TV CAN BE SO MUCH FUN

A new channel was recently added to our cable selection. It runs all kinds of reality style shows. There are three that I rather enjoy. One tells strange tales from emergency rooms, another follows ambulance crews around and yet another follows cops. I have a great deal of fun with some of the names of the people in the various shows. The ER one has a Dr. Slay, and last night's cop show had a detective named Crook, which of course could be spelled any number of ways, but is still pronounced Crook. I'm not quite sure how I'd react if I found myself in an ER being treated by a guy named Dr. Slay! From what was shown Dr Slay is one of the best, and he is seriously handsome, but that name, oh my, that name. There are a few others, but the best of them requires a minimum knowlege of common Israeli names, but I'll give it shot. In one of the episodes a resident was looking for his intern; Dr. Buzzaglow, and it took me a few minutes to figure out that the name was most likely Bouzaglo. There really isn't an English spelling for that name as the origin is from Morocco, and the accented sylable isn't necessarily the same, but it has given no end of entertainment.
I finally managed to pay off one my 'get to the rotorooter' debts yesterday, and it feels so good. I asked him if he'd accept that camera I'd found last week instead of cash, and he jumped on the offer. It was a few days before I got around to downloading the card and deleting the 15 pictures left on it. I took it to him yesterday and he was pleased as punch. There aren't many things I hate more than owing money to friends, but giving them a camera that's purchase price is much more than the debt is just fine with me.
I'm very lucky that murder can not be committed over the phone. I asked Dem Der to please find someone else to handle his cable phone bill as his overseas calls are now coming in on that and he still owes me a 100 from last month. He came up with a whole list of reasons why he hasn't found anyone yet, then made the almost fatal mistake of telling me that I can wait another 3 weeks or so. Guess who went ballistic? Yup, that would be me. I have to redo some of my stuff with cable company, and I've been waiting to get rid of his phone carge. I'm not waiting any longer. He'll get his ass in gear or lose the phone, and I don't much care.

AT LAST A REAL THURSDAY

This really is nuts, but, that shouldn't be news to anyone who knows me. Today really is Thursday and for the first time in weeks I actually am sure of what day it is. I even think I might have figured what out what my fixation with Thursday is. Passover was a few weeks ago, and after Passover comes the counting of the Omer, during which period it is custom to not get new clothes, hair cuts, manicures or pedicures. A sort of period of mourning that is broken on Lag B'Omer, when weddings can held, hair and nails cut. As I had decided that it was a very bad idea to use any of my mostly non existant cash to get my nails done before Passover, I found myself with ever lengthening toe nails on my right foot. I thought it would be a good idea to check exactly when Lag B'Omer would be, and discovered that it would arrive on Thursday, the 22nd of May. Today! That's where the Thursday fixation came from. I got the day, but the date kind of took a back seat, and left me waking up hoping(thinking) that everyday was Thursday already!
So, here it is Thursday, and fingernails are all gone, and my toe nails will be gone tomorrow.
Of course all this Thursday idiocy made me get my son's birthday all wrong. I know perfectly well that it's on the 20th, but decided that this year the 20th would be on THURSDAY. Well, it wasn't, and he was disappointed that I'd seemingly forgotten. Of course he was born on a Thursday, so I wasn't that far off. I just hope I can shake thing everyday is Thursday thing now that THE THURSDAY has come.

JUST PLODDING ALONG

I guess I should be more upset than I am, but I'm actually feeling a bit smug. The Suzuki was finally taken away and Shmaryah is stuck with the old Renault Express that doesn't have an inspection sticker, insurance, and hasn't run in over a year, two, even. It's sad that things went downhill like that, but, to be expected. I will say in his favor that he has kept his end of the agreement we made, which has pleasantly surprised me.
Liat and Adee are coming to Israel in about two weeks and I am experiencing that delightful anticipation again. I have started a major cleaning operation well in advance and have gotten most of the boxes in the spare room emptied out and ready to be thrown out. I found an old digicam that I forgot I even had. Good thing I opened all the boxes to make sure no important papers were left in them! Golan will be along one day soon to help me take the boxes out. I also got the table pretty much cleared off and the table cloth washed. Oh, and the sofa is clear except for a box of garden things that have to go into the shed. I do a little bit every day and it's starting to show. Gimp House will be all sparkly clean by the time the girls get here. I'm not going to clean the fridge though. Adee can do that!

