I'm fighting an awful case of jet lag since I got back to the Big Apple on Thursday afternoon. I landed at ten to 3:00 p.m. and didn't get my luggage until 5:00 p.m.! Majority of the passengers on my flight were fuming that we were waiting for the luggage to be loaded onto the belt, but I took it all in stride. I didn't have a connecting flight, or anyone waiting to pick me up outside of JFK, so I just waited for my suitcase to come shooting out. When my duffel came out, I zoomed through customs and raced the other international arriving passengers to the taxi stand. Fortunately for me, there were tons of gypsy cabs trying to pick up passengers, and since Buggy's ski jacket was warm but I could have certainly been warmer, I decided to take one of the Town Car drivers up on his $50 offer. I know, I know, I was robbed for that price but it was worth it. The line for the taxi stand was out of control, and this way I was in a warm car and off to Queens in no time.
The traffic on the Van Wyck Expressway was stop and go, so we ended up taking the service road all the way to Main Street. I was lugging my duffel up the front steps of my parents house by 5:30 p.m. as my Mom laughed while watching me from the front door, and boy was I happy to see the folks! I think that's when I got hyper cause I immediately pulled out my laptop and shot Buggy an e-mail, gave my Mom and Dad the presents I brought them from Israel (my Dad loved the Southern Review tote bag and my Mom thought the Roman Glass earings were cool). At which point, The Dude came back from school and gave me a rundown of his errands for the evening. I quickly unpacked all the stuff that needed to be cleaned and hitched a ride with him to Main Street, where I gave in about half of my wardrobe. After the cleaners, we went to Wasserman's to get my brother food for Shabbos and then drove over to my Grandmother's so I could give her a hug and the pin I bought her in Tel Aviv. She was thrilled with the pin and gave me a big squeeze. I got back to the house and managed to keep myself up through half of Grey's Anatomy. I fell asleep midway through the new episode and by the time I woke up the credits were rolling. I managed to put myself to bed at 10:15 p.m.
Friday was a really relaxing day, I don't really remember what I did but it involved some laundry, vacuming as my Dad supervised (that was a pleasant experience) and helping Mom get ready for Shabbos. It managed to make it past dinner until 8:30 before I went upstairs and passed out. Unfortunately, that meant that I was up and raring to go at 3:30 a.m. and I laid in bed until around 5:00 just thinking. For a few minutes, I felt as if living in Israel had never even happened to me. It was a scary thought but then I thought a bit clearer and the past five months came flooding back. I mean, come on, how could I have thought up shot gunning with Bret Lott?
Shabbos was quiet and relaxing, just the family for lunch. I thought if I didn't go to sleep in the afternoon that I would beat this jet lag so I stayed up. Initially, I was going to go into the City on Saturday night to hang out with Cousin Neil and Marns and folks but Cousin Neil had to go to work (the things the Attorney General's office do to people, work on a Sat night is obsurd!!) and Marns was going to the movies with Rachel and Elana. So, I decided to stay home and catch up on some Must See TV. With three episodes of Heroes and two episodes of Friday Night Lights under my belt, I went to bed thoroughly exhausted.
I woke up at 5:30 this morning and could not get back to bed! The amount of errands on my list today were just so huge that I was hyped up with them all. First, Mom and I went into the City to do some shopping. While riding the F train in, there were 3 homeless people panhandling for money. Welcome back to New York! The stench of stale urine hit me as I descended into the bowels of this city and I felt it following me throughout the day! We got back to Queens by mid-afternoon and then it was off to food shop at Supersol and pick my Grandmother up for a walk around the neighborhood before the snow comes in. I hope it holds out for a few more days cause tomorrow I have an even busier day than today! With an eye Dr.'s appointment and a highlight appointment in Soho, I don't want the dampness to ruin anything Rob is going to do with my auburn locks.
But, the best part of today was the time I spent behind the wheel of my Toyota Corolla. Boy, it is just so nice to drive again. That's what I miss most about New York when I'm in Tel Aviv, being able to get behind the wheel and go wherever and whenever I want. Hmmm, I think I might invest in a vehicle for next year, it would just make me sooo happy!
It's 7:30 p.m. in New York, 2:30 a.m. in Israel, and all I want to do right now is crawl into bed. I'm going to take my book though, and my phone, and force my friends to keep me up until at least 10:00 p.m. tonight! I hope all is well with my friends back in Israel!
Literature of the day is About Alice an autobiography by Calvin Trillin about life with his (now deceased) wife. It is sad and funny at the same time, and also a wonderful story about two people who truly loved each other and who were committed to one another, and how heartbreaking it is for Calvin to be dealing with the loss of the love of his life.
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