I mentioned before that I tormented my mother in various ways when growing up. Here's another.
During Sunday School one day (I don't remember the exact year, I was probably somewhere between 10-12 years old) I was kind of bored. The teacher was talking about the destruction of the first Temple, and the construction of the second Temple. At one point she mentioned that the temple was mostly made of wood. I piped up "But what if the Big Bad Wolf comes and blows it down??" That earned me the first and only time I've ever been kicked out of a class.
While sitting down outside the door to the classroom, several other teachers walked by and they were all shocked to see me sitting there. The worse part was the drive home. You see, I left out one small detail. The teacher happened to be my mother. It was a very quiet drive.
When we got home, I was told to go into the dinning room, sit down, and wait for my father to come home. I don't remember how long I sat there, and I don't remember what my dad said to me, but I never mouthed off to mom in the classroom again (nor any other teacher as well).
Sorry Ma!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
From an orange to a full kosher meal
I donate blood and platelets at a local blood donor center. The type of donation I do takes longer than your average blood donation. Once I'm hooked on the machine, it usually takes about 90 minutes until completion. But with the extra time, they not only take regular "whole blood" but also take platelets and plasma if they need it. They can also do a double red donation through this process. Every time they hook me up to the machine, they ask if they can take X, Y and/or Z. I always tell them, I'm here, just take what you need.
So for the past few years, I've been getting an invitation to their annual donor dinner. I usually had conflicts. This year it was an open night, and I really wanted to see what goes on at these events. The dinner choices were Chicken, Steak, or Veggie. I called to make a reservation (it's an answering machine that takes it) and said that I keep kosher, so I wouldn't be eating, I just wanted to hear the presentations.
So late yesterday afternoon, I ate some left over spaghetti, then headed on over. It was being held at the local Marriott. When I checked in, they didn't have my reservation for some reason (seemed to happen to a lot of people, maybe using an answering machine to take reservations isn't a hot idea). Anyway, they wrote out a name tag and asked me what I wanted to eat. I explained that I keep strictly kosher, and wouldn't be eating there. The woman started fussing and kept trying to convince me to take the veggie meal, or else wanted to call down to the kitchen and have them make me something else. Another volunteer there was Jewish, and she understood the situation and explained to the first why that wouldn't work. I told them that really, I was fine, I just wanted to hear the presentations and see what the event was like.
After that, I was wandering around a bit, checking out the hotel. I decided to buy a Snickers bar to eat during the dinner. At the desk, they also had a bowl of oranges. I asked if I could have one, they said "Sure." I then said that would be my dinner for tonight. The hotel worker looked me over (I wear a kippah). He then said "You know, they keep kosher food on hand in the kitchen." I looked at him and asked for more information. He said they have wrapped kosher food set aside for when they had people staying who required kosher food, and they could provide it at the dinner. Well, SURE, I'll agree to that!
I was a little late in the seating, but found an open table near the front of the room. Turned out I sat next to another Jewish woman, and also at the table were two people from the JCC! (they sponsored blood drives there). The Jewish woman who helped me before came up to me and said that they did have the kosher food, and I would be getting it soon.
First they came out with a roll and plasticware. The plasticware was wrapped up REALLY tight. I needed a knife just to open it up! Everything was wrapped and sealed with the name of a kosher restaurant that I know (and trust) plus the local Vaad oversight.
Then came out the main course, chicken, potatoes, and green beans. Okay, granted this was a reheated meal, and a tad dry, but still, considering that I thought I was only going to have an orange and a Snickers bar for dinner, it was pretty darn good!
I had the orange for dessert, and saved the Snickers bar for another day.
After the dinner, they had several people come up and speak. The most heart wrenching one was the mother of two children, 3 and 5 years old. (Instantly hit me, as Tikva will be 5 this summer, and Ahava just turned 3). Her 3 year old son came down with a very bad fever (106 degrees), then had pneumonia, and then they found he had a rare disease (I can't remember the name), but basically resulted in him having almost 0 platelets. He was in and out of surgery and the OR, tubes everywhere, and at one point actually died and had to be resuscitated. Without the donated blood products, he absolutely would not have survived. He needed to be pushed around in a wheel chair for months, and needed to have his head supported, but eventually he relearned to walk, talk, eat, etc. And his mother said he's almost back to normal, running around, playing, etc. They then showed a picture show, before, during, and after his ordeal. I admit, I had to wipe my tears to see the pictures clearly. From now on, whenever I hear negative comments about the time I spend donating blood/platelets, etc. ("Maybe bad people will get it," "They make money off your blood," "There are other people who can donate, why do you have to?" etc.) I'll see the face of that 3 year old boy and know that without donors, he would not be alive today.
Oh, and I got a nice mug for my 20th ABC (Automated Blood Collection) Donation. They had people there who had their 100th, 200th, and even 300th donation (you can donate this way every two weeks). I have a lot of catching up to do!
