All Talked Out

it's 6:00 p.m. in the holy city of zefat. i just got off the phone with a friend and finished a conversation which i believe, began at around 3:00 p.m. i can't believe it. i lost the entire day.

i got up this morning with a bit of a stomach virus. i spent way too long in the john. i went back to sleep for a while. it is freezing! i eventually got up and made some eggs and coffee. i spent the day in bed. i had high plans of paying the electric bill at the post office up here.

i also wanted to get to the supermarket and buy fish for shabbat and the few items that i still needed for tu b'shvat. so far i got a huge pomegranate, a small coconut, a star fruit, a quince, some dates, figs, carobs, kiwis, avocados, candied estrog, persimmons, dried cherries, prunes, dried apricots, dried peach, dried mango, dried passion friut, macadamia nuts, walnuts, cashews, prepared chestnuts, brazil nuts, hazel nuts. pecans, almonds ad roasted pistashio nuts.

i still need to buy a can of olives, some grapes or raisins, a can of lychees and some red and whine grape juice. i have wine on hand. i bought small amounts of everything because i'm not so sure that i'll have a large crowd, this year. i've been e mailing the old crowd to invite them.

i guess, i'll have to pay the electric bill next week. most post offices and banks are closed on fridays. i still need to go to unemployment next week and go to biteuch leumi to get the forms to get a city real estate tax deduction. i still need to pay the last two bills. that wil eat up an entire day. the problem being, coordinating getting into 3 different offices by 1:00 p.m. are we having fun yet?

the house is a mess, and i have tons of laundry to do. i have my tu b'shvat papers all over the table and produce that still needs to be put away. my stomach is still sore and loose so i will simply, have to take it easy this evening. i lost about 6 pounds already on the south beach. i have been eating really good food lately. the dogs have been making on my clothes and bed lately in the master bedroom. i think they are trying to let me know that they do not like my being downstairs so much.

yesterday, i went to volunteer at the seniors' center. i wasn't feeling all that animated. at least it was warm there. i then spent about 3 hours shopping for the tu b'shvat seder. i was able to arrange for a fruit delivery so i was free to visit a friend for awhile, downtown. it was a luxury not schlepping bags with me.

she had a small gang who were having a pizza evening. i was already feeling a bit woozey and the last thing i wanted was to smell pizza. i was, for sure, not going to eat any because of my diet. i stopped off at the local grocery and bought some canned tuna, low fat cheese and a few avocados. i offered to share my 'loot' with everyone until the pizza arived.

at around 5:00 p.m. i was feeling the strong need to get home. i got up to leave but it took me awhile to make my getaway. i waited for a really long time for the bus to come. i didn't feel like springing for another cab. i had a nice conversation with an old acquaintance while we waited for the bus.

when i got home the fruit delivery was waiting in front of the door. i also saw sahar's jacket on the ground. i figured that gal had come home early from work. i didn't see any signs that someone had entered so i went downstairs. it was dark and empty. i started folding some of the kids' laundry and put away the baby's sweat suits. i then folded the laundry racks and put them away in a corner. i heard cloey the dog barking but i coldn't find her. i think she had been locked out of my apartment and had been downstairs for awhile.

shortly afterwards, i got a call from gal leting me know that she had been locked out of the house. she couldn't enter through my window because sahar was asleep in her arms. she was on the next block at her sister's place. she said something about my watching sahar while she went back out. i frantically searched the downstairs for any tell tale sign that my dog had been downstairs. sure enough, she had deficated on the small rug in sahar's day room.

i was glad to see that sahar was feeling better. i was also, not so tired because i had had the morning off for myself. i tried making food for him but he only wanted to eat junk. i tried giving him bottles, but he also refused them. the kids got back from the supermarket at 10:00 p.m. sahar was wired!.

i was happy to get back upstairs and hit the net. i was looking up different groups of fruits. i only use fruits that we bless for growing on fruit trees. that leaves out bananas, strawberries, cantalope, melons, papaya, watermelon, etc. i was toying with the idea of buying chocolate beans, but the price was astronomical.

i might just give in next week and buy a package of the chocolate beans. i could always use the chestnuts to make a soup and serve it at the end of the seder this year. anything is possible. i got my new water bill and it was for over $200. i can honestly, say that i do not have the strength to deal with this now.

right now i am wondering how i will be able to make shabbat for the kids tomorrow. please 'Lord', grant me the strength to be on my feet all day tomorrow. amen!!!!