Accident

10 minutes ago, Buggy was in a car accident. He was rear ended while crawling up Keren HaYesod by some idiot kid who probably just got his license. B"H, Buggy is okay and the car doesn't seem to have sustain any big damage. But, I'm absolutely enraged that it happened. I'm so angry and so, this blog will be all about me venting at the crappy, stupid, and dangerous Israeli drivers.

Israeli drivers are absolutely, 100% dangerous. They ALL act as if they own the road, and other drivers be damned. No one, not one single Israeli driver on the road, is at all cautious. They are all aggressive drivers, and that's why every single day we hear on the radio about people killed in driving accidents. And for what? Where's the big damn emergency? Why is EVERYONE in such a hury? It's a ridiculous cultural problem that needs to stop - and needs to stop now - because people are DYING for no good reason! Isn't it bad enough we have to worry about terrorist, but now we have to worry each and every time we get behind the wheel? I was taught to always be a cautious driver, not to be aggressive and to always stay on guard. I will prorbably be one of a handful of drivers on the Jerusalem roads who is not gunning the motor or trying to cut someone off for no good reason. The other night, Buggy almost got into 2 accidents because two morons decided they were going to run red lights. They were actually racing each other, and Buggy had the green and started to go and these two guys cut him off and so close that he was shaking when he made it to the next light unharmed.

Stupid, stupid, stupid drivers. It makes me sick when I'm in the car and I watch people being so reckless with their lives. Do they not realize how many tons of steel they are controlling? Do they not realize that it's not just their own lives they put in danger, but everyone else on the roads? (and that includes people just crossing the street!). Don't get me starting on the rules of the crosswalk, which many drivers simply ignore. If you see someone standing at the cross walk and preparing to cross, you STOP! Period. You don't go because you feel like it. The pedestrian, in this instance, has the right of way. So you yield. And screw all the people behind you who don't want you to wait. Unless it's Magen David Adom or Hatzolah with the lights flashing and the sirens freaking blaring, you wait!

Ugh, I'm so mad right now I could scream. Stupid, stupid, careless, reckless, insensitive, bullheaded, moronic, asshole DRIVERS!

OK, now that I have that out of my system, I am very thankful that Buggy is okay. He is very shaken up and extremely shocked, but he should be fine. I'm going to give him a massage later on cause his back is hurting him a bit, and hopefully he'll be able to put this experience behind him.

Yesterday, we had a wonderful anniversary. We each did our errands, I went for a nice long walk on Emek Refaim and checked out Tollmans, which is a great store for housewares and pots/pans. Unfortunately, their prices are not necessarily in my budget range so I left empty handed. We went out to Selena's for dinner, which I actually think is better than Joy, and we had a really nice time. We decided to walk there and back, so we could get some exercise and not have to move the car. It was such a gorgeous night out, that the walk both ways was perfect. I love that you can look up at the sky and see all the stars, you can't really do that in New York City.

This morning, I stamped all of the thank you notes and took them to the post office. Now, only the envelopes without addresses remain and so I have to figure out how to get these notes to the people who gave us such nice presents. I then decided to go for another long walk and went to 4UGifts on Derech Hevron to pick up some items on hold for us. I needed two trivet holders, a gravy pot for Thanksgiving, and a metal strainer to make my Aunt Amy's bread pudding. I am thinking about giving her a call in a few minutes to talk about Thanksgiving, since she always hosted when we were growing up. Between my Mom's turkey recipe and her bread pudding, I think I should do okay in a couple of weeks.

We're also really planning our London trip and can't believe it's already next week! We decided to spend Thursday doing a bus tour around the city, so I can see all of the touristy locations I've never been to, and then shop on Friday in Brent Cross. Shabbos will be with the family and Saturday night we might just go out to eat or get together with some friends. Then on Sunday, before we fly out, we'll go to the London Eye to check out the City from the air. Personally, that is going to be the scariest for me as I'm not such a fan of flying, but Buggy promised to keep me calm. As long as he holds me, I should be ok!

