YEAH YEAH YEAH

Yes, I know I haven't been here for a while, but as I wrote a while back, I'm feeling a bit "off" and not in much of a mood for anything. Today I'm feeling a little more "normal' and have the energy and desire to get a few things done. Zehava called last night and she and Chana are coming tomorrow for a couple of days. Gimp House is somewhat upside down and in desperate need of a wash and straightening. Orna will be over later to take care of it. I'll be heading out soon to see my building supplier about getting the strip next to the house cemented for a patio. I've only been planning that since the day I moved in! Now that I will soon have an excess of tables and chairs, I kind of need of spot for the plastic table now in use as a flower arrangement holder. A patio is the best answer to that. As long as I'm down there, I'll stop in to find out when the chairs will be here. Moshe said this week, and I'd really like them to be here soon. I also have to pick up some milk for Zehava and Chana's coffee. And maybe some eggs and breakfast stuff for them. I'm going back to rabbit food as I am miserable about my weight and determined to do something about it. It's gotta go and go it will. Having some of my energy back will help. There are tons of things on my 'to do' list and I'm actually looking forward to doing them! I'm going to get the shelves to finish the *liberry* tomorrow morning, and get moving on that. I only need about 6 more, so, no big deal. Maybe I'll wait until the gals are here and take advantage of Zehava's van to have her haul them home? It's a freaking pain to do it on Harley Too. They tend to fall off and scatter on the road. I can make that decision later. The main thing is to get moving on it. I also want to get a light purple round table cloth for the new table. I have a square one that's a bit too dark and an oval one that might be ok if I sew it up the middle to make it round? I'll see if I find the perfect one right off, then, decide.
Now that Passover is done, I have to light a fire under Gerald to get the computer redone. The list of stuff I want him to do is getting longer by the day. It's almost 0930, so I think I'll bring Peg in and get a move on. He's gone back to Clintoning in the living room and HE KNOWS BETTER. I *MUST* break him of that habit. He taught Ragamuffin that it's ok to go outside and she taught him it's ok to go inside. Well, now that it's just him, it's NOT ok to go inside anymore. He's been good for several days, the all of sudden oopsy, Clintons in the living room! And he goes out at least twice a day so there's no excuse. Whatever, gotta get a move on here.

ENERGY CRISIS

I seem to be having my very own energy crisis today. I'm tired and pretty much listless for absolutely no reason I can think of. Granted, I don't take well to my morning schedule being changed, and that is exactly what happened this morning thanks to cable. I woke up to static on the TV radio and no internet. The radio should have tipped me off, but, it took a while for me to make the connection in mind and look at the light on the modem. Yup, blinking away it was, so I packed it in, shut the machine down, got dressed and headed out. After two coffees at Richard's I went to the 'dog store' to get Peg some treats and try to get an appointment to have the poor lad groomed and anti tick/fleaed. With any luck he'll get done next week. I got home earlyish and cable was working just fine, but it seems Yahoo is bouncing me yet again. I'll have to go and check it out. No posts from the VA is not possible and Yahoo has been a bit schizophrenic since they changed their format. Yeah, why not go check it out now?

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES

I swear, I'm going to thump the next person who tells me I could have *it* cheaper out of town HARD. I just spent a small fortune on a round dining table and two chairs at my favorite furniture store in town, and I am most pleased with myself. I don't need a full set of chairs as not many guests come for meals and I use BBC in any case. Dining chairs in Israel are armless and I wanted chairs with arms. The ones I found have round seats and curvy arms and look very elegant. The chairs will be here next week and the table will follow in the week or so after. Moshe has the chairs I really liked in stock as opposed to the 'other' chairs that were just ok, but slightly less expensive. He gave me the in stock ones at the same price as the 'other' so, I'll be getting EXACTLY what I've been dreaming of for the last 15 years. As Gimp House will most likely be my last home, I want it to be perfect, and so it shall be. One project at a time, it's starting to look fantastic.

THE GAYS ARE ON THE MARCH AGAIN

The gays have their pride parade every year, and it's a colorful show. While it's true that there is a lot of discrimination against them here as well in the rest of the world, and I do think that their civil rights should be protected like everyone else's, I also wish they'd keep their sexual preferences in the bed room and off the street. On one hand, out right discrimination won't stop if they all stay in the closet, and there are many homophobes out there (I'm likely to labeled one after this) These parades are just OTT for me. I think that maybe, just maybe it might not be a bad to give them their rights (no, not marriage too) on the condition they stop these pride parades. Instead of marriage in the usual sense, I would give them all the rights privileges and obligations of traditional marriage under civil law. Call me whatever you want, but keep sex in the bedroom where it belongs. I'm wondering how long it will take the *straight* folk to get their own pride parades going. They should keep it in the bedroom too. Yup-equal opportunity sex bigot pretty much sums me up on the subject! Maybe I'll have a celibates pride parade in town on gay pride day? How's that for an idea? Then I tell myself to keep my celibacy in the bedroom where it belongs!
After a very good night, I went to the mall to look for a Fresh Cream CD but they didn't have one. They only had Disraeli Gears and he wouldn't even try to order it for me so I went to Zagori in town and he'll try to get it for me, and if he can, it will be in one Thursday. Then I went to Richard for a short gossip, picked up a couple of things and came home. I told Richard about the kidnapping and it's results vis a vis Irit and he agrees with my idea that maybe Irit reacted like she did because Achy and Mazal did what she and Guy should have done, but didn't and that her guilt reaction in gear. Maybe, but I'm beyond angry and hurt and it will a snowfort building day in hell before I call her. There are limits to the crap I'll take and she wants her kids to grow with one grandmother and one step grandmother, while the other grandmother is just an hour away, that's the way it will be. I'm stronger, and madder. How to lose two kids, I think I'll write the book. A How To manual from experience.

THE WAY IT SHOULD BE

By some miracle I was ready to be kidnapped right on time. Peg had walkies, I showered,threw a few things in a bag, put his food and water down, sorted the doors and fluffled him, and was ready by the time Achy arrived. The only thing I forgot to do was call Irit and tell her. More of which later. We got to Achy and Mazal's with an hours or so to kill, so down I went and we had a lovely visit, then off to one her sister's in Kiryat Atta, then onward to the sister who has having the Seder. Normally I'm not to wild about Chabad, but these two are of the best Chabad has to offer and it was one of the best, if latest Seders I've ever been to. It started at 2300 and we got back to Carmiel at 0330. I was sorry to see it end. Haim and Edna, our hosts were just wonderful and didn't bat an eye at a surprise guest. (as it should be, but so often isn't) It turned out that we know quite a few of the same people in the ever so small world of Chabad. Luckily most of them are the ones I liked then and still like. It was a bit of a surprised to them! They were so solicitous and did everything they could to make me comfortable. I went chairless as very little walking and a minimum of stairs were involved. There are still a few residual aches and pains as result, but less than I thought. Achy and Mazal's son, Guy, who I didn't much like when he was a kid has grown in a great hulk of a friendly bright 16 year old. We chatted computers, music, and all kinds of things. For the first time since I met him so many years ago I enjoyed him. I suspect the same thing will happen with Shir in a year or two. She's still at an irritating (to me) age. Time will cure that!
My cell phone woke Achy up at around 0830. Irit was quite pissed off to hear where I was, and when I got home and tried to call her back there was no answer on any of their phones. She is going to get such a lesson from me. *I* also know how to not answer phones. It infuriates me anew each time I think that Achy and Mazal did what Irit and Guy should have done, and I won't get over it any time soon. I'm perfectly happy in my quiet little cocoon, and as she and her brother are already written out of my will, they can just take flying leaps at each other. Does it hurt? Damn right it does, but I've gotten beyond and over worse. They'll get theirs from their kids. At least I know I didn't do anything like that to *my* mother. They'll have to live with it and explain it to their kids. I also know that I tried to bring them up to be better than they are now. *I'm* out of the 'bringing up' game and am too old to let them (her) get away with molding Mummy into what she wants me to be. I am what and who I am and if she doesn't like it, she can just stay away and leave me in peace. I DO NOT need the stress.
So much for my gut feelings and thank G-d. Marcelle is fine. The biopsy came back negative and The Philmore is pleased as am I. After talking to him for a few minutes, I called The Jeffie. He got the pictures I sent and Vicky said he got all misty eyed at the historical pictures of our granparents. He liked Harley Too, and wants more pictures of me. I'll send of the ones Achy took last night.

STILL HOPPING MAD BUT GOING AWAY

I am still hopping mad about the furor at the TML list and the attitudes about some of the so called fans, but, I have to accept that some people just don't get it and never will. On a couple of other fronts I'm feeling most chuffed. The camera situation is under control and I found out where and how to edit my vids!
While moving some bothersome books into the *liberry* preparatory to the Barazani invasion tomorrow, Achi called and said he's coming to kidnap me to a seder at his family's in Kfar Atta,(near Haifa) and he'll bring me home tomorrow. He is such a sweetheart. Of course that is exactly what my loving daughter should have done, but, I think I'd prefer being kidnapped by Achy. Among other things I adore about him, is the fact that he really does understand where I'm coming from. When I told him that not one of the religious people I've been seeing all over town this week even asked what/where I am for seder because if I said I had no plans, they'd have to do something about it. He knew exactly what I meant and we had a good chuckle over it! I love seder and if I can't have one, I'm just thrilled to be kidnapped to one. I think I'd better get my bag ready, take Peg for a walk, then take a shower so I'll be ready when the kidnappers arrive! I do things so slowly that it's best to get ready early.