CRASH

As I was happily toodling towards home on Harley this morning, I suddenly felt us being pushed in entirely the wrong direction by a gray Mazda. This happened at the turn to the roof top parking at the mall where my clinic is. Mazda guy turned right to go up the ramp while I was going straight past the turn. There are usually tons of pedestrians there so I really don't understand how he didn't see me. There was the usual hysterical crowd asking "Are you ok? Do you want to go to the ER?" Too bad no one just called the cops because even though he did give me his name and phone number and I wrote down his lisence plate number he made a comment about having to figure out who was at fault. That's a no brainer. I was going strigh ahead and he turned into me.
The only thing wrong is that my left (trashed) shoulder hurts like it hasn't since the katyusha knocked me off the motorcycle in 1992 and wrecked my collar bone. It looks like I'll be taking things real easy for a few days.
Right now, I'm off to rest and take a pain pill.

IS IT THURSDAY?

I don't know what's wrong with me, but for the last week or so I've been waking up every morning thinking that it's Thursday. I was awake for hours yesterday and had no idea what day it was.
I was woken up Golan who had come over to rig a crutch clip on New Harley Too. The factory swore that there was no way to do it, but, Golan did it! While he was getting started on that, I took Peg out, made coffee, raced through e mails, then after the clip was in place with the crutch in it, I went grocery shopping, schlepped it all in, had a rest, then found myself wondering what day it was. I'd gotten to 1700 and had no idea what day of the week of it was! This morning was almost as bad, but I checked on the TV and it's Monday! I must be going senile because I am sure that tomorrow will be Thursday. I have no idea why I'm stuck on Thursday. I just am. Of course, the last two times it was Thursday, I was sure it was Tuesday.............I'm beginning to wonder if it matters at all what day it is, and if it does, why it does?
Maybe it has something to do with my new 'night owl sleep schedule'? Having come to the conclusion that it really doesn't matter what time I get up in the morning, I'm not forcing myself to not doze off in the afternoon, and stay awake until I fall asleep around 0300 or so, and get up when I wake up, whenever that is.
This thinking it's Thursday every morning is just a little nuts, but, so am I.........

BE CAREFUL BE VERY CAREFUL

Think twice before being mean to me! If you are, I'll just tell my grandaughter and let her take care of it!
That's one baby to stay on the good side of! Baby with attitude. I wonder what got her going.
There was absolutely no way I could resist posting this picture here. I'm thinking of making it part of a warning sign to put on my door to keep the people who think Gimp House is the medical supply lending service next door from just walking in! Nothing seems to work, not even all the new signs they've put up. Well, locking the door does,but I am only locking it until Ornagate settles down. It's been quiet on that front so far, and I'm sure they've gotten the letter from my lawyer, and Danny has most likely gone in to the cops for his interview. They aren't talking, which means that they know perfectly well that anyone they could complain to know who is in the wrong.
That miserable pressure sore is almost all gone now. It took a turn for the worse last week and we started again with the special patches, and when I went to change it on Friday, the whole sore was almost gone, and it doesn't hurt at all now.
It suddenly hit me one day last week that as there is no reason for me to get up at a set time these days (other than to satisfy some anal retentive's idea of the need to keep to a routine) I have decided that there is no earthly reason not to drift off into a nap in the afternoon, then, stay up as late as I want at night. When I have to function in 'day mode' instead of my preferred night owl mode, I can make the adjustment, but see no reason to when I don't have to. I wonder why it took me so long to figure out.

