I got up a little late this morning but still early enough to get a nice walk in. I wore a warmer jacket, the one I bought 10 years ago in Yellowstone National Park. It was actually slightly too warm by the end of my walk.
I had one Berlitz class of 2 units: 10:00-11:30. Only 1 of the 3 students actually showed up.
We ate lunch again at Greg today. David had their lasagna (and I ate a little of it), and I had an omelet sandwich. It came with an Israeli salad on the side (chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and a little onion and parsley, seasoned with lemon juice and/or vinegar and salt).
I got some good work done on the performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. It's gradually beginning to sound more musical and less mechanical, but it's very slow going.
We decided NOT to go to the New Year's Eve party that we were invited to this evening because it's going to be mostly outside. The low for the night is predicted to be 10˚C (50˚F), which is warmer than many places but still a little cold for us to be sitting in. But we still want to wish everyone a "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
30 December 2012
I woke up a little late this morning after a bit more tossing and turning during the night than usual, so I didn't get out for a walk.
This morning, I worked on getting David's e-mail functioning again for him. Apparently what was happening was that ALL his archived mail was getting put into his "Inbox" on the new system. So I logged into his account on my computer and simply systematically deleted over 20,000 messages that went back many years. Now, his inbox only contains new e-mails that he receives, so he should be able to cope with those.
We ate lunch at Greg today. David had a small pizza, and I had the sabich salad (Israeli salad topped with slices of eggplant, pieces of potato, garbanzos, hummus, and a hard-boiled egg). I also ate all of the small loaf of bread that came with it. This was not really such an unusually large meal for either of us, but, for some reason, we both felt simply STUFFED for much of the rest of the day, like after a big holiday meal. Very strange!
This morning, I worked on getting David's e-mail functioning again for him. Apparently what was happening was that ALL his archived mail was getting put into his "Inbox" on the new system. So I logged into his account on my computer and simply systematically deleted over 20,000 messages that went back many years. Now, his inbox only contains new e-mails that he receives, so he should be able to cope with those.
We ate lunch at Greg today. David had a small pizza, and I had the sabich salad (Israeli salad topped with slices of eggplant, pieces of potato, garbanzos, hummus, and a hard-boiled egg). I also ate all of the small loaf of bread that came with it. This was not really such an unusually large meal for either of us, but, for some reason, we both felt simply STUFFED for much of the rest of the day, like after a big holiday meal. Very strange!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
29 December 2012
I got up slightly late this morning, so I went for a somewhat shorter walk. But at least I did get out there!
Today was David's 57th birthday! On a whim, this morning we decided to celebrate it by driving to Tel Aviv to eat at a great Indian restaurant on Dizengof Square. We weren't even sure it would be open when we got there. After a bit of wandering around, we found a great place to park only about a block away, and the restaurant WAS open! We both enjoyed our meals and the crazy idea of driving about 5 hours each way for a meal out!
Today was David's 57th birthday! On a whim, this morning we decided to celebrate it by driving to Tel Aviv to eat at a great Indian restaurant on Dizengof Square. We weren't even sure it would be open when we got there. After a bit of wandering around, we found a great place to park only about a block away, and the restaurant WAS open! We both enjoyed our meals and the crazy idea of driving about 5 hours each way for a meal out!
Friday, December 28, 2012
28 December 2012
This morning I woke up bright and early and got over to the gym. I wore my orange "hoodie", and it felt a little cold on the way over, partly because I was mostly going into the breeze. But after working out a bit, I was not cold at all on the way home (of course, I was then going WITH the breeze!).
I had one unit of teaching today: 9:15-10:00. This was with the same Russian student that I had most days this week. Today, I learned that she's going to Mombasa, Kenya, to welcome the new year. That will certainly be a change from Moscow!
We had lunch at Greg today. David had tortellini with mushroom cream sauce, and I had their Home Fries Salad.
My big project for today was to get the Yamaha keyboard and both Macs all working together so that I could play my new organ or send sequenced data to it. It took me a bit of fiddling, and I had to download new drivers for both of my USB-MIDI interface boxes, but it finally all works.
Today David and I are celebrating the 7th anniversary of our arrival here in Israel (our 7th aliyahversary!). So many things have happened since then. In the early days, when we were so ignorant about so many things, there were so many cases where it went right for us when it could easily have gone very wrong. We are thankful for those blessings. All in all, we are very happy with our decision, and we really do love living in Israel, especially Eilat! Here's to many more years here!
I had one unit of teaching today: 9:15-10:00. This was with the same Russian student that I had most days this week. Today, I learned that she's going to Mombasa, Kenya, to welcome the new year. That will certainly be a change from Moscow!
We had lunch at Greg today. David had tortellini with mushroom cream sauce, and I had their Home Fries Salad.
My big project for today was to get the Yamaha keyboard and both Macs all working together so that I could play my new organ or send sequenced data to it. It took me a bit of fiddling, and I had to download new drivers for both of my USB-MIDI interface boxes, but it finally all works.
Today David and I are celebrating the 7th anniversary of our arrival here in Israel (our 7th aliyahversary!). So many things have happened since then. In the early days, when we were so ignorant about so many things, there were so many cases where it went right for us when it could easily have gone very wrong. We are thankful for those blessings. All in all, we are very happy with our decision, and we really do love living in Israel, especially Eilat! Here's to many more years here!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
27 December 2012
I didn't sleep as well in the later part of last night and so got up too late for a walk this morning.
I had just one unit of Berlitz today: 9:15-10:00.
I spent most of the day working on getting my organ samples downloaded and loaded into Hauptwerk (the organ front-end program). Now I've got to work on getting the MIDI setup right so that I'll be able to actually play it, and, more importantly, control it from Digital Performer so that I can get the other computer to play it.
We ate lunch today at Il Pentolino and had our usual dishes there.
Recently, we've been seeing an interesting ship in the gulf. I thought that it might be a yacht, and, sure enough, this evening I read in one of the local weekly advertising magazines that it IS a yacht. Apparently, it belongs to an Australian billionaire who is a holocaust survivor. According to the article (which was in Hebrew, of course), it has a private helicopter and a crew of 25 people!
This evening, we went over to the Ice Park, where we had frozen yogurt and then drank coffee at Greg and watched the 7:00 ice-dance show from there (it was the same as last night but still worth seeing again).
I had just one unit of Berlitz today: 9:15-10:00.
I spent most of the day working on getting my organ samples downloaded and loaded into Hauptwerk (the organ front-end program). Now I've got to work on getting the MIDI setup right so that I'll be able to actually play it, and, more importantly, control it from Digital Performer so that I can get the other computer to play it.
We ate lunch today at Il Pentolino and had our usual dishes there.
Recently, we've been seeing an interesting ship in the gulf. I thought that it might be a yacht, and, sure enough, this evening I read in one of the local weekly advertising magazines that it IS a yacht. Apparently, it belongs to an Australian billionaire who is a holocaust survivor. According to the article (which was in Hebrew, of course), it has a private helicopter and a crew of 25 people!
This evening, we went over to the Ice Park, where we had frozen yogurt and then drank coffee at Greg and watched the 7:00 ice-dance show from there (it was the same as last night but still worth seeing again).
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
26 December 2012
I got up early enough this morning to go for a walk, but when I got out there, I saw some dark clouds (even though it was still too dark to see well), and I worried that I could end up getting rained on some distance from home and get very wet. So, I decided to drive over to feed Moshe and Bob's cats. As it turned out, though, the clouds cleared very quickly, and there was no rain at all.
I did quite a bit of editing on my piece for string orchestra, and it's sounding pretty good now. I think I'll now set it aside for a week or two, and then come back to it and see how it sounds with some perspective. In the mean time, I've started working on Bach's 3rd Brandenburg Concerto (my favorite). I got a MIDI file with all the notes, but that's it, and it will require a LOT of editing to make it sound musical and anything even CLOSE to a realistic performance. It will be interesting, though. There's still the problem of the continuo, too. There are some possibilities I can think of, but there could be technical complications, and, in any case, actually realizing the continuo would be quite a bit of work in itself. I'll have to think about what I want to do.
We ate lunch at Greg today. David had papparadelle, and I had their salat toast. After that, we drove over to the bird sanctuary, which is located near the border crossing to Jordan. There weren't many birds, and we didn't stay long, but it IS a beautiful spot, so we'll no doubt return another time.
I had no Berlitz classes at all today.
I began working on loading the organ that I bought and received a day or two ago. It turns out that there are quite a few problems with errors in the files, even on the DVDs. According to the company's website, they have experienced these errors quite frequently. I can also download the files, but there are TEN of them, and each one is about 4 gigabytes. Still, I seem to get more error-free files that way so far. It will be quite a process. If worst comes to worst, they will send me more DVDs, but that, of course, takes a week or two, and they, too, could be bad!
This evening, we went over to Ice Park again and tried out the new café that just recently opened. It's located on the roof of the building where they rent out the skates. We sat right at the edge, just above the ice rink, so we had a great view of the 7:00 ice show! We split a snack of crispy cauliflower on a bed of salsa and tehina, which was quite delicious and nearly calorie-free. After that, we took a drive up nearly to Yotvata and back, just to be out of the house a bit more.
I did quite a bit of editing on my piece for string orchestra, and it's sounding pretty good now. I think I'll now set it aside for a week or two, and then come back to it and see how it sounds with some perspective. In the mean time, I've started working on Bach's 3rd Brandenburg Concerto (my favorite). I got a MIDI file with all the notes, but that's it, and it will require a LOT of editing to make it sound musical and anything even CLOSE to a realistic performance. It will be interesting, though. There's still the problem of the continuo, too. There are some possibilities I can think of, but there could be technical complications, and, in any case, actually realizing the continuo would be quite a bit of work in itself. I'll have to think about what I want to do.
We ate lunch at Greg today. David had papparadelle, and I had their salat toast. After that, we drove over to the bird sanctuary, which is located near the border crossing to Jordan. There weren't many birds, and we didn't stay long, but it IS a beautiful spot, so we'll no doubt return another time.
I had no Berlitz classes at all today.
I began working on loading the organ that I bought and received a day or two ago. It turns out that there are quite a few problems with errors in the files, even on the DVDs. According to the company's website, they have experienced these errors quite frequently. I can also download the files, but there are TEN of them, and each one is about 4 gigabytes. Still, I seem to get more error-free files that way so far. It will be quite a process. If worst comes to worst, they will send me more DVDs, but that, of course, takes a week or two, and they, too, could be bad!
This evening, we went over to Ice Park again and tried out the new café that just recently opened. It's located on the roof of the building where they rent out the skates. We sat right at the edge, just above the ice rink, so we had a great view of the 7:00 ice show! We split a snack of crispy cauliflower on a bed of salsa and tehina, which was quite delicious and nearly calorie-free. After that, we took a drive up nearly to Yotvata and back, just to be out of the house a bit more.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
25 December 2012
I slept well and woke up early again this morning. So I walked to the gym and worked out a little there. On the way back, I stopped by Moshe and Bob's apartment and fed their cats. I also walked over there 2 more times today to feed them: around noon and around 7:00 in the evening. This was very good exercise for me!
I had only one class of one unit scheduled for me today: 8:00-8:45. But in the morning, the office called me and asked if I could teach another one, which was 2 units: 1:00-2:30. I readily agreed. In the end, it turned out to be a no-show, so I only I to wait in the virtual classroom until 2:00. I never mind getting paid for 2 units and only having to spend one hour (during which I can do other things, of course, as long as I'm right there ready to start in case the student comes in).
This morning I went to the post office to pick up the package (from the Czech Republic) containing the samples for the new pipe organ that I bought (the actual organ is located in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands). It's going to be a lot of fun working with it, although that will come after my orchestra projects, I think.
Today I did a lot of work on my "Folk Song for Strings". It's beginning to really sound nice and realistic now, although I still need to do quite a bit more work. I'm starting to think about more pieces for the orchestra to do. I think I'll put together a whole album of classics: Bach, Mozart, etc. Of course, I'll also include my piece for strings.
I had only one class of one unit scheduled for me today: 8:00-8:45. But in the morning, the office called me and asked if I could teach another one, which was 2 units: 1:00-2:30. I readily agreed. In the end, it turned out to be a no-show, so I only I to wait in the virtual classroom until 2:00. I never mind getting paid for 2 units and only having to spend one hour (during which I can do other things, of course, as long as I'm right there ready to start in case the student comes in).
This morning I went to the post office to pick up the package (from the Czech Republic) containing the samples for the new pipe organ that I bought (the actual organ is located in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands). It's going to be a lot of fun working with it, although that will come after my orchestra projects, I think.
Today I did a lot of work on my "Folk Song for Strings". It's beginning to really sound nice and realistic now, although I still need to do quite a bit more work. I'm starting to think about more pieces for the orchestra to do. I think I'll put together a whole album of classics: Bach, Mozart, etc. Of course, I'll also include my piece for strings.
Monday, December 24, 2012
24 December 2012
I slept well last night and got up early enough for a pretty good walk this morning. It seemed slightly warmer out there than other recent mornings, perhaps because of less wind.
I taught one 2-unit class this morning, 10:00-11:30. It's a class of 3 guys who work for Canon in Poland, but one was absent today. I have at least one class every day this week, mostly single-unit lessons with one student in Moscow who told Berlitz she really liked my teaching!
We ate lunch at Barbis, where we both had soy burgers. Then we went over to Greg and the Ice Park & Mall and had ice-cafés, as well.
This afternoon and evening, I got some more work done on my piece for strings. I moved over to the newer computer for this work because it has slightly faster processor which will allow for a slightly bigger orchestra if needed. I also used my new headphones so that I can both more accurately edit the many parameters that affect the sound and assess the balance better. I think I have already made some significant improvements.
Our friends, Moshe and Bob, are out of town tonight and tomorrow night, so I am feeding their 4 cats and cleaning out their litter boxes. They have already done this for our cats several times when we were away, so it's about time I returned the favor. They recently moved from just down the street from us to one of the 3 tallest buildings in town, near the big kikar. They have an apartment on the 12th floor with a breathtaking view of most of Eilat and ALL of Aqaba!
I taught one 2-unit class this morning, 10:00-11:30. It's a class of 3 guys who work for Canon in Poland, but one was absent today. I have at least one class every day this week, mostly single-unit lessons with one student in Moscow who told Berlitz she really liked my teaching!
We ate lunch at Barbis, where we both had soy burgers. Then we went over to Greg and the Ice Park & Mall and had ice-cafés, as well.
This afternoon and evening, I got some more work done on my piece for strings. I moved over to the newer computer for this work because it has slightly faster processor which will allow for a slightly bigger orchestra if needed. I also used my new headphones so that I can both more accurately edit the many parameters that affect the sound and assess the balance better. I think I have already made some significant improvements.
Our friends, Moshe and Bob, are out of town tonight and tomorrow night, so I am feeding their 4 cats and cleaning out their litter boxes. They have already done this for our cats several times when we were away, so it's about time I returned the favor. They recently moved from just down the street from us to one of the 3 tallest buildings in town, near the big kikar. They have an apartment on the 12th floor with a breathtaking view of most of Eilat and ALL of Aqaba!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
23 December 2012
Last night I slept quite well, and I woke up early enough to go for a medium-length walk (almost all the way to the gym and back). It was nice out.
This morning I went to get an extension cord for the audio cord of my new headphones. The one that came with it and works with the computer was VERY short. Disc Club, where I bought the headphones, didn't have one, strangely enough, but ENTER (located downstairs in the same mall, Mul HaYam) did have several to choose from. I got their cheapest one, and it works great. I also did the weekly grocery shopping while I was out.
We ordered pizza for lunch today from Pizza Del Payero, which they delivered, of course.
This afternoon, I listened to one of my albums using my new headphones ("Five Centuries"). I also wrote a new entry in my old blog about our trip yesterday to Ein Avdat, including 8 of the best pictures I took there. Click here to check it out!
This morning I went to get an extension cord for the audio cord of my new headphones. The one that came with it and works with the computer was VERY short. Disc Club, where I bought the headphones, didn't have one, strangely enough, but ENTER (located downstairs in the same mall, Mul HaYam) did have several to choose from. I got their cheapest one, and it works great. I also did the weekly grocery shopping while I was out.
We ordered pizza for lunch today from Pizza Del Payero, which they delivered, of course.
This afternoon, I listened to one of my albums using my new headphones ("Five Centuries"). I also wrote a new entry in my old blog about our trip yesterday to Ein Avdat, including 8 of the best pictures I took there. Click here to check it out!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
22 December 2012
Last night I slept really well and didn't get up until a little late. So I didn't go for an early-morning walk.
We decided to go to Ein Avdat again today. This time, we only went to the lower entrance. The original plan was that David would walk with me a little and then sit in a chair that I would carry with us. But when we actually got there, he decided to stay in the car, which I was able to park in a spot that would stay shady.
This time, it was cool instead of hot there, of course. The sky was partly cloudy, and the cloudiness increased a little during my walk. For quite a bit of the walk, I was also shaded by the high, steep cliffs. I wore a light jacket, and most of the time I left in unzipped to avoid being too hot.
Not surprisingly, there were quite a few people there today. I think all of them were Israelis, too, since Hebrew was the only language I heard anyone speaking (not even Russian, which one would usually expect to hear!). There was one large group of people with some kind of developmental disability. Some of them seemed somewhat unstable and therefore a little fearful in the narrower spots, especially when near the water. Of course, they had many counselors there helping them.