LIVE AND LEARN

I made an important discovery this week. It's something that should be obvious to everyone, but I must have missed that lesson. I prefer to sleep in the altogether, or nakey as a certain elf likes to call it. I wear a long, turtle necked, long sleeved caftanishy night dress when just hanging around the house in the winter. The other night I woke up and had to make a mad dash to the loo. The nightdress was close to hand and I tried to put it on in a hurry. You can take my word for this; trying to put your head through a sleeve is not a good way to put it on in a hurry. In the end, I put my sandals on(the only 'shoes' I can still walk in) and ran nakey while trying to get my head out of the sleeve. Please, just take my word for it. You really don't have to try it to see for yourselves!

A TEAM FANS (NOT)

I guess you could say I'm a bit of an A Team fan. I loved that show from the first time it was aired on Jordan TV's English channel, and made my kids watch it with me every week. Cable started running it a couple of years ago, and I unplugged the phone so no one could bother me during it, I was also known to hang up on people just as it was starting. One day, after hanging up on Striar The Liar (STL) he told me that the actor who played Murdock was dead. I ran to my new computer to find out if it was true, and not only found out that it wasn't, but that there were a fair number of fan sites out there. I promptly joined the one that looked the most friendly, and immersed myself in TAT. Through these lists I meat some wonderful people, one of whom was trying to organize a 20th anniversary party in England with the remaining cast and crew. This looked to be a most brilliant idea, so, I signed up. I not only signed up, I started a campaign to get another of the fans to be able to go too. In the end, we managed to get her sorted for the trip.(A mission in true A team fashion) At the last minute, the con was cancelled, but that didn't stop us. We just changed plans and went to London for a week, and on the Saturday had a noncon at a hotel in Bournemouth. After the noncon, where we meat some of the people behind the names, I realized that that was even better in some ways than having a convention with *stars* because the real stars of The A Team are the fans. Jipster, the gal who put her whole self into the 'con that wasn't,' came to the noncon even though she was financially and emotionally devastated by having to cancel the convention. She was one of many bright spots of that day. Just about a year later, Dwight Schultz was scheduled to be at another convention in the same town Jips had planned to have her con. I decided to go, but there was a bit of a problem. I desperately wanted to go with Jips, but she just couldn't afford it. I came up with a plan in the best A Team fashion. As I couldn't pay for her ticket and a hotel for both us, I asked if maybe I'd pay for her ticket and she'd be the hotel and we could maybe commute? Yes! She agreed, and I got to know the most fantastic person you can imagine. Jips was the Boss Of Me for 5 days and what a 5 days they were. That gal is magical. Not many could put up with this aging gimp and treat her like a contemporary in spite of the age difference. I have a daughter Jips' age, but, for those few days I was just another nutter in a wheelchair. My daughter could learn a thing or two from Jips.
Leia Fee,who was at the first noncon, and I thought it might be nice to have another noncon in October, and asked Jips' permission to use her mailing lists to see who might be interested in coming. Jips' agreed, but little did we know that some people she hasn't refunded ticket money to jumped in an asked for refunds on the list. The whole thing has escalated into a nightmare for Jips that is making me sick. Ok, so, most of them aren't privileged to know her, and don't know how totally devastated she was by having to cancel her con. It wiped her out financially, to put it mildly, not to mention emotionally. I've decided not to jump into the conflagration on list and have been talking to Jips off list. What infuriates me so is that these A Team fans seem to have missed the entire point of the show. Ok, so they paid for something they didn't get, but most got their money back. What I want to know is: WHAT WOULD THE A TEAM HAVE DONE? I think the answer is clear to anyone who saw so much as one episode. They would have come up with a plan to destroy the jerk who caused the con to be cancelled and found a way to help Jips either pull it off, or pay EVERYONE back. I KNOW what it's like to owe money and thankfully I don't have any outstanding debts at the moment. I can't imagine that any of the people who are still owed will find lasting financial recovery from their situations if she repays them now even with interest. I mean, really, is £ 100 going to make that much of a difference one way or another? I don't want to hear it's the principle of the thing because it isn't. While I was in England for the first noncon, STL was merrily depleting my bank account and in the end I took a 20000 shekel loss from him, then, I took another hit from a local 'business' man. I somehow managed to claw my way back to some semblance of financial health while continuing to pay for yet another mistake. I can't count the monies owed me that I've written off simply because they won't make that much difference in the scheme of things. Unfortunately to Jips every £ counts and she's already paid off thousands resulting from the cancellation. If only these so called A Team fans had put their heads together to find a way to help her out with the debt, things would be so much better. Jips is the gal who has Been running some of the best A Team sites on the web out of her own pocket for years. I think we owe her much more than we are giving her now, at the very least, we owe her a write off of what we think we think she owes us. 1 repayment of £ 100 isn't much, but multiply by even 20 and we are talking money, people, money she just doesn't have because she was wiped out by not being able to have the con. I saw WE OWE her big time for all the hours, days, and years she gave us of herself by providing some of the best A Team lists and sites on the web, and because we call ourselves A Team fans.

GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS

The good news is that I got my shopping done with a minimum of fuss and only forgot to one thing! I'll pick it up tomorrow. I even found Rye matzos! Should be interesting. I love rye bread, but any whole grain bread is better than white, so I actually hope these rye matzos will be ok.
The bad news is that my camera is acting up. I'll take it to a local guy who is pretty good with digicams. Maybe he'll be able to sort it with a minimum of fuss. I'm really not in the mood for it to be dead, but I'll deal with it id and as when.
I'm still a bit zonked from yesterday, but the house looks so great it was well worth it. I wasn't too tired to have go at The Philmore about The Jeffie. I pointed out that he is actually the success story of the two of us. When I listed all the reasons, The Philmore went very quiet and said something to the effect that maybe I'm right. I'm so proud of The Jeffie I could burst. My baby brother did good in spite of The Philmore. GO JEFFIE

BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL GIMP HOUSE

Whew! Orna and I did it today after weeks of planning and talking about it. The living room is now a living/dining room with the sofa bed and 1 comfy chair on the wall where 2 of the bookcases were. One is now in the spare/guest room. The other is in *liberry* so I'll have a place to put the books that have to be moved until I get the bookcases built. Things look really great here now. AND I can go where I want except the kitchen and here with the wheelchair. Orna couldn't believe it. It really does look nice. I'll get the rest of the boards for the bookcases at the first of the month and start finishing it. That is turning into a great, fantastic room. I am most pleased with myself and Gimp House. I'm hot and tired and sweaty from the things I *did* do. Not the heavy moving stuff, but the little putting in order stuff and getting a load of laundry in. That always leaves me knackered in the extreme.
I called The Philmore to tell him happy birthday but he was out playing bridge. I talked to Marcelle for a few minutes and she's really shaky. She won't have the results from the tests until Thursday and her kids don't know about it yet. Just me. I was hoping to hear some news on that front today, but I'll just have to wait two more days. I'm pretty sure the results will be positive and I don't know why I'm so sure, I just am. It's going to be hard on The Philmore, and I'll have to go over sooner than I wanted. I'll just deal with that when I have to.
I'm thinking that maybe I'll go Pesach shopping tomorrow, now that the kitchen is ready, clean fridge, stove, and cabinets!
I think I'll take my aching back and other parts for a rest now.

NO MORE MUCKING AROUND

I've had it with my present wheelchair situation, and the idiot quack that refuses to his job! I just finished typing a very nasty letter of complaint to The Powers That Be about him, in the hope that it might light a fire under his lazy butt. The jerk refuses to send the people who have to fill our forms that have to be sent to the Health Ministry, where THEY-the Health Ministry- NOT HIM decide if I need an electric chair or not. It seems that he's basing his refusal on a home visit 6 years ago, and just can not conceive of a situation that was then, changing. It is part of his job to visit me here at the new Gimp House, new in 2002. I've been arguing with him about it since them. Not only has my home changed, my physical condition has as well and I have the *glow in the dark* scan to prove it. This is just insane. It's not like they have to pay for the chair! He acts like it will come out of his personal pocket. I wish. I'd have had him court long before now. I'm going out in a few minutes to mail the letter. Tomorrow I'll leave a copy at the office here and suggest that they fax it to the district office. Using a wheelchair of any kind is not what I'd classify as fun, but there's a problem when the one you use causes more damage because of the use. So, off I go to mail it to his bosses and all the 'crip help' groups AND the Minister of Health.

WELL, THAT WAS ENLIGHTENING

For various inexplicable reasons, I spent the last week posting at LJ in Hebrew and opened a blog for Pegasus, the amazing Keeshond. Writing there in Hebrew is totally annoying, so here I am back home, creature of habit that I am.
So, what's new around Gimp House, you ask? Just a few technological advances. The DVD is working just fine as is the new TV card in the computer. Odd thing about the latter. Yechiel the handsome connected the latter so that it somehow by passes the TV and comes straight to the computer. That's just fine as it bypasses the need to tape the show vid cassettes, and saves it right to the computer. Nero is also sorted and I now have 4 Highlander eps burned to a disc. Now all I need is another RAM card so I can do other things at the same time it's saving stuff without worrying about a crash.

