Quite a week

It's been quite a week! My server finally got my gaming issues sorted, or so it seems. I couldn't log onto my game for close on to four months, unless I used my net stick. That set off warning bells that the trouble just might be with my server, and not my computer, which the game support types kept trying to tell me. After a chat with my ISP, I got a static gamer's IP and the problem was solved for two whole days, then, the whole thing started again. I got back onto them and told them in no uncertain terms that if it wasn't sorted PDQ, I'd switch to another ISP. That time they put me on to their gamer super tech guy who admitted that they were indeed at fault and that at least 3 other people who play the same game had complained, and that they had turned the issue over to their engineer types. So, I just kept trying to log on this computer and if it didn't work, went to the lap top. Then, one fine evening it worked! Now I can play pretty much when I want to and not worry about getting disconnected at the worst possible moment!

The bad news is that I have a bad case of the stupids. I let my myself gain some weight back and now my pressure stockings don't fit. My legs swell up like balloons if I sit here too long. Back to diet board. I don't have to lose much; maybe4or 5 kilos or so, then, I'm back in business. The swelling goes right down when I lie down, and I finally figured out how to get worst foot propped up here.

That seems to help. I also think I broke something in my knee. I did one of my weird twist and fall into the wheely moves and heard a snap there and felt a fierce stabbing, very sharp pain in my knee. I'm not too bothered by it as I don't walk in any event, and don't see any reason to rush to get it fixed. My pain med keeps it pain free. It will either heal itself, or not.

I spent a lot of time watching the European skating championships and they were amazing. There are lots of youngsters coming up in the ranks, and most of my favotites placed pretty much where I'd hoped. The very best was Sarah Meier from Switzerland. I've liked her ever since she started competing at Europeans and was hoping she'd take the gold this time, especially as it was to be her last competition, and at home. She did it with one of the best and best skated long programs I've ever seen. There wasn't a dry eye in the place, or in Gimp House, for that matter. I couldn't have been more pleased for her and I will miss her in future competitions.

I have a sick feeling that ice dance will soon be going the way of the dinosaurs. They've eliminated the compulsary dance and are just having a short, and long program. It seems to be getting more and more like pairs, and less and less and less like ice dance. That's too bad. Ice dance was always special, never mind that it was 'my' thing!

I finally found a place in town that sells purple pots to go with my purple frying pans! And that after being told that I'd never find them. Then, a friend sent a link to a place that sells only purple things. Gimp heaven.

DEAD ROTTING GONDOLIERS

This whole dentristry thing seems like it might not have been the best idea I ever had. The really dumb part was stopping after Shmaryah ran through all my money. If I'd realized how bad restarting it in the middle would be, I'd have found a way to continue it and get it all done before I started with the whole rat poison thing. The oral surgeon who consulted on my mouth stated caregorically that going with our original plan which consisted of I don't know what was a very bad idea and strongly recommemned doing root canals and crowns and bridges, in effect, turning my mouth into a royal Interstate highway system. I'd rather have teeeh pulled than get root canals. Turns out I was right! The very first root canal didn't have any canals, but the tooth next to it turned out to not only have canals, but a dead gondolier in one of them that started to rot and made my cheek swell up like a balloon. After digging around in that first tooth, and still finding no canals, we came to the conclusion that it was the one next to it that was causing the trouble. Crazy thing is that it really didn't hurt much because I'm on naxyn and it masked the pain. If my cheek handn't swollen up I might never have known what was going on in there. Taking the tooth out should be lots of fun because we suspect a broken root. No. It is not going in a cast until it heals. It's coming out on Monday one way or another, and should supply me with lots more one liners about my teeth and Venician gondoliers in canals not to mention complicated road systems!

What a day today was! I called Oshria as agreed. It turned out that they (husband, son, brother) were coming up here to go to the prehistoric museum on Kibbutz Mayan Baruch. We decided to meet up there, and of course I got there a few minutes before they did. She called and I drove around the corner to where she was. Seeing her again was a little like a hand grenade going off in my head. Lots of hand holding and smiling through tears, and best of all, when she saw me again, she really did remember the little brat that I was back then. When I heard her voice again after so many years memories came flooding back like a mini tsunami. I remembered clearly that at the end of that summer I wanted to go with her, but not home again. I recall being devasted that she was leaving. She sure did make quite an impression on a little Jewish girl from Maine. She was and still is the very best.

We traded abridged life stories of how we got to where we are today and could have gone on for hours if not days. The museum was fascinating, but I only really had eyes for her. Our time together was way too short for me, but she is here on a family visit, so I tore myself away and they went off to see the 'Jewish snow on Mt. Herman and I went to the Savta's for couscous, and got home not long ago. I'm having a hard time finding the exact words to describe how felt, so I'll just let the pictures say it all.

