The Party's Over

it is 8:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  yesterday evening I hosted a birthday party for my grandson, downstairs.  last year the kids were in their new apartment and only had room for family members.  now that we are on better terms, the party came back to my home.  I pressured my son to come around in the morning to take down the pool.  last year it stood outside during the winter, uncovered, catching rain water.  it was pretty awful.  we really needed the space for the party.  I made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

it took about half an hour in all, to dismember the bars and clean the pool.  I was left to put it back into the original box.  I must have folded and refolded the pool three times but it was too heavy for me to lift.  I couldn't get that sucker into the box, no how.  I left it folded in a corner of the patio with the pool's ladder. I was concerned about having the ladder around kids.  I  actually found a family toddler attempting to climb it.  no one else noticed but me.  I also worried that there wouldn't be enough light outside when it got dark.

I spent hours downstairs washing down the patio and wet mopping the bathroom and hall floors.  the place is huge.  I cleared the laundry room, which is also very huge, of any objects left over from the party I threw before pesach.  I was so concerned that the place look clean and smell good.  I sprayed the bathroom for some time.  the entire house smelled good.  I schlepped down about a dozen or more chairs to the patio from the upstairs.  I couldn't manage the two tables, by myself.  I secluded the two dogs that I'm caring for into the master bedroom.  I washed all the floors in my house, too.  someone would for sure come upstairs to borrow something so I did all of the dishes left in the two sinks.

I couldn't stand anymore.  my back was finished.  I got ready to go to work at the yeshiva.  I waited half an hour for the bus.  I didn't feel like taking a cab.  I searched the house for light bulbs.  I was obsessed about lighting for the outdoors.  I ran to a house goods store on my way to work to buy small halogen bulbs for the downstairs fixtures.  I didn't know who would put them in for me.  they are pretty high up on the wall.  I obsessed all afternoon about these lights.  the man in the store didn't know or care about what I was looking for.  he was young and hungry and wanted to finish his sandwich.

I was too nervous to spend too much time cooking at the yeshiva.  I worried that the dogs might get out while I was gone.  instead of making a kugel, I made stewed potatoes.  I took out a 9x11 pan of leftover tuna loaf to serve the young men for dinner.  it was quite dense.  the other cook suggested that I break it up and make it into fish patties. sure!  I finished cooking some ratatouille, zelda style, cleaned up and left.  I waited a half an hour for the bus to come home.  I was very tempted to catch a cab but I resisted.  I even caught a small shuttle bus in front of the yeshiva to catch another bus in town.  it's about a 7minute walk but I was that tired.

I thought about stopping off at the supermarket to buy some bulbs but I went home directly, instead.  the downstairs was very party like.  the tables were all filled with prizes and candies and drinks and chocolate goodies.  there were balloons strung everywhere.  my daughter-in-law had two sisters and a very abled teenage brother helping her set up.  I'm a one woman show.  what ever I can't do doesn't get done.  I have no help.  I was delighted that the dogs were all intact except for the pincher.  I think she is dying.  she is no longer able to stand up on her hind legs and she stopped drinking and eating.  I'm thinking about taking her to be put down tomorrow.  who knows? perhaps they will shoot her up with steroids and she will revive.

I searched my drawer for bulbs one more time and lo and behold, I found a small halogen light bulb.  I asked the teenage brother if he could put it in for me.  I schlepped down the ladder and a few screwdrivers and voila!  we had tons of light.  I took a shower and made an effort to look nice.  I even put on eyeliner and lip gloss.  when I got downstairs, there were just a few kids.  it was mostly family.  I went upstairs to make some tea and the guests arrived en masse.  there could have been 25 or more 8 year olds.  they had a sound system and mike. the noise was unbearable for me.  in just moments the patio was littered with wrapping paper, burst balloons, drinks, candy wrappers and loose candies.  I thought to myself, why exactly, did I wash down the patio hours before?  I guess I didn't want to offend anyone with the smell of dog pish or the sight of loose dirty leaves..

everyone got cold outside so the activities resumed in the house.  within moments the house got trashed with candy wrappers, spilled drinks, wrapping paper, smashed salad and chocolate cake remains.  one of the activities was frosting store bought cupcakes with hand made whipped cream icing.  the Sephardi grandma was in charge of that activity. while the girls were decorating cupcakes in the kitchen, the boys were making bedlam in the laundry room.  then the pizzas arrived.  the place was super trashed with leftover ketchup wrappers and half eaten slices of pizza.  the Israeli's love ketchup on their pizza.  I stayed outside.  I was a bit overwhelmed.  I was picking up leftover pizza slices and eating them.  I was so tired.

after the cupcake decorating and pizza the kids once again came outside and I was so pleased that the patio was well lit.  the kids rode around on all sorts of wheeled toys.  then the parents came to pick up the kids.  the party bags were distributed and almost everyone left.  the Sephardi family finally left and I told my daughter-in-law that I would clean up.  I just wanted everyone to leave.  I was exhausted.  I needed to be alone.  I needed to take the dogs for a walk.  I threw out a ton of garbage and brought up drinks and leftover party bags..

I don't have an ounce of energy left in my body.  I woke up late and took the doggies out at 7:30 a.m.  I usually take them out at 6:00 a.m. I washed the front hall because someone pished and left a bit of doggie do.  I don't blame them.  I goofed up this morning.  all in all, I do believe that my grandson actually enjoyed his party for a change.  my daughter-in-law was in her element.  she loves being the mc and really gets into these kids' activities. her family supports her and they all pick up the slack for her.  my son stays out of sight until the end and then supplies beer for the few men present.  he then slips away.  this time he took home the loot.  my grandson scored big time.