corner next to the time still say the same speed they did before. It's starting to shape up to be another 'most of the day on the phone day' to find out about that. I also have to go out to the mobile shop to see if the new ear is here and get it connected, and go grocery shopping. Then, I fully intend to spend the rest of the day on WoW trying to get my poor ditzy priest up a level or two. I'm actually getting pretty good with her, having figured out best to play her with one hand and an index finger on my other hand. Many of my good friends there have been trying to help us (me and my priest) be more efficient, but they don't quite get the one hand + 1 finger thing. I tell them to sit on their left hand hand and try it. The few who have done that, suddenly get what I've been saying since I started there. It can be done, but it's mostly in the head.

A very strange thing happened during my sudden cold turkey withdrawal from Oxy. Something got shaken loose and my left hand is functioning a little better now. I've been working on it in the hopes of betting the fingers to do more. Time will tell. Oh, and maybe the biggest news of all is that I have decided to get off the oxy after the last chat I had on the phone with my son. He does know his drugs, which he should, being the adminstrive manager of a pharmacy. I should be off it by the time he gets he gets here at the end of next and he and my doc can figure out what to try next. I'm taking 1 naxyn in the morning now, and 1 oxy at night, in order to not go through what I went through when I ran out of in the middle of the month. The naxyn works just fine and there IS hope in my heart that, if I eat when I take it, it won't do to my stomach what it did with the help of aspirin, and coumadin not that long ago! So far, so good. Next time I get oxy, I'll go down to10 mg, and by the end of next month hope to off it completely. Oxy is very nasty stuff, other than being highly addictive, even it does pretty much stop the pain in it's tracks. There must be a non NSAID out there that does the same thing that I can take without odd side effects that isn't as addictive and bad for the body as oxy! Right? We'll know soon enough. I'm taking this nice and slow. So, there we have my news. Other than that, not much is new except our new baby. He's so cute. Another carbon copy of his daddy, who was an adorable baby.

THE WORST AND THE BEST or THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF A DRUG ADDICT GRANNY

Ok, I'vehad my little cry and after I post this, will try to get some much needed sleep. I am feeling so blessed right now that it's amazing,

What brought this all on was a very, very, bad cash cruuch and even stoopider case of bad budgeting than any I've pulled off in a long, long time. I always try to make sure I have enough cash on hand to be able to buy my oxy pills which are really cheap but can only be gotten once in 10 days, instead of monthly like the rest of my meds. I ran out of oxy a little over a week ago but didn't panic because I have a very nice stash of Naxcyn in my meds darwer and the only reason I take oxy is because of the pain, and the damage the Naxyn did after 11 years of use. I have been very careful about not upping to the oxy dose by getting shot every three months. The shots are effecrive for less time each time, and the oxy really helps. I was doing just fine and had decided that I could get away with waiting to get the oxy. WRONG. I just went what were quite possibly three of the worst few days of my life. I started getting headaches that lasted for hours then just went away for no obvious reason, then, my left hand started to tremble all the time and my left leg had spasms, I couldn't sleep and was weepy all the time and having the strangest thouhts (even for me!) My right hand was starting with the tremors too, so, I did some checking on the interweb, and there was the answer! Withdrawal symptoms from an opiate! But, damn, no cash. It didn't take me long to figure out that there were at least 3 people in that mall who would happily loan me NIS20 until after the holiday. I threw on clothes and off I went to get the prescription, and my fix. I got up to the clinic just fine and was pleased as punch that they had finally finished the construction up there. My doc handed over the prescription with a sharp look at my twitching left hand and grinned at me. The trouble started when I wanted to get into the next floor down, where the pharmacy is. They were working there and there was no way over a shallow trench they had dug. One of the workmen finally sorted it and in I went only to forget to ask my friend there for the cash. I had to go in, do the paperwork and hope and pray that my credit card would work. It didn't, and as there were people in the pharmacy he couldn't let me have them like he did that other time. So, out I went a begging spree. First time lucky, and I got my fix and took it on the spot. By the time I finished at the fag store, I was already trembling less, so decided to go out to the other mall whee my card works on small amounts with no trouble. Go figure, and stocked up on cottage cheese, then to my other fag and Ben and Jerry's store, where I got more fags and told the owner what had been going on and got soundly told off for not asking him for the cash. Now, I'm home with everything I need and a much less twitchty hand. Just after I got in, I had a little weep of some odd kind of joy. I was so touched by how quickly Sharon who owns a clothing store stuck his hand his pocket and gave me the required NIS20 and told me not to worry about it. And the other Sharon for being so upset that I didn't ask him. Whew. An emotional see saw if ever there was one. One thing is for sure and that is that I will get the money the pizza shop guy owes owes me on Thursday and pay back Sharon 1. I hate the confrontations with the guy's father who is there instead of his son, the owner. This time I am ready for him, and will make him sort it on the spot one way or another. And now, dear friends, I am going to have a nap. The damn withdrawal gave me 3 sleepless nights and I am nackered beyond belief.