So for the past few years, I've been getting an invitation to their annual donor dinner. I usually had conflicts. This year it was an open night, and I really wanted to see what goes on at these events. The dinner choices were Chicken, Steak, or Veggie. I called to make a reservation (it's an answering machine that takes it) and said that I keep kosher, so I wouldn't be eating, I just wanted to hear the presentations.
So late yesterday afternoon, I ate some left over spaghetti, then headed on over. It was being held at the local Marriott. When I checked in, they didn't have my reservation for some reason (seemed to happen to a lot of people, maybe using an answering machine to take reservations isn't a hot idea). Anyway, they wrote out a name tag and asked me what I wanted to eat. I explained that I keep strictly kosher, and wouldn't be eating there. The woman started fussing and kept trying to convince me to take the veggie meal, or else wanted to call down to the kitchen and have them make me something else. Another volunteer there was Jewish, and she understood the situation and explained to the first why that wouldn't work. I told them that really, I was fine, I just wanted to hear the presentations and see what the event was like.
After that, I was wandering around a bit, checking out the hotel. I decided to buy a Snickers bar to eat during the dinner. At the desk, they also had a bowl of oranges. I asked if I could have one, they said "Sure." I then said that would be my dinner for tonight. The hotel worker looked me over (I wear a kippah). He then said "You know, they keep kosher food on hand in the kitchen." I looked at him and asked for more information. He said they have wrapped kosher food set aside for when they had people staying who required kosher food, and they could provide it at the dinner. Well, SURE, I'll agree to that!
I was a little late in the seating, but found an open table near the front of the room. Turned out I sat next to another Jewish woman, and also at the table were two people from the JCC! (they sponsored blood drives there). The Jewish woman who helped me before came up to me and said that they did have the kosher food, and I would be getting it soon.
First they came out with a roll and plasticware. The plasticware was wrapped up REALLY tight. I needed a knife just to open it up! Everything was wrapped and sealed with the name of a kosher restaurant that I know (and trust) plus the local Vaad oversight.
Then came out the main course, chicken, potatoes, and green beans. Okay, granted this was a reheated meal, and a tad dry, but still, considering that I thought I was only going to have an orange and a Snickers bar for dinner, it was pretty darn good!
I had the orange for dessert, and saved the Snickers bar for another day.
After the dinner, they had several people come up and speak. The most heart wrenching one was the mother of two children, 3 and 5 years old. (Instantly hit me, as Tikva will be 5 this summer, and Ahava just turned 3). Her 3 year old son came down with a very bad fever (106 degrees), then had pneumonia, and then they found he had a rare disease (I can't remember the name), but basically resulted in him having almost 0 platelets. He was in and out of surgery and the OR, tubes everywhere, and at one point actually died and had to be resuscitated. Without the donated blood products, he absolutely would not have survived. He needed to be pushed around in a wheel chair for months, and needed to have his head supported, but eventually he relearned to walk, talk, eat, etc. And his mother said he's almost back to normal, running around, playing, etc. They then showed a picture show, before, during, and after his ordeal. I admit, I had to wipe my tears to see the pictures clearly. From now on, whenever I hear negative comments about the time I spend donating blood/platelets, etc. ("Maybe bad people will get it," "They make money off your blood," "There are other people who can donate, why do you have to?" etc.) I'll see the face of that 3 year old boy and know that without donors, he would not be alive today.
Oh, and I got a nice mug for my 20th ABC (Automated Blood Collection) Donation. They had people there who had their 100th, 200th, and even 300th donation (you can donate this way every two weeks). I have a lot of catching up to do!
Monday, May 5, 2008
A Holocaust museum in Richmond, VA. Who'd of thunk it?
Recently my Jewish motorcycle club had a booth at a big regional motorcycle show. We are trying to recruit more members. One of the most common responses was "There is a group of Jewish Riders? I thought I was the only one!!"
Anyway, one of the people who came up was a volunteer at the Virginia Holocaust Museum. What? Virginia has a Holocaust museum? Who knew? I've only been living here for 14 years. (Okay, to be fair, the museum first opened up 11 years go, so I get 3 years off my flak)
Anyway, the person who stopped by welcomed us to come ride down to Richmond and visit the museum. The group board thought this was a great idea, and the ride was scheduled for May 4th. Due to various conflicts, it wound up just being the president of the group and I. However, just outside of Richmond we met the person who first invited us down there, and another Jewish motorcyclist. They gave us an escort through the highways and streets of Richmond directly to the museum. (okay, disclaimer here... I'm still bikeless, so I went in the car... oh the shame! ;-) )
I've been to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC 3 times, and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem once. I didn't think there'd be much new. Heart wrenching, of course, but still, things that we've seen before. Well... yes and no. Some of the things were the same, but they were presented in different ways which made an impact. One of the first things that struck me as different was a room that was designed to make it look like you were on a boat, the SS St. Louis. Then later, there was a room with a crawl space. I thought it was just for show, but the person showing us around crawled in. Okay... As soon as you stood up, there were the sounds of a nasty dog barking like mad. My heart started racing. The room was designed to look like you were at the fence surrounding the concentration camps. Then we crawled again, this time the "tunnel" was completely dark, no light at all. It was very effective. It lead to a mock underground location where 13 Jews survived hidden for 9 months. We continued to crawl to exit. Very thought provoking.