I got a phone call from my loving daughter on Friday. She wanted to know what I'll be doing a week from today because maybe they'll come visit. She started with questions about the state of the house vis a vis dog pee and poop. That leads me to think that they just might come here. I'll get one of Orna's girls in later today to help move books and stuff so we can sort the *liberry* and living room. You can safely assume that I was vague about being home on the bog day and told her to call the Friday before. It totally pisses me off that not a word was said about the Seder. They are most likely going to Guy's parents. How rude is it that no one thought to ask if maybe I want to go too? Not that I would, I really don't like them, it's the principle of the thing. Peg and I will do just fine on our own, as we have for so many years. Going to Irit and Guy's last year was an exercise in tension control, and who needs it? I have my own little corner and Peg is the best company I could have! I *will* make the effort to whip Gimp House into the best possible shape before they arrive. Since their last visit, Her Highnesses old room has been transformed, there are curtains, a new bedspread, the *liberry* and a few other nice touches. It all just has to be polished a bit, and the pictures put up. I also have to get the sofa out of the *liberry* and on the wall where two bookcases presently live. One bookcase will go in the *liberry* for now, and the other in her old room. There's not a whole of sense in setting the *liberry* up for TV watching until I figure out to get the picture back on the TV instead of on the computer monitor. As it's not urgent, it can wait until Yechiel the handsome brings the Panasonic VCR home. There are still two TVs I can watch while the computer does it's download work. NOW I know why I set it up the way I did, with the *liberry* set on it's own cable box and the one in my room and the living room on a separate circuit! Funny how you do things without thinking why, then find out later that what you did was exactly right months later!

Ehud Manor, one of our best lyricists died last week at the age of 64 and everyone has been running around saying "before his time". I just don't get that. It was obviously his time, or he'd still be alive. We just weren't ready for him to go.....and of course it reminds us all of our own mortality. I spend more time thinking about it after someone like him goes. No, I am not afraid to die. I'm just having too much fun here to want to just yet. Of course, no one asks us when we want to go. We just go. One of our pundits made a comment to the effect that someone up there must be planning a big production. The Pope, Uzi Hittman and Ehud Manor to name a few who were mentioned, in such a short time. If so, it will be a most interesting production.

AS CLOSE AS I CAN GET.....

12 Apr 2005
OMG. Roman Serov, ranked 19 after competing at Worlds in Moscow sat next to me at the coffee shop. Of course I couldn't quite get up the nerve to talk to him, so I just basked in his presence. Being one of the 20 best skaters in the world is no small accomplishment! I just promised myself to talk with him the next time he shows up there. Mara says he's there frequently.
I checked my bank account today and I'm in pretty good shape. I have all the fags I'll need until next month, so the Visa can pretty much take it easy until then. The balance there isn't too bad and there's a cushion for emergencies. Now, if Yechiel, the handsome, would just bring The Whiz to sort the TV card, I could get on with burning The A Team tapes on to discs.
Leia Fee and I have started organizing our little East Wing A Team noncon. I got Jips' permission to use her lists, Leia has e mailed the hotel I found, to ask about costs for a function room, and I did the calculations and it's well within my budget. We had so much fun at Noncon I that we think it's time to have Noncon II. We are going to keep it nice and simple. Anyone who to come can either stay at the hotel I picked, or one of their own chosing. We are not going to get involved with reservations or stuff like that. Nor are we going to make any money from it. We just want a fun weekend of A Team.

11 April- MY BABY BROTHER

I've been driving myself crazy over who to leave all the sentimental family stuff I've accumulated over the years. My kids not only aren't interested, they don't deserve it. Then the answer hit me right between the eyes. My brother's girls! My baby brother is 50 now and his girls are all grown up. Jenny, the younger is severly disabled. She was born with water on her brain and has lived far past the doctors' prognoses with a shunt. Jessie, the older girl is just fine. For a total screw up my baby brother, who never finished 10th grade has done just fine. His biggest problem in like has been The Philmore who just can not give anyone anything without titanium strings attached. Well, Jeffie has done just fine, and I'm as proud of him as can be. So, he didn't marry a Jewish gal, but they ARE still married as opposed to his older sibling. The poor guy got all weepy and upset when I called last night to ask him if he thought Jen and Jess would be interested in inheriting the family stuff I've been dragging around in the hope my daughter would be interested. As she isn't interested in the least, she just won't get any of it.
Poor Jeffie cried like a baby when I told him I want to leave it to his girls. Then he got all *when are you coming for a visit* on me and offered to pay for a plane ticket, and to give me money to buy a car and why did I ask The Philmore to help with Harley Too and not him. He wants me to visit them in summer, but no way with airfares being so high. I'll go next winter, unless something happens in Florida. The Philmore's wife was supposed to have an operation on her back, but it was postponed because pre op tests showed a spot on her lung. That sounds really not good and it's going to take at least 2 weeks to get a biopsy report. Poor Marcelle. The waiting is worse than knowing. She sounded really shook up. I'm trying to figure out how I can get myself over there if things go downhill fast. I'm sure I'll find a way if it comes to that.
In the meantime, I'm thinking that if Jeffie can afford it, maybe he could send Jess over here for a visit. I was trying so hard to calm him down that it didn't enter my mind until I'd hung up. I'll call next week and ask him.
The Great Video project is all organized and ready to, but there's a problem. The new thing saves the video, but not the audio. What use are A Team discs with no audio. I'll ask The Whiz when I go into town in a bit. I have to get some CD cases and check in with Mara. She's been asking lately what I'll do about The Phimore if anything happens to Marcelle. Is she psychic, or what? It's time to get out of here if I want to get anything done today.

THE REASON I SAVE CORDS

Anyone so unfortunate as to spend more than 10 minutes in the spare/guest room, inevitably asks why I have a box full of jumbled electrical/coaxial/cable/telephone cords. It's for the simplest reason. Never know when you'll need one!
Yesterday, Yechiel, the handsome, and his computer whiz came over to install the DVD and the TV card I got for the computer so that I can start Project Video to Disc. Yechiel, the handsome, had troubles with both VCRs, and told me the clutch on the Toshiba is gone and it might be a good idea to fix it. As the Panasonic hasn't recorded since I started to use it, I used it to watch and to reverse/forward. It's kind of stupid to keep a nonrecording VCR for just those functions, so I asked Yechiel the handsome, if he thought it would be a good idea to repair the Panasonic or just get a new VCR? He said that the Panasonic is better than any VCR made these days and off he went with it to try to fix it.The Whiz had troubles when the computer went into self turn off mode every time he moved it to do something, and he blythely informed me that the cord is shot. This morning I carried on merrily and figured out how to save the video to file, and all was going along just fine, when I decided to move the already rewound tapes into the *liberry*. In order to that, I have to put the keyboard on the table and push the chair in. That little movement made the computer turn itself back off. I futzed about with the cable for a while and when my frustration level sent me looking for my hammer, I quit and went to watch Charles and Camilla get hitched. I kept the cable on the back burner of my mind and tried to call Child Genius every hour....no answer. I came back here and fooled around with it for a bit, then called Gerald, who said that maybe he can have someone drop off a cable tomorrow. At that point, I went into the spare/guest room and went through the cable box. I actually found 2 that match, and the first one did the trick! Now I can wait for Tuesday when Gerald will bring the old computer home and put another 256 RAM strip in this so I'll be able to other things while vids are running.
I put the down time to good use DVD wise, and watched Harvey twice! Hey! DVDs are easier to work than VCRs . This is going to be good. The new DVD does everything except make coffee. It reads all the formats and areas,stops,and does stuff,and even has a kareoke function! The TV card software has capture capability too. I'm going to enjoy this. I'm feeling quite pleased with myself right about now.

DVD AND ME

Ha! I bought a DVD player today, and now have to find someone who knows how to connect them. Cable only connects things that record and as I got a DVD that only plays...
After I get it connected, my next trick will be to figure out how to get all my video tapes onto burned discs through the computer. That's going to be quite a project. One genius suggested that I take the tapes to a photo shop that does it and have them do it. I really don't think I'm going to let even 1 of A Team tapes out of the house, not after what I went through getting all 96 episodes taped! I'd rather do it myself. I got such a late start today that I ended up having lunch in town and waiting until 1600 for the appliance store to open. Of course I wasted many hours at the coffee shop. I could have used my head and bought the DVD on my way to the coffee shop. I did pay my butcher bill before I went there. Why I decided to get the DVD on my way home is beyond me.
I have a funny feeling that something is wrong with my e mail again. It just isn't normal to come after all that time and find only 7. 70 is more usual.
I'm not complaining, mind you, just noting a fact. It's a bit chilly in here [(this is good)a/c can stay off longer] so, I think I'll go change out of my outdoors clothes, and have a wee rest. I still ache from Haifa, and sitting on Harley Too for way too long today. I also have get the bones I got for Peg ready to be cooked tomorrow. Yes, I KNOW he's spoiled, but he deserves to be. After I sort his bones, I'll read through the DVD directions and see if maybe I can handle the hook up myself, but don't bet on that happening!