Against my better advice to myself, I have over ridden the 'right' advice and decided to post before and after pictures of your favorite gimp! Before she lost weight and after she lost weight! I am looking somewhat murderous in the after picture because I had been just been discussing how unqualified clerks get away with overturning things doctors say we need, simply because they can. A lawyer had come up from Tel Aviv to help us with legal matters like that from the major gimp group in the country. The same laweyer who lit a fire under the chair of that idiot quack in my clinic who hadn't hired a qualified physical terrorist in a timely manner, several months ago. He finally did, and she came and also said that I need an electric chair, only to have it turned down by a 'social worker' in the Health Ministry. This lawyer chews them up and spits them out like they were watermelon seeds. The subject does not lrave me all smiles and sunshine and I have a tendency to run my fingers through my hair when agitated, as this picture so clearly shows. I also had most of the contents of the bag of holding on my lap!

A BIT OF HISTORICAL HISTORY

I just got the most fantastic reminder of my personal history as a 'demonstrator' imaginable! When asked how I got involved in the protests I've participated in for disabled rights, I've told the story of how a friend and I took our high school out in protest over the Viet Nam war in 1970. Now, I can prove it to the sceptics, thanks to Sue, a classmate who saved the newspaper clipping of that demonstratio,n which appeared in the local paper in 1970, and again in 1985, when a retrospective was done on the year 1970. It's interesting to note that the expression on my face hasn't changed at all in my 40 years of protesting! I still look as fierce today, as I did then. The one thing I do wonder about, is why it looks like I have two black eyes. I don't recall having had a fight with any one at that time! It's kind of hard to see in this copy, in the

original, it's quite clear. Ah, the memories this brings back. In case it's not clear, that's me in front on the right with one of my favorite bags at my feet, and Lise Barratta on the left. I can identify most of the ones in the rows behind us. So, there you have it! Proof positive that I started demonstrating for causes I believed in way back then, 40 years ago. Never mind, that I grew up and am now not at all pleased with my choice of a first cause. I have moved much to the right since then. My father's reaction to this was, even stranger to me then. He was not a great supporter of that war, but, neither was he against it, as so many were then, but he was proud that his daughter went out and did something about an issue she felt strongly about at the time. Having my picture in the paper WAS a surprise to him, even though, as the Chairman of the School Board he was well aware of who was behind the walk out. Yeah, I did have a cool dad.

Good news and bad news

What is wrong with people that they can't leave a note saying that they are sorry they just about ripped the bumper off your car after they just did that and drove away leaving headlamp glass shards on the road? Mrs. Savta and I have going to Safad every other day to visit Savta, and when we got back on Thursday evening, I parked in my space, and came in, as usual. There was nothing parked behind me, which I am sure about because I remember thinking how nice it was that was as I could just drive into my space without any maneuvering between cars, which is often the case. On Friday moning I went out, and did my usual Friday morning errands which did not include going anywhere near the rear of my car. Golan came in about an hour before the start of Shabbat to tell me that the bumper had almost been torn off and that there were glass shards on the street. I asked him to take a couple of pictures and called the cops who told me that I have to go to the cop shop to make a complaint in person. I decided to wait until tonight or Sunday morning because there is nothing they can do about it on the Sabbath, when I don't drive, in any event. I just hope that the cops will have at least enough pity on me to try and locate the car that did the damage through making phone calls to garages to find who got a headlamp repaired. If they do, and, by some miracle, find the driver, it will save me having to pay the deductible to get it fixed.