Later, to exit another corridor, you enter the gas chamber. You know it's not a real gas chamber, but you see the nozzles, you see where they drop the gas, you see how the door is barricaded. Not a pleasant place to be in at all. But again, a reminder of what so many people suffered.
At the end of the museum was a new exhibit (opened on May 1st). It is a recreation of the courtroom at the Nuremberg Trials, along with a film of the trial taking place. I kept hearing over and over "Not Guilty! Following orders!" etc. Sickening.
After the museum, our escorts took us to the Richmond JCC, which had the only kosher restaurant in Richmond. We enjoyed wraps and smoothies, and wound up talking for over an hour, covering everything from motorcycles to politics, to the Holocaust, etc. I certainly hope to return again some day. Hopefully on a bike the next time!
Anyway, one of the people who came up was a volunteer at the Virginia Holocaust Museum. What? Virginia has a Holocaust museum? Who knew? I've only been living here for 14 years. (Okay, to be fair, the museum first opened up 11 years go, so I get 3 years off my flak)
Anyway, the person who stopped by welcomed us to come ride down to Richmond and visit the museum. The group board thought this was a great idea, and the ride was scheduled for May 4th. Due to various conflicts, it wound up just being the president of the group and I. However, just outside of Richmond we met the person who first invited us down there, and another Jewish motorcyclist. They gave us an escort through the highways and streets of Richmond directly to the museum. (okay, disclaimer here... I'm still bikeless, so I went in the car... oh the shame! ;-) )
I've been to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC 3 times, and Yad Vashem in Jerusalem once. I didn't think there'd be much new. Heart wrenching, of course, but still, things that we've seen before. Well... yes and no. Some of the things were the same, but they were presented in different ways which made an impact. One of the first things that struck me as different was a room that was designed to make it look like you were on a boat, the SS St. Louis. Then later, there was a room with a crawl space. I thought it was just for show, but the person showing us around crawled in. Okay... As soon as you stood up, there were the sounds of a nasty dog barking like mad. My heart started racing. The room was designed to look like you were at the fence surrounding the concentration camps. Then we crawled again, this time the "tunnel" was completely dark, no light at all. It was very effective. It lead to a mock underground location where 13 Jews survived hidden for 9 months. We continued to crawl to exit. Very thought provoking.
Later, to exit another corridor, you enter the gas chamber. You know it's not a real gas chamber, but you see the nozzles, you see where they drop the gas, you see how the door is barricaded. Not a pleasant place to be in at all. But again, a reminder of what so many people suffered.
At the end of the museum was a new exhibit (opened on May 1st). It is a recreation of the courtroom at the Nuremberg Trials, along with a film of the trial taking place. I kept hearing over and over "Not Guilty! Following orders!" etc. Sickening.
After the museum, our escorts took us to the Richmond JCC, which had the only kosher restaurant in Richmond. We enjoyed wraps and smoothies, and wound up talking for over an hour, covering everything from motorcycles to politics, to the Holocaust, etc. I certainly hope to return again some day. Hopefully on a bike the next time!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Ah, so my memory IS playing tricks with me!
I just recently read this article here. In case you don't want to read it, it's about why people make the same mistake 2, 3, 4, multiple times. Basically if something is at the tip of your tongue, and your brain is struggling to remember what it is, then your brain learns the "wrong pathways" to the answer, rather than learning it the right way so you'll remember things the next time. (even the next day).
This is something I struggle with occasionally, like trying to remember a person's name, I wind up having to go through a bunch of names... "Harry? no, Tom? no, Bill? no.... Ummm... Oh yeah, hi Chuck!" Something along those lines. And it happens the same way the next time I see him. Or try to remember a book, or the definition of a Hebrew word, etc.
They offer a possible solution, once you know the right answer, say it (either out loud or mentally) over and over to beat the new pathways in your brain. I'll report back and let you know if it works... If I can remember the password to post to the blog that is...
This is something I struggle with occasionally, like trying to remember a person's name, I wind up having to go through a bunch of names... "Harry? no, Tom? no, Bill? no.... Ummm... Oh yeah, hi Chuck!" Something along those lines. And it happens the same way the next time I see him. Or try to remember a book, or the definition of a Hebrew word, etc.
They offer a possible solution, once you know the right answer, say it (either out loud or mentally) over and over to beat the new pathways in your brain. I'll report back and let you know if it works... If I can remember the password to post to the blog that is...
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
So long...