FRESH FRUIT, MEN, AND ME

Every time I take the bus to Haifa the same thing happens. As we go by the pardess(citrus grove) that I worked in so long ago (1970) I get all senti'mental' and start wondering about *what might have beens* I loved working there. There was something wonderful about getting up in the middle of the night,(we started at 05:30 riding through the fish ponds on a flat wagon with legs dangling over the sides, and being among, and taking care of trees. It took a long time, but in the end the crew accepted me, and my roommate as members of the crew. We did everything they asked us to do, and when it came time to pick the fruit, we were as fast as anyone else. There was nothing I loved more than cutting the fruit and watching my box fill up, unless it was taking a break under a grapefruit tree, and eating a grapefruit I'd just picked. I still have the cutters I used then, and most important, the memories. Looking back, I think those were the best days of my life. Yesterday was no different. The pardess has changed and I doubt I could navigate my way through the fish ponds on a tractor like I used to. Of course I can't drive a tractor now, but back then, they often sent me with the tractor back to the kibbutz proper to pick up things we needed. I *do* have a picture of me driving a tractor on another kibbutz, and maybe I'll scan and post it later.
Yesterday my thoughts sort of took off on their own, and started wondering about the men in my life, in particular, the one I let get away but maybe shouldn't have. He was a huge bear of a man, appropriately named Dov and I worshipped him to the point that I was too scared by it to stick it out. I'm not sure that anything permanent would have worked between us for several reasons, among them the fact that I don't think I could have been happy living on a kibbutz for any length of time and I'm pretty sure that leaving would ever have entered his mind. Yes, he's still there. That line of thought got me to wondering if I could have been happy with any of the men in my life, and I'm just not sure. There are two big maybes; Mike, my South African ex boss, and *G* the one who shall remain nameless. To this day, I don't know why I pushed Mike away, and I desperately want to know what he's doing these days. As to *G*, I know exactly what happened(irreversible things that made a future impossible) and know where he is, and still miss him. Looking back, Dov wins as my first love, and Mike is the one I never should have let get away, and would be ever so happy if he showed up here one day, but it's not likely as no one I know has any idea where he is. I heard years ago that he went back to South Africa, and I just can't bring myself to call his ex wife and ask her. Ah, well, it's not like I'm lonely or anything. I'm quite happy on my own and maybe that's what's meant to be. I just get to wondering sometimes is all, especially when I go my pardess. I just hope my guys are happy doing whatever they're doing, with whomever they are doing it with. Then there was Danny, the first Israeli I ever met. Him I wonder about all the time and am most curious about where he is these days and what he's doing. I've forgiven him for making fun of my Hebrew, as it is now as fluent as my English! I really would like to know what's become of him. Ah, ancient history. There's not much I can do except sit here at Gimp House and wonder about all the *What ifs* Enough nostalgia for now. It's time for coffee # 2 and to get out of here and get some shopping done.

OWIE, OUCHIE, IT HURTS

Well, that's over for another year. Of course Orna couldn't go, so I was on my own. Things were just fine until I got to Haifa and tried to get a taxi. None to had, so, off to the bus stop for Rothschild Hospital. I had to wait for 6 buses until a "bowing' bus came. The driver and one of the passengers were dears and fiddled with the fold out ramp until I could roll on. I managed to get across the street (a nice downhill slope) and inside in plenty of time. It was like old home week and not a word about sending the results to me. After the test, I caught a bus right away, and when we got to the sort of central station and I was looking at the electronic time table for the platform number, oops, there was my bus right in front of me. rolly rolly, grab soldier to throw chair in baggage, leap gracefully on to the bus (with different soldier pushing from behind) and I was home before I knew it. I let Peg out for a few minutes then charged out to get a shwarma for breakfast/lunch/supper, then changed into nightgown and collapsed into bed. My knees and back and shoulders are killing me. This is good incentive to get moving on the electric chair. I think it's about time to collapse back into bed. Brigadoon will be on soon, and I don't want to miss it. Plus, I need a pain pill. Going on these expeditions alone is not a good idea.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THIS OLD DAMAGED BRAIN ACTUALLY WORKS!

Telephone polls usually annoy me very much, but tonight's was a joy. It was from my health insurer and they wanted to know how satisfied or not I am. It wasn't the usual yes, no, rate from 1 to 5 thing. The poor guy actually took down specific complaints, like the cell phone and the jerk who refuses to do his job. Yesterday while looking through one of the gimp boards here, I found the list of what the Ministry of Health is supposed to supply and how to apply. That BASTARD QUACK has to do his job and I've had it. Tomorrow is Haifa, then, I'll be starting the campaign to get what I need. It's just interesting that I got to take a swipe at him the day after I found the criteria from the Ministry Of Health. Talk about timing. I'm even more impressed that it didn't slip my mind as these things so often do. There are rare moments when I impress myself.

IN THE WORDS OF THE GREAT ERIC VON ZIPPER: "WHY ME ALL THE TIME< WHY ME?

I guess the answer to that deep philosophical question of my hero from the Beach Blanket movies of the 60s is, "Why not?" Why not indeed? I'm starting think that there might be a finite amount of crap things that can happen to people in this life and those of us who can handle them get them. Ok, fair enough, but there must be others besides me? And shouldn't those of us who have dealt with so much crap be allowed a rest from it? Or do we have to keep on dealing with it so as not to get out of practise? I don't know the answer yet but an pondering on it mightily.
The Visa thing looks like it will sort itself today. I talked to the sweet guy at Visa's overseas security department and sent him the letter again by e mail. He said they can stop all the stuff and reimburse my account. Woohoo!! He just called and will put the money in my account immediately. YES!
The thing that really troubles me about the whole thing is that, after our talk last night, and Child Genius' reaction,I'm beginning to think that he was the one with his hand in my account. That really doesn't sit well. He practically begged me to tell Visa that if reimbursing my account is not done immediately to tell them to hold off and he'll give me the money in a week or so. When I insisted that Visa sort it, he got a bit upset. Suspicious behavior. I hope I'm wrong about him and will ask him the next time I see him. I didn't want to press it last evening as he was here with a friend. If it *was* him, Visa will take care of it.
On a happier note; I am now no longer the only woman in the country with only one bra! I bought a new one today and now am the proud owner of two bras! From there I went to the book store, but they don't have the Adam Smith book yet. AND the fat ladies clothing store is having a special sale next Tuesday and there are lots of purples there. Speaking of purples, I found a pair of kitchen shears, a veggie peeler and a peeler/knife thingy, and a three tray oven/serving set, and bought them all. Not a bad purple day. On my way out, I saw Orna and she still isn't sure about tomorrow. This is not good. But as I have to go anyway, not really important. If she doesn't go, I'll just use the cash I've been hoarding for her bus fare for taxis in the city. Either way it's ok.
I think it might be time to go dry off. Of course it started raining when I came out of Mall *1* with the new bra and dripped and dropped all the way to Mall *2*, so I'm only a little damp. It was dry all the way home, but I'm starting to feel a bit uncomfortable, and a nice hot cup of soup sounds pretty good right about now.

NOT A GREAT WEEKEND

The Pope's death, while sad, was also an inspiration. He was a truly good man, who died as he lived, by his unwavering faith. The TV talking heads kept going on about his belief that suffering was a good thing and about his decision to die in his own bed, close to his people. Considering the way he lived, it was hardly surprising. I am not sure that the suffering he referred to was physical pain, but that might be part of it. I'm sure he was talking about the emotional pain he suffered as a result of all the evil in the world, which is the much greater pain. Of course he was a man who knew both kinds.
A minor annoyance over the weekend was discovering that my Visa is still being charged in $s and if I don't the money back PDQ I'll be in big trouble at the bank. At least they (Visa) did cancel my card, and I hope the replacement is waiting at the bank. I NEED it by Tuesday for the jaunt to Haifa. As things stand now, if nothing else comes in on *that* card, I'll barely squeak through the month. It angers me that after all I went through to get things on the right track this had to happen. Why do I never get used to it? It just doesn't seem that I can ever get the off the brink of financial disaster, no matter what I do! We are not amused. I tried several times this morning to get Visa on the phone, but no luck. Just for the fun of it, I tried to bring up my account, but that was almost an exercise in futility. In the end, I rebooted and managed to get it on line for just long enough to print out what I needed. Well, not to worry, this too shall pass. I think I'll go mess around on the WWW until Child Genius gets here.

PSYCHIC OR PSYCHO?

There are times when I wonder if I'm going nuts or if I am indeed a bit psychic. I check the hit counter at Gimp House every day and this morning there was a hit through the Adrian Paul site. Before I went out to get the Friday papers, I flipped through my usual channels and nothing of interest showed up. For some reason I then checked AXN, and it showed The Highlander from episode 1 through 4. I don't usually bother with AXN on Fridays because rarely is there anything of interest there. At least I was dressed and ready to go, so I grabbed my cell phone and flew out the door, hopped on Harley Too and got the locals, and a new blank cassette. I got home in time to set up the VCR, and cut up some veggies, and settle into my chair for some Highlander. What's the big deal with Highlander? Just Adrian Paul is all. He is one of the best looking men I've ever seen, and there is magic in the way he moves. I could watch him all day long. It's not just juvenile slobbering. There are so few people who move like that, that I notice it. Must be my skating background. There was a time when I moved like that myself. Kinda hard to do from a wheelchair! The Sorbo guy comes in a close second, only because he doesn't quite have that dancer movement, but he *is* a joy to these jaded eyes. I just hope they both appreciate that their bodies are still under their control, and that they never end up like me. I, however, am most thankful that I can watch them from a distance. They make this old gimp smile in memory of the days long gone when she *could* too.
Just before the show started Danny came in to fix one of the busted doors. I can now close that one without using the little lock contraption I put on way back when Pegasus broke the door handle.
Then Danny left with my thanks. I was so engrossed in watching that man move that I ignored Peg's barking until there was a bang on the *liberry* window. Danny and Orna came for the mattress I gave them, but they never got around to taking because of the rain. One down, one to go. Then back for even more Highlander. Good thing I know how AXN works. There will be 4 episodes on every Friday until the end of the series. I'll get 'em all on tape, then get the TV hooked to the computer and burn all my tapes onto VCDs. A plan! The gimp has a plan!
There is something wrong at Visa. More charges have come in. I thought they would stop after I notified them, but no, there they are! At least the card wouldn't work this morning, so I guess it's been cancelled. I'll go into the bank on Mon. Maybe my new card is already there, then I'll call Visa again and get on their case. This is a lot of money. 1231 shekels in one month, about 20% of what I get and I want it back.
The ex called with questions about his site, and I'll have to get Child Genius over to sort it tomorrow. He(the ex) called me Terry(his wife) a couple of times, and I had to remind him that I AM not Terry. I also told him that my latest quest for knowlege is Terry's fault. She recommended The Da Vinci Code to me and that has me all over the place looking for information to fill in the gaps. I'm off to find out more about Paganism. Details are being posted at A View From The North-link in my profile for anyone bored enough to be interested.