Savta had good news for us when we got there. The docs told him, that, after studying the last MRI and CTs, that he has a stone that developed an infection around it, and that it is not as close to the nerve as they originally had thought and that the operation will be much easier than they had feared. They are planning on doing it as soon as the infection clears up. That is really good news, because they had told him that it would be a tricky operation as the stone was on the nerve.
Golan said that he will secure the bumper so I can still drive the car. I just hope they didn't damage the trunk because BBC-Big Blue Chair is in there. We'll just have to check that before we go to the cop shop in the morning. I am not looking forward to that at all, as the local cop shop is not exactly gimp friendly, which is why Golan will be going with me. The intercom that you need to use to tell them why you want to come inside the compound is high on the gate post and I can't get to it. The front desk is behind an entrance blocked by a cement wall (rocket protection) and Harley doesn't fit in. The wheely does fit in, so I kind of need Golan to get it out, put together, and to push me inside. I am looking forward to the visit with Savta much more than I am to that.

GRANNY FRANNE 2!

Savta was supposed to go for that exam in Tel Aviv on Monday. His limo (Ford Focus), chauffeur informed him that she would be glad to take him, and pretty much got her head into that groove. Sunday is a reular day here except for Christian Arabs for whom it is The Sabbath. I had pretty much forgotten that I had accepted an invitation from a friend I met through Jonathan to go on a dungeon quest Sunday night. It never entered my mind that it might take a very long time as dungeons can be complicated. Long story short-as I am such a crap priest/healer, I got myself some intense priest training from one of the best, and felt as ready as I could for the challenge of being the group's healer. One of the folks our hostess had invited didn't show up on time, so we invited two from our guild, then, found ourselves in the awkward position of having too many when her invitees arrived. We split into two groups and off we went. I didn't do too crap a job as the healer, but I did get myself deaded about seven or eight times, which is very not good. That made the whole thing go on until very very late and I finally got to bed at around 0430, and figured that I'd wake up in enough time to get Savta to Tel Aviv on time. Yeah, right. I woke up at 1100 in a panic and called Savta to tell him that we could still make it on time, only for him to tell me that he was in hospital and obviously couldn't go anywhere, and that he had tried to call all day long on Sunday, but I hadn't answered the phone. That was because I skipped putting my 'ear' on and connecting it to the phone, so, never even heard it ring. I was not at all pleased that the trip had to postponed for a second time for such a miserable (for Savta) reason. Poor Savta in hospital with a mysterious thing growing under his ear, all infected and painful because it's sitting right on a nerve. I promptly called Mrs. Savta and we made plans to go and visit him on Tuesday after I did my errands. That we did, with no problems at all, and had a lovely visit with both of their sons along for wheely duty! Savta will end up having that 'thing' removed at some point after the infection and swelling go away. It's one of those 'several options' operations.

Option 1: it's a complete success.

Option 2: it leaves him with a damaged facial nerve and a droopy

face.

Option 3: It's a catastrophic failure and he doesn't wake up.

As far as I'm concerned, options 2 and 3 are not options at all. Only option 1 is acceptable to me. The surgeon who does those operations there is excellent according to Homeless, who I trust with things like that, so, option 1 is realitsic. Mrs. Savta and I are going up for a supply run and visit later today.