The canyon is absolutely stunningly beautiful! There are steep cliffs on both sides, and pools of water that reflect the whole thing dramatically. There was a beautiful tall waterfall with only a little water coming down it into a deep and tranquil pool. I didn't go on the bypass trail to the top of the waterfall and beyond, which started with steps carved out of one side of the canyon. I was running out of time, and the aforementioned group was going up that way, so I knew I'd have to wait quite a while to get up there. That's where I'll head on my next visit, because I'm sure there's even more beauty further up!
I started editing the pictures I took today, and they came out really well. Tomorrow, I'll try to write more about the canyon and post pictures, all on my old blog. Watch this one tomorrow evening for a link to that.
After returning home today, I finally got around to installing the new memory I had bought into our newest Mac. It turned out to be very easy, so now that machine has 16 GB of RAM!
We decided to go to Ein Avdat again today. This time, we only went to the lower entrance. The original plan was that David would walk with me a little and then sit in a chair that I would carry with us. But when we actually got there, he decided to stay in the car, which I was able to park in a spot that would stay shady.
This time, it was cool instead of hot there, of course. The sky was partly cloudy, and the cloudiness increased a little during my walk. For quite a bit of the walk, I was also shaded by the high, steep cliffs. I wore a light jacket, and most of the time I left in unzipped to avoid being too hot.
Not surprisingly, there were quite a few people there today. I think all of them were Israelis, too, since Hebrew was the only language I heard anyone speaking (not even Russian, which one would usually expect to hear!). There was one large group of people with some kind of developmental disability. Some of them seemed somewhat unstable and therefore a little fearful in the narrower spots, especially when near the water. Of course, they had many counselors there helping them.
The canyon is absolutely stunningly beautiful! There are steep cliffs on both sides, and pools of water that reflect the whole thing dramatically. There was a beautiful tall waterfall with only a little water coming down it into a deep and tranquil pool. I didn't go on the bypass trail to the top of the waterfall and beyond, which started with steps carved out of one side of the canyon. I was running out of time, and the aforementioned group was going up that way, so I knew I'd have to wait quite a while to get up there. That's where I'll head on my next visit, because I'm sure there's even more beauty further up!
I started editing the pictures I took today, and they came out really well. Tomorrow, I'll try to write more about the canyon and post pictures, all on my old blog. Watch this one tomorrow evening for a link to that.
After returning home today, I finally got around to installing the new memory I had bought into our newest Mac. It turned out to be very easy, so now that machine has 16 GB of RAM!
Friday, December 21, 2012
21 December 2012
I slept well during about the first half of last night and then not very well the 2nd half. Nevertheless, I got up early, didn't feel tired, and took a walk for an hour, going up highway 12 to the place where small roads go out both left and right.
This morning I had 3 units of Berlitz teaching: 9:15-10:00 and 10:30-12:00. After that, I walked down to the local bakery to get challah. They were selling the best kind only in bags of 5 small ones, so I bought a bag. I also got a bunch of cinnamon rolls for David, who loves them.
We ate lunch at Italica, an Italian place at Ice Park & Mall that is located on the lower level right under Greg. We had never eaten there before. The food was good but nothing spectacular. The price was low.
I didn't do very much this afternoon. I did find that the cord to plug my new headphones into the computer is MUCH too short, so I won't really be able to work on my music using them until I get an extension. I should have done that when I bought them since the guy there had pointed out that they were short, but I wasn't really paying attention to how REALLY short it was. Anyway, I'll have to go back in Sunday.
This morning I had 3 units of Berlitz teaching: 9:15-10:00 and 10:30-12:00. After that, I walked down to the local bakery to get challah. They were selling the best kind only in bags of 5 small ones, so I bought a bag. I also got a bunch of cinnamon rolls for David, who loves them.
We ate lunch at Italica, an Italian place at Ice Park & Mall that is located on the lower level right under Greg. We had never eaten there before. The food was good but nothing spectacular. The price was low.
I didn't do very much this afternoon. I did find that the cord to plug my new headphones into the computer is MUCH too short, so I won't really be able to work on my music using them until I get an extension. I should have done that when I bought them since the guy there had pointed out that they were short, but I wasn't really paying attention to how REALLY short it was. Anyway, I'll have to go back in Sunday.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
20 December 2012
Last night my sleep was very weird. Although I know I slept some, it always seemed like I couldn't get fully relaxed and go to sleep; there was always some tiny pain, or itch, or other uncomfortableness that prevented me. Nevertheless, I stayed in bed all night and felt fairly rested in the morning. I did NOT, however, get up early and go for a walk.
My task for this morning was a pleasant one. I needed to get a large external hard drive for the big files of various sorts that I will be producing in my work with the Synful Orchestra, Digital Performer, and Hauptwerk. I also needed some good quality headphone so that I could hear more accurately the results of my editing. I shopped very carefully, visiting 5 different shops before deciding what to buy. In the end, I bought some nice headphones and a 3 terabyte drive, both at Disk Club in the old mall (Mul HaYam). I'm very pleased with these purchases. I think they'll both be important as I move forward with making more music.
I had only 2 units of Berlitz lessons today: 12:00-12:45 and 1:45-2:30. We actually ate lunch at home between the two. He had beans and weenies (veggie, of course!).
After my last class, we went to get new dark glasses for David (his eyes still need to be protected from the sun, even though he can't see). After getting a couple of pairs (the 2nd was free) at SuperPharm in Mercaz Big, we filled our car with gas and got it washed at the Yellow station right by the airport. Then we drove over to the Ice Park & Mall, where we browsed around a bit, had large ice-cafés, and watched the ice dance show at 5:00. It was new choreography which included one skater doing acrobatics on a large ring that rose up 2 or 3 meters above the ice. It was pretty impressive!
My task for this morning was a pleasant one. I needed to get a large external hard drive for the big files of various sorts that I will be producing in my work with the Synful Orchestra, Digital Performer, and Hauptwerk. I also needed some good quality headphone so that I could hear more accurately the results of my editing. I shopped very carefully, visiting 5 different shops before deciding what to buy. In the end, I bought some nice headphones and a 3 terabyte drive, both at Disk Club in the old mall (Mul HaYam). I'm very pleased with these purchases. I think they'll both be important as I move forward with making more music.
I had only 2 units of Berlitz lessons today: 12:00-12:45 and 1:45-2:30. We actually ate lunch at home between the two. He had beans and weenies (veggie, of course!).
After my last class, we went to get new dark glasses for David (his eyes still need to be protected from the sun, even though he can't see). After getting a couple of pairs (the 2nd was free) at SuperPharm in Mercaz Big, we filled our car with gas and got it washed at the Yellow station right by the airport. Then we drove over to the Ice Park & Mall, where we browsed around a bit, had large ice-cafés, and watched the ice dance show at 5:00. It was new choreography which included one skater doing acrobatics on a large ring that rose up 2 or 3 meters above the ice. It was pretty impressive!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
19 December 2012
I got to bed a little late last night because I was on the line waiting to talk to a representative of CalPERS (the agency I get my Cal State retirement from). I needed to get change my address with them (I know, I know: why did it take me nearly 10 months to do this?). I was supposed to be able to change it on their website, but for some reason the system didn't let me do it. When I finally got through, though, the guy who helped me was very nice and helpful. Nevertheless, this caused me to get up later this morning and thus I didn't get my walk in.
I taught 6 units today: 9:15-10:00, 10:00-11:30, and 3:00-5:15.
We had lunch again at Greg.
After my last class, we drove the short loop, going up highway 12 and stopping by Yotvata for ice cream on the way back. Now we have just one more buy-one-get-one-free coupon to use up there before the end of the year.
I taught 6 units today: 9:15-10:00, 10:00-11:30, and 3:00-5:15.
We had lunch again at Greg.
After my last class, we drove the short loop, going up highway 12 and stopping by Yotvata for ice cream on the way back. Now we have just one more buy-one-get-one-free coupon to use up there before the end of the year.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
18 December 2012
I slept quite well last night and woke up very early. I didn't get up at first, but even when I finally did get out of bed it was still early. So I went for an extra long walk, beginning before there was even a hint of dawn. It's nice to be feeling so much better!
I taught only 4 units today for Berlitz: 1:45-2:30 and 5:00-7:15. Both classes were individual students who are regulars of mine.
David and I ate at Chooka today at the Ice Park & Mall. He had their classic noodles, and I had the vegetarian sushi combination, which was delicious.
I taught only 4 units today for Berlitz: 1:45-2:30 and 5:00-7:15. Both classes were individual students who are regulars of mine.
David and I ate at Chooka today at the Ice Park & Mall. He had their classic noodles, and I had the vegetarian sushi combination, which was delicious.
Monday, December 17, 2012
17 December 2012
I slept fairly well last night, but I woke up with a headache this morning. I think it was because I didn't drink enough liquid yesterday. I immediately drank a couple of large glasses of PepsiMax this morning and also took a couple of ibuprofen. The headache gradually went away, but I really didn't feel very well. I only had a cup of decaf and a banana for breakfast (MUCH less than my usual!) and even considered the possibility that I might need to take a sick day. In the end, though, I was beginning to feel a little better, so I went ahead and worked, and it all went fine.
I taught 10 units (7.5 hours) of Berlitz lessons today: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 1:30-2:15, 2:30-3:15, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30. This gave me really no time at all for lunch, but luckily I still didn't feel like eating much. I ate some pieces of good cheddar cheese between 2:15 and 2:30.
My memory upgrade for the Mac arrived today. Unfortunately, I had to pay VAT for it even though Eilat is supposed to be a tax-free zone.
After 5:00 David and I went over to Greg and had ice-cafés but nothing to eat.
I had some sinus congestions and coughing all day, and my stomach didn't feel very good, either, possibly because of all the sinus drainage it has been getting recently. But I can't say that I really feel all that sick, despite all this.
I taught 10 units (7.5 hours) of Berlitz lessons today: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 1:30-2:15, 2:30-3:15, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30. This gave me really no time at all for lunch, but luckily I still didn't feel like eating much. I ate some pieces of good cheddar cheese between 2:15 and 2:30.
My memory upgrade for the Mac arrived today. Unfortunately, I had to pay VAT for it even though Eilat is supposed to be a tax-free zone.
After 5:00 David and I went over to Greg and had ice-cafés but nothing to eat.
I had some sinus congestions and coughing all day, and my stomach didn't feel very good, either, possibly because of all the sinus drainage it has been getting recently. But I can't say that I really feel all that sick, despite all this.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
16 December 2012
Last night I slept very well, and so this morning I was able to get up and take my walk. I wore my light jacket and went partway up highway 12 and then back. Some of the time, I even unzipped my jacket.
This morning, David's SpeakEasy Media System finally arrived! We unpacked it and set it up, and we are VERY impressed with it. It does exactly what they promised that it would do, and it's going to be so nice for David to have it. Now, he'll be able to read many online articles (or rather, have them read to him), such as news articles, encyclopedia articles, and weather. He'll be able to check his e-mail and respond to messages (that part still has a wrinkle to be worked out). He can put a letter or other document or an open book on the scanner, and the system will scan it and then read it to him. We actually tested this out, and it was amazingly accurate and did the whole process without any extra action required on part at all! The whole system is driven by menus. By using the up and down arrows, he can hear the options that are available, and then he can choose the one he wants by pressing the Return key. This is really going to be wonderful for him!
We ate lunch at Il Pentolino today, and we each had our usual dishes.
I had a Berlitz teachers' meeting at 2:00 today, and it actually proved to be quite interesting. The best part was that management seems to really "get" that we teachers want more work, and they are trying to make it happen and increase the efficiency of teacher usage. This is heartening news, even though not everything they are trying will work as well as they hope.
After the meeting, I made my monthly trip to the pharmacy to get all our prescriptions filled, then got cat food and cat litter, and then went on to the market to do the weekly grocery shopping.
This evening, I moved the other Mac onto my desk and loaded the new version of Hauptwerk on it. I'll use the 2 Macs together to make more organ music, although it may be a while until I get to that.
Later this evening, we're going over to Moshe and Bob's new apartment. They now live on the 12th floor of one of the 3 tallest buildings in town (20 stories!). The buildings are located near the big kikar (where I go on my walks). We're going to be taking care of their cats for 2 or 3 days sometime in the next couple of weeks while they are away, so they're going to show us what needs to be done.
This morning, David's SpeakEasy Media System finally arrived! We unpacked it and set it up, and we are VERY impressed with it. It does exactly what they promised that it would do, and it's going to be so nice for David to have it. Now, he'll be able to read many online articles (or rather, have them read to him), such as news articles, encyclopedia articles, and weather. He'll be able to check his e-mail and respond to messages (that part still has a wrinkle to be worked out). He can put a letter or other document or an open book on the scanner, and the system will scan it and then read it to him. We actually tested this out, and it was amazingly accurate and did the whole process without any extra action required on part at all! The whole system is driven by menus. By using the up and down arrows, he can hear the options that are available, and then he can choose the one he wants by pressing the Return key. This is really going to be wonderful for him!
We ate lunch at Il Pentolino today, and we each had our usual dishes.
I had a Berlitz teachers' meeting at 2:00 today, and it actually proved to be quite interesting. The best part was that management seems to really "get" that we teachers want more work, and they are trying to make it happen and increase the efficiency of teacher usage. This is heartening news, even though not everything they are trying will work as well as they hope.
After the meeting, I made my monthly trip to the pharmacy to get all our prescriptions filled, then got cat food and cat litter, and then went on to the market to do the weekly grocery shopping.
This evening, I moved the other Mac onto my desk and loaded the new version of Hauptwerk on it. I'll use the 2 Macs together to make more organ music, although it may be a while until I get to that.
Later this evening, we're going over to Moshe and Bob's new apartment. They now live on the 12th floor of one of the 3 tallest buildings in town (20 stories!). The buildings are located near the big kikar (where I go on my walks). We're going to be taking care of their cats for 2 or 3 days sometime in the next couple of weeks while they are away, so they're going to show us what needs to be done.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
15 December 2012
Last night was not good for me. I did get some good sleep, but for much of the night I simply couldn't lie down because of chest congestion, coughing, and sinus drainage. This was in spite of the fact that I had taken a nighttime cold pill. I tried to nap a little in the morning after breakfast, but basically only slept for a few minutes.
Before lunch, we took a drive around the short loop (north on highway 12 to highway 40, and then back on highway 90). We stopped at Yotvata to get another package of their delicious dates as the one we had was nearly gone.
When we got back to Eilat, we ate at Greg. David had the "American bagel" and I had sabikh salad.
I got some more editing done on my "Folk Song for Strings" this afternoon, but I was basically too tired to work long on it.
Before lunch, we took a drive around the short loop (north on highway 12 to highway 40, and then back on highway 90). We stopped at Yotvata to get another package of their delicious dates as the one we had was nearly gone.
When we got back to Eilat, we ate at Greg. David had the "American bagel" and I had sabikh salad.
I got some more editing done on my "Folk Song for Strings" this afternoon, but I was basically too tired to work long on it.
Friday, December 14, 2012
14 December 2012
I slept much better last night. I think there were several reasons. First, I think the chest cold is very gradually getting better. Second, I took some additional medicines that could have helped a bit, especially with the cough. Finally, I deliberately avoided any deep breathing during the night, since I noticed that that was what set off some of the coughing. Anyway, it was nice to get a good night's sleep. I still wasn't quite feeling up to going out for a walk in the morning, but I did walk down to the local pharmacy and the bakery for pick up more medicine and challah around noon, so I got some exercise..
I taught 3 units of Berlitz today: 9:00-10:30 and 12:30-1:45. Actually, in fact, the student didn't show up at all for that last unit.
We ate lunch again at Greg today. David had pappardelle with tomato sauce on the side, and I had their "Home Fries" salad.
This afternoon I upgraded to the latest version of Hauptwerk, the program that allows me to play real pipe organs in my computer. It is actually downloading as I write this. I also ordered more memory for our newest Mac so that I'll be able to play larger instruments. This is necessary because all the samples are stored in RAM for quick access.
This evening I continued working on the Synful Orchestra version of my "Folk Song for Strings". I'm now working on various subtle tempo changes to make it sound less robotic.
I taught 3 units of Berlitz today: 9:00-10:30 and 12:30-1:45. Actually, in fact, the student didn't show up at all for that last unit.
We ate lunch again at Greg today. David had pappardelle with tomato sauce on the side, and I had their "Home Fries" salad.
This afternoon I upgraded to the latest version of Hauptwerk, the program that allows me to play real pipe organs in my computer. It is actually downloading as I write this. I also ordered more memory for our newest Mac so that I'll be able to play larger instruments. This is necessary because all the samples are stored in RAM for quick access.
This evening I continued working on the Synful Orchestra version of my "Folk Song for Strings". I'm now working on various subtle tempo changes to make it sound less robotic.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
13 December 2012
I had even more problems last night from coughing. In the first part of the night, I slept fine, but once I woke up very early, I had trouble getting more sleep. I didn't get out for exercise because I was hoping to sleep a bit more, but that didn't work either. Nevertheless, I had a good day and still don't feel too tired.
I taught 6 units for Berlitz today: 9:30-11:00, 2:30-3:15, 4:00-4:45, and 7:00-8:30. In addition, I attended a mandatory Berlitz training session (online, of course!) from 11:00-11:45 for which Berlitz has informed me they will NOT be paying us. I'm not sure that's even legal, but what can one do?
We ate lunch again at Greg. David had cheese pasta with tomato sauce on the side, and I had the sabich salad again (delicious!).
I taught 6 units for Berlitz today: 9:30-11:00, 2:30-3:15, 4:00-4:45, and 7:00-8:30. In addition, I attended a mandatory Berlitz training session (online, of course!) from 11:00-11:45 for which Berlitz has informed me they will NOT be paying us. I'm not sure that's even legal, but what can one do?