Tomorrow, once again, I don't have school so I'm going to do some cleaning and organizing and some work. I did get a small project that I need to hand in soon, and so tomorrow while Buggy is in school will be a good opportunity for me. I also finally got comments back on my thesis proposal, and I need to make edits to that and hand it in to the Masters committee for approval.

This afternoon, while Buggy is at work, I'm going to do some cooking. Since we ate out both meals this Shabbos, I have no leftovers and so I'm going to make something fresh. Hopefully Buggy will have an appetite when he gets home, but we'll see how he's feeling.

Product of the Day


The Oxo Good Grips Turkey Baster is the coveted item of the day. First of all, I think Oxo Good Grips is a fantastic brand. They produce some amazing and durable products for the kitchen, and all I want these days is a good ol' turkey baster. Only, I can't seem to find one. I went to Tollmans and they didn't have any; I went to 4UGifts and they too didn't have one. Apparently, there is some new cook store that opened up in one of the little malls in Talpiot but I haven't been there yet and don't know if they would carry a baster. I even looked for one at Ikea and didn't find anything. I'm at a loss people, but fortunately, I'm going to London next week and I would be SHOCKED if I can't get one there. Fingers crossed that I can find one, otherwise I'm gonna be serving a dried out turkey in 2 weeks!

Mango Season

It's officially mango season in Israel and I am so proud of myself because I picked us the sweetest, juiciest, tastiest mango I've ever eaten! It was such a good afternoon snack! Buggy and I split one and then I did one of my favorite things: I sucked on the mango pit. But then, I was distressed, because whenever I do that I end up getting threads of mango stuck in my teeth. I flossed at least 3 times yesterday just to get out all those threads. But it was yummy and worth it!

We were busy people yesterday! We woke up at 7:00 a.m. to go to the Wolfson Medical Center for blood tests. Since Buggy and I have different health insurance plans, we were fortunate to find that the medical center will do blood tests for both Maccabi (me) and Meuchedet (Buggy). Anyway, it was a zoo when we got there at 8:00 a.m. with tons of people waiting to do blood work. Unlike in America where your primary care physician will just take blood after your examination, in Israel they only draw blood during certain time periods of the day. Mostly, it's early in the morning and they are only open for 3 hours each day. So, you have to make a special trip in order to do any blood tests. It's a bit more efficient the other way - I think - but it's not terrible so we suck it up and do it.

Well, the woman who took my blood is a newbie and of course she couldn't find my vein. I have weird veins - which I told her from the beginning - and so she went poking around both arms looking for one. Finally, she called her supervisor over and the lady helped - but not before she stuck the needle into something that wasn't really a vein. She finally got the flow going and within seconds I was done. Buggy finished a bit later and we were off to our next pit stop.

Which was breakfast, at Faza, which is a great little cafe restaurant in Katamon. They make Chai tea with 1% milk and since Buggy and I are on diets, it's a nice treat! Buggy was exhausted after our breakfast so I took the keys and drove us all the way to our next stop:

Jerusalem's Department of Motor Vehicles - which is located in Talpiot! I think I drove pretty well and Buggy agreed, although he did a lot of clenching and slamming on the invisible break on the passenger side. The rules here are different, as are many of the signs, so I just need practice in order to learn. That, and Buggy's car is a Peugot sports car and I'm used to more humble a vehicle. P"G, when we buy me a vehicle it will be something familiar that I can drive.

Anyway, the DMV was pretty typical for a DMV. Lots of people, not enough workers, take a number system. We were number 312 and they were serving 270 when we got there. We settled in for a long wait but it really didn't take us as long as we thought. Of course, I came armed with practically all of my Aliyah papers cause I had no idea what I really needed. The lady was nice when we got up there and said that I had 3 years to switch my license - and not 1 like everyone else told me. At this point, I have all the paperwork and now I just need to find a driving school, take 1 lesson and pass the test, and I should be done. Of course, passing the test is going to be difficult. I've heard that driving school's like to fail people not because of ability but because they like to get them back to get more money. That, and the driving instructor won't tell you after the test if you passed or failed. Buggy said it's for the instructor's safety, because a disgruntled Israeli who hears that he/she failed might try to kill 'em.

