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Honey is Sweet

A bit of real winter - 2008-01-30

I'm grateful for: rain, and a bit of 'real' winter; friends to go see an awful movie with; York peppermint patties.

It's freezing here. Literally, as in lower temperatures than that at which water turns to ice, but more importantly, that figurative freezing when your fingers just feel cold and you need two extra blankets just to feel comfortable. Rats! And I was enjoying having a this not-so-very-cold winter so far.

The good part is that it is raining. We really, seriously need the rain. Snowing up north, even. Snowing not so far up north tomorrow, if the weather reports are to be believed.

So today we managed to get up at the crack of dawn for the trip to the shuk, but didn't go. Something about 'gale force winds' that led us to believe it wasn't the best idea. We did drive by later and discovered that some very brave shop-keepers, and a few equally brave shoppers, had managed to have about 1/2, or maybe only 1/3 of a shuk today. TH and I went to a supermarket instead. It's probably not a supermarket these days, but what would have been called a supermarket in my youth, when it was the alternative to the neighbourhood grocery store.

Well, anyway. We got to the library, and returned some books and took out some others. That went really well. And S2 got to his driving lesson. The weather moderated itself for the duration of his driving lesson, thank you Hashem! So although the car he was driving kept getting blown sideways, he wasn't ever in any danger (or endangering others). And we found two really beautiful cotton sweaters at the supermarket. One in a light-ish blue for D3, and one in a heather grey for S2. There were only the two colours, and none that would have worked for S3 although he is desperately in need of more sweaters. Would that I could make for him. I used to be a knitter, once upon a time. *Sigh*

I did manage to ride my exercise bike this morning, but didn't manage to do the weights, or get on the bike in the evening. We were too busy doing every other living thing, I swear. We went out to see some movie, I cannot possibly remember the title, with Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio del Torro (probably hideously mis-spelled). And Woody Harrelson, which I have to say was probably the biggest treat of the movie. The movie itself was rather dreadful. Very exciting, suspenseful and fun in the first part, and then getting more and more depressing, suffering from a complete loss of narrative tension, and it wittered away to nothing. What was the point? I only hope I can remember to stay away from it in the future.

While at the movie theatre, the phone rang twice. I didn't hesitate to answer it as TH and I and D & L (friends from the moshav) were the only people in the whole theatre. First call was S2 phoning to say that RS had just called to tell us that S1's flight was cancelled. Later, 2nd call was D3 phoning to say that RS had rung back and told her S1 (and in fact all the people on his flight) had been transferred to another flight or flights on ElAl. So THAT's good.

He's arriving four hours later, which can be a bit problematic as that puts us awfully close to sundown if anything is the slightest bit delayed.

After the movie and driving home, I got on the phone with RS. We negotiated buying a new trackball for us here, and arranged how to pay for a hotel for the two of them when the go to pick up S1's stuff from D1's current home. I don't know how much if any detail I went into about this, S1 was living with D1 and her husband and other husband in a three bedroom apartment. D1 and the two husbands decided they wanted to expand their non-traditional marriage still further to include another woman, L. When I first heard about it from D1, the plan was for L to move in with them in November, when they would have some sort of marriage ceremony and become 'family.' At which time they would have found a house or larger apartment. Okay, whatever, this isn't about D1 and her somewhat unusual living situation.

What it is about is that contrary to everything D1 told me, and probably anyone else, L. and her two small children moved into this three bedroom apartment not long after (a week? two weeks) D1 told me anything about it. This was a fairly large reason for S1's leaving, the housing situation was intolerable, and made worse for him by the fact that L. (according to him) spoke to him as if he were a 5yo child.

So when S1 and RS go down to pick up S1's stuff from D1's home, staying the night there is simply not an option. D1 seemed to think she could shoehorn them in somehow, but I agree with RS's assessment that it would be a disaster. So S1 and RS will take a hotel room - which S1 will pay for, but I will pay him back eventually. That's the final result of the negotiation. Thus far.

RS (on the phone tonight) also told me about a Dept of Ag. survey we are supposed to fill out. This is because we used to have a farm. We were farmers once. *sigh* No longer, which was the end result for the survey. That and that our former farm is no longer a farm, or being worked in any way. It is a suburban home, or perhaps two if anyone has bought the original lot and rebuilt on it. I cannot tell you how sad this all makes me.

I did some money stuff, and found out that I had subtracted the same payment for electricity twice, which is good. That gives us a bit more of a cushion as we are reaching the limits on our frameworks (that's the overdraft we are allowed on our bank accounts). What else? I can't remember. Crazy day. It is raining, or possibly hailing, and the winds have been so strong. A roll of fencing was blown half-way across our yard, and our neighbour, who had a tarp covering his greenhouse, has one no longer. It was literally torn to shreds by the action of the wind.

I'm exhausted and I can't believe I stayed up to write this. Although I am glad that I did. Now, I must try to sleep some, tomorrow is another cold day.

I'm listening to the solar panel creaking on it's supports in the wind.

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:: Yesterdays : Tomorrows ::

~~~Last Five Entries~~~
Hi and goodbye - 2010-10-15
I'll be moving on - 2010-10-10
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Decisions, decisions - 2010-10-07
Days to go - 2010-10-06