I accomplished part A of my plans to get a new bike, selling my old one. I put an ad in the Concours Owners Group forum, and got a few hits. The first person tried to negotiate the price of the bike down from my asking price (and I had already knocked about 1/3 of the price off the Blue Book value because I knew of, and was honest about the damage). I told him thanks, but I'll see if others are interested. The next day I received a very excited email from a person in Tennessee. We conversed by email a few times, then he left TN Saturday night, drove up all the way here and got here Sunday morning. He checked the bike out, rode it for about a minute, came back and told me I had a deal. I signed the title over to him, he paid me in cash, and we loaded the bike up in his truck. Oy, I've only loaded my bike onto my (pretty low) trailer (see here for an example). Getting it all the way up the ramp onto the truck was hard work! But we got it done. Whew! I took one last picture just before he left.
I tried to keep away any anthropomorphic feelings. The bike worked well for 10 years, but after the drop I had last year, I realized I wanted to get a bike that was lower to the ground. Now I get to do some serious shopping! :-)
However, I will probably not be riding to the Ride to Remember this year. When I do get a new (or new to me) bike, I want to take the time to get the know and get comfortable with the bike. Starting off with a 2,500 round trip journey seems like a rush. I will be there though, just via airplane.
I tried to keep away any anthropomorphic feelings. The bike worked well for 10 years, but after the drop I had last year, I realized I wanted to get a bike that was lower to the ground. Now I get to do some serious shopping! :-)
However, I will probably not be riding to the Ride to Remember this year. When I do get a new (or new to me) bike, I want to take the time to get the know and get comfortable with the bike. Starting off with a 2,500 round trip journey seems like a rush. I will be there though, just via airplane.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Awww man! I missed it!!
I just sent the last post when I a whim, I went to check the history of this blog. Drat, I missed my first Bloggiversary. My first post, "Hello World" was posted March 21, 2007.
At the end of the post, I stated:
According to the dashboard, I made 58 posts (not including this one and the one I just made, since they technically are in the new year). So a little over a post a week. And there were a few dry spells where I didn't post for a while. So all in all, not too bad. It's not like I have a huge readership. (A few family members, and Mordechai!) but anyone is always welcome to read and pick my thoughts. And Laya likes the posts because they preserve some of the stories of our kids. I need to back some of them up, or print them out so the kids can read them later. (hopefully I won't be scarring them or anything ;-) ) Oh, and I haven't used a book since that first week, I may not do any of the fancy stuff, but I have the basics working.
Anyway, thanks for reading... hopefully I'll have more soon. (here's a teaser, I dropped my motorcycle off this morning for a motorcycle auction to be held this weekend. I'm hoping I won't have to go back to pick it up!)
At the end of the post, I stated:
How often will I post? Will this be one of those many deserted blogs? I don't know. I'm figuring this out as I go along. (Literally! I have a copy of Brad Hill's "Blogging for Dummies" next to me, and several "Blogger.com" help pages open as I type this).
According to the dashboard, I made 58 posts (not including this one and the one I just made, since they technically are in the new year). So a little over a post a week. And there were a few dry spells where I didn't post for a while. So all in all, not too bad. It's not like I have a huge readership. (A few family members, and Mordechai!) but anyone is always welcome to read and pick my thoughts. And Laya likes the posts because they preserve some of the stories of our kids. I need to back some of them up, or print them out so the kids can read them later. (hopefully I won't be scarring them or anything ;-) ) Oh, and I haven't used a book since that first week, I may not do any of the fancy stuff, but I have the basics working.
Anyway, thanks for reading... hopefully I'll have more soon. (here's a teaser, I dropped my motorcycle off this morning for a motorcycle auction to be held this weekend. I'm hoping I won't have to go back to pick it up!)
Use of internet at work...
We received a note at work a few days ago that all "non-official" internet use was to be banned. They were going to be tracking everyone's usage of the internet, and any use that wasn't for official business would be reported to the director. This certainly put a scare into everyone. Now, I admit, I do use the internet a bit at work, mostly for non-business e-mail. Some people get personal email delivered to their work address, but I think that's crossing too many lines and can cause confusion. I also do read a few blogs, and post to this one, during breaks. My brain can't take straight work work work the whole time, I need to explore a little bit every now and then to keep fresh. I actually find Wikipedia refreshing, I learn so many new things on there, some useful, and some just for pop trivia knowledge. (Some people smoke during their breaks, I try to learn something new during breaks)
Then we got an email today saying the first one was taken out of context, and it was just being considered right now, and probably wouldn't be that harsh, etc. But still, it has me thinking, where is the line? How much is too much? If I wasn't checking email or looking for something new to read, I'd probably leaf through a book or a magazine, something not work related to jog my mind a bit. Granted, I do see other users who seem to hog up things on the internet, such as videos, instant messaging, etc, which I believe is going too far, but then again, my boss who never uses the internet at work, except for what he absolutely needs to could say that I use too much just to read emails. (probably wouldn't say it, since I still do get all my work done, but could)
No magic answers, just some things to ponder.