INTERESTING, MOST INTERESTING

Luck was with me this morning and Danny popped in to talk about the *patio* and fixing the doors. I skedaddled out of here and bought a new door handle and some picture hangy up on concrete wall thingys, then on to Richard and Mara's for a coffee. They've sold the business and are maybe going to live in Jerusalem where their daughter in law is going to maybe give him a job. I just hope they know what they are doing. Leaving an apartment they can't be thrown out of, and moving into a free market rental while at the tender mercy of an in law is not my idea of a smart move. I just hope it works for them. Ah, well, at the end of the day, it's not my problem. I just find things people do curious at times.
There's a new book about Adam Smith out in Hebrew and I'm off to the bookstore tomorrow to see if they have it yet. I've always liked Smith and it will be a challenge to read it in Hebrew. I'm making my way through Secrets Of The Code slowly but surely. There are lots of things in there to think about, and I'm enjoying it. More at the other blog.

BORING

I stayed in yesterday for no good reason that I can think of, and got some computer maintenance done. Another go around with Yahoo Groups on the authorized to post from address issue left me muttering dire imprecations in several languages, but got sorted.
Orna came in and did a quick dishes and floors wash up. Peg seems to be getting the message about not using the corner of the living room for things better done outside. I'll probably wish I hadn't written this soon, but he has gotten better about it.

I'm not one for complaining about the weather. It's at the top my list of things that are a waste of time to gripe/worry about, like earthquakes, and other such. Things about absolutely nothing can be done. I do gripe about the electric I get that is a result of the weather, and there *is* something I can do about that. I can not use the a/c. Yeah, right, in 6 degree Celsius winter weather, I'm going to sit here and shiver just like I'm going to sit here and melt when it's 40C. I'm pretty happy about things right now. Winter is mostly over even if they are talking about a cold wet weekend. The a/c has been off for a few weeks now and the house is cool enough that I'm still in socks and bathrobe. I hope I'll be able to get the ceiling fan for my bedroom put in soon. This coming summer will be a scorcher and the less a/c the better!
We turn the clocks ahead tonight which will put us out of step with the rest of the world! I'm ready. Two early to sleep nights lead to two get up early mornings, so bring it on.
Danny (Orna's husband/my handy man seems to have disappeared and I want him to tell me where to buy the stuff we need to do the side garden. I want it done next week and have two doors in here that need his attention.
I'm still in a right snit about that Passat I can't buy, and just might have a yell up with Striar the liar. I WANT THAT CAR but can't scrape up 4000 in cash for it. At least I've learned my lesson and will not ever put myself in that position again. I *am* owed 200 or so by someone but have written that off. 200 shekels is hardly the difference between car/no car. It's just a minor annoyance. I had a nice little rant about that on my Hebrew blog just to let off steam.
I think I know what happened to my posts at my political blog and to ensure it doesn't happen again, I'm saving them before I post. There might very well be a long post there today about a few subjects that have been patiently waiting for me to get to them. Yup, I'll do that, then head out.

MEATLOAF

Of course I can't remember which program it was, but something on TV last night showed someone eating mea tloaf. Oh, right, it was Just Cause....and I haven't been able to the scent out of my mind since them. The obvious thing to do was make a meat loaf, so I got some ground beef and made one. It's comforting to know that now the scent is real, and not an active memory triggered by a TV show!
I picked up the ground beef on my way from sending the fax to Visa, having a coffee at Mara's, picking up some cukes and peppers of assorted colors. There was just enough time to mix it all up and shove it in the oven before Charmed started, and it was done by the end of Charmed! And was it ever good.
As if the meat loaf wasn't enough, I am now being haunted by thoughts of a certain VW Passat automatic that is for sale for only 4,000 shekels. Grrrr. Not that I particularly want a VW, but it *is* cheap, and in reasonable shape. The problem is that I just don't have the cash now, so I'll just have to grit my teeth until August when I'll be able to buy myself a car of sorts.
Still no word from Ms. Cab, and that worries me. She usually Texts back right away. Comms must be out again. I have a short list of things to check on the net, so I might as well get to it.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

This is one of those mornings when I wish I could sleep without the radio. I switched over to my all night talk station around 0100, and was blasted by awake at 0530 by the words earthquake in Indonesia. The second hunt for CabAret was on 3 minutes later in the form of a text message. The next step was to turn to Sky News. We are almost at the stage for the third step-finding the EF URLS from the last go-round. From what I've been able to piece together, it hit pretty far from Jakarta but was felt there. I just hope comms aren't down this time. I'll try a call a bit later.
Child Genius was over yesterday and we sorted the Visa $ thing, with a mini shopping spree. Bye Bye Birdie will be mine and a Chemex Coffee maker. We also got gimp house.com working both ways, so I'm happy about that. Answers to my mass mailing are trickling in, and I have two more to answer before I go to the bank. As my fax is dead, I have to take the letter to the bank and ask them to send it to Visa for me. I'll leave a copy there. I wrote it in English, so watching Mordy struggle with it should be fun.
I figured up how much I spent last month on incidentals-purples, books, and stuff. 700 Shekels should be enough to get the side garden started, and maybe leave enough for a decent DVD player. Zahavah called last evening and wanted to know is she and Hannah can come for a couple of days. Duh! I've only been waiting for her to come since she got her van 2 years ago. I haven't seen Hannah since the last demonstration in 2002, so that will be fun. A mini gimp convention, the power chair brigade, and all. Maybe we can get a wheelchair race organized!

VISA WHOOPSIES

Some idiot company has decided that it might be fun to charge $ 50 to my Visa every other day. I put a stop to it this morning and then went to get my new card in my NEW and finally correct corrected name. Visa will get the unauthorized charges back, and no more will be made. From the bank I went to get a hair cut, then came straight home and got Child Genius over to sort the gimphouse.com domain and do some e bay shopping as he owes me a bit of money. I will at last have a Chemex Coffee maker, and Bye Bye Birdie will be mine!
Harley Too is all paid for now, and my Visa bill is relatively small, and no more HUGE electric bills until summer gets here, so my bank account will have time to recover from buying Harley. No more big buys for a few months, except maybe a DVD player. It should cost about what I spent on *fun* stuff this month-purples and books. So, if I can keep the Visa at the same level, all will be well and I'll be able to buy that anorexic monitor I want.Yesterday was the first Monday I can remember in ages when I stayed in for nonweather reasons, except to take Peg walkies, and today was just quick hop to the bank and a haircut. It's a real good way not to spend money. I did take out the cash I'll need until the end of the month, including what I'll need to take Orna to Haifa next week.
I'm pretty much caught up on my e mail. I sent a mass mailing to the usual suspects and replies are starting to trickle in. It's wonderful to have mail functioning in both directions, including franne@gimphouse.com
Yup, Gimp is feeling pretty satisfied right now.

CLOSE CALL

It was close, but, by sheer luck, I saw my beloved original Bye Bye Birdie today. It has become a habit to flick through the channels every day to see if maybe it will be on. When I went to check to see when Charmed comes and if it is several episodes at a time, like I thought it might be, I kept right on flicking and THERE IT WAS. It had already started, but I missed only the first 2 minutes. Oh joy, oh rapture. I *do* like that movie. The new version is total crap next to the original, and I've seen the update for the last time. Originals are ALWAYS better. Among the standouts in the original, Kim's bedroom is purple. The same shade as Gimp House and the MacAfees have an upside down refrigerator like I had years after seeing it, and still hope to have one day. I was so excited to find the movie that I actually cried a few times. Yup. That's how much I love that foolish icon from my younger days. I was also thrilled not to be bothered in the middle by any phone calls, I missed the first 2 minutes and was not about to miss any more for anyone or anything. I didn't tape it this time because that would have meant going into the *liberry*, setting up the VCR, and missing more than I was willing to miss. It will be on again, and I'm going to get the DVD soon, the CD too. Happy gimp. Funny how it's the little things that make me feel so good.
I guess I could a tape in and tape the 3 eps of Charmed, but I don't feel like fighting my way into the *liberry*. The Great A Team taping project was quite enough, and Charmed will be in reruns for a while yet. It's starting in 3 minutes, so I think I'll go carve up some veggies to chomp during the Charmed semi marathon.

WHAT DAY IS IT?

I can still remember clearly the first time it happened to me, even though it was way back in the 6th decade of that last century. I woke up in a panic that I'd be late to school. I was in Jr. High at the time, got dressed and ran out of the house. When I was about half way to school, which was a good mile from my house, I noticed that no one else was going that way. I got to school and it was closed. At that point I figured out that it was a no school day. I can't remember why; maybe it was a Saturday, Sunday, or a vacation break. I *do* remember feeling like a total idiot as I trudged home.
Years after that my What Day Is It Syndrome took a new direction and I found myself making appointments for 'tomorrow' 'Sunday' and 'the 27th', all at the same time! After the first time I did that, I tried to keep things straight with a calendar. It mostly worked and when I made 2 appointments for the same day and time, I could switch one of them.
My WDII Syndrome has taken on a new twist. Now I'm having trouble remembering what day it is when I wake up. It's a very odd disoriented feeling and I end up looking at my cell phone to find out. Since this new twist I've been telling myself what day/night it is before I go to sleep, but at least once a week it gets away from me, as does the week. I am always surprised by Thursday, which is not a day of any importance....no must watch TV shows, or anything like that. It's just the day before Friday, the end of our week, when I like to get up early so I can get into town in time to pick up the local papers. The worst day for it to happen on is Sunday. Trust me, it is very disconcerting to wake up on Sunday and think it's maybe still Saturday, when everything is closed here. There *is* some comfort in having the cell phone to hand. I mean imagine going through life not knowing what day it is? There was a time when, like Mac on Jag, I knew the time without a watch, but if I can't keep the days straight, what use is that? I'm still pretty good at that and can call the time to 15 minutes or so.
Ah, yes, the local papers. One of them has been an institution in town for over 20 years, but I think the owners are tired of it. They recently hired a new editor and star reporter who have turned that paper into an unreadable mess. I think I may have mentioned this before, but it's getting worse by the week. I always thought that in addition to other things, the editor was supposed to correct grammar and syntax so the reader would have a fighting chance at figuring out what the article was about. Not our intrepid new editor. He seems to think that the more obscurely it's written, the better it is. And you thought *I* had syntax and long convoluted sentences! I'm not even close to his level! Ok, ok, enough already. I'll bring Peg in and go bake something fun.