We ate lunch again at Greg. David had cheese pasta with tomato sauce on the side, and I had the sabich salad again (delicious!).
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
12 December 2012
Last night I slept better than the night before, but I still had to get up for a while to stop a coughing episode. Nevertheless, I still didn't feel up to going out for an early morning walk and didn't get up very early anyway.
I taught 7 units today: 10:00-11:30, 3:00-5:15, and 7:00-8:30.
We went to the Ice Park & Mall for lunch, but we ate at Big Apple Pizza, which we had not previously tried. Unfortunately, we weren't very impressed, either. Afterwards, we walked around the mall a bit and had ice-cafés at Greg.
I taught 7 units today: 10:00-11:30, 3:00-5:15, and 7:00-8:30.
We went to the Ice Park & Mall for lunch, but we ate at Big Apple Pizza, which we had not previously tried. Unfortunately, we weren't very impressed, either. Afterwards, we walked around the mall a bit and had ice-cafés at Greg.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
11 December 2012
I had difficulty with sleeping last night due to my cough. I finally did get to sleep, and then I slept soundly and well. But it's not surprising that I didn't wake up until 7:00 in the morning.
I taught 7 units today (although the first 2 were actually a late cancellation, so I didn't actually have to do them): 9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, 1:45-2:30, 2:30-3:15, and 4:15-5:00.
We ate lunch at the local bakery. I had a basic salad, and we shared a cheese plate, which also included olives and some of their delicious bread with butter and a dried-tomato spread.
After my last class we went down to the old mall to visit iDigital again, since they had not called me back. It turns out that it's really not feasible to get them to install the upgraded memory, since their lab is in the Tel Aviv area. They recommended that I get the memory on the internet and told me that there are also instruction there for installing it. This does not surprise me very much, so I'll check it out. It will certainly be MUCH cheaper than paying someone to do it.
While we were at that mall, we decided to have some frozen yogurt. Then, instead of just returning home, we took the drive around the short loop. It's always pretty coming into town on highway 12, and at night the lights make it especially nice (including the lights of Haql, Saudi Arabia, which are clearer visible from several different points along the way).
I taught 7 units today (although the first 2 were actually a late cancellation, so I didn't actually have to do them): 9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, 1:45-2:30, 2:30-3:15, and 4:15-5:00.
We ate lunch at the local bakery. I had a basic salad, and we shared a cheese plate, which also included olives and some of their delicious bread with butter and a dried-tomato spread.
After my last class we went down to the old mall to visit iDigital again, since they had not called me back. It turns out that it's really not feasible to get them to install the upgraded memory, since their lab is in the Tel Aviv area. They recommended that I get the memory on the internet and told me that there are also instruction there for installing it. This does not surprise me very much, so I'll check it out. It will certainly be MUCH cheaper than paying someone to do it.
While we were at that mall, we decided to have some frozen yogurt. Then, instead of just returning home, we took the drive around the short loop. It's always pretty coming into town on highway 12, and at night the lights make it especially nice (including the lights of Haql, Saudi Arabia, which are clearer visible from several different points along the way).
Monday, December 10, 2012
10 December 2012
I again wasn't feeling quite up to getting out this morning. This is a very persistent chest cold that I have!
I taught 9 units today: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:30-3:15, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate lunch at home due to the relatively short lunch break. But we went over to Greg between 5:00 and 7:00 and had a bit of dessert. David had some kind of chocolate cake, and I had a nut pie (like pecan pie, but with hazel nuts and walnuts in addition to pecans).
I taught 9 units today: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:30-3:15, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate lunch at home due to the relatively short lunch break. But we went over to Greg between 5:00 and 7:00 and had a bit of dessert. David had some kind of chocolate cake, and I had a nut pie (like pecan pie, but with hazel nuts and walnuts in addition to pecans).
Sunday, December 9, 2012
9 December 2012
This morning I woke up fairly early and somehow felt less tired, so I got up and went for a walk to the big kikar and back. It was cool out but not too cold. I wore my light jacket, but actually unzipped it on the way back.
This morning David and I had several errands to run. Our first stop was the old mall (Mul HaYam) to go to the iDigital store there. They are the official Apple dealer in Israel, and I went there to try to find out how much it would cost to upgrade our newest Mac (an iMac that is about a year and a half old) to the maximum amount of memory, which I believe in 16 GB. This is what I would need in order to use the virtual organ that I like (which I wrote about here yesterday). They didn't know the answer right away, so they took my number so that they can call me back when they do. The main complication is that their lab is located in the Tel Aviv area, so there are issues of shipping and also of whether I can get it done tax-free (Eilat is in a tax-free zone). Our second stop was the post office because I needed to get more stamps for letters to the States. The last stop was Shufersal, where we did our weekly grocery shopping.
After coming home and resting a bit, we decided to take a drive and went on the short loop, this time going up on highway 12 and returning on highway 90, which is the opposite direction from what we usually go. When we got back to town, we went straight over to Ice Park & Mall and ate lunch there at Greg. David had vegetable soup and bread, and I had an omelet sandwich.
This afternoon and evening, I began working more seriously on my "Folk Song for Strings". I'm adjusting the expression values so that the Synful Orchestra (a synthesized orchestra based on recorded sounds of real instruments but with a lot of sophisticated processing going on, too) will sound more like a real, professional string orchestra is playing it. I made good progress, but I still have a lot more work to do.
Today was my oldest child's 33rd birthday. I think this makes me feel even older than my own 60th birthday last month did! LOL
This morning David and I had several errands to run. Our first stop was the old mall (Mul HaYam) to go to the iDigital store there. They are the official Apple dealer in Israel, and I went there to try to find out how much it would cost to upgrade our newest Mac (an iMac that is about a year and a half old) to the maximum amount of memory, which I believe in 16 GB. This is what I would need in order to use the virtual organ that I like (which I wrote about here yesterday). They didn't know the answer right away, so they took my number so that they can call me back when they do. The main complication is that their lab is located in the Tel Aviv area, so there are issues of shipping and also of whether I can get it done tax-free (Eilat is in a tax-free zone). Our second stop was the post office because I needed to get more stamps for letters to the States. The last stop was Shufersal, where we did our weekly grocery shopping.
After coming home and resting a bit, we decided to take a drive and went on the short loop, this time going up on highway 12 and returning on highway 90, which is the opposite direction from what we usually go. When we got back to town, we went straight over to Ice Park & Mall and ate lunch there at Greg. David had vegetable soup and bread, and I had an omelet sandwich.
This afternoon and evening, I began working more seriously on my "Folk Song for Strings". I'm adjusting the expression values so that the Synful Orchestra (a synthesized orchestra based on recorded sounds of real instruments but with a lot of sophisticated processing going on, too) will sound more like a real, professional string orchestra is playing it. I made good progress, but I still have a lot more work to do.
Today was my oldest child's 33rd birthday. I think this makes me feel even older than my own 60th birthday last month did! LOL
Saturday, December 8, 2012
8 December 2012
I'm still having trouble with chest congestion. It's not that serious, but it continues to cause problems, mostly at night. Overall, I slept pretty well last night, but I still didn't feel like getting out this morning.
This morning, I continued listening to demos of one of the virtual organs that I am thinking of buying. This is an organ built by Marcussen and Sons in 1973 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. It's a large and very capable instrument. If you're interested, here's a link to the page of demos (you may have to click on the "Demos" rectangle near the top if it opens to a different tab). Alternatively, here's a link to just ONE of the demos (it's a WAV file and will begin playing shortly after you click on it), the one that I think is the most impressive. It's a little long, but it begins very quietly and gradually builds up to nearly the full organ. It's also a very beautiful, Romantic-style piece written by a young Dutch composer, Jan Mulder, who now live in the U.S.
David and I ate lunch at Greg again today. We both tried something new, though. David had their tortellini, but the new part was that he ordered the tomato sauce and had them put it on the side. I had their sabich salad, which was very delicious. Underneath, it's a regular Israeli chopped salad, but on the top are grilled eggplant, garbanzos, hummus, and a sliced hard-boiled egg.
This afternoon, I was able to complete the purchase of the Synful Orchestra and did a little editing of my "Folk Song for Strings". I will need to do a lot more to make the piece sound beautiful, but already there's no mistaking the amazing realism of the strings!
This evening, I posted another entry to my political blog. This one discusses several articles relating to the liberal reality of Israel, the history and goals of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and the huge ado about nothing regarding the recent announcement of approval for construction of housing in the so-called E1 area. The whole post is a little long, but I encourage you to read it and some of the articles it links to for a better understanding of the issues that Israel must deal with.
This morning, I continued listening to demos of one of the virtual organs that I am thinking of buying. This is an organ built by Marcussen and Sons in 1973 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. It's a large and very capable instrument. If you're interested, here's a link to the page of demos (you may have to click on the "Demos" rectangle near the top if it opens to a different tab). Alternatively, here's a link to just ONE of the demos (it's a WAV file and will begin playing shortly after you click on it), the one that I think is the most impressive. It's a little long, but it begins very quietly and gradually builds up to nearly the full organ. It's also a very beautiful, Romantic-style piece written by a young Dutch composer, Jan Mulder, who now live in the U.S.
David and I ate lunch at Greg again today. We both tried something new, though. David had their tortellini, but the new part was that he ordered the tomato sauce and had them put it on the side. I had their sabich salad, which was very delicious. Underneath, it's a regular Israeli chopped salad, but on the top are grilled eggplant, garbanzos, hummus, and a sliced hard-boiled egg.
This afternoon, I was able to complete the purchase of the Synful Orchestra and did a little editing of my "Folk Song for Strings". I will need to do a lot more to make the piece sound beautiful, but already there's no mistaking the amazing realism of the strings!
This evening, I posted another entry to my political blog. This one discusses several articles relating to the liberal reality of Israel, the history and goals of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and the huge ado about nothing regarding the recent announcement of approval for construction of housing in the so-called E1 area. The whole post is a little long, but I encourage you to read it and some of the articles it links to for a better understanding of the issues that Israel must deal with.
Friday, December 7, 2012
7 December 2012
I still was feeling a bit too under the weather this morning to get out for a walk.
I only taught one student today, for 2 units (from 9:30-11:00).
We ate lunch at Il Pentolino today. We hadn't been there for several weeks because I had had a student until 2:00 on Fridays (and last week had been out of town).
I spent quite a while today listening to some demos of new organs that are available for Hauptwerk. Two of them, in particular, are very large and very impressive. Next, I need to find out how much it would cost to upgrade the memory in one Mac so that I could load these large instruments. If all works out well, I may be making some more music, and it should be even better with one of these versatile organs.
I only taught one student today, for 2 units (from 9:30-11:00).
We ate lunch at Il Pentolino today. We hadn't been there for several weeks because I had had a student until 2:00 on Fridays (and last week had been out of town).
I spent quite a while today listening to some demos of new organs that are available for Hauptwerk. Two of them, in particular, are very large and very impressive. Next, I need to find out how much it would cost to upgrade the memory in one Mac so that I could load these large instruments. If all works out well, I may be making some more music, and it should be even better with one of these versatile organs.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
6 December 2012
I again got up a little late, and I'm still having trouble with my chest cold. It's not bad, but it's just enough to annoy me a bit.
I taught 7 units today: 9:30-11:00, 1:45-2:30, 2:30-3:15, 4:00-4:45, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate lunch at Greg today. David had their "American bagel" (not really all that American, but good nonetheless), and I had a toast salad.
I taught 7 units today: 9:30-11:00, 1:45-2:30, 2:30-3:15, 4:00-4:45, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate lunch at Greg today. David had their "American bagel" (not really all that American, but good nonetheless), and I had a toast salad.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
5 December 2012
I slept quite well but woke up late this morning. Also, I have something of a chest cold. So, I didn't go out to exercise at all.
I taught 9 units of Berlitz today, although the last 2 were a student who never showed up: 10:00-11:30, 12:30-2:00, 3:00-5:15, and 7:00-8:30.
David and I took a walk around the neighborhood today during my break between 11:30 and 12:30.
We ate lunch at home today, between 2:00 and 3:00.
We went over to Greg and each had a small ice café this evening before my last class.
I taught 9 units of Berlitz today, although the last 2 were a student who never showed up: 10:00-11:30, 12:30-2:00, 3:00-5:15, and 7:00-8:30.
David and I took a walk around the neighborhood today during my break between 11:30 and 12:30.
We ate lunch at home today, between 2:00 and 3:00.
We went over to Greg and each had a small ice café this evening before my last class.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
4 December 2012
This morning I got up a little late but was determined to go out for a walk. I was very thankful that I did because the weather was really pleasant. I took my jacket but didn't wear it for most of the walk. I even did my stretches in the pergola next to the big kikar.
I taught 5 units for Berlitz today: 10:00-11:30, 1:45-2:30, 2:30-3:15, and 4:15-5:00.
We had lunch a little early today at Greg since I had to be sure to be back for my 1:45 student.
This evening, I did the weekly grocery shopping at Shufersal.
I taught 5 units for Berlitz today: 10:00-11:30, 1:45-2:30, 2:30-3:15, and 4:15-5:00.
We had lunch a little early today at Greg since I had to be sure to be back for my 1:45 student.
This evening, I did the weekly grocery shopping at Shufersal.
Monday, December 3, 2012
3 December 2012
This morning I woke up too late to go out for a walk. This is not so surprising, since I had not slept as well as usual the 2 nights we were away from home.
I taught 7 units today: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:30-3:15, and 3:30-5:00.
This evening, after I had finished teaching, we went to the Maccabi pharmacy to pick up a few things that we needed and then proceeded to the Ice Park & Mall, where we sat and enjoyed our ice-cafés and watched the ice dance show at 7:00 (an updated and improved version of their Abba show).
I taught 7 units today: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:30-3:15, and 3:30-5:00.
This evening, after I had finished teaching, we went to the Maccabi pharmacy to pick up a few things that we needed and then proceeded to the Ice Park & Mall, where we sat and enjoyed our ice-cafés and watched the ice dance show at 7:00 (an updated and improved version of their Abba show).
Sunday, December 2, 2012
2 December 2012
I missed writing both yesterday and the day before, so today I'll talk about all 3 days.
On Friday, I got up early and had a good walk. In particular, I was very lucky to get a view of fabulous sunrise color in the eastern sky! I'll try to post pictures later in my old blog, after I have edited them.
We spent most of the day Friday driving up to Nahariya. In the evening, I led prayers at Congregation Emet V'Shalom (EVS), something which both I and the people in attendance enjoyed very much.
We stayed Friday and Saturday nights at our friends', the Loberants, place. On Saturday morning, we took a nice drive on the northern road. Then, we ate lunch with our friends Egonne and Yehudit and spent most of the afternoon visiting with them.
Early this morning, we got up and headed for Rambam Medical Center in Haifa in order to beat the traffic. There, we met with David's doctor and social worker. After that, we started back south, stopping in Tel Aviv to check out the center for the blind there. Unfortunately, the one thing that we wanted to buy was out of stock, but they took my number and will call us when it comes in. Then we can order it, and they will ship it to us.
On Friday, I got up early and had a good walk. In particular, I was very lucky to get a view of fabulous sunrise color in the eastern sky! I'll try to post pictures later in my old blog, after I have edited them.
We spent most of the day Friday driving up to Nahariya. In the evening, I led prayers at Congregation Emet V'Shalom (EVS), something which both I and the people in attendance enjoyed very much.
We stayed Friday and Saturday nights at our friends', the Loberants, place. On Saturday morning, we took a nice drive on the northern road. Then, we ate lunch with our friends Egonne and Yehudit and spent most of the afternoon visiting with them.
Early this morning, we got up and headed for Rambam Medical Center in Haifa in order to beat the traffic. There, we met with David's doctor and social worker. After that, we started back south, stopping in Tel Aviv to check out the center for the blind there. Unfortunately, the one thing that we wanted to buy was out of stock, but they took my number and will call us when it comes in. Then we can order it, and they will ship it to us.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
29 November 2012
I got to bed a bit late late night and so got up too late this morning, as well. So, no walk for today.
I taught 8 units today: 10:00-11:30, 2:00-2:45, 4:00-4:45, 5:30-7:00, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate lunch today at home, finishing a couple of the portions that David had left over and had packaged for us at Greg in recent days.
We picked out clothes for our trip to the North this weekend and began packing. Tomorrow morning, I'll finish the packing and we'll be on our way.
I taught 8 units today: 10:00-11:30, 2:00-2:45, 4:00-4:45, 5:30-7:00, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate lunch today at home, finishing a couple of the portions that David had left over and had packaged for us at Greg in recent days.
We picked out clothes for our trip to the North this weekend and began packing. Tomorrow morning, I'll finish the packing and we'll be on our way.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
28 November 2012
Today I got up early and dressed a bit more warmly, wearing jeans and a slightly heavier jacket. I walked part way up highway 12 and back, and it was a good walk.
I taught only 5 units today: 10:00-11:30 and 3:00-5:15.
We ate lunch at Greg and then actually went to the other mall and window-shopped a bit.
This evening, David had a test (an EMG) to determine the nerve function in his right hand, which has been feeling somewhat numb recently. They found that he does have some neuropathy in the nerves there. He's probably just lucky that it's numb rather than painful.
I taught only 5 units today: 10:00-11:30 and 3:00-5:15.
We ate lunch at Greg and then actually went to the other mall and window-shopped a bit.
