I'm grateful for: Hot tea with lemon and honey; codeine; getting dr.s orders to take care of myself.

Back from the dr. again. My favourite thing to do, get up at the crack of dawn (not that I was sleeping anyway) to go see yet another dr. who can't do anything to help, but that's what I did. I liked this one. She's from the FSU, young, with a beaming face and a bright smile. She recommends home remedies: tea with honey and lemon, a cabbage plaster for the chest (I kid you not), and codeine to help me sleep at night. She wrote a scrip for the codeine, and so far I can't say it's helping, but I am hoping I'll be able to sleep in more than fifteen-twenty minute naps tonight. Guardedly hopeful.

So, yesterday, we were all up by 5:30am. Amazing, I have to say. We made it out the door by 7:15. TH was driving a rental car with D3 and S3. I had S1 and S2 in the car with me. It was a lo-o-ong drive. We didn't hit any traffic until we were practically in Tel Aviv, so that was probably two hours fifteen minutes driving time. And then there was traffic. We made it in time for the ten o'clock appointment, though, and I wasn't even quite falling over dead. I won't bother to keep saying how awful I felt, but, well, yeah.

At the embassy, we were only allowed to bring in with us our paperwork and money. They didn't want us unable to pay them, after all. I had a pack of tissues and was in the wheelchair, which always makes these things so much fun. The corridors in the building were exactly one wheelchair wide. Made taking the turns kind of interesting.

Everyone we talked to except one guy was Israeli. I don't know why, I'd thought at least inside the embassy the workers would be American. It was very nice, like being held in a cushion of my new country while visiting the old. I don't know how else to say it, Israelis just aren't as Harsh as Americans. I don't really know a better way to say it. Also, there is always a certain degree of intimacy in dealing with Israelis which is completely lacking with Americans, who are so closed and buttoned up. At least most places I've been. In the south, in Florida (the part that isn't not the 'real' south), and Georgia and Alabama and Mississippi, there is less of that closed-off thing. It's not about being friendly or not, and I really don't know what the right words are.

We actually had a delightful time there. The embassy staff were friendly and helpful and seemed to like us right back. The man who took our applications joked with the kids and made the whole encounter virtually painless. Paying was not painless, but there it is. Then we ran into the one American there, I mean the only one we dealt with. I'm sure there were more somewhere. He was a nice enough man, which actually highlighted the difference. He was friendly, and as I said nice enough, but so much reserve. Maybe that is the way to say it? I don't know.

We left, and had to go out by an arcane alternate route because the wheelchair can't go through the spinning bars. I guess I should call it a turnstile? And there we were in Tel Aviv, right on the beach (don't anyone kid you, that is the REAL reason the U.S. embassy stays in Tel Aviv *grin*), the weather was beautiful, the parking paid for the day. *sigh* But I was sicker than, well, sick. S3 was tired, cranky and hungry, S2 is almost as sick as I am (sans bronchitis, barukh Hashem), and we'd all been up for more than seven hours after a bad night of not sleeping.

So. We went home. Kind of a bummer. That is a very nice beach.

The trip home took as long as the trip there, give or take ten minutes. The dogs exploded when we came home. I think that was the first time they have been left behind together when the whole family went out since S1 got his puppy. I was home in time to take my antibiotic, and crawl into bed for a while. Everyone just kind of lolled around, glad to be home and that it was all over. I think I took a little bit of a nap.

Unfortunately that wasn't the end of the day for me, because we had really, truly no food left in the house. S2 and D3 and I pulled ourselves together and drove off to Be'er Sheva, an awful lot of miles driving yesterday, and bought what I hope will be a week's worth of groceries. If it is even possible to buy enough food to last for a whole week. You know, the more you buy, the more they eat. We had to go to two different stores, because the honey was simply outrageous at the first store (something like $10 for a pint of honey), and they didn't have some of the other things we needed, like cat food.

Did I mention that D3 has braces now? So part of shopping was buying things she can eat, 'cause she hurts so much right now. Soy milk and yogurt drinks (smoothies), and instant soup and ramen noodles and yogurt and so on. She's doing a bit better today. I never had braces myself, all the bad teeth stuff comes from TH's side of the family, so all I can do is sympathize and listen. It sounds just awful, but I know that it is better than the alternatives, so, *sigh* just keep breathing, I guess.

Also it rained. A lovely, strong rain. It didn't last very long, maybe twenty minutes, but it smelled wonderful and felt great. I am definitely not designed for desert living.

S2 got to practice driving in the rain and on wet pavement. The Israelis can't drive in wet at all. I'm sure there are some who can, but they are completely overshadowed by those who really shouldn't be allowed near a vehicle all winter long. We survived with no accidents, although plenty of excitement.

There were fun things I should write about sometime, like the Breslover's blocking the exit from the train station in Be'er Sheva dancing in the road - which is a normal sight anywhere in Israel. But I am just about to fall over. This has been a lot of typing and sitting up for me.

So, the dr. explained what bronchitis + means in my case. Apparently I had a bacterial bronchitis, and now I have (or also had?) a viral bronchitis. Which nicely explains why I got a little bit better on the antibiotics, but then not. And I am under orders to lie in bed and pamper myself, so that's what I'm going to do.

I'm listening to Peppito (second youngest dog) barking, and S3 watching a Doctor Who episode.

:: Yesterdays : Tomorrows ::

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