A VERY SAD DAY AT GIMP HOUSE

I always look forward to Saturday mornings because right after a quick run through my e mails I go straight to my old home town newspaper. I save it for Saturday's only, rather than checking in every day. It's much more fun to anticipate a good read of what's been going on back there.
I was devastated this morning to see that yet another of my childhood icons had died. I read the whole paper with tears streaming down my cheeks. There was one house between the one I grew up on and the one he grew up in. That family was as much a part of my childhood as my own. There was a path by their garage to the college sports field behind our houses that all of us kids used as a short cut to those fields. The Nivens owned the newspapers in our town and the next city over, Bath. I still remember the younger son, Cam, who lived at home with his parents until he married one of my very good childhood friend's aunt. That was quite an event and my parents, and evryone else were thrilled for them. Cam eventually took over the newspapers from his father and combined them into one larger daily area newspaper. I grew up with that newspaper and even though it was a relatively small newspaper as things go, it is still the standard by which I judge newspapers to this day, and find most lacking. Strange thing about us Longfellow Avenuers. We seem to play musical houses, and either end up back on Longfellow Ave. or living near each other. The last house I lived in in Brunswick was just 4 houses away from the house Cam and Betsey lived in, which was next door to the home of yet another Longfellow family. The parents of that latter family's wife lived in the second house from ours in the other direction. They moved out of town to the country, and bought our house when we moved to the country. Their son bought their old house, and their grandson now lives in our old house. There's something about that street.
This morning when I brought up the Times Record's main page, the first thing that caught my eye was that Campbell Niven had died. Of course that was the first thing I read, and it brought so many of my wonderful memories about my childhood flooding back, and a feeling of utter sadness that yet another remarkable influence on life was now gone forever.

ORNA GATE

I would like to extend my most sincere apologies to my three faithful readers for not posting as regularly as usual. My mood has been a little bit off what with allthe pressure of Orna Gate, the reappearance of my pressure sore (at least one thing likes enough to stick around), and the insane goings on, locally, nationally, and internationally.
The police waited until the end of Pesach to call Danny in to be interrogated. That's only to be expected. This morning his mother arrived at my door to beg me to cancel my complaint because Orna is hospital at death's door. She said that Orna has a thrombosis that she is not expected to survive. Uh huh. It just so happens that I know a thing or two about blood clots and what can be done for/about them. Been there, done that, have the wheely, don't need a T shirt. The real imminent danger from a clot is if it moves to the lungs, heart or brain. Otherwise there are some excellent clot busting drugs that can take care of it. Surgery is also an option depending on where it is. She is in the surgical ward, and later tonight I will know exactly what her condition is. It's ever so nice to have that hospital wired! I'm very sorry that she's so sick and in hospital, but, that's hardly a reason to take back my complaint against her husband. Nope. Not going to do it. After listening to her hysterionics for 45 minutes I explained exactly why I intend to see thing through to then. Until Danny broke and entered my shed, I didn't have a thing on them, just the daughter. Now, I have them both. Sueing Danny for the shed and swing glider they stole while I was away in 2006 and refused to return when I got back, give me reason to open a civil suit against Danny. Sueing him is the same as sueing her. Enough is enough.
On the local front, our mayor was convicted of a whole bunch of crimminal election activities, among them accepting bribes, falsifying legal documents and whole long list of other things. He's going to jail, at long last!
The national stuff I'll cover in one of my other blogs more fully and just say here that our poorest ever excuse of a PM had the nerve to take his annual vacation in a cabin on the Golan Heights and was quoted as saying after his vacation that he couldn't see what all the fuss was about between us and the Syrians over the Golan. All he saw up there was a bunch of volcanic rocks and security men (HIS security detail). He is such a lout, but more on that at the other blog.
Sorry for cutting this short, but some new pictures of my grand baby just came in and I must look at them.