THERE ARE LIMITS

When will I learn to do what I say I will, and not do what I say I won't? Maybe this time the lesson will take and I can get back to *my* things? "Now what?" you ask. "Teadrinker, of course." I reply. She called to ask how to save a link on the toolbar folder of Firefox and after telling her 10 times how to do it, and her not listening, and me getting upset(she called just as I settling in for a kip) I said to leave it. By the time I'd woken up, she'd sent a couple of rude e mails and posted a blast on her blog. Before I saw her blog, I called her and she was rude. I answered one of her e mails in kind and I swear, when she comes groveling back, she had better be prepared for the frozen(not just cold) shoulder she'll get. And just for fun, I'm going to delete her blog posts that I was saving for her. I spent over half my on line time telling her how to do things, and when I want to do something else, like rest, she gets her knickers in a twist. I opened a Yahoo group for both of us yesterday and deleted it today. Enough is enough.
At least my email seems to working both ways now, sending and receiving. Maybe tomorrow Child Genius will have his server sorted and gimphouse.com will work. One thing I can promise is that bergadian.com will never work. I paid for it and it's mine. Go suck a teabag. I'm so far behind on both my blogs it's not funny.
I had much fun at my clinic today. I went roaring in and told the clerk to delete my cell phone numbers from my file. She didn't want to, but I demanded that she do it after explaining that calling the most expensive option first is stupidly wasteful when the health system is in the state it's in. The nurse who was sitting next to her told to leave one of the numbers in case the have to get hold of me fast. I told her there is absolutely nothing they'd have to reach me for that urgently, and to delete them. I think she did, but I'll check on Monday when I go to find out if I have the Plague or not. I have a few places that itch like crazy and have blisters and odd coloration around them. Two on my left arm and two on my right upper instep. The doctor who isn't (a doctor) was there today with a pediatrician. The pediatrician took a look and thought they might be bites. Maybe, but I don't think so. I'll have my usual doc take a look on Sunday.
I got the voucher for my annual Doppler which is for the 5th of April, and while Child Genius was arguing with his server, looked for last years results which I don't have because the check up was at the quacks office, not where it's usually done. That's ok because I want the results in my hot little hands before I decide what to do-go see a new quack, or fight to see the old one. Whatever, it will be a fun day in Haifa.

YES TEADRINKER THERE IS A GODDESS OF COMMUNICATIONS

It looks like maybe the very worst is over for Teadrinker. She got Effie over yesterday and he sorted her e mail, blog and Yahoo issues in record time. Yuppers, she has her very own blog and later today I will tell her how to paste the posts I saved into it so they only post one time instead of three times like thay did last night when we were both giddy from having opened a Yahoo Group for our automotive hero, Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame!
To recap: In about a month Teadrinker has gotten a computer, learned how to turn it on and off, send e mails, search the web, IM with Yahoo, acquired her very own blog and become co owner of a Yahoo Group. How great is that? Oops, almost forgot....she can send e cards too. We will endeavor not to recall how long it took a certain gimp of purple tp get that far. My prediction will yet come true. Teadrinker will soon be teaching *me* stuff!
My e mail is still not working. They are sending, but not getting anywhere. Hmmm. I'm using Yahoo until it gets sorted. At least it's receiving, which to me is more important than sending. Just tracked Child Genius down and he'll be here in an hour or so. The mail thing is from HIS server. My out box is configured to his server, not mine, and as there's a glitch there, nothing goes out. No, it goes out, but stays out. I would love to have gimphouse.com working, but if it won't, I want the configuration to be for 013 until such time as he sorts things.
Child Genius also owes me $50 because my credit card got charged on account of he forgot to cancel the charge. I want to go shopping for a couple of DVDs, books and a Chemex, funds permitting.
I got around the new quack question by explaining that as I've had the doppler every year since my stroke, it's just plain stupid to send me to a new quack for him order a test, go for the test, then back to the quack. Of course with the new health regs, they can't just make the appointment and hand over the authorization slip. It has to be approved by the approvers. I got a call this morning that it's all approved. Of course the idjit clerk called me on the cell phone, but my home phone which is about 600% cheaper. And they wonder why the health budget is out of control. Try the house line first, if there's no answer, try the cell. I *am* not a typical Israeli and my cell phones can be turned off in my vest pocket for weeks. It's going to fun going to get the paperwork for the test. Cell phone addicted Israelis assume that everyone else who has one is glued to it. I don't much like them, but, as gimp who charges all over town on Harley Too, it's kinda like Amex: Don't leave home without it.
Not much else happened yesterday other than a few marathon IMs and phone calls with Teadrinker, and staying wide awake until after 0300 with no energy to get up and do anything.

ONLY AT GIMP HOUSE

There are times when being a night owl has advantages. I snuggled in for the night early, around midnightish, and woke up at 0500 or so for a quick loo run. Back in bed for the duration(or until I woke up) I was shot into a bolt upright position (thanks to the millions of sit ups I still do) by a horrendous noise from the loo. When I managed to unglue my eyelids I saw what looked like Niagara Falls spurting from the right hand side of the toilet. Put sandals back on and went to take a look. I couldn't get my head in to take a proper look, but it wasn't hitting Peg, so I got him out of there through the other door and put him outside, then, I called my neighbor (they get up before I go to sleep) and asked him to come and turn the water off, as I can't get to the shut off myself. In the meantime, his wife, Orna, was on her way to the Kiosk, saw Peg outside, the door open and water flowing inside, and in she came, to be followed seconds later by wrench wielding husband in mismatched(1 pink, 1 yellow) slippers. Danny turned the water off and changed the little hose that connects the tank to the water,then, turned the water back on. There I was sitting on the bed surrounded by water-my own little island. Orna took over and squeegied the water out. It was in the kitchen I waited until it was mostly dry as gimps walking in water on a tile floor is not a recommended activity, then, made a cup of coffee. AND A GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO. That pretty much explains what I'm doing at the computer hours before I usually wake up.

The Philmore's check arrived yesterday and I deposited it in the bottomless hole that is my bank account. Things are now back on track. Before I went home, I went by my dog supply shop and got some tick stuff for Lexie, the dog who calls Teadrinker her human, and I'll mail it to her when I go out to find out why I have to change vascular quacks. I called my usual one yesterday and he said he no longer works with my medical insurer, so I have to get a new. It sucks to have to change quacks after having the same one for 6 years.

BACK FROM MOSCOW

After having all the competitions come out more or less to my satisfaction, I'm back. I'll watch the gala from here, close to an endless supply of tear paper. It's been an exhausting week and I feel like skated every single event 20+ times. The best was feeling like I was on the podium with Slutskaya when she was presented the gold medal in her home town. She was magnificent and earned that medal the hard way.
My daughter called today during the ladies free (after our yell up) She's been transferred to Afula-a 7 minute drive from home and is working the front desk at least until after kid # 2 arrives. This is good and I hope it teaches her not to come screaming at me to talk to the minister ever again because I WILL NOT.
I'd really like to take a nap now, but it's too late. I'll just have to struggle through until a reasonable hour to go to sleep, say, midnightish.
It's also time to decide if I'm talking to Teadrinker or not. On the 1 hand, I'd like to, on the other, I like the peace and quiet. That last bit really was close to too much. I should have known that no matter how pissed she was she wouldn't hijack and delete a blog. Two reasons for knowing that. 1) It's not her style and 2) she wouldn't know how. But mostly the first. Yeah, ok, I'll talk to her, BUT I WILL NOT HELP HER WITH THE COMPUTER, or let her monopolize my time on it. I really do have things to do other than IM with her or anyone all day. I haven't IMed with any of my other friends even once since she got her computer. I learned all by self, so can she. She *is* smarter than I am, after all, even if I *am* the Goddess of Communication!

ENDS SUCK

This thing with Teadrinker is getting to me. It is of course possible that I deleted A Gimp's View From The North's posts myself when I thought I was deleting her posts. Anything is possible, and I've done far stupider things.
It's a shame that our friendship had to end like this, but that's her call. At least I'll have some peace and quiet from her incessant phone calls and be able to do what I want without being interrupted to hear the latest totally inconsequential event in her life. I'm saddened by this almost as much as I am angered by her turn around because I found it more pressing to go out, then watch Worlds that I did to IM with her. In one post she went from reasonable to petulant, nasty, insanity. I just might post the whole story here, e mails, IMs and all. I will if I catch her here again before we know exactly what happened to those posts. Hit counters are wonderful things!

WANNA PLAY DIRTY BERG?

Stay out of this blog, and my other blog, Berg, or I will file a complaint. I want the posts back NOW. The blog I deleted the posts from was MY blog and I saved the posts. What you did was illegal among other things. I really don't have time for childish games. If you want to hate me, go right ahead, but keep it legal. Don't speak to me ever again, just send the posts back by noon. And after this STAY OUT OF THIS BLOG. As of now you will not have access to my account here as I have changed the password. Keep in mind that I didn't delete your blog to ne mean. I did it because things got too weird even for me. Now, return the posts.