This evening, David had a test (an EMG) to determine the nerve function in his right hand, which has been feeling somewhat numb recently. They found that he does have some neuropathy in the nerves there. He's probably just lucky that it's numb rather than painful.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
27 November 2012
This morning I woke up nice and early and got out and had a good walk and a good work-out. It was quite chilly out, so much so that I put the hood of my light wrap up over my head. Of course, it WAS a LIGHT wrap, and I was wearing short pants, too, so it's all relative!
I taught 9 units today (although 2 of those were actually a no-show): 10:30-12:00, 12:00-1:30 (the no-show), 2:00-2:45, 4:15-5:00, and 5:00-7:15.
Because of the no-show, I was able to leave that session at 1:00 instead of 1:30, and so we ordered pizza and had lunch before my 2:00 class.
This evening, David and I bundled up a bit and took a short walk around the neighborhood.
I taught 9 units today (although 2 of those were actually a no-show): 10:30-12:00, 12:00-1:30 (the no-show), 2:00-2:45, 4:15-5:00, and 5:00-7:15.
Because of the no-show, I was able to leave that session at 1:00 instead of 1:30, and so we ordered pizza and had lunch before my 2:00 class.
This evening, David and I bundled up a bit and took a short walk around the neighborhood.
Monday, November 26, 2012
26 November 2012
Even though I went to bed quite early last night and slept fairly well, I woke up late this morning and so didn't go out for exercise. In fact, I didn't even step outside the apartment at all today (other than onto the balcony, of course).
I taught 10 units today: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:00-3:30, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30. It was a busy day! We had to squeeze lunch in between 1:30 and 2:00, so of course we ate at home.
This evening, I called the U.S. and was able to order a computer and scanner for David. It is equipped with a special software system that allows a blind person to run it easily, including reading and sending e-mail and getting some information from the internet, such as news and weather. Full internet browsing will still not be very feasible, however, because of the huge amount of largely irrelevant information that is displayed on nearly every web page nowadays. Those of us with full vision can easily ignore most of this and quickly find the content we actually want to read, but a screen reader tends to be pretty dumb and just reads everything. By the time it finally gets to what you really want, you have gone to sleep or at least completely lost interest! So, David is very much looking forward to getting this new system, and I think it will help him keep active and interested in things, which is very important. Of course, the system is NOT cheap, but it something that we simply HAD to get for him.
I taught 10 units today: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:00-3:30, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30. It was a busy day! We had to squeeze lunch in between 1:30 and 2:00, so of course we ate at home.
This evening, I called the U.S. and was able to order a computer and scanner for David. It is equipped with a special software system that allows a blind person to run it easily, including reading and sending e-mail and getting some information from the internet, such as news and weather. Full internet browsing will still not be very feasible, however, because of the huge amount of largely irrelevant information that is displayed on nearly every web page nowadays. Those of us with full vision can easily ignore most of this and quickly find the content we actually want to read, but a screen reader tends to be pretty dumb and just reads everything. By the time it finally gets to what you really want, you have gone to sleep or at least completely lost interest! So, David is very much looking forward to getting this new system, and I think it will help him keep active and interested in things, which is very important. Of course, the system is NOT cheap, but it something that we simply HAD to get for him.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
25 November 2012
I got up early enough this morning to get in good exercise and even stretches.
I got 2 new tires for our car this morning. The work was quick, and the tires were not too expensive, so I'm pretty happy about that.
We ate lunch again at Greg. David had yam ravioli and I had lasagna.
This afternoon, I started work on David's application for one of the guide dog schools (the one we visited). It's all in Hebrew, but it's not too long, and I was able to read it quite easily. There are also forms for his doctor and his social worker to fill out, so the process will take some time.
David and I went for a short walk a little after sunset. It was cool out, but I was not too cold even in a t-shirt, short pants, and flip-flops.
This evening, I read the manual for the Synful Orchestra. It represents some amazing technology, and yet is not too difficult to use in practice. The level of details regarding performance of individual instruments and sections is impressive, and the ability to locate particular players, whole sections of players, and even the listener within a room with specified dimensions is nothing short of astounding! Now I've got to get to work and try it all out.
I got 2 new tires for our car this morning. The work was quick, and the tires were not too expensive, so I'm pretty happy about that.
We ate lunch again at Greg. David had yam ravioli and I had lasagna.
This afternoon, I started work on David's application for one of the guide dog schools (the one we visited). It's all in Hebrew, but it's not too long, and I was able to read it quite easily. There are also forms for his doctor and his social worker to fill out, so the process will take some time.
David and I went for a short walk a little after sunset. It was cool out, but I was not too cold even in a t-shirt, short pants, and flip-flops.
This evening, I read the manual for the Synful Orchestra. It represents some amazing technology, and yet is not too difficult to use in practice. The level of details regarding performance of individual instruments and sections is impressive, and the ability to locate particular players, whole sections of players, and even the listener within a room with specified dimensions is nothing short of astounding! Now I've got to get to work and try it all out.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
24 November 2012
I slept well last night, having taken a nighttime anti-sinus pill before going to bed. So I had a good walk this morning. I went to the big kikar and then a little way up highway 12.
After breakfast, David and I drove up to Timna Park, about 25 minutes north of here. We had been there once or twice before, but this time the weather was nice for a bit of hiking. So, David sat in the car and listened to one of his audiobooks while I took several short walks. To read more about it, and see some of the pictures I took, check out my latest post in my old blog by clicking here.
We then went and ate lunch at Greg again. David had pizza, and I had their סלט טוסט salat tost ("Toast Salad"). Just as we were about to leave the mall, we noticed that the ice-dance show was about to start. So we went down right by the rink railing and watched it from as close as possible. It was really extra enjoyable from down there!
After we came home, I uploaded my pics to my computer, edited some of them, and wrote the post that I mentioned above. Then we talked with David's sister, who is still in the hospital in Ohio. There's good news: the doctors believe that her transplanted kidney is beginning to "wake up"!
I also wrote another post in my political blog this evening. In it, I talk about 3 articles related to the recent war with Hamas (with links to the articles in question, of course!). You can read this post by clicking here.
After breakfast, David and I drove up to Timna Park, about 25 minutes north of here. We had been there once or twice before, but this time the weather was nice for a bit of hiking. So, David sat in the car and listened to one of his audiobooks while I took several short walks. To read more about it, and see some of the pictures I took, check out my latest post in my old blog by clicking here.
We then went and ate lunch at Greg again. David had pizza, and I had their סלט טוסט salat tost ("Toast Salad"). Just as we were about to leave the mall, we noticed that the ice-dance show was about to start. So we went down right by the rink railing and watched it from as close as possible. It was really extra enjoyable from down there!
After we came home, I uploaded my pics to my computer, edited some of them, and wrote the post that I mentioned above. Then we talked with David's sister, who is still in the hospital in Ohio. There's good news: the doctors believe that her transplanted kidney is beginning to "wake up"!
I also wrote another post in my political blog this evening. In it, I talk about 3 articles related to the recent war with Hamas (with links to the articles in question, of course!). You can read this post by clicking here.
Friday, November 23, 2012
23 November 2012
Even though I had trouble getting to sleep last night (for no apparent reason) and slept rather weirdly, I got up early enough this morning to get a good walk and a good work-out in. It was quite cool out, but it didn't feel cold because there was not much breeze.
I taught 6 units today: 9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, and 12:30-2:00. This is the maximum I can teach on Friday, since my availability is only from 9:00 to 2:00.
After my last class, we went over and ate at Greg. There were lots of people at the mall when we got there, but the crowd was beginning to thin by the time we left. During our lunch, there was an ice-dance show. We weren't sitting by the edge of the balcony, but I got up and walked over there to get a good view. It was their show based on "Grease", which I have seen before, but I think they did make a few changes. In any case, it was good, and I enjoyed watching it.
This evening, we made Shabbat at home, but we used pita for the bread since we hadn't gotten down to the bakery to buy challah.
I taught 6 units today: 9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, and 12:30-2:00. This is the maximum I can teach on Friday, since my availability is only from 9:00 to 2:00.
After my last class, we went over and ate at Greg. There were lots of people at the mall when we got there, but the crowd was beginning to thin by the time we left. During our lunch, there was an ice-dance show. We weren't sitting by the edge of the balcony, but I got up and walked over there to get a good view. It was their show based on "Grease", which I have seen before, but I think they did make a few changes. In any case, it was good, and I enjoyed watching it.
This evening, we made Shabbat at home, but we used pita for the bread since we hadn't gotten down to the bakery to buy challah.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
22 November 2012
I got up a little late this morning and again didn't go out for even a walk.
We ate at Greg today. David tried their lasagna, and I had an omelet sandwich.
I taught 5 unit today: 2:00-2:45, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30.
This evening we talked with David's sister in Ohio, who is in the hospital (Skype and WiFi are amazing!). Two days ago, she received a kidney transplant. The kidney worked at first, but now it is "sleeping". However, the doctors have told her not to worry yet. Nevertheless, we are all hoping and praying that it will wake up soon, get to work, and give her back a more normal life.
I finally got the Synful Orchestra working under Digital Performer today. I tried it out with my "Folk Song for Strings", which I wrote many years ago when I was in college. It's going to be fun playing with it!
We ate at Greg today. David tried their lasagna, and I had an omelet sandwich.
I taught 5 unit today: 2:00-2:45, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30.
This evening we talked with David's sister in Ohio, who is in the hospital (Skype and WiFi are amazing!). Two days ago, she received a kidney transplant. The kidney worked at first, but now it is "sleeping". However, the doctors have told her not to worry yet. Nevertheless, we are all hoping and praying that it will wake up soon, get to work, and give her back a more normal life.
I finally got the Synful Orchestra working under Digital Performer today. I tried it out with my "Folk Song for Strings", which I wrote many years ago when I was in college. It's going to be fun playing with it!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
21 November 2012
I got to sleep slightly late last night, and so I also woke up and got up late this morning. I didn't go out to exercise at all.
I worked some more on learning Digital Performer (DP) today. I also downloaded the Synful Orchestra (a collection of digitally synthesized orchestral instruments) to try it out. But I couldn't get it or a set of samples (SampleTank) that I also downloaded to work with DP. I think it may have something to do with this new version. Anyway, it may take a while to get this all figured out. In the mean time, I can still learn about the many and varied capabilities of DP.
We ate lunch at the local bakery today. Both of us had burekas plates (4 burekas, a hard-boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, and a selection of delicious olives).
I taught 7 units today: 2:00-2:45, 3:00-5:15, and 7:30-9:00.
I worked some more on learning Digital Performer (DP) today. I also downloaded the Synful Orchestra (a collection of digitally synthesized orchestral instruments) to try it out. But I couldn't get it or a set of samples (SampleTank) that I also downloaded to work with DP. I think it may have something to do with this new version. Anyway, it may take a while to get this all figured out. In the mean time, I can still learn about the many and varied capabilities of DP.
We ate lunch at the local bakery today. Both of us had burekas plates (4 burekas, a hard-boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, and a selection of delicious olives).
I taught 7 units today: 2:00-2:45, 3:00-5:15, and 7:30-9:00.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
20 November 2012
I had a little trouble getting up this morning, but I finally did and managed to get a good walk and a good workout in. It felt quite chilly this morning, mostly because of the steady breeze. On the way back, it felt less chilly because I was going downwind instead of upwind.
I taught only 3 units today: 12:00-1:30 and 2:00-2:45.
After the last class, we went for a late lunch at Greg.
We came back right after lunch in order to call David's sister. We weren't able to get through to her, but somewhat later her husband called us on Skype from the hospital with fantastic news! David's sister has gotten a kidney! This is what she has been waiting for now for quite a few years since hers were knocked out by some medicine she was given. She has been on dialysis all that time. Of course, it's still possible that the kidney could be rejected or not work properly, but the likelihood is that all will be well, and her life will be MUCH better. We are SO happy for her!
This evening, I was able to do the third tutorial described in the "Getting Started" book that came with my update of Digital Performer (version 8). I'm determined to learn more this time about the program so that I'll be able to use more of its capabilities and produce more interesting and complex music with a bigger variety of sounds.
I taught only 3 units today: 12:00-1:30 and 2:00-2:45.
After the last class, we went for a late lunch at Greg.
We came back right after lunch in order to call David's sister. We weren't able to get through to her, but somewhat later her husband called us on Skype from the hospital with fantastic news! David's sister has gotten a kidney! This is what she has been waiting for now for quite a few years since hers were knocked out by some medicine she was given. She has been on dialysis all that time. Of course, it's still possible that the kidney could be rejected or not work properly, but the likelihood is that all will be well, and her life will be MUCH better. We are SO happy for her!
This evening, I was able to do the third tutorial described in the "Getting Started" book that came with my update of Digital Performer (version 8). I'm determined to learn more this time about the program so that I'll be able to use more of its capabilities and produce more interesting and complex music with a bigger variety of sounds.
Monday, November 19, 2012
19 November 2012
I got up quite early, and it was crisp and cool this morning. I walked to the big kikar and then up highway 12 a bit. Coming back, I ran in several downhill sections. I did my stretches after I got home.
Today was a busy Berlitz day, 9 units: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:00-2:45, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30.
Today was a busy Berlitz day, 9 units: 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:00-2:45, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
18 November 2012
I got up reasonably early this morning and thus had time for a walk to the gym, a short work-out there, and a walk home, including time for some nice outdoor stretches.
We ate lunch again at Greg today. It was beginning to sprinkle out just a bit when we left for the mall. We encountered some minor rain on our way (in the car, of course!). We parked, as we usually do, in the lower level indoor parking, so the rain wasn't an issue at that end. As we had heard previously from our favorite waiter, the Ice Park & Mall dome has a LOT of problem with leaking when it rains, so there were small puddles in many places. The janitorial staff were everywhere with mops, and those riding machine that they use to clean floors. Also, there were many buckets and other improvised ways of dealing with various leaky spots. It was kind of fun to see! By the time we got home, the rain had gone on its way, and, all in all, we really didn't get very much -- there was only very minor flooding downtown when we came through (a few puddles here and there).
This afternoon, I took some time to try to learn more about my new version of Digital Performer. The first couple of tutorials were pretty basic and easy, although there were a few annoying discrepancies between the book and the actual software. But the third tutorial got very quickly more advanced, including more serious lack of correlation between what I read and what I saw on the computer. Besides that, it's all about putting down drum tracks, and I know exceedingly little about percussion! Eventually, I basically gave up and began to consider what things I COULD do.
I decided to begin searching for digital instruments online. At first, it was all very confusing, and, again, most of it was quite foreign to me. But eventually I happened onto something really wonderful! It's called "Synful" (don't you LOVE that name!), and it's basically an entire orchestra available to be played inside your computer! I listened to a LOT of the samples on their website, and it is AMAZINGLY realistic. Of course, it costs nearly $500, but I think I'm going to get it. It will work with Digital Performer, and it won't be difficult for me to do, since I'm already quite familiar with the sequencing capabilities of DP, which is what I'd be using with Synful. Stay tuned!
One final note for today: my late sister, Bethel Yvonne Wareham, was born 90 years ago today, in Alberta, Canada. May her memory be for a blessing!
We ate lunch again at Greg today. It was beginning to sprinkle out just a bit when we left for the mall. We encountered some minor rain on our way (in the car, of course!). We parked, as we usually do, in the lower level indoor parking, so the rain wasn't an issue at that end. As we had heard previously from our favorite waiter, the Ice Park & Mall dome has a LOT of problem with leaking when it rains, so there were small puddles in many places. The janitorial staff were everywhere with mops, and those riding machine that they use to clean floors. Also, there were many buckets and other improvised ways of dealing with various leaky spots. It was kind of fun to see! By the time we got home, the rain had gone on its way, and, all in all, we really didn't get very much -- there was only very minor flooding downtown when we came through (a few puddles here and there).
This afternoon, I took some time to try to learn more about my new version of Digital Performer. The first couple of tutorials were pretty basic and easy, although there were a few annoying discrepancies between the book and the actual software. But the third tutorial got very quickly more advanced, including more serious lack of correlation between what I read and what I saw on the computer. Besides that, it's all about putting down drum tracks, and I know exceedingly little about percussion! Eventually, I basically gave up and began to consider what things I COULD do.
I decided to begin searching for digital instruments online. At first, it was all very confusing, and, again, most of it was quite foreign to me. But eventually I happened onto something really wonderful! It's called "Synful" (don't you LOVE that name!), and it's basically an entire orchestra available to be played inside your computer! I listened to a LOT of the samples on their website, and it is AMAZINGLY realistic. Of course, it costs nearly $500, but I think I'm going to get it. It will work with Digital Performer, and it won't be difficult for me to do, since I'm already quite familiar with the sequencing capabilities of DP, which is what I'd be using with Synful. Stay tuned!
One final note for today: my late sister, Bethel Yvonne Wareham, was born 90 years ago today, in Alberta, Canada. May her memory be for a blessing!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
17 November 2012
Well, after last night's party, it's not at all surprising that I did NOT get up early THIS morning! But it was worth it.
I got a lot of miscellaneous things done today. First, I finished cleaning everything up from the party and putting leftovers away. This also involved some rearranging and organizing in the cabinet where I keep various empty containers.
Before we ate lunch at Greg, we took a drive on the short loop, just to be out and about.
We had planned to talk with David's sister this afternoon, but she apparently was not in, since we couldn't get through to her on Skype.
We are trying to buy a computer for David that has a system specially designed to make it possible for blind people to use it easily. If we were in the U.S., the process would be very simple, and it would already on its way to us. But from here, there are various complications with how to pay for it and how to get it shipped here. Finally, I wrote to the company that makes it to see if they had any suggestions on how to proceed. I probably won't hear back from them until Monday evening, at the earliest, though.