YES WE ARE HAVING FUN NOW

Some people just don't know when they have it good. This morning, Danny, Orna's husband, asked for the key to the shed so he could take 'their' Passover dishes( the ones *I* bought for them) and when I refused to give it to him, he went right ahead and broke in and took them. I called the cops while he was doing it, but they got here after he left with the dishes. The cops, wanting to keep life simple for themselves hinted that as Danny said that he'd fix the damage, maybe I'd wait with the complaint, then, went their merry way without taking a formal complaint. Danny also had the nerve to tell the cops that I owe Orna 3 months salary. Um, I don't think so. She was paid for every day she worked, and then some. Her salary was based on a full work month, and if she averaged 3 hours of real work a day, I'm a harmless kitty cat. I was ready for his nonesense, so just said very quietly that I can prove otherwise. One of the cops winked at me as if to say that he knows the liar is! Before heading for town, I took a picture of the damage, which looks small, but will require that the whole door on that side be replaced. When I got home, an old friend who is a cop called to wish me a happy holiday, and when I told him what had happened, he told me that it was indeed breaking and entering, and to lodge a formal complaint tomorrow. My lawyer said the same thing when I called him about it. So, that's exactly what I will do, first thing tomorrow. The pilgrimmage has already started with three neighbors trying to convince me to not file a complaint. Everyone would be well advised to save their breath. That family crossed my red line long ago, and I am out for blood. They can say anything they want about me to anyone they please. I know the truth.
I just love stuff like this when I am 100% right, and ready for the fight. This is going to be so much fun.

WHO ME ? UPSET?

It's just been one of those weeks when everything annoys me, often for no good reason. Well, maybe there is a reason. I have a post for one of my other blogs percolating in my head, and that kind of makes it hard to write here. It's almost brewed, so, I can update here now.
Not much of interest has happened this week, except my lawyer finally managed to get himself over here.
I almost went berzerk, as well as blind getting all of Orna's daughter's phone bills into Word from PDF. I still am not sure exactly how I did it, but, I did, and now my lawyer has it, along with all the details. There is just one tiny glitch. Before it can filed in court, a letter of intent to sue has to be sent. That means that she gets fair warning and a 14 day period from when she gets the letter to pay up, including the fee the lawyer charges for writing and sending the letter. If I know her, and I do, she will be here 3 minutes after opening that letter, begging for easy monthly payments. I'm ready for her! She gets exactly one payment. I am so looking forward to this!
Ok, the phone stuff is done and I just got myself a new deal from the cable company! If you have their interweb, phone and TV, for 199 a month instead of 189 a month you can get all their channels! That's actually not a bad deal. Those deals are usually for new customers, but, for some strange reason, this one is also for existing customers! It goes into effect tomorrow. Granted, I might not ever watch the new additions, but, on the other hand, I might, and 10 shekels more a month is a joke. Actually, it's less than $ 3! So, that's ok.
I spent most of this morning in town trying to get just one of the long list of people who owe me money to give me enough for a few packs of cigarrettes. The really annoying part of that is that it wasn't so long ago that all Orna had to do was tell me she was out of smokes, and I'd run right out to get her a carton. Now, thanks to her, I have trouble scraping together enough money for even one pack. That really gets my motor running! As things stand now, I'm ok until Sunday.
The bandage fell off the pressure again, and I'm leaving it off for now. There's a nice dry scab over it, so, with any luck, that bit of torture is over. I'll keep on using the pyramid pillow invention just to be on the safe side.
I think it's time to scrounge some lunch, then have a little rest. See? It really was a boring week!

NAUGHTY LAZY GIMP

I willing admit to having been a lazy gimp this week. I just haven't much felt like writing. No real reason, just was doing other things. But, yesterday I did actually do something somewhat note worthy! After my quick Friday swing through town for the local papers, I decided to make bread with my handy dandy machine. I like whole wheat bread, and the machine does just fine with whole wheat flour. Thing is, if you want to make whole wheat bread it helps to have whole wheat flour. I only found about a quarter of a 1 kilogram bag of whole wheat flour, but had a whole one of rye and another full bag of white bread flour. Ok. I decided to just combine them, and dumped some of each into a bowl, whisked them all together, then, started measuring the mixed flours into the machine bucket. I was more than a little amazed to discover that I had put exactly enough of each flour into the bowl! The bread that came out of the machine was the best so far.
I wonder if I'll ever manage that trick again? I wasn't even trying. It just happened.