Then we got an email today saying the first one was taken out of context, and it was just being considered right now, and probably wouldn't be that harsh, etc. But still, it has me thinking, where is the line? How much is too much? If I wasn't checking email or looking for something new to read, I'd probably leaf through a book or a magazine, something not work related to jog my mind a bit. Granted, I do see other users who seem to hog up things on the internet, such as videos, instant messaging, etc, which I believe is going too far, but then again, my boss who never uses the internet at work, except for what he absolutely needs to could say that I use too much just to read emails. (probably wouldn't say it, since I still do get all my work done, but could)
No magic answers, just some things to ponder.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Whew, that's over
Sorry about the lack of posts lately. I had been taking a Hebrew class, and was struggling to keep up. It killed a lot of my time for other activities. It's over for now, I might take it again next fall after reviewing everything starting back at chapter one. It helped a little, I'm recognizing more and more words in the siddur. But at the same time, when my brother-in-law from Israel was visiting, I asked him in Hebrew "Where are you going?" and when he answered, it went straight over my head. Oy!
The other thing that has been going on lately is my quest for a new (or new to me) motorcycle. My beloved Concours still runs, but is now at a stage where she needs a more mechanical hand to keep her in tip top shape. Mine is not that hand. I also want something that's lower to the ground, I'm tired of tip toeing. Right now I'm focusing in on the Kawasaki Nomad 1600 (2005+). It's several inches lower, has fuel injection (most of my problems with the current bike are from the carbs), a shaft drive, and lockable luggage, things that are important to me.
Anyway, I have a few new posts in mind, just need to sit down and work on them (one of them may require a video... Hmmm....)
The other thing that has been going on lately is my quest for a new (or new to me) motorcycle. My beloved Concours still runs, but is now at a stage where she needs a more mechanical hand to keep her in tip top shape. Mine is not that hand. I also want something that's lower to the ground, I'm tired of tip toeing. Right now I'm focusing in on the Kawasaki Nomad 1600 (2005+). It's several inches lower, has fuel injection (most of my problems with the current bike are from the carbs), a shaft drive, and lockable luggage, things that are important to me.
Anyway, I have a few new posts in mind, just need to sit down and work on them (one of them may require a video... Hmmm....)
Friday, February 29, 2008
My first experience with La Briute self heating meals
A few weeks ago while my folks were in town, we were at the local kosher supermarket, and I saw a display of La Briute self-heating meals. I've heard of them, but haven't seen any before. I got a box of their Cheese Ravioli. The meal is packed so that you don't need to keep it refridgerated at all. And it is supposed to be self heating. The expiration date is 12/2010, so it keeps for a while!
I left it at work for a day when I forgot to make or bring my lunch. That happened earlier this week.
It took a few minutes to figure out how it all worked, but next time it'll be really quick. I was also surprised at how much was in the box, I thought would be just the ravioli. There was also a package of oatmeal cookies and a packet of soup broth. If I had a cup, I could have made myself some soup. (that part is not self heating... I would need to boil some water) They also included a fork, knife and spoon, plus some salt and pepper. The napkin was kind of wimpy (fortunately I keep some napkins in my office) but they make up for it with a "moist towelette."
Anyway, I place the sealed package of ravioli in a bag that has a heating element made of magnesium and iron. Then I pour in some salt water (they provide the pack of salt water) and close up the bag and set it down. Yikes, you can see the water start to boil up quickly and steam comes out of the bag. I let it go for about 10 minutes, I probably should have given it another minute or two, it was hot, but could have used a tad more.
Anyway, I (carefully) took the package of ravioli out of the bag (hot!), and opened it up. There were five large cheese raviolis. Okay for lunch, but if I were really hungry I'd want more. (although the soup could have taken the edge off my hunger if I had it...)
The ravioli was good. I wouldn't say the best I've had, but it was good.
Their meals are Chlov Yisrael, Glatt Kosher, or parve. They actually have a pretty good selection on their website, and it's cheaper on the website than it was at the supermarket. I'll have to check their shipping rate.
Anyway, I wouldn't use it for day to day use, but I could see leaving a few packages at work for times I forget to bring something, or if the group is going out somewhere and I don't want to lug along a peanut butter and jeally sandwich. It will also be useful for trips out of town, such as when I go to the Ride to Remember in Omaha, or my upcoming college reunion.
And yes, Blogger-in-law, I know I wouldn't need something like this in Israel, as there is plenty of Kosher food thoughout. ;-)
I left it at work for a day when I forgot to make or bring my lunch. That happened earlier this week.
It took a few minutes to figure out how it all worked, but next time it'll be really quick. I was also surprised at how much was in the box, I thought would be just the ravioli. There was also a package of oatmeal cookies and a packet of soup broth. If I had a cup, I could have made myself some soup. (that part is not self heating... I would need to boil some water) They also included a fork, knife and spoon, plus some salt and pepper. The napkin was kind of wimpy (fortunately I keep some napkins in my office) but they make up for it with a "moist towelette."
Anyway, I place the sealed package of ravioli in a bag that has a heating element made of magnesium and iron. Then I pour in some salt water (they provide the pack of salt water) and close up the bag and set it down. Yikes, you can see the water start to boil up quickly and steam comes out of the bag. I let it go for about 10 minutes, I probably should have given it another minute or two, it was hot, but could have used a tad more.