OH ME OH MY

What a finish to men's Worlds! Stephane Lambiel, gold, Jeffrey Buttle, silver, Evan Lysachek, bronze with Joubert and Weir off the podium our lad in the top 20 and my personal favorite, Plushenko withdrawn due to fatigue and a sprained dick (any connection?) I couldn't be more thrilled. The judging was a bit odd, but more of that at A view From The North. I as knackered as if I had skated ALL the programs myself. That's the price I pay for still being able to feel it inside. I AM glad I can still feel it even if I can't do it anymore, but boy is it ever tiring at competition time. Now I only have to get throught dance and ladies in one piece!

OH ME OH MY

What a finish to Worlds! Stephane Lambiel Gold, Jeffrey Buttle Silver, Evan Lysacheck Bronze, Weir and Joubert off the podium, our lad in the top 20, and my personal favorite, Plushenko withdrawn due to fatigue and a sprained dick(is there a connection?). I couldn't be more thrilled. The judging was a bit odd, but more of that over at A View From The North. I'm as knackered as if I had skated ALL the programs myself. That's price I pay for still being able to feel it inside. I AM happy that I can still feel it, but boy is it tiring at competition time! Now I only have to get through ladies and dance in one piece!!

LIVE AND LEARN

After spending over 90% of the time I was on line since Teadrinker got her computer, with her, she had what is likely to be her last hissy fit at me. I *did* delete her blog last night for the simple reason that mine got hijacked to her name. I DON'T know how it happened, only that it did. I was on IM with her for a minute this morning, but had to go out and pay Deutch for the work he did on Harley Too, and she went ballistic when I didn't reply immediately. I just happen to have a life away from the computer, and right now, it's Worlds and no one, no how, no way, is going to interrupt me on a Dance competition day. I flashed a quick IM when I came in, but as Teadrinker thinks her blog issues are more important than my seeing the Original Dance competition, she got all upset that I had something better to do than spend that time IMing on a dead issue. She wants a blog, she can just go get one. I'm going to take another look and be sure none of mine are in her name and vice versa. If she doesn't have a miraculous recovery from her insanity of today, I'll just keep her domain (the one *I* paid for) and she will NEVER have access to it. Child Genius and I were going to sort the blog script issue and put her blog there. Not much of a reason to do that if she keeps on believing that crap she's been spouting. At least I have ALL the IMs and e mails saved so as to prove the inaccuracies.

I went out to pay Deutch at 1145 and knew I'd miss the first two groups in the original dance, but the last thing I needed was for him to be upset with me because he ordered that parts and I blew him off. He was not thrilled that Yefim fixed it, but got over it when I paid. I then stopped at Richard's for a quick coffee, then picked up a carton cigarettes to pay Orna. The price of a carton of her fags is exactly what I owed her and as she would buy the fags anyway, I might just as well pay her that way. We did some major sorting and throwing in my room yesterday and in the process found my mother's passport. I'd forgotten I had it. Also found my birth certificate, and a bunch of other important stuff I hadn't seen in years.

Time to move on. Moscow was great today. The original dance is one of my favorites and Galit and Sergei were great. They are in 7th place now, but have a shot at the podium or 4th place if they skate a perfect free dance. They really are phenomenal. No one skates like Sergei. I've been madly in love him since the first time I saw him on the ice in Metula. He is one of the few whose total love of skating shows with every stroke. Galit is no slouch either. Every time I see her skate, I am reminded of the time I met her at Jacob's Ladder at Sachne. When the person I was with made a crack about us talking skating, she put his jaw on the ground by saying something to the effect that it's rare that she gets to talk skating with someone who actually knows the sport. Until then he'd thought that I was all talk, but she let him know that you can't talk the talk if you can't skate the skate! Maybe that last should be in past tense because I sure can't skate the skate anymore! But I *do* still feel every move inside when watching.

E MAIL STILL PLAYING SILLY BUGGERS

Child Genius should be showing up soon to work his magic on the e mail issues. It *could* be worse and the computer could be fu**cked up like it was only two weeks ago instead of working faster and better than ever, with no viri or spywares to be found, not to mention no errors on the drives! So, if all that's wrong with it is messed up e mails, maybe I should stop whinging and start counting my blessings.

I took Harley Too to Deutch early (for me) this morning, and wouldn't you know it, he doesn't have the part I need. It seems I'm not the only one whose vehickule got treated with glue! Yup, the post mortem on the charger socket showed without a doubt, it was glued. Ranni, Ovadia's head repair guy is going to get a very nasty phone call Sunday morning. He called yesterday at 0815 and told me that one of his guys was in town the day before and couldn't get in touch with me. The wonders of caller I.D. show that no such calls were placed. It's real stupid to lie to me about something that can be checked so easily. ALL my phones show ALL incoming calls, answered or not. Ooops, Ranni. I ended up staying in town rather than going to the Industrial area so as not to run out of battery juice. But that's ok. I got the rest of this month's fag stock, my meds, a few last minute things from the grocery store, the local scandal rags (one of which is unreadable since they changed the editor and reporter) So I am now all set for a nice long, rainy, quiet weekend. I have lots of things to do here, newspapers to read, blogs to update and the Ex's site to finish, among other things. I have a lovely pot of cooked whole wheat to chomp my way through. Yups, I'm back on the macro thing.

The only thing I wish I could have this weekend, but can't, is daily episodes of Hercules. I adore that series, not just because the Sorbo lad is so easy on the eyes, but also because the show itself is hysterical. In one of last weeks eps they had character names that had me in hysterics. Herc was supposed to judge an art contest, with contestants who had names like Picassoius, and the like. It's also great fun to read fun to read the disclaimers at the end. The one for this ep, where Hercules was persuaded to pose for the artists wearing only a bunch of grapes, went something like: It was again proven that it is not the size of his grapes that proves the worth of a man. It's fun, fun, fun! And for no good reason that I know of, they don't run Hercules on Fri/Sat.

Oh, and one more thing. Teadrinker, Instead of checking in here 9 times a day to see if I've written any more nasties about you, pick up the phone and call!

STILL NO JOY- E MAILS DOWN

It's almost too much to bear. Both e mails are still not working. 013 recieves, but won't send and gimphouse.com is completely down. The only thing working, or giving the appearance of working is Yahell and we all know how much I detest their mail. The only one I detest more is hitmail! And if that's not enough, posts to my Yahell groups are returned from Yahell as undeliverable because they have to be sent from a recognized addy registered for that group. VA posts come ok, but, for some reason I can't post from 013 even when it's working. It's all too much.

It's pissing rain right now, so I'll pretty much be staying in until it lets up. I should be able to get more done on the Ex's site, and if the rain lets up enough, run out long enough to get the rest of my meds and have Deutch fix Harley Too's charger issues and maybe get a DVD.

The phone rang yesterday afternoon and no one answered when I said "Hello" I waited a minute and heard Irit talking to Romi. After a minute or so, I hung up and she didn't call back. What was that about? After this most boring post, I'm off to have a bit of a rant at my other blog. If it isn't already in my profile, I'll add it later. I had absolutely no luck adding a links thingy here.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

I have the most amazing ability to torture myself. It seems my credit card wasn't cancelled after all. I began to have my doubts after Child Genius said this month's charge went through! After I cut the wires to Harley Too's charger socket I went to my butcher and the charge was accepted! Next stop Steimatzky to see if my book came in. It hadn't, but they had a new reference book for Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code, which I had been talking to Ayal from Traklin about not 15 minutes previously. This companion book should be almost as interesting as the book itself. Then on to the grocery store to get a few things I still need, then home to take Peg walkies and write this report on my idiocy!

The e mail is still messed up, but Child Genius says it's his server, which makes sense as I get a Netvision notice and that's where his server lives. He said he should have it fixed later today and will come over later to see what I've done on the Ex's site.

It's time to build a salad and climb into bed and start reading my new book.

AND A NICE CHILLY DAMP GOOD MORNING TO YOU!

Yuppers, it's chilly/damp this morning and Harley Too is still sitting there with his charger socket wires hanging out. One way or another, I'll get them either cut off, or undo them from under the plastic case. I have three whole things to report from yesterday. The first is that, in spite of my troubles with the scanners, the pics came up ok on the M$ editor and I have the first page of my favorite ex's site done. The second is the blazing row I had with Irit. She called and had a go at me for not calling them. I tried to explain that I am not a friend who can be expected to call, but rather, her mother, and SHE should not only call me, but come up here to visit with Romi at least once a month. She disagreed vociferously and I ended up saying "If you decide to come visit, call" and hanging up. I'll follow that with a letter today as I can explain things better in writing. The third is that I started a new blog for political ravings and rantings called A Gimp's View From The North. I haven't added a link here yet, but will today. So far there's nothing much there. I just thought it would be less confusing (for me) to keep the two separate.

I had the oddest dream, and even odder, I remember it! It was mixed up with a show I've started watching on AXN-PSI Factor. Somehow, I was taking some courses through them, in Hebrew and on my first test/essay got 90% in Hebrew. The test was written in Hebrew and I got 90 on it! After all the tests were handed back, we had to go out in the bad part of Tel Aviv and hide, I'm not sure from what or why. We were all comparing grades and trying to hide. It *was* pretty odd. The oddest part was that I showed it to The Philmore (where he came from, I don't know) and he was upset that he couldn't read it!

It might be a good idea to get Harley Too sorted and go into town before the 4 days of predicted rain start.