This evening, we went for a short walk around the neighborhood. The weather was very pleasant.
I got a lot of miscellaneous things done today. First, I finished cleaning everything up from the party and putting leftovers away. This also involved some rearranging and organizing in the cabinet where I keep various empty containers.
Before we ate lunch at Greg, we took a drive on the short loop, just to be out and about.
We had planned to talk with David's sister this afternoon, but she apparently was not in, since we couldn't get through to her on Skype.
We are trying to buy a computer for David that has a system specially designed to make it possible for blind people to use it easily. If we were in the U.S., the process would be very simple, and it would already on its way to us. But from here, there are various complications with how to pay for it and how to get it shipped here. Finally, I wrote to the company that makes it to see if they had any suggestions on how to proceed. I probably won't hear back from them until Monday evening, at the earliest, though.
This evening, we went for a short walk around the neighborhood. The weather was very pleasant.
16 November 2012
I got up a bit late this morning, but I still managed to go for a short and enjoyable walk.
I talk 6 units of Berlitz lessons today: 9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, and 12:30-2:00.
David walked down to the bakery all by himself today (using his cane). One of the nice workers we know there helped him get challah. But due to the lack of a language they both knew well enough to communicate accurately, he ended up with 3 challot instead of the 2 challot and 3 cinnamon rolls that he THOUGHT he had gotten. Oh well, at least we had challot!
We had wanted to eat at Il Pentolino today, but it was closed by the time we got there, so we went and ate at Greg instead. We had a nice chat there with Ronnie, our favorite waiter who was recently promoted to be a manager. He said that the army had already called all his waitresses to come serve, a reminder that we really are at war now.
This evening was my birthday party, and it was wonderful! I had a fantastic time, and I think all the guests enjoyed it, too. Thank you, Isobel and Moshe and Bob and Liz and Karen and Eddy!
I talk 6 units of Berlitz lessons today: 9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, and 12:30-2:00.
David walked down to the bakery all by himself today (using his cane). One of the nice workers we know there helped him get challah. But due to the lack of a language they both knew well enough to communicate accurately, he ended up with 3 challot instead of the 2 challot and 3 cinnamon rolls that he THOUGHT he had gotten. Oh well, at least we had challot!
We had wanted to eat at Il Pentolino today, but it was closed by the time we got there, so we went and ate at Greg instead. We had a nice chat there with Ronnie, our favorite waiter who was recently promoted to be a manager. He said that the army had already called all his waitresses to come serve, a reminder that we really are at war now.
This evening was my birthday party, and it was wonderful! I had a fantastic time, and I think all the guests enjoyed it, too. Thank you, Isobel and Moshe and Bob and Liz and Karen and Eddy!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
15 November 2012
Today is my birthday! And not just ANY birthday -- it's my 60th! I celebrated by sleeping in a bit, but, of course, that meant that I didn't get out and exercise.
This morning, we did grocery shopping at Shufersal, partly because we don't have enough of some of our regular items to get us through to Sunday and partly because we needed to get extra things for my birthday party tomorrow night.
I taught 5 units of Berlitz today: 1:00-1:45, 3:00-4:30, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate a little at home to hold us over, and then we went to Chooka at the Ice Park & Mall to eat after I finished teaching at 4:30. I had vegetarian sushi, and David had Asian noodles with tofu. We go there just in time to watch the 5:00 ice dance show while they were preparing our food. I went right down to the railing at the edge of the ice to watch!
This morning, we did grocery shopping at Shufersal, partly because we don't have enough of some of our regular items to get us through to Sunday and partly because we needed to get extra things for my birthday party tomorrow night.
I taught 5 units of Berlitz today: 1:00-1:45, 3:00-4:30, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate a little at home to hold us over, and then we went to Chooka at the Ice Park & Mall to eat after I finished teaching at 4:30. I had vegetarian sushi, and David had Asian noodles with tofu. We go there just in time to watch the 5:00 ice dance show while they were preparing our food. I went right down to the railing at the edge of the ice to watch!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
14 November 2012
I got up early enough this morning to walk to the gym, work out a bit, and walk back home. In fact, I even ran a couple of times of the way back! Then I again did my stretches on the floor back in the warm apartment.
I taught 6 units of Berlitz today: 10:00-11:30, 2:00-2:45, and 3:00-5:15.
We ate lunch at the local bakery today, where we haven't eaten in quite a while. David had pizza, and I had the burekas plate.
This evening we went over to the Ice Park & Mall just to walk around a bit and be out of the house. After walking around a bit, we sat and drank ice-cafés at Greg and watched the 7:00 ice dance show (the "Hair" one again).
This evening, I finally got the driver working for my USB-MIDI interface so that I can get back to doing music again, starting with learning the new version of Digital Performer that I bought.
I taught 6 units of Berlitz today: 10:00-11:30, 2:00-2:45, and 3:00-5:15.
We ate lunch at the local bakery today, where we haven't eaten in quite a while. David had pizza, and I had the burekas plate.
This evening we went over to the Ice Park & Mall just to walk around a bit and be out of the house. After walking around a bit, we sat and drank ice-cafés at Greg and watched the 7:00 ice dance show (the "Hair" one again).
This evening, I finally got the driver working for my USB-MIDI interface so that I can get back to doing music again, starting with learning the new version of Digital Performer that I bought.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
13 November 2012
I slept well last night but woke up tired this morning, so much so that I didn't go out to exercise at all.
I was mostly lazy for the morning, but the rest of my day was full of teaching, 8 units (6 hours) all together: 12:30-2:00, 2:00-2:45, 3:30-5:00, 5:00-7:15.
I was mostly lazy for the morning, but the rest of my day was full of teaching, 8 units (6 hours) all together: 12:30-2:00, 2:00-2:45, 3:30-5:00, 5:00-7:15.
Monday, November 12, 2012
12 November 2012
The weather has definitely cooled down here now! This morning, when I went out it felt a little chilly even those I was wearing socks and shoes and a t-shirt. But it was good for exercising. I walked to the big kikar and then a little way up highway 12. When I turned around I jogged part of the way back down the highway and then jogged again on the downhill section of Harim before Ein N'tafim. I waited until I got home to do my stretches, though, because it was a bit cool out for that.
I taught 9 Berlitz units today (6.75 hours): 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:00-2:45, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30. That's a pretty long day. We had lunch at home between 2:45 and 3:30.
I taught 9 Berlitz units today (6.75 hours): 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:00-2:45, 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30. That's a pretty long day. We had lunch at home between 2:45 and 3:30.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
11 November 2012
I got to bed a little late last night and then had some trouble going to sleep. As a result, I didn't get up until 7:00 this morning and so didn't even go out for a walk.
David wanted to do a little clothes shopping today. We weren't so much looking for specific items as we were checking what the stores had that might make interesting additions to his wardrobe, especially with cooler weather approaching. In the end, we got him 2 light-weight, soft sweaters (one of which I could also wear); 1 nice button long-sleeve shirt, 1 light sweatshirt with a hood, and 3 t-shirts in interesting and somewhat unusual colors.
While we were at the Ice Park & Mall, we ate again ate Greg between our visits to 3 different stores. Then we sat and rested a while before going up to the toy store. This was for ME! Last week, I had seen one of the workers there flying a remote-controlled toy helicopter, and I was captivated! When I checked into it more closely today, I found that they had several different models in various sizes. Two of them were on sale for 149.90, so I bought one of them. I also bought re-chargeable batteries for it, so I have to charge them before I can try out the helicopter. This is my birthday present to myself!
David wanted to do a little clothes shopping today. We weren't so much looking for specific items as we were checking what the stores had that might make interesting additions to his wardrobe, especially with cooler weather approaching. In the end, we got him 2 light-weight, soft sweaters (one of which I could also wear); 1 nice button long-sleeve shirt, 1 light sweatshirt with a hood, and 3 t-shirts in interesting and somewhat unusual colors.
While we were at the Ice Park & Mall, we ate again ate Greg between our visits to 3 different stores. Then we sat and rested a while before going up to the toy store. This was for ME! Last week, I had seen one of the workers there flying a remote-controlled toy helicopter, and I was captivated! When I checked into it more closely today, I found that they had several different models in various sizes. Two of them were on sale for 149.90, so I bought one of them. I also bought re-chargeable batteries for it, so I have to charge them before I can try out the helicopter. This is my birthday present to myself!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
10 November 2012
This morning I got up fairly early and had a good walk and work-out. On the way back, I snapped a couple of pictures of Nakhal Shakhamon after yesterday's big thunderstorm. You can see them here on my old blog.
We decided to drive to the high desert near Mitzpe Ramon today. We went on the road that goes from highway 40 west toward the Egyptian border. We had been on this road before (almost all the way to the border), and I remembered that there was a sign about a cistern along the road. So we decided to stop there and visit it. The walk was short and mostly fairly smooth, so I helped David walk out to where I could see the cistern itself. Then I parked him on a rock ledge and explored areas that would be too dangerous or difficult for him to navigate.
The signs only told me the name of the cistern, בור חמת Bor Khemet ("Hemet Cistern"), but I presume it was built by the Nabateans, meaning that it is at least 1500 years old, and likely much older. I posted a picture of it in another post on my old blog, which you can see by clicking here.
We stopped at Ice Park & Mall and ate at Greg when we returned to Eilat. Then we came home and talked to David sister in Ohio for a while.
Later in the evening, I posted another of my mom's letters to her parents, which happened to be written exactly 61 years ago today! It's quite long and tells of her recent trip to Oregon (actually only the last part of the return trip), including mentions of a lot of relatives and other people whom I had met. You can read it by clicking here.
We decided to drive to the high desert near Mitzpe Ramon today. We went on the road that goes from highway 40 west toward the Egyptian border. We had been on this road before (almost all the way to the border), and I remembered that there was a sign about a cistern along the road. So we decided to stop there and visit it. The walk was short and mostly fairly smooth, so I helped David walk out to where I could see the cistern itself. Then I parked him on a rock ledge and explored areas that would be too dangerous or difficult for him to navigate.
The signs only told me the name of the cistern, בור חמת Bor Khemet ("Hemet Cistern"), but I presume it was built by the Nabateans, meaning that it is at least 1500 years old, and likely much older. I posted a picture of it in another post on my old blog, which you can see by clicking here.
We stopped at Ice Park & Mall and ate at Greg when we returned to Eilat. Then we came home and talked to David sister in Ohio for a while.
Later in the evening, I posted another of my mom's letters to her parents, which happened to be written exactly 61 years ago today! It's quite long and tells of her recent trip to Oregon (actually only the last part of the return trip), including mentions of a lot of relatives and other people whom I had met. You can read it by clicking here.
Friday, November 9, 2012
9 November 2012
This morning I got up a little late and slightly tired, but I still was able to enjoy a nice walk to the big kikar, good stretches, and a great walk back.
I had 2 Berlitz classes today (4 units): 9:00-10:30 and 10:30-12:00.
After I finished teaching, I walked down to the bakery and bought challot. Then David and I went to lunch at Il Pentolino. Next, we drove over and did our weekly grocery shopping early since we plan to be away all day Sunday.
Only a little while after we got back and I got everything out of the car and up into the apartment (3 trips), it began to rain! We had a good, serious thunderstorm! The younger cats were curious about this strange phenomenon. Although they were born outside, it was in the late spring and we brought them into the house before they ever experienced rain. Then, in Tsfat, the windows were closed when it rained because it was too cold. Here, however, the windows were all open. On the other hand, Katom, our American cat, has been terrified of thunder ever since 2 katyusha missile hit near our house in Tsfat during the Second Lebanon War (summer of 2006). He'll probably NEVER get over that!
This evening, we made Shabbat at home and then spent much of the rest of the evening researching computer options for blind people. We found a system that looks interesting and might be worth getting, but we need to try to get more independent information about it. Everything I've found so far was merely quoting what its manufacturer says about it.
I had 2 Berlitz classes today (4 units): 9:00-10:30 and 10:30-12:00.
After I finished teaching, I walked down to the bakery and bought challot. Then David and I went to lunch at Il Pentolino. Next, we drove over and did our weekly grocery shopping early since we plan to be away all day Sunday.
Only a little while after we got back and I got everything out of the car and up into the apartment (3 trips), it began to rain! We had a good, serious thunderstorm! The younger cats were curious about this strange phenomenon. Although they were born outside, it was in the late spring and we brought them into the house before they ever experienced rain. Then, in Tsfat, the windows were closed when it rained because it was too cold. Here, however, the windows were all open. On the other hand, Katom, our American cat, has been terrified of thunder ever since 2 katyusha missile hit near our house in Tsfat during the Second Lebanon War (summer of 2006). He'll probably NEVER get over that!
This evening, we made Shabbat at home and then spent much of the rest of the evening researching computer options for blind people. We found a system that looks interesting and might be worth getting, but we need to try to get more independent information about it. Everything I've found so far was merely quoting what its manufacturer says about it.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
8 November 2012
I got a good night's sleep last night, which I really needed. However, when I first woke up I was still too tired to get up, and, in fact, I didn't get up for about another hour. I then felt well rested but didn't have time to go out for any exercise.
I only had one Berlitz lesson today. In fact, I'm actually teaching it right now: 7:00-8:30. So, I decided to get some much-needed housecleaning done. I dusted throughout the kitchen, the hallway, and the living room. I swept quite thoroughly everywhere except the bedroom and my office. Then I got down and scrubbed the spots off the floors I had swept. Finally, I cleaned the rest of the bathroom: the toilet, the tub, and the sink. This is really something that I should be doing more regularly; I'll try to be better about it in the future.
We ate again at Greg today for lunch. David had paparadelle (pasta) with a mushroom cream sauce with extra mushrooms. I had their omelet sandwich.
We had an appointment with our doctor today and picked up our prescriptions for the next three months. After lunch, I went to the Maccabi Pharmacy and got them all filled.
I only had one Berlitz lesson today. In fact, I'm actually teaching it right now: 7:00-8:30. So, I decided to get some much-needed housecleaning done. I dusted throughout the kitchen, the hallway, and the living room. I swept quite thoroughly everywhere except the bedroom and my office. Then I got down and scrubbed the spots off the floors I had swept. Finally, I cleaned the rest of the bathroom: the toilet, the tub, and the sink. This is really something that I should be doing more regularly; I'll try to be better about it in the future.
We ate again at Greg today for lunch. David had paparadelle (pasta) with a mushroom cream sauce with extra mushrooms. I had their omelet sandwich.
We had an appointment with our doctor today and picked up our prescriptions for the next three months. After lunch, I went to the Maccabi Pharmacy and got them all filled.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
7 November 2012
A bit of irregularity last night. But let's back up a bit. David has been having trouble sleeping at night for some time now. Then, of course, he's tired during the day and so takes many naps. The problem has been that he has hardly ever been sleeping more than 2 or at most 3 hours at a stretch, and, as anyone who's ever had a newborn baby knows, that can be quite exhausting no matter how many actual hours of sleep a day one gets.
So, last night we decided to give him two different pills (don't worry -- he has prescriptions and doctors' permissions for both of them!) to help him sleep. Unfortunately, they worked a little too well. Around 1:30 a.m. he needed to get up to pee, but he had trouble even sitting up. I helped him a little, and then he was able to stand. But he barely avoided falling, again with my help, on the way to the bathroom. When he had finished, he wanted to go into the living room (because he was really too groggy to KNOW what he was doing, actually), and I made the mistake of letting him do so. At least I realized that he had better not sit in his low chair, so I sat him by the computer instead. I also knew that I didn't dare leave him there alone because he'd probably fall asleep again rather quickly and fall off the chair. So I got him up to try to get him back to the bedroom. But it was not to be. Even with my help, he got so wobbly that he went down. Luckily, he went down quite gently, so I knew that he hadn't injured anything. But it was clear that he would be lying on the floor for the rest of the night, so I got him a pillow and a blanket. He feel asleep again almost instantly, of course, but I didn't dare leave him there unattended because I knew that if he woke up, he would probably try to get up, would be confused and maybe even panicked, and could easily injure himself in the process. So, I had to just sit there awake in the living room for the rest of the night. I was thankful for my iPad and some games I have on it. Of course, I also occasionally monitored the U.S. election results, as well. As least David did finally get a good night's sleep!
Obviously, I didn't get out for any exercise this morning! However, by breakfast time, David was awake, and the medicines had worn off enough that he was able to get up off the floor with some assistance. Most of the day today, he was off a bit, though, and, especially in the morning, he walked rather slowly and unsteadily. Yesterday, I had called and scheduled an appointment with our family doctor for 11:50 today, so we went over to that. We had to wait about an hour, though, because he was behind. Of course, the doctor doesn't really have any suggestions about the situation, but we did get our regular prescriptions for both of us from him for the next 3 months (the maximum number he is allowed to write). At that, we went to the Ice Park & Mall and ate lunch at Greg.
I taught just 2 Berlitz classes for a total of 5 units: 10:00-11:30 and 3:00-5:15.
This evening, we went to the old mall (Mul HaYam) to check on something at Kravitz and then treated ourselves to frozen yogurts while we were there. Then we drove the short loop just so we wouldn't be bored in the evening.