THE TRIP

This is the short version!

Today was almost fun. The plan was to leave early, get there early because more times than not, there's trouble with the paperwork or no parking (same damn inner city teaching hospital). My appointment was for 1300, and a miracle happened! There was parking space about as close as you can the door. When I left it was cloudy, but no rain. The rain started when I got to Haifa and there was a nice big puddle right where I had to step to jackknife myself out of the car. The cloth slipper I had on the pressure sore foot came off, and there's no way to put it back on when I'm standing. I was parked right outside a security booth and the sweety came out and helped me put the wheely together. I plonked myself into and rolled in, and signed in, over an hour early. The paperwork was ok, and I decided that I needed a fag which were in the car, so, out I rolled into the pouring rain and the same guy got them out of the car for me. After my oxeegen break I rolled back in and they called me for the exam! I was out there well before 1300 and on the way to my sawbones to get shot. He was supposed to get there and start seeing patients at 1230, but I got there before him, and he took me first, gave me the scrits and I went to the in clinic pharmacy to get the cocktail. When I got back up to his floor there was a ruckus in the nurse's space so I had to wait. The nurse came out and gestured for me to come in, took my vials, the orders and disappeared with a doctor. Then an administrator showed up and they called an ambulance. The ambulance arrived and the stretcher took up most of the front room. They loaded the patient onto it and parked him right next o me while they finished the paperwork. By then my doc had joined the party. The nurse mixed my cocktail and while my doc was pulling down my pants to find the 'trigger spot' he and the nurse talked about the guy. He was an attempted suicide. I got shot, did some cripple ballet and headed home. It rained most of the way and I knew that Harley's seat would be wet when I arrived, and so it was. Damn right I sat dab smack in the puddle and drove up on to the ramp. I was a little afraid that he would pull his 'won't move an the rain' trick, but he was just fine! That's why I staggered to the computer with a wet butt. I was drenched to the bone for the Doppler, and my feet are still wet. And my whole body is tired. Where O where are the days when I go full steam ahead for 36 hours and not blink?
I'm taking my tired abused body to bed. I have a feeling that I'll have an early night tonight!

Franne
http://gimphouse.blogspot.com/

STRANGE WEEK

I'm not really sure why, but it's been a strange week or two. I have been enjoying having Gimp House to myself again, getting the car insured and the tank filled, and making make up appointments for the medical stuff I'm behind on. I'm off to Haifa and Akko tomorrow. The first for a Doppler ultra sound of the artery that was rotorootered, then, to get my right shot. The last shot lasted for three months which is pretty good, but the last few days there have been a few really twinges that almost sent me crashing to the floor. I think I'll have him take a look at the pressure while I'm there.
I've pretty much been ignoring my blogs, but haven't been in much of a writing mood. It'll come when it comes.