THE BIG DAY IS HERE

I'm pretty much the only person I know who has a good time at the dentist. I actually look forward to going to him. His new name in Israel is Dr. Painless, and his wife (also a dentist) is now Mrs. Dr. Painless. My appointment was for yesterday at 1500, So Homless and I left early and went on a shopping expedition at the huge shopping complex not far from the clinic. At last, I have new phones with headsets that allow me to talk with both hands free. I also stocked up on lots of new replacement purples-pens, a diary, and new notebooks. I go through those notebooks at a frightening rate. I take notes on new things from the game to help fix them in my memory.The phone near the computer is up and running and just might have two numbers I use most from that line in it's memory.

I was on pins and needles all day waiting for my camp counselor to call. She finally did, and I am heading out for where they will be today in an hour or so. I am so excited I can barely stand it. I was so wound up last night at the very thought of seeing her again that I couldn't even think of bed much before 0230. And it here is; the big day, and I'm counting the minutes until the agreed that I'd call gets here. Why do clocks move so slowly? Only half an hour to go now.

Of course I used my foolproof stress/excitement cure until my eye lids started drooping. That is possible only because Moshe Savta got my log on issues sorted for once and for all, we think. I'm afraid to even think that it might really be fixed. One of the reasons I love tha game so much is that it requires my total concentration and there's no room for anything else in my poor damaged brain when I'm playing. I still don't trust the fix enough to even think about trying to do some of the more difficult things there yet, but maybe by the weekend. For the time being, I'm concentrating on periferral things in the game that are almost as important as moving my character ahead. That is quite challenging enough for now. It is now to get dressed and ready for my trip back to my childhood!

WHAT A WEEK

Had a bit of a strange day on Wednesday. Homeless and I had a few things to do here, so he came to town in the morning.

When he got here, I went out to hop on Harley to meet him at the mall. No go juice. Empty batteries greeted me. Ok. No problem. Plan B. Homeless is here to help with the wheely, so into the car I went. Not a parking space to be had anywhere near the mall. Move to plan C. Go to Savta and get newly repaied Old Brand New Harley from him. At last. I finally got to the mall and we did all the stuff we'd planned on doing, and some shopping to boot. So, I took Old Harley back to Savta, got the car with all my bags in it and went back to the mall to get Homeless. Because I can get stuff in the house more easily when on Brand New Harley Too Jr. I told Homeless that if he would just take my stuff in and dump it on the bed for me, I'd take him home, and so it was. There was no way I could have done that on my own. It's all I can manage just getting from the post I lock the wheely to up to the door with my bag of holding, never mind more bags. I left home for this little jaunt at around 1100 and got back at 2130, only to discover that I had forgotten to take my morning meds which include my pain killer! Needless to say that was an early night and I went sraight to sleep and woke up early on Thursday morning, determined to get the issues with my game settled once and for all. Savta's son, Moshe had suggested getting a permanent IP, which I did to no avail. I kidnapped him to come here and sort it himself. It turned out that somehow the cable company had unilaterally changed it back. After close to 7 hours, we got it all sorted and I got on just fine yesterday. That was the problem all along. It seems that they don't really like giving out permanent IPs, and lost tons of customers who left them for that very reason, and not just over the same game I play, but other games as well. In the end they bought more dedicated IPs and have more available for gamers. Now, I can play when I want. Moshe is going to come over and tweak the computer even more on Sunday, though I'm not sure it's needed now. All I really want is for that game to work properly, but as he's in town, I might as well let him.

It was quite a week, what with getting my butt shot, and a root canal done on Tuesday, the day at the mall on Wednesday and computer fix marathon on Thursday. I was a bit of a busy gimp to put it mildly. I never would have gotten half as much done if I hadn't made the trip to get my butt shot.

Now that my bank account is finally mine again and all restrictions have been listed, I can breathe again. The bank has a rule that anyone with a lien against their account must get permission to withdraw cash even if their balance is very high. It's just one of those Israeli things. Now that everything is paid, no more permission asking to get my own money. What a joy it was yesterday to not have to wait that extra minute for the permission! And best of all, I start with a clean paid off credit card tomorrow. It was a long time coming, but, I made it.

One of the guys at the bank keeps telling me not to be foolish again (reference to the Shmaryah catastrophe) I keep telling him that I'm sure I will do more foolish things, but not repeat the old foolish ones. He just grins. At least this time, I was smart enough to put aside the equivalent of $25 thousand where I can't get to it easily. Not a bad safety net in addition to the savings account I already have in almost that amount.

The icing on the cake will be in a few days. The camp counselor I finally found after a 50 year search is in Israel now, and supposed to be in a town about 20 minutes from here for a couple of days next week. That is going to be one damp reunion. I so can't wait to see her again after so many years. I already am starting to get choked up just thinking about it. Who? Me? Sentimental? You betcha!