I made the mistake of thinking that I'd be able to play a little WoW after getting home. Bad bad idea. I should never have even thought that thought. I again went to bed late after one of the more disastrous runs at WoW in the history of the game, but, woke up at a 'normal' time, whatever that is, and went out to do errands, like get my oxy prescription refilled, buy fags, and go grocery shopping. I decided to have the heavy stuff delivered (free above a certain amount) because it saves me the struggle of getting everything inside. The delivery guy brings it inside and puts it on my bed, which makes it much easier for me to handle. That's no cake walk in a wheely. I was desperate for a nap by the time I got home, but had to wait for the delivery that never arrived. At around 2115 I called the store to find out if the had sent my groceries to walk here by themselves, and was told that there had been a problem with the deliveries and that they had just left with them. Does it really matter what the problem was? Will knowing that make them (the groceries) get here any sooner? Of course not, so, I didn't bother asking. They finally got here at 2230, with a very good bottle of wine by way of an apology, and after putting it all away, I got a phone call from my son informing me that I'm Granny Franne again. This time to a bouncing baby boy, who will be named after his paternal grandfather. Thinking that would endow me with super gimp powers, I stoopidly logged into WoW, instead of being smart and going to sleep.Jonathan and I tried to do a non quest, but I kept getting deaded, and eventually decided, after falling off a cliff, that it really was bed time. I fell asleep at around 0230 and woke up today at 0800. Golan wandered in this morning just after I took my morning meds and wrestled my stocking on. He took Peg out, did his computer stuff, brought Peg back in, and I went back to sleep to wake up at 1110 for morning coffee. Now, I am being a good gimp and writing this post. I'll be going out for fags shortly and then, heading for Safad again with Mrs. Savta. I hope I'll be ok to play for a while tonight. In any event, Jonathan and I are going to do that non quest again on Saturday, and you can be sure I'll be well rested for that! Most important of all, was finding Aron's Facebook page. I should have known he'd have one, but never bothered looking. I did hear New Baby crying, and that set me off on a happiness weep of my own. Happiness over just about everything; being alive to savor the day, the ability to play WoW, and hearing from dear 'old' friends, and, mostly just being alive. My body might be a train wreck that already happened, but my mind is good, and my spitits are high. I'm a happy old gimp who is blessedly happy to just be here. And ever so thankful for every day.

PLAYING CATCH UP YET AGAIN

Every single day I promise myself that I will update Gimp House TODAY, then, after the usual morning routine, I go out and get home all anxious to get into WoW, and promise myself, TOMORROW!. It looks like tomorrow is finally here. So much has happened that this might be a little long.

I have described what I have to go through to get out of the house and onto Harley before, but, please bear with me as I describe it yet again, as it is relevant to the sorry tale of running out of fags. As walking out to Harley is now impossible, I go out on, and lock the wheely to a rail on the ramp, transfer to Harley, and go! There's a whole routine before I get to that part, which starts with grabbing my glasses,and continues with picking up mobile phones, hat, bag of holding, and moving the keys to the other side of the door. Once all that is done, I'm ready to go out. One night, not too long ago, I ran out of fags, or so I thought, and decided to run out to the 24 hour store for a pack or two. As it was not a normal morning egress, everything that could, did, go wrong. I got my glasses phones and hat ok, got outside, and realized I had left the keys on the inside of the door, rolled back in for them, and locked the wheely(it gave me no end of trouble and took at least 10 tries before I got the lock through the wheel correctly) to the rail. Only when I was on Harley did I notice that my bag of holding with my wallet were still inside. Uh, oh. After all the trouble with the lock, I decided to skip the chair and 'walk (lurch) back in for it. To do that, I had to manuever the chair and Harley to make enough space to get to the door. That done, and bag of holding safely with me, I had a little weep, brought on by frustration at the mess I'd made over something I do daily with no trouble. The 24 hour store doesn't carry 'my' brand, so I asked for the cheapest they had. They had a super cheap brand that comes in packs of 40 anorexic fags, so I got 2 packs of those, figuring that if I like them, fine, if not, I'll go back to usual brand. I was not pleased in the least to discover an almost full pack, that would have gotten me through to morning, in the jacket pocket of my jammies! I like the new anorexic fags just fine and decided to smoke them at the computer, where I rarely get to finish one, especially if I'm playing WoW, and get my usual ones for in bed, the car and on Harley, where I smoke less anyway. So far the new fag plan has been working just fine, even if my regular fag shop has informed me that the importer is going stop importing that brand. I am busily building up a stock of both brands against the day.

Last week Savta had to go to Tel Aviv for a medical board exam to decide his eligibility for a specific benefit that he should have been approved for years ago. For him to get there, he needs his son to take a day off work, and money for gas. I really do wish I didn't need to accept it, but thanks to the next disaster, I do. So, off we went to Tel Aviv, only to get 10 minutes away and receive a call that the exam was being postponed. Why? Who knows? Who cares? So, about face, and home we went, empty handed, as it were. We did have a good time on the way there, joking and talking silly. They way back was mostly silent with Savta in semi shock, and Don McLean playing softly in the background.