SORTED

Right! There's that done. On Friday I took my stupid stubborn pressure sore to the clinic and decided to try leaving it open to the air until today. I made it until 2000 or so, then had to put some Polidine cream on it as was hurting, I mean, really hurting. Somehow I got through the weekend and when we took off the mini dressing I'd put on it was actually a little better. There is now a new antibiotic patch on it, and the solution to keeping it off the mattress was on the ramp when I got home in the form of two blosters. The wedge shaped one looks like one that will do the trick.
After the clinic I went to see if Shmaryah had the money he owed me for using the toll hiway and he did! Then, on the way home I stopped in at the butcher to explain why I can't pay the bill this month, but that I will, even if it's only a couple hundred a month. The boss lady was just fine with that. She knows that I will pay and she knows Orna which helped her understand why I can't pay yet. They are so good to me there, and never once asked when I'd pay because they know I will and that if there's a problem they are great about not pestering me about it.
When I got home there were two bolsters on Harley Too that look like they just might do the trick and keep the ankle up. I'll get them sorted by the time the World Championship Gala comes on at 1500.
Was that ever a competition. I was glued to the screen. The results were pretty much what I expected and with our dance team in the top 10, we'll be able to send another couple next year, if we have one. We didn't do so well in Pairs, Ladies, and Men's, but that was only to be expected.
I was thrilled with the results in Men's. France's Brian Joubert (who I dislike only because he reminds me of Tom Cruise) lost his crown to Canada's Jeffrey Buttle, which was just fine with me, and America's Johnny Weir took bronze. I had been hoping for a better finish for Thomas Verner, but it wasn't to be. Oh well. I did notice something worth commenting on about some of the coaches. A few of the Russian coaches were down right mean to their skaters who did poorly, almost as if the poor skater skated badly on purpose. One even went so far as to sit as far from his competitor as possible in the Kiss and Cry while waiting for the results. Most if not all of the American and European coaches were right there for their skater's with a hug and words of encouragement. It was so obvious that it just seemed worth mentioning. All in all it was a wonderful competition even if I did cry more this year than any other. I so desperately want to be on the ice again and have that wonderful feeling of being where I belong again. Damn this useless wreck of a body.
I don't know how it happened, but I've become a major fan of Ice Dancers Delobel and Shoenfelder. I even had a dream about skating with him. I also went wild over The Brit's Original and Free Dances and think they should have finished higher than 8th place. They were that good.
It's interesting to watch the new crop of contenders work their way up the ranks. By next year some of the national champs who were too young to compete as Seniors this year will be making their presence felt next year. The excitement and wonder of the big competitions never changes for me, just the names and faces of the competitors. I love it so much.
Other than that, not much else is new except that I did get my car insurance paid and made new appointments for the stuff for that sorted.
Dem Der might be down later to take some more of his stuff out. He really does have to get it all out of here soon.
I think it's time to get the cushions sorted and make something with the ground beef before it goes bad, then settle in for the gala.
The Gimp of Purple is now officially back to what passes for her as normal!

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

The World Figure Skating Championships being held in Sweden this year, started today. I did go out this morning, only because one of my fellow Cripple Warriors from the Jerusalem demonstrations asked me to go to some idiot meeting. Ok, I went, I saw, I heard, I shut up. Now, I can just stay home next time. I am so not into the 'going around the circle and everyone tells their name and why they are crippled'. Me, I just point blank refused by saying "No". That, of course was my joke on the lady from the welfare department who was the only person there who didn't know me! I'm sure there was a lot of checking going on after I left. Going there meant that it was too late to go into town or grocery shopping before Sweden. Not the end of the world, though. Town will most likely still be there tomorrow.
See yas alls after worlds!

IT'S OVER IT'S ALL OVER

I'm having a hard time believing it, but, it is, indeed over. Except for the getting all of his stuff out. But, he's gone and Peg and I can get back to our nice quiet (ahem) lives as dog and human gimp. Dem Der took his phone and went out quietly on Sunday morning, then called to announce that he'd be staying up there on his mattress on the floor and figure out a way to get down here for the rest of his stuff. He did in fact come on Wednesday and take a fair anount out of the shed. His fridge is still there and a few more things, and the room he was in still has stuff all over and there are a few things in the 'liberry'/shelter. He has until next weekend to get the rest out or I will and I don't mean that I'll take it to him. I mean I'll get it out.
He was only here for four or so months, but it felt like infinity. It's not like he was a constant irritant, but just his being here was enough to remind me that I like living alone. Then, he made a really huge mistake. Two in fact. The first was asking if he could borrow one of my TVs. Knowing how his mind works with stuff like that, he was thinking that I have three sets, all of which are better than his old one, so, I won't miss it. Yes, I do have three TV sets, two of which I seldom use. But they are mine. I paid good money for them, and if I want one in my bomb shelter and another in my guest room for the occassional guest, there they will stay. His next mistake was to try and wheedele me into putting his cable subscription on my bank account. Not bloody likely, not even for an hour. Dumb ass actually had the nerve to hang up on me when I said no. He did call a few minutes later to tell me he was on the way here to get his stuff. And he tried again while he was here. I told him that I don't need a reason, I'm just not doing it. Hells bells. He lived here for four months rent and utility free, and still couldn't get even a little bit ahead of himself. He's already dead broke and is starting to borrow from just about everyone he knows. Then he has to pay it all back on the 28th and it starts all over again.
I can safely say that I won't be going down that road with him. I feel bad for him, but, he really doesn't do anything to help himself and he spends on things he doesn't need. Just stupid stuff like those rotisseried chickens he buys at the grocery store for more than a chicken would cost, fresh or frozen. And he goes through paper towels like no one I've ever seen, and toilet paper. In two months we went through what for me is almost a years supply. And water, he uses it as if he's trying to use up the whole country's supply in one go. I'm scared to death of getting my next water bill.
Yes, I am now thankful that it's over and things will get back to their previous usage levels, and that I have my glorious aloneness back. I'm not sorry I did it because there was just no way I could leave him out on the street or begging a bed for the night after he got evicted. Right now I'm not sure if I'd do it again for him or anyone else in the future, but it's still to close o actual trauma to decide anything like that now.
He now has a home of his own, and I'm happily alone in mine, and we didn't kill each other. I guess that's something!