So, last night we decided to give him two different pills (don't worry -- he has prescriptions and doctors' permissions for both of them!) to help him sleep. Unfortunately, they worked a little too well. Around 1:30 a.m. he needed to get up to pee, but he had trouble even sitting up. I helped him a little, and then he was able to stand. But he barely avoided falling, again with my help, on the way to the bathroom. When he had finished, he wanted to go into the living room (because he was really too groggy to KNOW what he was doing, actually), and I made the mistake of letting him do so. At least I realized that he had better not sit in his low chair, so I sat him by the computer instead. I also knew that I didn't dare leave him there alone because he'd probably fall asleep again rather quickly and fall off the chair. So I got him up to try to get him back to the bedroom. But it was not to be. Even with my help, he got so wobbly that he went down. Luckily, he went down quite gently, so I knew that he hadn't injured anything. But it was clear that he would be lying on the floor for the rest of the night, so I got him a pillow and a blanket. He feel asleep again almost instantly, of course, but I didn't dare leave him there unattended because I knew that if he woke up, he would probably try to get up, would be confused and maybe even panicked, and could easily injure himself in the process. So, I had to just sit there awake in the living room for the rest of the night. I was thankful for my iPad and some games I have on it. Of course, I also occasionally monitored the U.S. election results, as well. As least David did finally get a good night's sleep!
Obviously, I didn't get out for any exercise this morning! However, by breakfast time, David was awake, and the medicines had worn off enough that he was able to get up off the floor with some assistance. Most of the day today, he was off a bit, though, and, especially in the morning, he walked rather slowly and unsteadily. Yesterday, I had called and scheduled an appointment with our family doctor for 11:50 today, so we went over to that. We had to wait about an hour, though, because he was behind. Of course, the doctor doesn't really have any suggestions about the situation, but we did get our regular prescriptions for both of us from him for the next 3 months (the maximum number he is allowed to write). At that, we went to the Ice Park & Mall and ate lunch at Greg.
I taught just 2 Berlitz classes for a total of 5 units: 10:00-11:30 and 3:00-5:15.
This evening, we went to the old mall (Mul HaYam) to check on something at Kravitz and then treated ourselves to frozen yogurts while we were there. Then we drove the short loop just so we wouldn't be bored in the evening.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
6 November 2012
I got up early this morning and had a good walk and a good work-out.
I was scheduled to teach 7 units today (9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, and 5:00-7:15), all individual students, but the first one was a late cancellation. Interestingly, these were all level 5 students.
We ate lunch today at Laboratorio di Pasta, in the Ice Park & Mall. We had never tried it before. We both had penne, David with a curry sauce and I with yam cream sauce. Both were good and not expensive.
I was scheduled to teach 7 units today (9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, and 5:00-7:15), all individual students, but the first one was a late cancellation. Interestingly, these were all level 5 students.
We ate lunch today at Laboratorio di Pasta, in the Ice Park & Mall. We had never tried it before. We both had penne, David with a curry sauce and I with yam cream sauce. Both were good and not expensive.
Monday, November 5, 2012
5 November 2012
I woke up late this morning and a little tired, too. But I still got out and walked to the big kikar, did my stretches, and walked back. Then I felt better.
I was scheduled for 7 units today, but one class (of 2 units) was a late cancellation (for which I still get paid, of course): 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30 (the canceled one), 1:30-2:15, and 3:30-5:00.
Because of the relatively short break, we ate lunch at home today: breaded shnitzels, yellow beans, and cinnamon roll (for David) or small challah (for me).
We went for our usual walk this evening after my last class, but we stopped and rested a couple more times than usual. David has been having a lot of trouble staying asleep at night, and, as a consequence has been sleeping a lot in the daytime. However, he never sleeps very long at any one stretch and is thus very tired all the time. We hope that this will correct itself soon!
On this day, 118 years ago, in the small town of Fort Benton, Montana, my father (may his memory be for a blessing) was born. He was actually named after the town (his full name was Benton Wareham), which was the port the furthest up on the Missouri River. It was also the eastern terminus of the Mullan Road, which connected it with Walla Walla, Washington, and thus with the Columbia River. At the time my father was born, Montana had only been a state for 5 years. My father's family lived not far from town, and they continued to live there until my father was about 12 years old, I think. Then they moved to South Carolina. Ten years ago, when David and I did our big tour of the western U.S. and Canada, I visited Fort Benton. It's still a small town, and, of course, it's not an important port anymore. But it IS a lovely little town by the Missouri River, which is already an impressive river by that point.
I was scheduled for 7 units today, but one class (of 2 units) was a late cancellation (for which I still get paid, of course): 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30 (the canceled one), 1:30-2:15, and 3:30-5:00.
Because of the relatively short break, we ate lunch at home today: breaded shnitzels, yellow beans, and cinnamon roll (for David) or small challah (for me).
We went for our usual walk this evening after my last class, but we stopped and rested a couple more times than usual. David has been having a lot of trouble staying asleep at night, and, as a consequence has been sleeping a lot in the daytime. However, he never sleeps very long at any one stretch and is thus very tired all the time. We hope that this will correct itself soon!
On this day, 118 years ago, in the small town of Fort Benton, Montana, my father (may his memory be for a blessing) was born. He was actually named after the town (his full name was Benton Wareham), which was the port the furthest up on the Missouri River. It was also the eastern terminus of the Mullan Road, which connected it with Walla Walla, Washington, and thus with the Columbia River. At the time my father was born, Montana had only been a state for 5 years. My father's family lived not far from town, and they continued to live there until my father was about 12 years old, I think. Then they moved to South Carolina. Ten years ago, when David and I did our big tour of the western U.S. and Canada, I visited Fort Benton. It's still a small town, and, of course, it's not an important port anymore. But it IS a lovely little town by the Missouri River, which is already an impressive river by that point.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
4 November 2012
I slept very well last night, having taking a night time anti-sinus pill. But I was still tired this morning. Nevertheless, I did get up and walk and exercise.
I did my usual weekly shopping at the market this morning.
My updated version of Digital Performer that I ordered last week arrive today! Now I've got to get started on learning it. I'm hoping to do some more varied music using some of its more advanced capabilities. Previously, I only used it as a sequencer, even though the old version already had many more features. I had to upgrade because the old version no longer runs under my newer system software.
We ate again at Chooka, at the Ice Park & Mall. I had vegetarian sushi, and David had fried rice (also vegetarian, of course!).
While we were there, we called the woman who had shown us around the guide dog school a couple of months ago. She connected us with another woman who talked at length with David. She also promised to send us some forms for his doctors to fill out, I think. David may need to get into better shape before he can receive a dog, but it's not completely clear. Since she wanted to talk to him rather than to me, it's hard for me to assess if it was just normal questions or if there was something else going on.
After that conversation, we walked up to Greg (we just couldn't stay away, hah!) and each had a big ice-café.
This evening we took our usual walk around the neighborhood. We're hoping to make this more regular and to build up David's strength to do longer walks.
I did my usual weekly shopping at the market this morning.
My updated version of Digital Performer that I ordered last week arrive today! Now I've got to get started on learning it. I'm hoping to do some more varied music using some of its more advanced capabilities. Previously, I only used it as a sequencer, even though the old version already had many more features. I had to upgrade because the old version no longer runs under my newer system software.
We ate again at Chooka, at the Ice Park & Mall. I had vegetarian sushi, and David had fried rice (also vegetarian, of course!).
While we were there, we called the woman who had shown us around the guide dog school a couple of months ago. She connected us with another woman who talked at length with David. She also promised to send us some forms for his doctors to fill out, I think. David may need to get into better shape before he can receive a dog, but it's not completely clear. Since she wanted to talk to him rather than to me, it's hard for me to assess if it was just normal questions or if there was something else going on.
After that conversation, we walked up to Greg (we just couldn't stay away, hah!) and each had a big ice-café.
This evening we took our usual walk around the neighborhood. We're hoping to make this more regular and to build up David's strength to do longer walks.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
3 November 2012
This morning I got up a little late but was still determined to try out my bike. I road out of our parking lot, down Ein Gedi, across on Ein Akev, and up our street (Ein Yahav) to Derekh Harim. Then I turned left and rode to the end of that road (the bypass road) and came back and continued all the way to the gym. I didn't stop there, though, but merely turned around and headed back to the big kikar. There, I stopped at the pergola and did my stretches (in the place I've been doing them lately since it got cooler). The sun was behind clouds this morning (and, in fact, almost all day!), but it was still quite warm. After my stretches, I got on the bike and road home. The whole trip was somewhat longer in distance but shorter in time than when I walk, but I think I got at least as much exercise if not more.
This morning, I mostly relaxed and worked on my other blogs, which I had been neglecting. Below are some short descriptions of them and the links to them.
My new post to my mom's blog contains two postcards she wrote, on the 31st of October and the 1st of November, 1951, while she was on her way home from Portland, Oregon. The first card was from Crescent City, California, and the second was from Angwin, California. Here's the link to those.
My political blog is quite long and touches on a number of topics. This is at least partly because I hadn't written in it in several weeks. Here's the link to it.
Today, I finally got around to writing about our visit a week ago to the Small Makhtesh. This post, as usual, contains several pictures that I took. Here's the link to it.
We ate again at Greg today, and I was a little surprised how many people were at the Ice Park & Mall. I ordered their breakfast, which is really quite a bit of food, and then I finished David's tortellini besides, so I really ate too much!
This afternoon, we had another nice conversation with David's sister in Ohio.
This morning, I mostly relaxed and worked on my other blogs, which I had been neglecting. Below are some short descriptions of them and the links to them.
My new post to my mom's blog contains two postcards she wrote, on the 31st of October and the 1st of November, 1951, while she was on her way home from Portland, Oregon. The first card was from Crescent City, California, and the second was from Angwin, California. Here's the link to those.
My political blog is quite long and touches on a number of topics. This is at least partly because I hadn't written in it in several weeks. Here's the link to it.
Today, I finally got around to writing about our visit a week ago to the Small Makhtesh. This post, as usual, contains several pictures that I took. Here's the link to it.
We ate again at Greg today, and I was a little surprised how many people were at the Ice Park & Mall. I ordered their breakfast, which is really quite a bit of food, and then I finished David's tortellini besides, so I really ate too much!
This afternoon, we had another nice conversation with David's sister in Ohio.
Friday, November 2, 2012
2 November 2012
I didn't sleep very well last night, but I wasn't tired this morning, and so I had a good walk, a somewhat easier work-out, and plenty of time for stretching and relaxing.
I taught 4 units today: 10:30-12:00 and 12:30-2:00. However, the second class was an individual student, and he had to leave for a meeting after only a half-hour of class (and he had to take phone calls about 3 times even during THAT time!). I still get paid for the full time, though, of course.
For lunch, we took our Nahariya friends, Norm and Beth, to Greg. They enjoyed seeing the Ice Park & Mall, which they had never visited before, and we enjoyed a long, leisurely conversation with them.
This evening, we just relaxed and tried not to get bored. Unfortunately, I don't think David succeeded.
I taught 4 units today: 10:30-12:00 and 12:30-2:00. However, the second class was an individual student, and he had to leave for a meeting after only a half-hour of class (and he had to take phone calls about 3 times even during THAT time!). I still get paid for the full time, though, of course.
For lunch, we took our Nahariya friends, Norm and Beth, to Greg. They enjoyed seeing the Ice Park & Mall, which they had never visited before, and we enjoyed a long, leisurely conversation with them.
This evening, we just relaxed and tried not to get bored. Unfortunately, I don't think David succeeded.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
1 November 2012
I got up early enough to get a good walk, a good work-out, and a good stretch. It was actually a little warmer, so I wished I had worn a tanktop instead of a t-shirt. But it was okay.
I had no classes until this evening (I'm about to teach 2 units, 7:00-8:30).
I mounted the bike carrier on my car this morning and thus was able to take my bike to the bike shop. The back tire was flat, and it just needed a general check-up so that I can ride it. They did all that, and I picked it up later. It only cost me 55 shekels, which I think is very reasonable!
We ate again at Greg and also got a little exercise walking around the mall while we were there.
A few minutes ago, our landlord called to tell me he was on his way here. Because of a problem with the shut-off valves under the kitchen sink, we have been without water in the kitchen since Sunday. He had to order parts, but now they have arrived, and he can do the work. In fact, he just arrived!
I had no classes until this evening (I'm about to teach 2 units, 7:00-8:30).
I mounted the bike carrier on my car this morning and thus was able to take my bike to the bike shop. The back tire was flat, and it just needed a general check-up so that I can ride it. They did all that, and I picked it up later. It only cost me 55 shekels, which I think is very reasonable!
We ate again at Greg and also got a little exercise walking around the mall while we were there.
A few minutes ago, our landlord called to tell me he was on his way here. Because of a problem with the shut-off valves under the kitchen sink, we have been without water in the kitchen since Sunday. He had to order parts, but now they have arrived, and he can do the work. In fact, he just arrived!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
31 October 2012
Last night I took a nighttime pill to help with my sinuses, and it did help me sleep better. This morning I got up and out and had a good work-out, walk, and stretches.
I taught 4 units today: 10:00-11:30 and 3:00-4:30. Each session was with an individual student, the first in Slovakia, and the second in France.
We ate again at Greg. This time, I looked more closely at the menu and found that they had קפה קפוא לייט kafe kafu lite ("Lite Ice-Café"), so we ordered those instead. This reduced the carbohydrates that David needed to give insulin to cover, and it means less calories for both of us. While we were at Ice Park & Mall, we walked all the way around several times and so got some exercise, as well.
This evening, we went for a somewhat shortened walk around the neighborhood. The weather was again very pleasant. An interesting thing happened as we were nearing home. A boy whom I've never seen before came up to us and asked politely, in good English, if we needed any help in the neighborhood. We told him we didn't but thanked him for asking. Now, wasn't that a nice thing for him to do!
I taught 4 units today: 10:00-11:30 and 3:00-4:30. Each session was with an individual student, the first in Slovakia, and the second in France.
We ate again at Greg. This time, I looked more closely at the menu and found that they had קפה קפוא לייט kafe kafu lite ("Lite Ice-Café"), so we ordered those instead. This reduced the carbohydrates that David needed to give insulin to cover, and it means less calories for both of us. While we were at Ice Park & Mall, we walked all the way around several times and so got some exercise, as well.
This evening, we went for a somewhat shortened walk around the neighborhood. The weather was again very pleasant. An interesting thing happened as we were nearing home. A boy whom I've never seen before came up to us and asked politely, in good English, if we needed any help in the neighborhood. We told him we didn't but thanked him for asking. Now, wasn't that a nice thing for him to do!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
30 October 2012
I didn't sleep very well last night; I kept waking up and turning over. In the end, I think I got enough sleep, but it wasn't as continuous as it should have been. As a result, I got up late. Also, I had a bit of a headache and felt just generally a little achy, so I didn't go out for exercise at all.
I taught 7 units today: 9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, and 5:00-7:15. Interestingly, all three were individual students at level 5, the first in the Czech Republic, the second in Slovakia, and the third in France.
We tried out the falafel place at the Ice Park & Mall for the first time today. It was good, though not exceptional. Then, we treated ourselves to churros (yes! really!) from the shop right next door. In fact, they made them fresh just for us, and they were delicious. I thought it was a little funny when the guy asked me what רוטב rotev ("sauce", or "dressing") I wanted, but when I heard that one of the choices was maple, I went for it immediately (the other two were Nutella, a chocolate spread, and ריבת חלב ribat khalav, literally "milk jam" but usually translated (really to Spanish!) as dulce de leche). Anyway, the churros were delicious, and the maple syrup went nicely with them, too!
That whole section of the mall is quite interesting. There are: an ice cream shop, a pizza and pasta place, a burger place, a NY pizza place, the falafel stand, the churros stand, an east Asian and sushi place, and Cinnabon (in that order, if I'm remembering correctly!). Talk about mixing things up!
We talked again to David's sister in Ohio this afternoon. They had already gotten some snow from Sandy, and I suspect they're going to be in for some more nasty weather before it moves on out. Of course, Ohio will NOT be as hard-hit as Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
This evening, we went on our usual walk, although I made a long detour to the local pharmacy while David waited on the bench in the green strip. It was hotter today and warmer out this evening, too.
I taught 7 units today: 9:00-10:30, 10:30-12:00, and 5:00-7:15. Interestingly, all three were individual students at level 5, the first in the Czech Republic, the second in Slovakia, and the third in France.
We tried out the falafel place at the Ice Park & Mall for the first time today. It was good, though not exceptional. Then, we treated ourselves to churros (yes! really!) from the shop right next door. In fact, they made them fresh just for us, and they were delicious. I thought it was a little funny when the guy asked me what רוטב rotev ("sauce", or "dressing") I wanted, but when I heard that one of the choices was maple, I went for it immediately (the other two were Nutella, a chocolate spread, and ריבת חלב ribat khalav, literally "milk jam" but usually translated (really to Spanish!) as dulce de leche). Anyway, the churros were delicious, and the maple syrup went nicely with them, too!
That whole section of the mall is quite interesting. There are: an ice cream shop, a pizza and pasta place, a burger place, a NY pizza place, the falafel stand, the churros stand, an east Asian and sushi place, and Cinnabon (in that order, if I'm remembering correctly!). Talk about mixing things up!
We talked again to David's sister in Ohio this afternoon. They had already gotten some snow from Sandy, and I suspect they're going to be in for some more nasty weather before it moves on out. Of course, Ohio will NOT be as hard-hit as Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
This evening, we went on our usual walk, although I made a long detour to the local pharmacy while David waited on the bench in the green strip. It was hotter today and warmer out this evening, too.
Monday, October 29, 2012
29 October 2012
I got up a little late this morning, having not slept quite as well as I would have liked. Still, I was able to walk to the gym, swing my legs a bit, and do my stretches in a sunny spot on the way back home.
This morning, I took the form that the eye doctor completed together with 2 passport pictures of David over to the city welfare office so that the social worker, Bat El, can apply for a t'udat iver (certificate of blindness) for David.