Anyway, I (carefully) took the package of ravioli out of the bag (hot!), and opened it up. There were five large cheese raviolis. Okay for lunch, but if I were really hungry I'd want more. (although the soup could have taken the edge off my hunger if I had it...)
The ravioli was good. I wouldn't say the best I've had, but it was good.
Their meals are Chlov Yisrael, Glatt Kosher, or parve. They actually have a pretty good selection on their website, and it's cheaper on the website than it was at the supermarket. I'll have to check their shipping rate.
Anyway, I wouldn't use it for day to day use, but I could see leaving a few packages at work for times I forget to bring something, or if the group is going out somewhere and I don't want to lug along a peanut butter and jeally sandwich. It will also be useful for trips out of town, such as when I go to the Ride to Remember in Omaha, or my upcoming college reunion.
And yes, Blogger-in-law, I know I wouldn't need something like this in Israel, as there is plenty of Kosher food thoughout. ;-)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Vocabulary Review, and football too.
Ah, Superbowl Sunday. I was looking forward to the game (okay, I like the commercials, usually). During the day though, we realized that Tikvah was sick. It started with her complaining her throat hurts. Okay, that happens every now and then. But then when we were out for lunch, she didn't eat any chicken nuggets, but the biggest sign of a problem was she only ate ONE FRENCH FRY!!!! When we got home, I took her temperature. Yep, almost 103. Okay, take it easy, keep warm, no running around (she wasn't in a running around mood anyway).
About an hour before kickoff, I was finishing up some things when Tikvah said "Daddy... I feel like I have to cough." So I wisely said "Oh, it's okay to cough." BBBLLLEEEAAAAHHHHHHHH, there goes everything that was in her tummy for the past few hours. After getting some paper towels and a garbage bag, I kept reassuring her that it was okay. Then I mentioned... "By the way, that's not coughing. That's 'Throwing up.'" She asked me to repeat it a few times (that's how she makes sure she learns new words). I thought of tossing in "vomit, barf, puke, ralph, heave-ho, blowing chunks," etc., but decided that her vocabulary didn't need to grow that fast.
A light dinner later (three bites of a buttered slice of bread) and she was zonked out and ready for bed. Fortunately I Tivo'd the game, and didn't miss the commercials (or the game). Pretty lame this year. A only a few good ones, especially the one with Richard Simmons. I have to admit, my thought was the same as the driver's. :-) The dalmatian/Clydesdale one was cute too. I was very disappointed (although not surprised) in how few of the commercials were closed captioned though. :-(
And to top it off, the Giants won, meaning I have to buy the ice cream when my folks come down to visit in 2 weeks. (not that I'm a Patriots fan, but I always take the AFC, and dad always takes the NFC)
About an hour before kickoff, I was finishing up some things when Tikvah said "Daddy... I feel like I have to cough." So I wisely said "Oh, it's okay to cough." BBBLLLEEEAAAAHHHHHHHH, there goes everything that was in her tummy for the past few hours. After getting some paper towels and a garbage bag, I kept reassuring her that it was okay. Then I mentioned... "By the way, that's not coughing. That's 'Throwing up.'" She asked me to repeat it a few times (that's how she makes sure she learns new words). I thought of tossing in "vomit, barf, puke, ralph, heave-ho, blowing chunks," etc., but decided that her vocabulary didn't need to grow that fast.
A light dinner later (three bites of a buttered slice of bread) and she was zonked out and ready for bed. Fortunately I Tivo'd the game, and didn't miss the commercials (or the game). Pretty lame this year. A only a few good ones, especially the one with Richard Simmons. I have to admit, my thought was the same as the driver's. :-) The dalmatian/Clydesdale one was cute too. I was very disappointed (although not surprised) in how few of the commercials were closed captioned though. :-(
And to top it off, the Giants won, meaning I have to buy the ice cream when my folks come down to visit in 2 weeks. (not that I'm a Patriots fan, but I always take the AFC, and dad always takes the NFC)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
No Wire Hangers!!