IT IS ALMOST OVER

The way things look now, the Dem Der episode will be over this week. It had damn well better be. I think the following is close enough to spectacular to warrent inclusion in the on going saga.
Yesterday I was sitting at the computer which is as close to the kitchen as it can be without actually being in it. Anyone sitting here would have to be blind to not see what's going on by the fridge. Dem Der walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge, took out something, opened it, then stood there eating it. He closed that, took out something else, opened IT, ate from whatever IT was, closed IT, put IT back and took out another something. In all he took out four somethings, opened them, ate from them, closed them and put them back, all standing there with the fridge door open. I was in such a state of shock that I couldn't even open my mouth to ask what the hells he was doing.
IT'S ALMOST OVER. IT'S ALMOST OVER. IT'S ALMOST OVER. IT'S AlMOST OVER. IT'S ALMOST OVER.
For his next trick, he appeared in my room holding two cell phone chargers and asked if I wanted them. After I asked him why he thought I might want them, he said that he knows I have several cell phones that I don't use, so he thought maybe. I replied somewhat nastily that the reason those chargers are in that room is because I'm not using the phones they go to. Sheesh. I only have three sets of chargers for most of my cell phones, an Israeli one, a European, and American. All three ares have different electrical sockets, so, I ended up with chargers for each type of socket. AND I keep the different types of chargers in different places so I'll know where they are. How he got to them I don't know. You'd kind of think he might have made some kind of effort to keep his crap separate from mine. At least I know what I have in there and where it's supposed to be. If anything disapears, I'll know where it went. And he knows that I know where everything is. It amazes him every time I tell him exactly where any given object is. So, yeah, he knows that I know!
I hope I don't jinx this by writing it here, but he's found someone with a sort of bus who is willing to haul his stuff from here to his new place, maybe tomorrow. In any event, he's going to start staying at his new place, maybe even tonight. He has water, power and a mattress on the floor. AND I think he took his phone up there today so the cable folks can connect him. I can but hope.

TODAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE DAY

I should have known. It was too good to be true. It's Tuesday and guess who isn't moving out quite yet? He has organized a bed for himself, gotten the water and power turned on and is up there with one of friends who is cleaning the place for him. I don't know when he is actually planning on moving because he doesn't have the money to pay anyone to haul his junk up there, and even if I did, I wouldn't.
It was very tense up here after the army went into Gaza to try and stop them from shooting kassams at Sderot and other places. We were all waiting for our friends to north to join in and bombard us with katyushas. It looks like that won't be happening now. Our fearless leaders pulled the troops out of Gaza before the job was finished, but that's a tale for my other blog. I'll just say that for now we are not too concerned about another round with the hizzbullies. The operative words are 'for now'

ALMOST SPETACULAR

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

I DID IT

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

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