I had 8 units of Berlitz today, although one class was a late cancellation, so I only actually taught 6 units (but will be paid for 8): 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30 (the late cancellation), 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate at Chooka, an Asian place in the Ice Park & Mall, today. We had hot and sour soup (quite good) and vegetarian sushi (VERY good!). It was not too expensive, and we really enjoyed it.
This evening, we went for our usual walk around the neighborhood. The weather here now is absolutely PERFECT!
This morning, I took the form that the eye doctor completed together with 2 passport pictures of David over to the city welfare office so that the social worker, Bat El, can apply for a t'udat iver (certificate of blindness) for David.
I had 8 units of Berlitz today, although one class was a late cancellation, so I only actually taught 6 units (but will be paid for 8): 10:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30 (the late cancellation), 3:30-5:00, and 7:00-8:30.
We ate at Chooka, an Asian place in the Ice Park & Mall, today. We had hot and sour soup (quite good) and vegetarian sushi (VERY good!). It was not too expensive, and we really enjoyed it.
This evening, we went for our usual walk around the neighborhood. The weather here now is absolutely PERFECT!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
28 October 2012
I got up quite early today and got good exercise. I did my stretches in the sunny pergola near the big kikar instead of in my usual spot which is now shaded by one of the tall buildings at that time of morning. It's cool enough in the mornings now that the warm sun felt better than the cold concrete.
This morning I discovered that we had no hot water. It wasn't just that cold water came out of the hot tap. Oh no! Instead, NO water at ALL came out of the hot tap! So I had to call our landlord, and he came over within an hour or two. By mid-afternoon we had hot water again, although he still has to fix a problem with the water supply to the kitchen sink. He said he'd do that tomorrow, and I'm confident that he will.
We ate lunch again at Greg. David had tortellini with mushroom cream sauce, and I had their "Home Fries Salad". It's kind of an interesting combination: hot potato cubes coated with chili matok (spicy hot, sweet) sauce on a bed of greens, carrots strips, cucumber slices, and a few sprouts. The sauce seems kind of Thai (though this is Israel, so it's not that hot), but potatoes are definitely NOT part of Thai cuisine, I think. Anyway, it makes a good dish!
I saw more Muslim women today than I have in a long time. Those who are religious cover their hair in a way that's different from religious Jewish married women, so that's how I know they were Muslim. Other than that, I really can't distinguish Jews from Arabs very accurately. There are some Jews (like me, for example!) who really don't look at all like Arabs (although I have seen some surprisingly European-looking Arabs). But some of the mizrakhi and sephardic Jews look very similar to many Arabs, at least to me. In any case, I would estimate that the majority of the customers at the mall today were Muslim, and this is a city that has only a very tiny non-Jewish minority. The reason for this today? It's a Muslim holiday: Eid al-Adha, the "Feast of the Sacrifice", which began Friday and continues through Monday. Most of these people were probably Arab-Israelis from other parts of the country doing what Jewish Israeli do during our holidays. Some may even have come over from Jordan, although I have no way of knowing much about that. The most humorous thing for me was sitting there watching a young man, presumably Jewish, who runs a kiosk near Greg selling mostly kitchen gadgets, demonstrating one of his products. The product? A cloth to cover ones head, like a maid might do. What was so funny? He was demonstrating it (on a mannikin head) to women wearing Muslim head coverings, who, presumably, know very well how to do such things. In any case, they seemed interested. So, go figure!
This evening we had an appointment with the eye doctor for David. The doctor needed to fill out the form from the welfare office so that they can submit David's application for a t'udat iver (an ID card to show that he is blind). It will be a long process, but it can't start without this form, so this was an important step.
After that, we found a place that does passport photos, and both of us got some made. David needs two to submit with the form the doctor filled out, and we'll both need some once we finally get around to applying for Israeli passports, I'm sure.
Finally, we drove up to Yotvata and treated ourselves to ice cream. We still have several 2-for-1 coupons that they gave us when we toured there back in the Spring. They're valid until the end of the calendar year.
This morning I discovered that we had no hot water. It wasn't just that cold water came out of the hot tap. Oh no! Instead, NO water at ALL came out of the hot tap! So I had to call our landlord, and he came over within an hour or two. By mid-afternoon we had hot water again, although he still has to fix a problem with the water supply to the kitchen sink. He said he'd do that tomorrow, and I'm confident that he will.
We ate lunch again at Greg. David had tortellini with mushroom cream sauce, and I had their "Home Fries Salad". It's kind of an interesting combination: hot potato cubes coated with chili matok (spicy hot, sweet) sauce on a bed of greens, carrots strips, cucumber slices, and a few sprouts. The sauce seems kind of Thai (though this is Israel, so it's not that hot), but potatoes are definitely NOT part of Thai cuisine, I think. Anyway, it makes a good dish!
I saw more Muslim women today than I have in a long time. Those who are religious cover their hair in a way that's different from religious Jewish married women, so that's how I know they were Muslim. Other than that, I really can't distinguish Jews from Arabs very accurately. There are some Jews (like me, for example!) who really don't look at all like Arabs (although I have seen some surprisingly European-looking Arabs). But some of the mizrakhi and sephardic Jews look very similar to many Arabs, at least to me. In any case, I would estimate that the majority of the customers at the mall today were Muslim, and this is a city that has only a very tiny non-Jewish minority. The reason for this today? It's a Muslim holiday: Eid al-Adha, the "Feast of the Sacrifice", which began Friday and continues through Monday. Most of these people were probably Arab-Israelis from other parts of the country doing what Jewish Israeli do during our holidays. Some may even have come over from Jordan, although I have no way of knowing much about that. The most humorous thing for me was sitting there watching a young man, presumably Jewish, who runs a kiosk near Greg selling mostly kitchen gadgets, demonstrating one of his products. The product? A cloth to cover ones head, like a maid might do. What was so funny? He was demonstrating it (on a mannikin head) to women wearing Muslim head coverings, who, presumably, know very well how to do such things. In any case, they seemed interested. So, go figure!
This evening we had an appointment with the eye doctor for David. The doctor needed to fill out the form from the welfare office so that they can submit David's application for a t'udat iver (an ID card to show that he is blind). It will be a long process, but it can't start without this form, so this was an important step.
After that, we found a place that does passport photos, and both of us got some made. David needs two to submit with the form the doctor filled out, and we'll both need some once we finally get around to applying for Israeli passports, I'm sure.
Finally, we drove up to Yotvata and treated ourselves to ice cream. We still have several 2-for-1 coupons that they gave us when we toured there back in the Spring. They're valid until the end of the calendar year.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
27 October 2012
I got up, got out, and got a good walk and a good work-out this morning.
The big thing for today was a trip to the Small Makhtesh, located in the northeastern Negev. It's about a 2.5-hour drive from here. From the parking lot, I walked about 20-25 minutes to get to the viewpoint, but the view was really great from there. This is the smallest of three makhteshses (craters that are NOT of volcanic or meteoric origin) in the Negev. This one is by far the hardest to get to, since paved roads go right THROUGH the other two! But, in a way, this one is the easiest to comprehend since it's small enough to really see it in its entirety from one spot. Of course, I took a lot of pictures, and I'll try to post some of them in my old blog in the next few days.
We got a fairly late start, so we didn't get back home until nearly 5:30 this evening. David took a short nap because he was exhausted from the trip (even though he did NOT hike with me but instead stayed in the car listening to a Wikipedia article). After his nap, we talked for a while with his sister and her granddaughter in Ohio.
The big thing for today was a trip to the Small Makhtesh, located in the northeastern Negev. It's about a 2.5-hour drive from here. From the parking lot, I walked about 20-25 minutes to get to the viewpoint, but the view was really great from there. This is the smallest of three makhteshses (craters that are NOT of volcanic or meteoric origin) in the Negev. This one is by far the hardest to get to, since paved roads go right THROUGH the other two! But, in a way, this one is the easiest to comprehend since it's small enough to really see it in its entirety from one spot. Of course, I took a lot of pictures, and I'll try to post some of them in my old blog in the next few days.
We got a fairly late start, so we didn't get back home until nearly 5:30 this evening. David took a short nap because he was exhausted from the trip (even though he did NOT hike with me but instead stayed in the car listening to a Wikipedia article). After his nap, we talked for a while with his sister and her granddaughter in Ohio.
Friday, October 26, 2012
26 October 2012
I woke up a little late this morning, so I only walked to the big kikar, did my stretches, and walked back. Still, I DID get some good exercise and also enjoyed the wonderful morning air!
I taught 3 units today: 9:00-10:30 and 1:00-1:45.
We continued our tradition of lunch on Fridays at Il Pentolino. I had my old stand-by, the "Palermo" sauce, but David was adventurous and tried a new sauce, with olive oil, basil, and pine-nuts. It, too, was delicious.
Both of us have been feeling a bit better the last few days since I came up with an idea to help keep David from being so bored. Here's how it works. First, he chooses a topic he'd like to learn more about. Then, I go to the Wikipedia article on that topic and highlight all the text of the body of the article. Next, I choose a menu option (in the browser but actually a service provided by the Mac OS) that "reads" the text into a audio and puts it into iTunes. After I have done this for several articles, I sync his iPhone and transfer these audio files onto it. Then he can listen to them when he wants. He has been enjoying this quite a bit, and I feel more content seeing him happier. We'll certainly continue to do this, and to give thanks for the text-to-speech technology that makes it possible!
This evening, after we had made Shabbat, we took a nice walk around the neighborhood, stopping to sit on benches in the green strip a couple of times, and just generally enjoying the lovely cool evening!
I taught 3 units today: 9:00-10:30 and 1:00-1:45.
We continued our tradition of lunch on Fridays at Il Pentolino. I had my old stand-by, the "Palermo" sauce, but David was adventurous and tried a new sauce, with olive oil, basil, and pine-nuts. It, too, was delicious.
Both of us have been feeling a bit better the last few days since I came up with an idea to help keep David from being so bored. Here's how it works. First, he chooses a topic he'd like to learn more about. Then, I go to the Wikipedia article on that topic and highlight all the text of the body of the article. Next, I choose a menu option (in the browser but actually a service provided by the Mac OS) that "reads" the text into a audio and puts it into iTunes. After I have done this for several articles, I sync his iPhone and transfer these audio files onto it. Then he can listen to them when he wants. He has been enjoying this quite a bit, and I feel more content seeing him happier. We'll certainly continue to do this, and to give thanks for the text-to-speech technology that makes it possible!
This evening, after we had made Shabbat, we took a nice walk around the neighborhood, stopping to sit on benches in the green strip a couple of times, and just generally enjoying the lovely cool evening!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
25 October 2012
I got up early enough this morning to get a good walk and a short work-out in. I felt good about it.
I taught 5 units today: 9:15-10:45, 1:00-1:45, and 6:00-7:30.
We again ate at Greg and Ice Park & Mall, but we had to leave before the ice-dance show due to some problems David was having.
We again talked to his sister in Ohio, and enjoyed a nice conversation with her and her husband.
We are now leaving all the windows of the house open all day and all night, and it's very comfortable the whole time. We even took a walk around the neighborhood at noon, and it wasn't too hot. Great weather to be having!
I taught 5 units today: 9:15-10:45, 1:00-1:45, and 6:00-7:30.
We again ate at Greg and Ice Park & Mall, but we had to leave before the ice-dance show due to some problems David was having.
We again talked to his sister in Ohio, and enjoyed a nice conversation with her and her husband.
We are now leaving all the windows of the house open all day and all night, and it's very comfortable the whole time. We even took a walk around the neighborhood at noon, and it wasn't too hot. Great weather to be having!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
24 October 2012
I got up quite early this morning and had a good walk and work-out. It was cool enough that I decided to wear a t-shirt instead of just a tank top.
At 9:00, we had an intake appointment with the social worker at the municipal welfare office. Her name was Bat El (which means "daughter of God"), and she was very nice. She spoke English quite well, which was very helpful for us. She gave us a form that an eye doctor must fill out. We must get that done and return it to her, together with 2 passport pictures of David, and this will get the process started for getting David a teudat iver (a certificate that he is blind). This is important in order for him to receive many services for the blind, and it will not be a quick process. She also put in a work order for someone to visit him and help him with mobility and other issues in dealing with being blind and trying to achieve more independence. She said that this also will take time.
Although things are slow here in Israel, there is an important positive difference. In the U.S., when one applies for help from nearly any government agency, one nearly always gets the feeling that one is somehow suspect. The silent assumption in the States is that EVERYONE is surely just dying to receive welfare benefits, and the job of the workers in all agencies is to make sure that there is absolutely NO cheating. Here, on the other hand, their attitude here in Israel is always that it is their job to HELP you get the benefits that you are ENTITLED to! This difference is perspective makes a WORLD of difference to someone in David's situation, believe me!
In the late morning, just before noon, it was not too hot out, so David and I went for a nice walk around the neighborhood. There was just enough warmth to make it feel really great.
I taught only 2 Berlitz lessons today (3 units): 1:00-1:45 and 7:00-8:30.
After my first lesson, we went again to eat lunch at Greg and again watched the ice-dance show. Today's show was one that we had not yet seen and was based on songs from the musical "Grease". I think it was one of the most impressive I have seen them do here.
At 9:00, we had an intake appointment with the social worker at the municipal welfare office. Her name was Bat El (which means "daughter of God"), and she was very nice. She spoke English quite well, which was very helpful for us. She gave us a form that an eye doctor must fill out. We must get that done and return it to her, together with 2 passport pictures of David, and this will get the process started for getting David a teudat iver (a certificate that he is blind). This is important in order for him to receive many services for the blind, and it will not be a quick process. She also put in a work order for someone to visit him and help him with mobility and other issues in dealing with being blind and trying to achieve more independence. She said that this also will take time.
Although things are slow here in Israel, there is an important positive difference. In the U.S., when one applies for help from nearly any government agency, one nearly always gets the feeling that one is somehow suspect. The silent assumption in the States is that EVERYONE is surely just dying to receive welfare benefits, and the job of the workers in all agencies is to make sure that there is absolutely NO cheating. Here, on the other hand, their attitude here in Israel is always that it is their job to HELP you get the benefits that you are ENTITLED to! This difference is perspective makes a WORLD of difference to someone in David's situation, believe me!
In the late morning, just before noon, it was not too hot out, so David and I went for a nice walk around the neighborhood. There was just enough warmth to make it feel really great.
I taught only 2 Berlitz lessons today (3 units): 1:00-1:45 and 7:00-8:30.
After my first lesson, we went again to eat lunch at Greg and again watched the ice-dance show. Today's show was one that we had not yet seen and was based on songs from the musical "Grease". I think it was one of the most impressive I have seen them do here.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
23 October 2012
Last night I had trouble going to sleep, so it wasn't surprising that I wasn't able to get up early this morning and thus got no walk.
I had only 2 classes today (3 units): 9:15-10:45 and 1:00-1:45.
We went over to Maccabi after my first class, and both of us got our annual flu shots. If you haven't gotten yours yet, it's time, and you should!
We ate lunch again at Greg and watched today's 3:00 ice-dance show. It was the one based on "Hair" that we had seen before, but it was fun to watch it again.
After that, we came home and talked to David's sister in Ohio. Finally, we took a drive around the short loop beginning at about sunset and returning home around 6:30.
Monday, October 22, 2012
22 October 2012
This morning I got up quite early and had a good walk and work-out. There was no more water running in the nakhal, of course, but it was still wet enough that I could see where the water had been running last night. This morning, the sky was clear, but it clouded up again in the afternoon, and we even got a few more drops of rain but nothing more than that.
I taught 3 Berlitz lessons today for a total of 5 units (one of them was only 1 unit): 9:00-10:30, 1:00-1:45, and 6:00-7:30.
We ate lunch again at Greg. David had tortellini with the tomato sauce (which he didn't like as well as the cream sauce), and I had a Spanish omelet roll, which I had never tried before. It was pretty good but will probably not become one of my favorites.
Just as we were paying and getting ready to leave Greg, they started another ice-dance show on the ice rink! This one was set entirely to Abba songs and was quite fun to watch. The only down side is that I now have Abba songs running around and around and around and around in my head. Oy!
I took David to his second video conference appointment with his diabetes doctor his afternoon. We were in a different room this time, and they used a smaller, more mobile set-up. It quite amazing that we can sit here comfortably in the Maccabi center in town and have a good appointment with the doctor (who, based on his accent and command of English, is an American-Israeli) sitting in Tel Aviv!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
21 October 2012
Today, I woke up late and simply was not motivated to get up and exercise. Oh well!
I did get some chores done today, at least. I swept the balcony (which it badly needed!), took the trash out, took the plastic bottles and bags to the recycle cage, and did some laundry.
For lunch, we again ate at Greg, but only after wandering around the Ice Park & Mall several times trying to decide where to eat. We barely managed to avoid the temptation simply to have a Cinnabon for lunch!
Afterwards, we went to the market, and I did the grocery shopping while David waited in the car.
The big news today in Eilat was --- <BIG drum roll!!!!!!> --- RAIN! Yes, really! And lightning, and thunder! It all started just after sunset (kind of ruining the photo ops). There was water running everywhere, of course, but the place to be was on one of the bridges over Nakhal Shakhamon (especially the first one!). Even I had to stop and get out of the car to see water running in the dry stream bed and heading for the 12 tunnels that go under the road there (I sure it didn't actually go through all 12 of them, of course). This is the first time I have see ANY water at all running there! Big excitement!
I did get some chores done today, at least. I swept the balcony (which it badly needed!), took the trash out, took the plastic bottles and bags to the recycle cage, and did some laundry.
