Happy Endings

it is 2:00 a.m. in the holy city of zefat.  it's actually 3:00 a.m. because we turn the clocks ahead tonight.   we just got back from our neighbor's wedding in Nahariya.   my son was in a real tizzy all of Purim because he felt restricted in his usual drinking habit.   he was such a crab that I told him to stay home, get drunk and forgo the wedding.  the daughter-in-law kind of backed me up.

at 3:00 p.m. he went out to catch a megillah reading with his wife.  he returned an hour later, a new man.  he had a bit of wine and ate some barbecue and was in a pleasant mood.  he had gone out last night to a party and could not enjoy himself.  I, on the other hand, had a blast at my 'dead rockers' party Purim spiel.  I did a lot of dancing and truly connected with some old friends.

I had the kids with me on Wednesday.   I was fasting but felt fine.  we all schlepped down to the supermarket  to return our empty bottles and to get veggies and food for Shabbat.  the kids played for a short while in the playground but it was too hot to stay outside.  I bought them coloring books for Purim, which kept them occupied for a while.  we also watched a televised Purim play, which the kids now know by heart.  I bought then their favorite kinder treats with the refund from the bottles.

I bathed them in the evening and their mother came home and got them into their costumes.  we all went to the Sephardi synagogue to hear the megilla.  I was still fasting.  we got back around 7:30 p.m. and I quickly gulped down a roll and a slice of cheese and got into my costume.  I had already applied my hard rock make up look before shul.  I drank some sangria and called a cab.  I took half a bottle of sangria to hand out at the party.  it was one of my best batches to date.

I got home around 1:30 a.m. from the party.  I was a bit hungry so I had some nuts.  it was the first time in months that I ate after 8:00 p.m.   I woke up this morning feeling a bit shaky.  I ate two hot dogs that were sitting on my counter from the night before.  I put up a pot of potatoes and forgot all about them.  I went downstairs to get the kids dressed for the megillah reading and was pleasantly surprised to hear that their young Sephardi aunts were taking them out for the day.  I was free!  I poured myself a glass of sangria and ran off to shul.  I was thinking about going to town to see my friend at the old age home when I suddenly remembered that I had left the potatoes on the gas. 

I said a silent prayer that my potatoes should not burn my house down.  I thought about calling my son to run upstairs but I couldn't be bothered borrowing someone's phone.  I got back home and the potatoes were in tact.  there were a few drops of water left in the pot.  it was a true Purim miracle.  I quickly made a mashed potato kugel  and drank some more sangria while it baked.  I ran off to a neighbor to give a Purim gift basket and returned home to a delicious kugel.  I had a small piece and ran off to my gal pal on the next street.

she was bummed out about the Purim party at the chabad house the previous night.  the party was a fiasco.  she was the music provider but the coordinator of the evening sabotaged all of her hard work and effort.  and to boot, she was locked out of the chabad house this morning, when she went to retrieve her equipment.   I brought her some of my happy sangria and walked her to an afternoon megillah reading.  I got home at about 2:00 p.m. and thought about calling a taxi to go to the Sephardi family.  just then, my daughter in-law came home and drove me to the family.  when I got there they were just starting to light the barbecue.  my son was lying on the couch in a dead heap.  he was miserable.  I just kept on drinking my sangria and passing out rum balls.

I suddenly was ravenous.  I went outside and grabbed a hot dog and a pita and gobbled it down.  I  then ate another three hotdogs and some salads.  I drank about 4 cups of strong tea.  the family started piling in.  I just kept on drinking my sangria and gulping down tea.  the little kids were getting their faces painted and wanted to paint mine.  I explained that I had a wedding to go to and couldn't risk face paint stains.  I ate more barbecue and was pleasantly stuffed.  we left the Purim meal at about 6:00 p.m. and we left for the wedding at around 7:00 p.m.  we got there with plenty of time to catch the ceremony.  the hall was massive.

 I didn't think that I could eat a another thing this evening, but they served brains and I wanted to try it.  it was really good.  I actually passed on the steak dinner but had a piece of chicken and half of a baked potato.  at one point I felt really nauseous.  it was way too late and way too much food for my poor stomach.  I truly dreaded the ride home.  luckily, I felt better after I drank some club soda.  we danced a bit at the disco and we left quite satisfied.  and to think we suffered all week long about going to a wedding on Purim.

I have to make Shabbat meals for the kids but I don't have the burden of watching the grandkids.  they happily slept over at the Sephardi grandparents' tonight.   I bought ingredients to make a tiramisu dessert.  I think I may have invited a friend to join us for Shabbat.  she has a dog but it's been quiet since we lost our cookie.  two dogs is better than three but four is way too many.  I have the leftover potato kugel but my friend doesn't eat mushrooms.  I threw in an entire can.  oh well......