Countdown To Pesach 2018

it is 8:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed.   I am shivering.  I just took a luke warm shower.  my clothes were wet from washing windows downstairs.  I did the two small windows in the bomb shelter bedroom.  the screen was shot and I won't have any time to fix it until after pesach.  I intend to wash the windows in the downstairs kitchen in the morning before I have to pick up the kids.  they are all pretty small.  I washed the windows in the living room today but I didn't lift them out of the frames.  they are incredibly heavy. I kind of threw water up and down the backs.  I guess I got the dirt off of them.  I couldn't really windex them.

I only had the granddaughter with me today.  I took her to town and bought a few inexpensive prizes for them for pesach.  I imagine the parents will kick in with the real presents for their participation at the seder.  I bought clear glue as well as the white kind and a couple of more colors to make more slime.  my granddaughter went home with 4 containers full of slime. the grandson was a bit jealous.  he was too sick to go to school today.  he can make some slime tomorrow afternoon.

I am suffering from a really intense toothache.  I've already taken two pills and it hasn't quieted down.  I might have to get some antibiotic tomorrow.  the dentist wouldn't agree to pull my tooth until I got a letter from the neurosurgeon that it was safe.  the neurologist at the safed hospital vetoed it.  I've been living on borrowed time. this time the plain is unbearable.

I did very little today.  I was too tired when I got up to function.  I had to get to the school by 12:30 p.m. which meant I needed to be on a bus at 11:40 a.m.  I stopped in a furniture shop to price a small sofa.  it was above my means.  it also was material and I think the dog hair would destroy it.  the fake leather one was also too expensive.  I do not know what to do.  I just might have to clean the busted couch and cover it with a nice schemata for pesach.

there is someone selling used furniture in the old city.  perhaps I will call tomorrow and see if he has any two seater couches in his warehouse.  there is a huge furniture store down in the industrial zone.  It is a huge schlepp to get down there and I am not sure they will be able to deliver something right before pesach.  oh well.......

The End Of The Great Shabbat

it is 9:00 p.m. in the hoy city of safed.  Shabbat ended at 7:35 p.m.  I was reading a novel and covered in a warm blanket.  it got really cold overnight.  I mean, cold like winter.  this is after having had a few days of a heat wave like summer.  my grandson got pretty sick.  he had a high fever and he wanted to sleep over.  he was coughing up a storm and I really cannot afford to get sick again, especially right before pesach.  I didn't have any childs' aspirin and I kept telling the parents to visit a neighbor and get some.  he managed to walk home but granddaughter refused to go home.  she fell asleep right after the parents left.  that was about 10:00 p.m.  I couldn't sleep because I noticed that the kids had left their house key here.

I figured that perhaps, the grandson could climb in through the  kitchen window and let the parents in.  I stayed up for a while and unlocked the door, in the advent that someone would return to my house.  I finally fell asleep and awoke at 4:00 a.m.  I locked the door.  I didn't to synagogue this morning.  I was too cold and my knee ached.  it is difficult to climb steps.  I was hoping that after a little rest, it would feel better.  no such luck. we both got up at about 8:00 a.m. and I had to keep her inside even though she was already dressed and ready to run over to see her friend.  I let her go to her friend at 10:00 a.m.   services usually end at about 10:30. she retuned home with her friend at 12:30 p.m.  the kids arrived at 1:00 p.m. and we finally had lunch.

the grandson had had a very high fever and was laying limp in bed all morning. they usually come at about 11:30 a.m.  after a dose of very strong aspirin he was more or less, himself. he wanted to stay over until Shabbat ended but thankfully, they all went home and I went to bed at 3:00 p.m.  I was limping a bit.  I got up at 6:00 p.m. and had a cup of cocoa and ate some rice cakes with peanut butter.  I continued reading my novel until Shabbat ended. I didn't make havdallah right away..

the son called and wanted me to babysit tonight.  I am just, too tired.  I can't do anything right now.  I have a little washing up to do but it can wait until  morning.  I also feel like I might be coming down with something.  my nose is running non stop.  I have lots to do tomorrow.  I want to start the downstairs.  if it is very cold I don't see myself being outside doing windows.  I also need to pick up the kids from school at 1:00 p.m.  it always gets down the wire no matter how early I start. I need to clean the torn up little couch and recliner in the t.v. room and dust off a bookshelf and the upstairs will officially be cleaned for pesach.