My present cash crunch is a reult of my own stupidity. When Levana left the flower shop, I should have cancelled the auto pay the water bill was on. The new tenants said they had changed it themselves along with the electrickery, which had never been on auto pay. I got an NIS 85 water bill for the period they were renovating, which they refused to pay at the time claiming that they only took possession on 1 January, when they had in fact been there during the time of that bill. Then, I got the bill for Jan-Feb, which proves that they never did sort the water. They also are refusing to pay that, giving me the run around every time I go there. The water company doesn't much care. They got paid through the auto pay. They have things set up so that multiple addersses are paid through the same auto pay order which meant that I had to cancel it at the bank-NIS 40 and then, get a new one for just the house. So, they owe me, NIS 85 from Nov-Dec, 250 from Jan-Feb and 40 for the cancelation for a grand total of NIS 375. Granted, it's not a fortune, but for a gimp living on benefits, generous as they may be, it hurts. I have delayed getting the owner of the shop involved because he is elderly and not well. If it can be sorted without him, so much the better, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. Lavana has been trying through the owner's son, but, not gotten very far that way. When I go out shortly, I'll try one more time and if they still won't pay up, I will call the owner.

Yesterday was Independence Day here and I stayed in cursing WoW for doing server maintenance on Tuesdays. I watched a bunch of sappy old Israeli movies, and rested. I also spent more than a few futile hours trying to track down a friend who has suddenly disappeared in Sydney Australia with nary a word to any of her WoW friends, who are getting more concerned by the day. I don't mind if anyone wants to take a time out, but, just say so, so we won't worry. I have a few more ideas for running her to ground that I will try when I get back from town. Right after I post this.

A while back I asked that any of my classmates who read this, leave a comment, or contact me by mail. I was absolutely thrilled when one of them did just that! And, now we are playing catch up by e mail. I feel blessed to have been in such great class, especially when I hear from friends who were ahead of, or, behind me who are not in touch with any of their classmates because their classes were not as special as mine. Sure, there were cliques in my class, but, above and beyond that, we were mostly very friendly outside of those cliques. Even odd ball loners like me! BHS 1970 is one of the greatest classes of all time. And I am proud and feel blessed to be a member!

AN ODD DREAM

Things got a little strange yesterday. The sleepy sleepies struck again, but in a milder form. The plan was to have a nap, then, get up and go to WoW at around 2100 after the news. The nap part went as planned, then, the phone rang. I must have been having a dream because I remember not wanting to answer the phone 'where I was'. I thought I was napping at a friend's house. Then, the phone rang again and I woke up just enough to reach out for the ear piece-cell phone-and answer it. It was Mrs. Savta calling to ask me to come up to their place for a Pesach BBQ. She said that I sound like she woke me up and asked me where I was. I told her that I was at a fiend's house (I thought I was) and that I didn't know when I'd finish up there and be able to leave. Thing is, I didn't want to tell her where I was napping, because it was at her house! I don't know what I was thinking, or even if I was! After the call, I looked around trying to figure out where I was, and I was at home in my own bed, with my own TV on! Talk about feeling foolish! Savta called a little later and said he'd bring me a plate with a selection of BBQ treats! He and his daughter arrived a little later with a plate holding enough BBQ goodies for at least a whole week! I don't often remember dreams, probably because I am rarely woken up in the middle of one. That one I do remember, even if I have no idea why I was not napping at home in it!

THE DAY AFTER

On the day after the Seder it is traditional that all those who were at the Seder, gather for the noon meal. I was instructed to show up at around 1130, but as I didn't wake up until after 1200, I was a little late. They were ok with that because I did get there in the end. The boys were having a discussion on certain aspects of Jewish law concerning lighting 'fire' on the Sabbath and holidays, and were foolish enough to ask for my opinion on the subject. I was wise enough not to allow myself to be dragged into that one. Then, Savta and I got into a similar discussion that rapidly deteriorated into an emphatic exchange of "Yes" and "No" between us, much like little children. After one of my more emphatic "Nos" I stopped and told the 'boys' to pay close attention to how two grown adults have a serious discussion. At that, we all laughed until we almost cried.