NOT NICE

Some very not nice person, who most likely will not live long when I find out who it was, glued Harley Too's charger plug into the charger socket and no one can get it out, and, of course he won't move with the plug in. The whole socket thingy came out of it's housing when I tried to disconnect it last night. I'll put a camera out there later.

If that's not enough, my emails worked for one whole day and now will not send or receive. I keep getting a popup that says it can't connect to Netvision. Well, of course it can't. I don't have Netvision any more! Will I never be free of them? On top of that, Yahoo isn't accepting my posts. They say the addy isn't associated with my account for that group, but it is! What is going on here? No e mail, no Harley Too and I have to get out of here and back before 1100 because Child Genius is coming to work on The Favorite Ex's site. I have it all blocked out, and can picture it in my head. I don't need these delays. I guess I'd better call Yefim and ask what he suggests I do about the plug. I am so not in a good mood it's not funny.

BAD NIGHT

I can't remember having such a bad night for ages. I kept waking up, and that is so not like me. Child Genius appeared and sorted most of the stuff I messed up. All e addys are working, gimphouse.com is in Yahoo and sound is back. Now, all I have to is sort Scrabble. Not exactly a must get done now, but I would like it to work to properly. He'll be around to sort out the favorite ex's site. I started scanning all things he sent, but the scans look like crap, so he's going to have to show me how to sort the image. I *do* miss my old Microsoft photo prog. HP's are good, but I'm crap at working them.

Could someone please tell me why I'm sitting here freezing my butt off, and on the verge of falling asleep. After finally falling asleep, I woke up at 1100, and still want to sleep.

I think maybe I should have a shout up with Netvision. My e mail keeps trying to connect to them, and there is no good reason for it to do that. There are only two designated accounts- BBarak and gimphouse, so why is Netvision butting in?

The favorite ex called last night about his site and told me that our daughter is preggers again. That surprises me not in the least. They can't fire her and by law must find her a place close to home. She's no dummy and if she plays her cards and timing right will be able to sort things out with TPTB while having as many kids as she wants! This one looks to be an 18 or so month difference, which is exactly the age difference between her and her brother. I found it to be a very nice age difference.

Looks like it might be time to think about getting something to eat and warming up a bit.

The person who bet that I will talk to Teadrinker tomorrow evening wins the pool! If she calls tomorrow after 1900, and doesn't try to apologize/analyze, I'll talk to her as if nothing happened.

THE BETTING POOL IS NOW OPEN

I am now accepting bets on how long it will take me to talk to Teadrinker! She called yesterday and tried to apologize, but I'm not having it yet. She'll just have to wait until this freaking computer is working right. gimphouse.com is not working, except it let 1 post through, there's no sound (the infamous trojan is hiding in that file) and I'm frustrated as hell that I can't sort either issue myself, not to mention that C.G. is still not answering his phone.
The news last night was most entertaining. Assad announced that his minions will Lebanon if there's a consensus that the Lebanese want them to go! And after he consults with Lahud- his very own puppet. The Lebanese are not demonstrating for the Syrians to stay, and Lahud is hardly going to tell his mentor to leave. As one of our talking heads said, consulting Lahud is in effect, consulting himself! They have to get out of Lebanon and stop blaming us for their presence there. They also have to take the Hezbollah with them. There is no reason to think the Lebanese can't govern themselves. They did a fine job of it before the Syrians arrived, and in spite of the clash yesterday, I can't see any real reason to expect them to have another civil war. They've already done that and are not stupid to go there again. I'm sure the clash yesterday was sponsored by Syria, as a ploy to show that without them things will deteriorate. Anyone who buys into that deserves what they get.
Bush, Blair,the frog and all are telling Assad to get out now. I think he might try to Arafart them...........make like he's leaving, then, drag things out with inane excuses, like blaming us and whatever else sounds good. They gotta go and soon.
Ok, it's almost noon and past time to get out of here, go into town, the grocery shopping. As to the pool, the winning bet will be the one that's closest to the date and time the computer is sorted. I can't begin to guess!

DID IT AGAIN

I have yet again, managed to piss off Teadrinker! The woman just doesn't listen, and as a complete newbie has trouble saying exactly what she wants to do, and the minute you tell her how to do something and it doesn't work, she gets hysterical. That's it. After this morning, she can either wait for someone who knows what they are doing to come and sort her e mail snafus or bin the bloody thing. Like I'm not having troubles of my own! I can not get my gimphouse.com to work right. I don't know what I did to mess it up. It was working just fine and receiving with no trouble, then, out of the blue it decided the password is wrong! That password lets me into the server, but, will not work to get mail Grrrrrrrr. I've done everything I can think of to get it to work, but it won't, so I can only sit here and wait for Child Genius to answer his phone and come here to fix it. Other than that, things seem to be working ok and I can only find 1 virus/trojan horse that sneaked in with the back up disk. I can live with that. At least the scans are not coming up with hundreds of read errors. I got all my links and e addys back and spent 4 hours last night putting things to rights in the addy book so the names would show. I guess it could have been worse and I could have had to re enter them all by hand. Thank G-d for import-export!
Teadrinker accused me of saying that her Adult Genius did something wrong, and doesn't know what he's doing. I never said that. All I said was that there was something wrong with installation of Thunderbird if it didn't show inbox, sent, trash, etc. There's a huge difference in saying the installation was bad and saying the installer was bad. She also said that she asked me to talk her through opening an attachment. She didn't. She asked me how to get a mail out of her inbox, and put someplace safe. I told her how to move it to another folder (for which she has no icon) and it went missing. What she wanted to do was work on the prog without the mail bothering her. I'm supposed to guess what she wants? Hells, if she wants to think that, fine! I can hang up the phone with the best of them. When I reminded her of the hysteria with the camera scanner, she denied ever getting upset about it. The story now is that she called HP right away and the nice guy there talked her through it. I just love selective memory. She'll either calm down in a day or two, or not. I wonder how long it will take before I talk to again. I know the reason for this whole thing is that she only listens to her end of the conversation, and not to what's being said to her. I can't count the times she's called me and rabitted on for hours and not let me get a word in edgewise. What do I do to attract people who do that? I must put an end to it. She can think anything she likes about me.
I've been sitting here since 1030 and my left shoulder is killing me. I think I'll take the cell phone to bed with a bottle of water (ice), some soup and try to get hold of Child Genius.

REFORMATTED AND READY TO GO *SPARE*

Well, we finally did it, and so far, 12 hours later the computer seems to be behaving itself. I hope I haven't spoken too soon. I *am* having major issues with configuring XP to my color. Some how, by accident I got the previous installation to give me beautiful purple everywhere I wanted it. Yesterday it suddenly self destructed and ALL the purple was gone. I haven't been able to recreate the miracle that did it for me as yet, but with perseverence, I'm sure I will!
Today is the big day! I finally, after a year of nonstop suffering at the untender hands of Netvision, go back to Barak. I'm staying with cable and take beack evry nasty word I ever said about them. It was Netvision all the time. I came very close to participating in a *bidding war* with both comanies. Netvision offered me a deal for 5 shekels a month less than Barak, but, I'm going back to Barak. Cable also came up with a sweet deal with TV and internet combined into 1 low price.
Netvision has been seriously misbehaving this morning and refused to let me send a mail to myself. Ha! Netvision wants 2.50 a month to let me keep my e mail account with them. I don't think so. Barak let me have access to theirs for free. I won't miss the Netvision one at all. However, the very thought of changing all the Yahoo settings for my groups does fill me with joyful anticipation. I somehow have to make them accept my purplegimp@ gimphouse addy. So far they haven't let me add it.
Teadrinker is coming along nicely with the exception of a few glitches with Thunderbird. She swears that she doesn't have the local folders thingy on her main page. That just isn't possible, but she swears it's not there. Then, thee's the fact that it's taking hours for her e mail to get there. Something is very wrong. Effie (Adult Genius) will have to sort it for her.
I haven't seen news for two days, so have no idea what needs my attention out there. That's what happens when you have to get the computer ready for a reformat and reinstall. There is nothing else! I think maybe I'll post and have a yell up with Netvision, the continue getting my links and color back!

REFORMAT COMING SOON

It has been decreed that tomorrow is the big day, or should I say night? I am heartily sick and tired of virus announcements popping up when and as they will. Getting this computer was supposed to put an end to all that, but because of stupidity, it didn't. I didn't know then that transferring data directly off the old computer's hard drive would just put all the old crap right on the new one. Yes, I asked, but he said, it should be ok. Well, it wasn't ok, so now, we have to reformat. At least this time, I have a place to export all the important stuff to!
Teadrinker's Adult Genius arrived at the appointed time with a dead modem from the phone company, then had to go out and get a live one as well as the software for the web cam that didn't come with, as it should have. Latest update was that there are some mega troubles getting the modem to work. When/if he gets it working and has her e mail downloaded and configured for bezeqint, I'll be able to tell him where to access the info for bergadian.com!
I wasted a little time watching Fox today and found their commentary on Syria to be interesting. There's a lot of hopeful talk about how Assad just might have gone a little too far lately. It still pisses me off that absolutely no one made so much as a peep about Assad Srs take over of Lebanon until just recently. After all it happened long before Saddamn went into Kuwait and has continued unhindered since long after Saddamn was thrown out of Kuwait. It does kind of look like a domino effect is taking hold over here. Assad Jr. is, by all accounts most nervous about the possibility that Lebanon might strike a separate peace deal with us and that is just too much for his little pin shaped head to assimilate. The appeasers want to go slowly, when what is really needed is FULL SPEED AHEAD and get Lebanon back to the Lebanese. If Syria can be stopped, that will leave only Saudi Arabia, and Egypt(which is making appropriate whimpers) in line to dragged over to the good guys, which will leave the terrorists pretty much homeless.