The Great Shabbat II

it is 2:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  I am at my wit's end.  I just schlepped down to the supermarket and up again; several flights of steps; to return.  my reason for this trip was to buy some beer for my son, who is coming back to safed for Shabbat.  I haven't seen him in two weeks.  I took the granddaughter with me because she was 'antsy'.  I ended up buying everything they wanted except for the beer.  the grandson is under the weather and very testy.  he wasn't given a pill this morning.  every corner of the house is cluttered with their junk.  I can't clean anymore.  I can't keep on picking up lego pieces.

I already cooked.  I may a shepherd's pie for dinner and some tilapia fillets.  I have some chumus and an Israeli salad.  we changed our clocks last night.  we set them forward.  this means that Shabbat dinner doesn't start before 8:00 p.m.  it is a drag!  I made a chicken stew for lunch.  it will remain on the platter all night.  it is a bit greasy.  I am very uninspired. I bought some canned corn at the supermarket but didn't buy any salads.  I will go next week and buy the veggies for pesach.

it looks like we will be 8 at the table for pesach. that is if everyone shows up. I wanted to finish the master bedroom but I've run out of steam.  I did clean the master bathroom.  I am losing it.  I didn't sleep last night.  I had a prospective rental and I couldn't rest after that.  at 6:00 a.m. I turned off the television.  I wasn't watching anything.  I just needed that noise to keep me calm.  I feel brain dead today.

The Great Shabbat

it is 9:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  I just had a glass of water.  I finally got out of bed and let the dog out at 8:00 a.m. I got up earlier but didn't feel like moving.  I went straight into the guest bedroom and dusted the furniture and mopped the floor.  I didn't use bleach.  no one eats in this room.  I struggled putting the bed cover back on.  the nylon zipper kept on splitting.  I thought it was a goner for sure but somehow it all worked out.  I made up the bed and now it is completely ready for pesach.   I need to do the same to the master bedroom.  tiny has been bringing in large rolls that people are throwing out before pesach.   I need to finish the room and close the door.  I already did a major floor washing at the beginning of the week.  I will just sweep and change the linens. 

I have to go to town at 12:00 p.m. to pick up the kids. I need to stop off at the rabbinate and sell my chometz.  I also have to buy some potatoes and veggies for Shabbat.  I have decided to make a shepherd's pie without baking it.  how bad could it turn out?. I am also going to stew some chicken thighs and legs with barley and wheat and potatoes for lunch.  I'm on the fence about bothering to cook fish this week.  I wish they ate gefilte fish.  I have a jar of it in the closet..  oh well.......

The Old Grey Mare

it is 4:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  I ran around a lot today but didn't get all of my errands accomplished.  I ran to the hospital in the morning.  that "run" involved catching two busses.  I first went to the clinic to ask if they could call the technician at the eye clinic and have him fax them the  results of my peripheral vision test.  I took said test back in august and lost said results sometime after.  it's not like me to lose medical papers.  I didn't even remember taking the test.  the neurosurgeon ordered it back in july.  I am going to do an MRI of the brain right after pesach and I will be seeing the surgeon shortly afterwards.  I asked the young lady at the clinic last week if she could decipher, from their records, when I took the vision test.  I also asked her if she would call the hospital for me and ask if they would fax the results to their office.  she said it couldn't be done.  I think she said it was 'unheard' of.

I called  the hospital myself and spoke with the technician yesterday.  it took him quite a bit of time to find it.  he offered to fax it to me but I do not have a fax machine at home nor do I have access to a fax machine in the immediate neighborhood.  today, another lovely lady clerk, did call the hospital for me but they couldn't get in touch with the technician ,who was saving the results for me, on his desk.  I requested that he not bring the results into the office for I feared that they would lose them.  the secretary from the hospital told the secretary at my clinic that they would mail it to me.  I wouldn't hold my breath.