Lunch was left overs from the night before, and every bit as good, maybe even better. I was starting to get sleepy, so I left early. After a nap, I was ready yo play WoW and stayed on playing until close to 0400. I woke up a little late and ran out to get two prescriptions filled that had run out. One was my oxy and I sure did need it. I had been using left overs from one I'd tried before giving up and going over to oxy. I made another cup of coffee to try and stay awake, but got hit by the sleepy sleepies real hard and gave in and had a four hor nap, after which, I had another coffee which didn't help at all, and I was back in bed asleep by 1900, and was woken up at 2230 by Golan taking Peg out. We chatted for a few minutes and I just drifted off to sleep again. I'm not sure what exactly caused that attack of the sleepy sleepies, but suspect that it was a combination of the late nights and taking a double dose of those pain pills. I'm a little better this morning, but still somewhat drowsy. Be that as it may; I'm now going to bring Peg in, then head up to Savta's. It's way too nice a day to not go out and enjoy it.

I have a request. Would any of my classmates who read this, please leave a comment so I'll know who it is? I have a hit meter and have gotten several from Brunswick. I'd really like to know who it was. Whoever you are, I am pleased that you interested enough to stop by and read what I've written. That's what a blog is for after all!

SEDER AT SAVTA'S

Yes, I do have a picture of me in yet another article of clothing my son's sister left here. A dress this time, but you will have to wait until you get to the end to see it, unless you are a masochist and scroll down to it now!

The Pesach (Passover) Seder at Savta's was wonderful. They made me feel not like a guest, but, like a member in good standing of the family. Savta and Mrs. Savta were there, as were their two sons, including the one I brought home from Petach Tikva that night a few months ago. Their daughter, with her four kids were also there. The kids did get a little rowdy at times, but not insufferably so. I have said many times that Pesach is my all time favorite holiday, and, to me, one of the most awesome aspects is that millions of Jews are sitting around their tables and reading the same story with the exact same words, blessings and songs on the same evening, and have been doing that for thousands of years now. The food served at the meal part is probably different from geographic area to area, but they all have Matzot in common and four glasses of wine. The odd thing about those four glasses of wine is that it is rare to get drunk from them. Ok, my brother did once, but he was a little kid then. Each glass is supposed to drunk right down while leaning to the left, after the blessing over wine. On any other night of the year, one glass drunk like that would have me tipsy in no time at all. All I got from this year's was a very pleasant warm glow after each glass. Savta has one of the best reading voices I've heard in a long long time, which made listening to the story of our ancestors exodus from Egypt even more enjoyable than usual. The commentary he added was excellent as well. Then, Mrs. Savta's meal; words fail. It was so good that I could have kept on eating until I exploded, but, felt full way too soon. After the meal, but before the blessing after it, they have a family tradition that everyone at the table tells the story of a 'miracle' that has happened to them personally. I told about my mother's last Seder. Their reaction was one of awe. I am still awe struck when I remember it. At the very end we each took turns telling the others what we hope for them for the next year. I took the safe way out and wished for them all that G-d would bless them with what He felt would be best for them. It was nice to see their eyes get a little damp at that and Savta said that they had never been wished anything so wonderful before. Well, they are a very religious ultra orthodox family. And as such, don't miss so much as one letter in the Hagaddah (the book that tells the story of the exodus from Egypt). I got home at 0330 and slept until noon, and woke with that nice glowy feeling.

I LOVE PESACH

Tonight is the start of my all time favorite holiday, Pesach, (Passover) and I'm looking forward with happy anticipation to tonight's Seder. I will be with Savta and his family for this most wonderful tradition and I can barely contain myself in anticipation. I have always loved Pesach for numerous reasons and have so many wonderful memories if Seders past that I'm not quite sure where to start. The first one I have an actual real memory of (not from family lore) is the one at my maternal grandparent's home in Portland when I was 9 and my brother was 6. A major part of the Seder is drinking four glasses of wine. Children are often given grape juice, but not at my grandparents. To them, if a child was old enough to be part of the Seder, they were old enough to have real wine. Of course the kids were not expected to drink the full glass as adults are, but at my grandparent's Seders we got the real thing. The memory I will always of that Seder is of Jeff's( my (brother) head splashing into his bowl of chicken soup with matzo balls, and I do mean splash! He had been sneaking sips of the second traditionally required glass of wine from the end of the blessing over it ,until the first course of the meal (the soup) was served, and he was tipsy to say the least, and I distinctly remember the splash because some of the hot soup splashed on to me. My father was allowed to carry him to my Uncle Ralph's childhood bedroom to sleep it off, and Mom rushed around cleaning up the mess. That's about all I remember from that particular Seder. It wasn't long after that, that we started having Seder's at our house with just about everyone in the extended family there. My grandparents, including Dad's father, Dad's brother, his wife, and 2 kids, Mom's brother, his wife, and their 2 kids, her brother, his wife and 2 kids, and of course the 4 of us. We were also sometimes joined by our Catholic next door neighbor who was fascinated by Jewish holiday traditions. Those Seders often bordered on the slightly rowdy side of decorem. We had a great time, even if there were years when things pretty much ended after the post meal blessing, which often lead to skipping the end of the required reading of the Haggadah and finished with the raukus singing of the requisit tradtional end of Seder songs. From the minute the Seder was over, I starting looking forwards to the next one.