The title of this post is a double reference. Over the weekend I mentioned to my parents that my high school 20th reunion was going to be held later on this year, but because it's on a Friday night, I wouldn't be attending. I never really kept in touch with anyone in my high school, most of my friends were from when I worked at Wendy's, or were people I met at college. They asked about one friend, but I reminded them that he moved when I was around the 9th grade or so. He loved the movie "Mommy Dearest" and would frequently turn to me and start quoting "NO WIRE HANGERS!!!!!" But I lost touch with him several years ago, and didn't know how to contact him any more. My dad, Mr. Retired, said he was pretty good at finding people, and would take the challenge. He contacted me a day later and said he tried all 50 states, but couldn't find him. He asked if I knew his parents name, and I did. A few hours later dad called me and told me he contacted my friend's mother, and I'd be hearing from him soon. My friend called about an hour later and we had a nice conversation. We traded addresses and phone numbers. No e-mail address though, he doesn't have a computer and doesn't e-mail. Yikes, how do I keep in touch?? Might have to actually write letters on paper or something. *grin*
The other hanger reference is something that occurred when I got home. Laya informed me that Tikvah locked the bathroom door, and closed it. This was after Tikvah and Ahava conveniently placed all of our shoes in the bathroom. (Why? Who knows what goes through the minds of 2 and 4 year olds???) The doorknob had a small hole in it, so I thought it was the type you have to poke, so I found one of our few wire hangers and tried to unlock it. No luck. Grrrr... The screws that hold the knob together were on the outside of the bathroom, fortunately, so I unscrewed them, and was able to unlock the door. I also learned that to unlock it, I'd need to insert a very small screw driver, and turn it. Ah, I'll remember that. (although I may replace the knob with the kind you can unlock with a regular screwdriver, or a butter knife for that matter) But Tikvah has been told that she is not to close the bathroom door for a while. I'm just glad Ahava wasn't in the bathroom at the time. Kids... ARUGH!!!!! :-)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Whew, that's over!
Sorry for the long delay. Besides visiting family over the last holiday break, I got involved in one other thing, and I didn't realize what a time commitment it would be. I started reading the first Harry Potter book. I knew it was popular, and since I hate waiting for the next book in a series, I waited until they were all available, and bought the full set of 7 books. I figured I'd read one or two, then later on pick up another one, etc. No dice. I read the first two books in 4 days. I didn't have the rest of the books with me while on vacation, so had to wait until I got home before I could start on the third. But then this pesky thing known as "Work" got in my way, and it took longer to read books. Oh, and I also needed to do the basics... you know, eat, play with the kids, sleep, etc. But I finally finished the last book. Whew! What a ride! And it ended differently from the way I heard through the grapevine. Maybe a false rumor was put out or something. Anyway, now that that monkey is off my back, hopefully I can get back to writing more!
The following Sally Forth comic pretty much summed things up for me.
The following Sally Forth comic pretty much summed things up for me.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Sharing Leisure...
My parents have been going to the same resort hotel in Massachusetts for almost 30 years. When I was growing up with them, I would go annually too. We went with several other families. Just about all the fathers (and some of the mothers) were teachers, so it was during the holiday break. One thing I remember is at some point, I'd always grab a book and go sit in the lobby, near the big fireplace which always had a nice fire going, and just read for a while. Now that we live so far away, I rarely get to join my parents anymore. However, this year we loaded up the kids and made the trek to visit and relax.
Somewhere around the middle of the day, I told the girls I was going to sit by the fireplace and read. Ahava jumped up and grabbed a book to join me. Tikvah ran after us after we started off. After we all settled by the fire, the girls opened up their books and looked at the pictures, and I started to read. It was only about 5 minutes later when Tikvah piped up with "I'm ready to go back now." I told her that she'd have to give us another 5 minutes (I wanted to finish the chapter I was in) then we'd head back. I was a little disappointed as I wanted to read more. About halfway back to the room, we ran into my mother. She was heading toward our room, and offered to take Tikvah back. I asked Ahava if she wanted to go back with grandma, or back to the fireplace with me. She didn't answer, just gripped her book (Sesame Street Dictionary) and turned right around and headed back to the fireplace.
We sat down and enjoyed the fire for a good half hour before heading back. It felt so nice to share an activity like that with her. Laya sometimes thinks that I favor one child over the other. I really don't think I do. Tikvah is older, and is at the point where she should be expanding her horizons and trying new things. Some things, Ahava just isn't ready to try out yet. But this was something she could do, and when I stole a few glances at her, I could see she was really enjoying the book. While she can't read yet (that I know of anyway!) she was pointing at all the pictures and talking to herself about them. And I had a chance to catch up with a few more chapters of Harry Potter. If Ahava did catch the reading bug from me, she has a lot of books ahead of her to read.
Somewhere around the middle of the day, I told the girls I was going to sit by the fireplace and read. Ahava jumped up and grabbed a book to join me. Tikvah ran after us after we started off. After we all settled by the fire, the girls opened up their books and looked at the pictures, and I started to read. It was only about 5 minutes later when Tikvah piped up with "I'm ready to go back now." I told her that she'd have to give us another 5 minutes (I wanted to finish the chapter I was in) then we'd head back. I was a little disappointed as I wanted to read more. About halfway back to the room, we ran into my mother. She was heading toward our room, and offered to take Tikvah back. I asked Ahava if she wanted to go back with grandma, or back to the fireplace with me. She didn't answer, just gripped her book (Sesame Street Dictionary) and turned right around and headed back to the fireplace.
We sat down and enjoyed the fire for a good half hour before heading back. It felt so nice to share an activity like that with her. Laya sometimes thinks that I favor one child over the other. I really don't think I do. Tikvah is older, and is at the point where she should be expanding her horizons and trying new things. Some things, Ahava just isn't ready to try out yet. But this was something she could do, and when I stole a few glances at her, I could see she was really enjoying the book. While she can't read yet (that I know of anyway!) she was pointing at all the pictures and talking to herself about them. And I had a chance to catch up with a few more chapters of Harry Potter. If Ahava did catch the reading bug from me, she has a lot of books ahead of her to read.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The WII is not for MEE!!!