I ran to the bus stop and caught the bus to the hospital.  I wanted the results in my hand.  I got there and as soon as the technician opened his door I stormed in.  the ride back to town was awful.  I was squeezed into a crowded van filled with baby strollers and ultraorthodox women and men.  I got out in town and walked to my friend's home.  it was already 10:30 a.m. and I hadn't had even a cup of tea yet.  my knee was aching and it was difficult navigating uphill.  I had a snack at my friend's and showed her a costume for her upcoming play. 

today was open market day and I would have liked to look around but it was hot and I felt unwell again.  I saw a bus going up my way and immediately jumped on.  I got back to my neighborhood about 1:00 p.m. and stopped off at another friend on the next block.  she lives close to the bus stop.  I had another snack and cup of tea and limped home.  I stayed on you tube for about an hour and then ran out to catch the bus back to town to pick of the grandkids.  I didn't have enough time to buy bread or something for dinner for them.

when we were waiting for the van to take us home I suddenly realized that I wasn't supposed to pick them up today.  their mom came a moment later, luckily, before we entered the van and drove me home.  I felt like such a dodo.  tomorrow I have to get them from town early as they are officially on vacation.  are we having fun yet?

Tuesday Good News Day

it is 8:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  I got up at 6:00 a.m.  I was having a nightmare about being lost in a palestinian city.  even though the television was on all night, I slept through each and every program.  I was just that tired.  maybe it was the chemicals.  I may have overdone it with the bleach and oven spray.  my hands are calloused and my fingers are burnt.  I didn't use gloves.

I washed the floor of the t.v. room and redid the kitchen and dining room floors with soap and water  before I even had a cup of tea..  I was amazed at how much dirt was still on the floors.  you cannot eat off of my floors, ever.  the oven and stove look brand new.  I wonder if hey will work again after all the water I threw on  them.  I have to pick up the kids at 4:00 p.m. from school.  the house it a bit of a disaster.  I better get things in order before they come.  I am in panic mode.  I know that it is crazy because I still have another week to finish.  bringing the kids into this mix is overwhelming.   I am so over this pesach spring cleaning.

!:00 p.m. I  just finished washing the other two porch windows.  somehow, they seemed much heavier today.  I didn't go for perfection.  I just wanted them clean.  i'll probably have dead birds in front of my door.  they tend to crash into the cleaned windows.  my pincher would bring them into the house and munch away.  tiny dog doesn't have that instinct.  he is happy with rice and tuna.  I found a whole roll in his bed in the bedroom that I cleaned already.  I am going to have to keep the bedroom doors shut until pesach.

I got my paperwork for the MRI and took a blood test.  I am pretty tired.  I was able to find the industrial strength tin foil to cover the counters.  I also bought white paint and more plaster.  a lovely young man drove me home from the store.  sometimes, it pays to look old.

A New Day

it is 9:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  I am truly rested.  I felt like I was in a semi coma yesterday.  I stayed in bed and slept through the night.  I did wake up a lot but fell back to sleep easily.  I already washed down the floor in the master bedroom and cleaned the porch area.  I still have tons of bags on the bed.  I did some plastering yesterday in the downstairs kitchen area.  it needs a touch up of white paint and it will be good.  if I am not needed to babysit today I will go ahead and wash the kitchen chairs and alcove.  I'd rather wash the windows in the downstairs kitchen area.  I know I am stalling.  I'm just not into doing the alcove today.  the downstairs won't really take that much time to do.

I will bring down the beds and wash all of the floors.  I can't really reach the windows in the two bedrooms that are under ground.  I might just wash the curtains and call it a day.  I've completely run out of money.  it always happens at holiday time.  I will manage by giving post dated checks.  I  will survive with the help of my family and friends.  I'm not going to lose sleep on it.

5:30 p.m.  kitchen alcove and dining room chairs are done!  I used so much water that the chairs will be wet until Friday..  did the oven and stove top.  hopefully, that will dry by the end of pesach.  I did two porch windows.  would have done the other two but the neighbor was spraying furniture outside and I couldn't be outside.  the house really looks upside down now. 

the fix it man came back and now I can lock the downstairs door.  he also put a handle on the upstairs apartment door so I can enter now.  he switched a couple of light fixtures for me, as well.  he took about $120.  I hope to get to the clinic tomorrow and do a blood test and pick up my paperwork for the MRI.  I also want to buy paint and more plaster and work on the downstairs walls.  I officially finished my apartment.