For lunch, we again ate at Greg, but only after wandering around the Ice Park & Mall several times trying to decide where to eat. We barely managed to avoid the temptation simply to have a Cinnabon for lunch!
Afterwards, we went to the market, and I did the grocery shopping while David waited in the car.
The big news today in Eilat was --- <BIG drum roll!!!!!!> --- RAIN! Yes, really! And lightning, and thunder! It all started just after sunset (kind of ruining the photo ops). There was water running everywhere, of course, but the place to be was on one of the bridges over Nakhal Shakhamon (especially the first one!). Even I had to stop and get out of the car to see water running in the dry stream bed and heading for the 12 tunnels that go under the road there (I sure it didn't actually go through all 12 of them, of course). This is the first time I have see ANY water at all running there! Big excitement!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
20 October 2012
I got up very early this morning and was out of the house just after 5:30. I walked down to Sheshet-HaYamim Street which I followed all way across the nakhal to the road that goes up towards where the gym is. Then I walked through Canada Park (a nice green park area whose infrastructure was donated by various communities throughout Canada) up to the gym. I worked out a little, and then walked home, stopping to stretch near the big kikar.
After breakfast, we drove down to the Dolphin Reef. Because of David's disability card and the fact that we are now official residents of Eilat, we only had to pay 17 shekels to get in (actually, that was just for me -- David's entrance was totally free!). We found a nice little table in the shade and enjoyed being at the beach, including a couple of drinks. I even went into the sea a couple of times and swam around a bit, my first time (believe it or not!) swimming in the Red Sea. It was really nice! There were no waves any bigger than in a swimming pool, and the temperature was about the same, too. The difference was that I floated better (due to the salt water) and that I actually saw some little fish swimming around. David didn't go into the water, so he didn't get to enjoy this outing as much as I did, but I think he had a fairly good time anyway.
After that, we drove over to the Ice Park & Mall and ate lunch at Greg. David had papparadelle (wide noodles) in a mushroom cream sauce, and I had their "toast salad". We both enjoyed large ice-cafés.
This afternoon, we enjoyed a nice conversation with David's sister in Ohio and her granddaughter.
I posted another of my mom's letters to her parents today. This one was dated 27 October 1951. You can read it by clicking here.
This evening, we went for our usual short walk and stopped at our usual benches to rest and enjoy the lovely evening.
After breakfast, we drove down to the Dolphin Reef. Because of David's disability card and the fact that we are now official residents of Eilat, we only had to pay 17 shekels to get in (actually, that was just for me -- David's entrance was totally free!). We found a nice little table in the shade and enjoyed being at the beach, including a couple of drinks. I even went into the sea a couple of times and swam around a bit, my first time (believe it or not!) swimming in the Red Sea. It was really nice! There were no waves any bigger than in a swimming pool, and the temperature was about the same, too. The difference was that I floated better (due to the salt water) and that I actually saw some little fish swimming around. David didn't go into the water, so he didn't get to enjoy this outing as much as I did, but I think he had a fairly good time anyway.
After that, we drove over to the Ice Park & Mall and ate lunch at Greg. David had papparadelle (wide noodles) in a mushroom cream sauce, and I had their "toast salad". We both enjoyed large ice-cafés.
This afternoon, we enjoyed a nice conversation with David's sister in Ohio and her granddaughter.
I posted another of my mom's letters to her parents today. This one was dated 27 October 1951. You can read it by clicking here.
This evening, we went for our usual short walk and stopped at our usual benches to rest and enjoy the lovely evening.
Friday, October 19, 2012
19 October 2012
This morning I woke up quite late and stiff, so I didn't go out for any exercise at all.
I taught just one class today (2 units): 9:30-11:00.
Before the class, I took a quick walk down to the local bakery to buy challot and some pastries for Shabbat. After the class, I drove over to the supermarket to buy dairy products. Our refrigerator had quit cooling properly last weekend, and, as a result, we had had to throw away a number of containers of cottage cheese and even a full liter of milk. Then, because we didn't have the cottage cheese for several days, we had been eating more yogurt at bedtime in place of it. So, I bought 3 liters of milk, 3 containers of cottage cheese, and a couple of 8-packs of yogurt.
We ate lunch at Il Pentolino again, which has become a sort of Friday tradition. David had penne with roquefort sauce, and I had whole-wheat spaghetti with "Palermo" sauce (fried vegetables).
After making Shabbat this evening, we went for a somewhat longer walk around the neighborhood, getting all the way over to Ein N'tafim Street. We stopped and rested on park benches both times that we crossed the green strip. At the first stop, we saw Karen and Liz walking their dogs. We had seen Karen not too long ago, but it had been some time since we had seen Liz. It was nice to see both of them, and we enjoyed a short chat, as well!
I taught just one class today (2 units): 9:30-11:00.
Before the class, I took a quick walk down to the local bakery to buy challot and some pastries for Shabbat. After the class, I drove over to the supermarket to buy dairy products. Our refrigerator had quit cooling properly last weekend, and, as a result, we had had to throw away a number of containers of cottage cheese and even a full liter of milk. Then, because we didn't have the cottage cheese for several days, we had been eating more yogurt at bedtime in place of it. So, I bought 3 liters of milk, 3 containers of cottage cheese, and a couple of 8-packs of yogurt.
We ate lunch at Il Pentolino again, which has become a sort of Friday tradition. David had penne with roquefort sauce, and I had whole-wheat spaghetti with "Palermo" sauce (fried vegetables).
After making Shabbat this evening, we went for a somewhat longer walk around the neighborhood, getting all the way over to Ein N'tafim Street. We stopped and rested on park benches both times that we crossed the green strip. At the first stop, we saw Karen and Liz walking their dogs. We had seen Karen not too long ago, but it had been some time since we had seen Liz. It was nice to see both of them, and we enjoyed a short chat, as well!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
18 October 2012
I got up a little late this morning, so my work-out was very short. But at least I did get over all the way to the gym and back, and the walk was very good.
I taught 3 classes (6 units=4 hours) today: 9:15-10:45, 4:00-5:30, and 6:00-7:30.
I went shopping again today. First, we went to the old mall (Mul HaYam = "Next to the Sea"). David walked around with me a bit at first, then sat in the food court, and finally asked me to take him back to the car, where he sat while I did some more shopping. I found some good stuff, too: 3 pairs of pants, 3 T-shirts, and 2 pairs of short pants. The warm colors, which I like and which generally look good on me, seem to be more in now than sometimes, so I tried to get them while they're available!
When I returned to the car, we decided to drive over to the new mall (Ice Park & Mall) and eat there. Just for variety, we ate at Café Café there (it's quieter there than at the old mall because there's MUCH more space) instead of at Greg. David had pizza, and I had Italian shakshuka. We didn't do any more shopping there.
I taught 3 classes (6 units=4 hours) today: 9:15-10:45, 4:00-5:30, and 6:00-7:30.
I went shopping again today. First, we went to the old mall (Mul HaYam = "Next to the Sea"). David walked around with me a bit at first, then sat in the food court, and finally asked me to take him back to the car, where he sat while I did some more shopping. I found some good stuff, too: 3 pairs of pants, 3 T-shirts, and 2 pairs of short pants. The warm colors, which I like and which generally look good on me, seem to be more in now than sometimes, so I tried to get them while they're available!
When I returned to the car, we decided to drive over to the new mall (Ice Park & Mall) and eat there. Just for variety, we ate at Café Café there (it's quieter there than at the old mall because there's MUCH more space) instead of at Greg. David had pizza, and I had Italian shakshuka. We didn't do any more shopping there.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
17 October 2012
I got out of the house just after 6:00 this morning. I was a little tired but felt more rested and relaxed. I had a good walk and a good work-out.
This morning, we decided to return to Hai Bar, a sort of small zoo located near Yotvata. It particularly features desert animals. This was our second visit there. We walked through the exhibits first, and then drove through the large areas where the animals can roam free.
I had only one Berlitz class today, and it was only 1 unit, 2:00-2:45.
After my class, we went again to Greg for a late lunch. Just as we arrived at the mall, they were starting the 3:00 ice dance show, so we stopped to watch it before going over and eating. It wasn't the Olympics, of course, but it was good and fun to watch. We also decided to stay at the mall until the 5:00 show so that I could take a video of it with my iPhone. It was a different show, using music from "Hair". I was hoping to upload the video for you here, but I got an error when I tried to do so, so something must be incompatible.
Both before and after the second show, I did some shopping around the mall. David went with me part of the time, but mostly he sat and rested. I saw a lot of interesting clothes and even tried a few on, but I didn't buy anything because nothing was really perfect for me. It was fun anyway!
This morning, we decided to return to Hai Bar, a sort of small zoo located near Yotvata. It particularly features desert animals. This was our second visit there. We walked through the exhibits first, and then drove through the large areas where the animals can roam free.
I had only one Berlitz class today, and it was only 1 unit, 2:00-2:45.
After my class, we went again to Greg for a late lunch. Just as we arrived at the mall, they were starting the 3:00 ice dance show, so we stopped to watch it before going over and eating. It wasn't the Olympics, of course, but it was good and fun to watch. We also decided to stay at the mall until the 5:00 show so that I could take a video of it with my iPhone. It was a different show, using music from "Hair". I was hoping to upload the video for you here, but I got an error when I tried to do so, so something must be incompatible.
Both before and after the second show, I did some shopping around the mall. David went with me part of the time, but mostly he sat and rested. I saw a lot of interesting clothes and even tried a few on, but I didn't buy anything because nothing was really perfect for me. It was fun anyway!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
16 October 2012
This morning, I got up and out of the house just after 6:00 even though I was feeling a bit tired. I walked to the gym, did a little exercise there, and walked back home, stopping to stretch on the way. The morning breeze was very refreshing!
I taught 2 classes today (5 units): 9:15-10:45 and 6:45-9:00. The second one was a 3-unit level 1 class.
We got our car washed this morning, which it badly needed. We hadn't had it cleaned since our adventure getting stuck in the gravel in Nakhal Paran in the middle of the desert. Now it looks great once again!
After getting the car washed, we went over to the Ice Park & Mall. It was still a little early for lunch, so we walked around some and we just sat and chatted for a while. Finally, we had lunch at Greg. David had a toasted bagel and I had an egg sandwich. Both of our meals came with small salads, and we also drank ice-café with our meals.
This afternoon, we had a nice conversation with David's sister, Joyce, in Ohio via Skype.
I taught 2 classes today (5 units): 9:15-10:45 and 6:45-9:00. The second one was a 3-unit level 1 class.
We got our car washed this morning, which it badly needed. We hadn't had it cleaned since our adventure getting stuck in the gravel in Nakhal Paran in the middle of the desert. Now it looks great once again!
After getting the car washed, we went over to the Ice Park & Mall. It was still a little early for lunch, so we walked around some and we just sat and chatted for a while. Finally, we had lunch at Greg. David had a toasted bagel and I had an egg sandwich. Both of our meals came with small salads, and we also drank ice-café with our meals.
This afternoon, we had a nice conversation with David's sister, Joyce, in Ohio via Skype.
Monday, October 15, 2012
15 October 2012
I felt very tired when I woke up this morning for some reason, even though I had slept quite well. So I didn't get up until quite late and didn't go out for a walk at all.
Today was a VERY busy Berlitz day! I taught 5 classes (10 units = 7.5 hours): 9:00-11:30, 12:00-1:30, 2:00-3:30, 4:00-5:30, and 6:00-7:30. Obviously I did pretty much nothing but teach today.
We HAD to eat lunch at home, since I had no break longer than 30 minutes anywhere near lunch time. We had vegetarian hamburgers and cheese and ketchup in sandwiches, with Chinese-style vegetables on the side.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
14 October 2012
This morning I got up quite early and was out of the house by just after quarter to 6:00.
My main goal for today was to get the 60,000-kilometer service done on our car. So, I headed over there as early as I could. They took the car in right away, and I was out of there within about 2 hours. I consider that quite good.
For lunch, we again went to Greg at the Ice Park & Mall. There weren't that many people there today, so it was easy to get a table. I picked one over by the railing so that I could watch the people skating below. Our favorite waiter, Ronnie, talked a bit with us (we only learned his name today). David had pizza with feta cheese, olives, and mushrooms. I had their breakfast (omelet, Israeli salad, guacamole, cheeses, cream cheese, bread, and butter). We both had big ice-cafés. The music that was playing there today was very relaxing, sort of post-new-age, post-piano-jazz. I actually didn't want to leave.
I did the grocery shopping after that (David waited in the car).
A common thing here in Israel when people can't do something right away (for whatever reason, really) is that they'll do it or it will happen אחרי החגים akharei he-khagim "after the holidays". Although there are many holidays throughout the year, the big clusters are in the Spring and in the Fall.
In the Spring, it begins with Purim, which is REALLY big here, then continues with Pesakh (which is a month later, but, with all the frenetic cleaning it might as well be right after Purim), Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzma'ut (2 days in succession), and Shavuot. These are actually spaced somewhat, but, you know, we can't really expect anyone to get anything serious (or otherwise!) done between them.
In the Fall, it's Rosh HaShana (which comes on the heals of the regular summer vacations, of course), Yom Kipur (9 days afterwards), and Sukot (only a few days after Yom Kipur and lasting for EIGHT whole days!). Again, one couldn't possibly do anything BETWEEN these closely spaced holidays.
So, now we are finally akharei he-khagim, and, of course, now there is a HUGE overload of work to be done. Actually, though, it may STILL have to wait until "after the holidays" -- while at the market today, I saw sufganiot, the jelly donuts that are the hallmark of Khanukah here, which is only about 2 shorts months away... Oh dear!
My main goal for today was to get the 60,000-kilometer service done on our car. So, I headed over there as early as I could. They took the car in right away, and I was out of there within about 2 hours. I consider that quite good.
For lunch, we again went to Greg at the Ice Park & Mall. There weren't that many people there today, so it was easy to get a table. I picked one over by the railing so that I could watch the people skating below. Our favorite waiter, Ronnie, talked a bit with us (we only learned his name today). David had pizza with feta cheese, olives, and mushrooms. I had their breakfast (omelet, Israeli salad, guacamole, cheeses, cream cheese, bread, and butter). We both had big ice-cafés. The music that was playing there today was very relaxing, sort of post-new-age, post-piano-jazz. I actually didn't want to leave.
I did the grocery shopping after that (David waited in the car).
A common thing here in Israel when people can't do something right away (for whatever reason, really) is that they'll do it or it will happen אחרי החגים akharei he-khagim "after the holidays". Although there are many holidays throughout the year, the big clusters are in the Spring and in the Fall.
In the Spring, it begins with Purim, which is REALLY big here, then continues with Pesakh (which is a month later, but, with all the frenetic cleaning it might as well be right after Purim), Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzma'ut (2 days in succession), and Shavuot. These are actually spaced somewhat, but, you know, we can't really expect anyone to get anything serious (or otherwise!) done between them.
In the Fall, it's Rosh HaShana (which comes on the heals of the regular summer vacations, of course), Yom Kipur (9 days afterwards), and Sukot (only a few days after Yom Kipur and lasting for EIGHT whole days!). Again, one couldn't possibly do anything BETWEEN these closely spaced holidays.
So, now we are finally akharei he-khagim, and, of course, now there is a HUGE overload of work to be done. Actually, though, it may STILL have to wait until "after the holidays" -- while at the market today, I saw sufganiot, the jelly donuts that are the hallmark of Khanukah here, which is only about 2 shorts months away... Oh dear!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
13 October 2012
I woke up somewhat late this morning and didn't get out of the house until about 6:20. I still walked over to the big kikar (where highway 12 goes up out of town), did my stretches, and walked back.
This morning, we filled out our ballots for the U.S. election and put them into the mailbox. They should easily arrive there before November 6.
I posted another of my mom's letters to her parents this morning. This one was hand-written (the others are typed) since she was writing from Portland, Oregon, where she and my dad were visiting his family. You can read it by clicking here.
We ate lunch at Greg again. David had paparadelle (pasta) with mushroom cream sauce, and I had their "Home Fries" salad. I asked the waiter whether הום פרייז should be "Home Prize" or "Home Fries", and so that's how I know which is correct now (it also makes more sense, since the salad has little cubes of potato in it!). For those of you unfamiliar with Hebrew, the letter פ peh can be pronounced as a "p" or an "f". In real Hebrew words, it would ALWAYS be "p" at the beginning of a word (and always "f" at the end, although it's written ף at the end of a word). But of course, this is clearly NOT really Hebrew at all -- it's just transliterated English, which I already knew.
This evening, we took another of our nice walks around the neighborhood, with stops at our usual park benches in the green strip.
This morning, we filled out our ballots for the U.S. election and put them into the mailbox. They should easily arrive there before November 6.
I posted another of my mom's letters to her parents this morning. This one was hand-written (the others are typed) since she was writing from Portland, Oregon, where she and my dad were visiting his family. You can read it by clicking here.
We ate lunch at Greg again. David had paparadelle (pasta) with mushroom cream sauce, and I had their "Home Fries" salad. I asked the waiter whether הום פרייז should be "Home Prize" or "Home Fries", and so that's how I know which is correct now (it also makes more sense, since the salad has little cubes of potato in it!). For those of you unfamiliar with Hebrew, the letter פ peh can be pronounced as a "p" or an "f". In real Hebrew words, it would ALWAYS be "p" at the beginning of a word (and always "f" at the end, although it's written ף at the end of a word). But of course, this is clearly NOT really Hebrew at all -- it's just transliterated English, which I already knew.
This evening, we took another of our nice walks around the neighborhood, with stops at our usual park benches in the green strip.
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