Today we had our office holiday party. (Hmmm, my holiday ended the day before...)
To try to make it interesting and boost morale (etc. etc.) they set up a mini golf course around the cubicles. Then as a tie breaker, the boss brought in his WII, and hooked it up to the office 42" plasma TV. Well, all productivity went straight down the drain! (and there wasn't even a tie!) :-)
Now, back in the days when I was growing up, I used a ColecoVision, an Atari 2600, and even the original, PONG!! So I figured I'd give this "WII" thing a try and see what modern technology is up to.
YIKES!!! Major overhaul. The picture is certainly much better, but instead of just pressing buttons and moving the joystick around, you really get into it. You swing your arms for baseball, bowling, tennis, etc. Over the day I played several. I did pretty good in bowling (194, better than I do in real life), and in tennis my team won! Whoo Hoo! Then we tried boxing. Ouch!! And golf, forget it, I was always several shots above par.
But man, after playing a few games (and this is spread out over the full day, not all at once) I've worked out a good sweat! My bowling arm is SORE!! I think I'll just stick with card games on my computer! :-)
Update: (14 Dec...) My dad emailed me with: "If you ever do get one be careful. The first Wii had no wrist strap on the contollers, many tv screens felt the result!!"
I completely forgot to mention this part. One of my co-workers, let's call him "Tom" (that's what we call him in the office ;-) ) was a very enthusiatic player. Especially in tennis. We had to keep telling him to move back because he kept jumping in front of the screen to make a shot (despite the fact that you don't have to walk around to play the game), blocking our view. Then on a backhand shot we learned that he didn't put the strap on. The controller shot out of his hand and WHAM, right into the ceiling! Then it shot back down to the floor, barely missing another co-worker's head. A piece of the ceiling tile fell to the floor too. After that, whenever Tom would play, even a nice game of golf, we'd make sure he had his wrist strap on... tightly.
To try to make it interesting and boost morale (etc. etc.) they set up a mini golf course around the cubicles. Then as a tie breaker, the boss brought in his WII, and hooked it up to the office 42" plasma TV. Well, all productivity went straight down the drain! (and there wasn't even a tie!) :-)
Now, back in the days when I was growing up, I used a ColecoVision, an Atari 2600, and even the original, PONG!! So I figured I'd give this "WII" thing a try and see what modern technology is up to.
YIKES!!! Major overhaul. The picture is certainly much better, but instead of just pressing buttons and moving the joystick around, you really get into it. You swing your arms for baseball, bowling, tennis, etc. Over the day I played several. I did pretty good in bowling (194, better than I do in real life), and in tennis my team won! Whoo Hoo! Then we tried boxing. Ouch!! And golf, forget it, I was always several shots above par.
But man, after playing a few games (and this is spread out over the full day, not all at once) I've worked out a good sweat! My bowling arm is SORE!! I think I'll just stick with card games on my computer! :-)
Update: (14 Dec...) My dad emailed me with: "If you ever do get one be careful. The first Wii had no wrist strap on the contollers, many tv screens felt the result!!"
I completely forgot to mention this part. One of my co-workers, let's call him "Tom" (that's what we call him in the office ;-) ) was a very enthusiatic player. Especially in tennis. We had to keep telling him to move back because he kept jumping in front of the screen to make a shot (despite the fact that you don't have to walk around to play the game), blocking our view. Then on a backhand shot we learned that he didn't put the strap on. The controller shot out of his hand and WHAM, right into the ceiling! Then it shot back down to the floor, barely missing another co-worker's head. A piece of the ceiling tile fell to the floor too. After that, whenever Tom would play, even a nice game of golf, we'd make sure he had his wrist strap on... tightly.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Sometimes I get whacked with a "Clue x 4"
Yesterday I had a decision I needed to make. After work, I could go home, finish up my Hebrew homework, and also prepare for our oral test; or I could meet up with Laya and the kids at the Chabad "Chanukkah Wonderland" where they were playing. I felt that I was really getting behind in my Hebrew, and needed to catch up, so decided to head home to do some studying. Just as I reached my car though, my left hearing aid stopped working! (Left ear is the one I get most of my understanding from, right ear is just for loud noises.) Completely, no sound!! I tried changing the hearing aid battery, just to see if it was the battery (although usually when it's the battery, it's a gradual decline, not a sudden stop). Nope, same thing with the new battery. Sigh.
After making sure traffic was clear ahead of me, I took a look up to the sky and said "Okay, okay, I get the message!" Then proceeded to the Chanuakkah Wonderland to have some fun with the kids. And I didn't do too badly in the Hebrew class either.
Side note: I actaully have an appointment with the hearing aid shop today as I need new aids soon, so I'll have them check it out anyway.
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