After my mother became sick with cancer, we started having the Seders at my house. I loved getting ready and cooking for it, and all of the above mentioned cast of characters came to mine, as well. My mother's last Seder was particularly memorable for several reasons, among them, the full cast of characters, and my son's acrivities during what should have been his nap and the fight my cousin's son got into with him. During his nap time, Aron woke up early and went to the bathroom quietly so as not to call attention to his activity. I had forgotten to take the huge turkey out to thaw in time, so, gave it a lukewarm warm bath to help it on it's way to thawdom. For some odd reason, Aron thought it would be a good idea to help it along by wrapping it up in toilet paper, and somehow managed to do just that even though he and the turkey were close to the same weight! He then decided that it was time to shave, just like Daddy, and climbed onto the counter under the long mirror and squirted the area of his face in the mirror with a whole can of his daddy's shaving soap. (Think about that for a minute and it makes perfect sense as he was used to standing on that counter while 'helping' Daddy shave, and he'd watch in the mirror). He took the razor and cut his thumb. By the time he got to the top of the stairs with his bloody (literally) thumb I was at the bottom of the stairs, and there stood the little tyke holding his bloody thumb with his other hand, surrounded by the toilet paper with which he had carpeted the whole landing, while wrapping the turkey in it. The sight that greated my eyes as I went up and took him to the bathroom to clean and bandaid his thumb was more than enough to cause a grown woman to cry, wall to wall toilet paper and a carefully wrapped turkey in the bath tub, and a child's face sized mass of shaving cream already sliding down the mirror were the outstanding and obvious to the eyes sight that were met by close to hysterical laughter. It was funny, but the very last thing I needed not such a short time before a huge meal had to be prepared for the Seder that night. I got him cleaned up, unwrapped the turkey, then, gave it a nice long shower to finish thawing it, took it down to the kitchen, stuffed it, and got it in the oven just on time. All of the other dishes were coming along nicely and it was all done on time. The family arrived on time as well, and while everyone was visiting and catching up before we started the Seder, my cousin Nancy made a comment to the effect that her son was the first to be named after our grandfather on our father's side. Nope, sorry, but that would be my son, who her own father had circumcised and named after his own father with great emotion. While my mother was explaining that to her (she was even there, at the Brit) her son went over to mine and pushed him over. Aron, of course got up and returned the favor, while my mother ripped into his mother, in a completely uncharacterist way. My mom was always the peace maker, but she was not going to let this go unchallenged. The boys made up and things were explained to little Abe in terms he could understand.

To the Seder. The first part went smoothly and the meal was good, if I do say myself. There is always a full glass of wine on the Seder table for Elija The Prophet, and there is a point when the door is opened for him to come in. That year (the one of my mother's last Seder with us)just before the door was reached to be opened, we all felt a very gentle, barely perceptable cool wind, and saw the edges of the table cloth move, and every single one of us saw the level in the wine glass go down, and a few tiny drops spill onto the plate under the glass. No one will ever convince any one of us that Elijah was not there. The hairs still stand up on my arms when I remember that very special Seder. Since being in Israel, when the kids were younger we were usually invited to close friends and I even had several with those same friends. After I gimped out, I went to one at my daughter's, it was her first child's first one, then, was gimpnapped to one by a good friend who lives in Carmiel, about 45 minutes away. The Seder was at his sister in law's near Haifa. I have had one at Gimp House with that family from the last flat in my building, and had one with them at their house, then 2 on my own with just Peg, and last year with Ayala and Moshe and some of their relatives. This year Savta told me that I going to their place and got no argument from me. I'm just about ready to go there, and am excited about sharing it with them. Oh, my, yes, I do love Pesach and the Seder.