The Longest Journey

it is 7:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  i just got back from walking the doggies.  it is pretty cold but it isn't raining now.  i have to be in a nearby town at 9:30 a.m. to catch an express bus to tel aviv. then i have a 45 minute bus ride to the hospital.  that should get me there by noon.  i will have enough time, hopefully, to get something to eat at the food court and check out the mini maul.  at Chanukah, i scored a fortnite monopoly set for my grandson.  it was about $50.  i walked past the shop twice before i finally bought it.

there is an orthopedic shoe store that i like to check out, too.  all the stores are having huge sales.  i need a new pair of rain boots.  i bought a pair of black booties in Jerusalem, but they really aren't all that comfortable.  i showered last night because i was afraid that i wouldn't have enough time this morning.  i prefer to shower in the morning.  i do not sleep the night before i travel.  i am always afraid that i will oversleep.  i almost always wake up about 6:00 a.m. but i still worry. alarm clocks never help.  i am afraid that they won't go off or that i won't hear them.

i pulled an all nighter on Tuesday night.  i went to see my friend's play and got to schmooze with a lot of people.  i do not usually go out at night.  after such a social event, i cannot sleep. the 4 bags of chai tea didn't help, either.  i was practically staggering at work.  last night i stayed until 9:00 p.m.  i had to cook 4 meals and leave salads for Shabbat lunch.  i said i would come in tomorrow to make the traditional Shabbat stew.  i doubt that i will be up for coming in this evening when i return from the hospital.  i need to see the pulmonary surgeon today.  i hope he doesn't ask me to do a biopsy of my lung.  i read that they can puncture your lung.  they all say that it is rare, but my neighbor told me recently, that he actually did it to a patient once, and still relives the nightmare to this day.  he has been retired for a few years..

i was feeling desperate about 8:00 p.m. last night.  i was literally, falling off of my feet.  i still had two meals to do and i was ready to throw in the towel.  i quickly shredded some fresh veggies to the leftover lunchtime soup, made a quinoa salad and cooked some red lentils.  i was too tired to fry up lentil patties at this point.  i cooked up a slew of sweet potatoes for a mash, opened a huge can of corn and made some tiny turkey balls with soy sauce for the supper.  i hope it's enough.  i did leave a note for the manager to scramble up some eggs for lunch.  the wash up took forever to do.  my sleeves were soaked.

i took the leftover macaroni salad which had traces of  tuna and boiled eggs and added a large tin of tuna, a ton of mayonnaise and the leftover pickles.   i think it will stay fresh until Saturday.  i cooked up some spicy beets and opened a huge can of olives.  i need to make tahini and a pasta salad for their lunch tomorrow morning.  i told the manger, who is my right hand man, to buy some shredded cabbage.  i can't see myself dicing any more veggies.  i left a huge pot of turkey chili and rice for their supper at 7:00 p.m. and made a sweet carrot kugel to cool the heat of the chili.   the guys love it really hot.  it is a sign of manhood.  i don't think it was really all that hot.

it is dark and grey outside.  i think it is raining once again.  i think i will taxi it to the next town.  it only is about ten minutes away.  it's about a $12 fare but what can you do.  a truly good pal of mine always says, when you have a 'situation;  just throw money at it.  i fell asleep least night about 3:30 a.m.  i do not have the strength to walk down to the junction to catch a bus or taxi in this cold.  last month, i was running late and under a lot of pressure.  i waited for over 40 minutes.  luckily, i finally caught a ride. i greatly fear missing the 9:30 a.m. bus.

i also did not get the form that i need to pay for the surgeon's visit. he worst scenario is that i need to pay the hospital a certain fee and will get reimbursed when the form comes in.  i was toying with the idea of going to the clinic soon to see if the form arrived but then again, it's another schlepp.  there is an office at the hospital but I'm not certain that it will be open when i get there.  i stopped off at the clinic yesterday because i lost my magnetic card, for the third time.  i can remember that procedure being very costly and difficult back in the day.  today, they process one in a second's time.  i never checked to see if they charge you for it.

I've just had a small spelt roll with some natural peanut butter and of course,  my morning 2 bags of chai tea.  i have had to start my nightly fasting at 4:30 p.m. lately because i have been overeating at work and feeling very uncomfortable.  i have been hitting the carbs pretty hard this season.  i am thankfully, maintaining my weight.  my tummy did puff out again but it is under control, once again.  intermittent fasting is a great tool for nashers and grazers and would be bingers.  i find that sugary foods hurt my stomach now.  i do eat a dried date or two when i experience a sugar craving. it works.