Ain't that nice?

So, now we have to add finding a driving school and taking the test to my "to-do" list.

After the DMV, we went to drop something off for Buggy and then we went food shopping. We're having 10 people over for dinner in our Succah on Friday night and yes, those people are Buggy's parents and family, so I'm trying to cook to impress! Here's my menu:

Appetizer: grilled steak salad with warm shallot dressing

Soup: chicken noodle with matza balls

Main: cranberry/onion soup mix chicken (all bottoms, they are not top people)
spinach chicken rolls
cauliflower kugel
salt and pepper noodle kugel
green beans sauteed with onions and toasted almonds
orzo with grilled vegetables, basil and pine nuts

Dessert: velvet sponge cake and chocolate cake with tea and fruit

Good thing it's not Yom Tov for me on Thursday night/Friday cause I'm going to be doing plenty of cooking those days! Plus, tomorrow, I have to cook for Yom Tov lunch as Buggy and I wanted to eat alone in our Succah. We might be a bit anti-social, but I think it will be better for us to just experience having our own Succah for the Chag.

So, after I bought all the ingredients I need to cook for Friday night and for Chag on Thursday, we drove to 4UGifts on Derech Chevron and picked up the things I needed for dinner off of our registry. I picked up 6 place settings on dinner plates, cake plates and salad plates. We picked up 12 soup bowls that are slightly smaller size than normal soup bowls and are also square not round (I love the look of square bowls!). We picked up this cute glass water pitcher with the hole in the middle and 12 drinking glasses. Well, now the car was absolutely loaded, so we drove back to the apartment and I got to work unpacking.

Thinking I would have the rest of the afternoon to write my thank you notes, I got into comfortable clothing and got to work. Then, Buggy's Mom called and told me that the "hat ladies" were at the Kings hotel and that I should come if I need a new hat. Well, I didn't get a black felt hat when I was in the States, so I said sure and she picked me up and we went. They had some great stuff: Louise Green, Naftali, etc. and I was able to find a nice hat in no time. The nicest thing was that my MIL picked up the tab on my hat, which was very, very kind of her, and so now I have to write another thank you note!

I decided also to walk home from the Kings hotel cause I've notice my body has started to loose some of it's tightness since I don't do as much excercise like I did in Tel Aviv. When you live by yourself, it's easier to fit it in, but now that I live with Buggy and we always have so much to do, excercise has falled to the wayside. So, I walked from the Kings and it was a heart pumping 25 minutes! I got in nice and sweaty, a bit thirsty, and happy to have been moving!

And then, I settled down for a few hours and cranked out those thank you notes. I am happy to annouce that of the 145 thank you notes I had to write from the wedding, I now have 5 left, and those 5 are basically family ones. Now, don't think I only had 145 to write people! I had 30 from people who bought off our registry, 25 for my shower, and 85 for people in Israel who gave us gifts at our Sheva Brachot. I have 75 to go and I hope to G-d I can get these done before Succot is over! I think it's important to send thank you notes quickly after the wedding - especially since people really were generous and they deserve to be thanked in a timely fashion.

Yeah - Buggy thinks I'm crazy and he would love it if I joined him on the couch at night for some CSI or Law and Order, but I am on a mission.

I wrote almost 50 thank you cards yesterday! My tongue is nasty from all that licking too!

I'm up extra early today and Buggy is snoring lightly besides me as I update this blog. Today, I hope to decorate the succah, unpack some more boxes and clean out the apartment so that it looks in semi-decent shape for our company this Chag. Tonight is going to be busy as we are taking Buggy's cousin out to dinner for her birthday. And then, I have to start cooking!

Oh, and yesterday I made us a nice dinner of chicken burgers, salad, 2 individual servings of french fries and Jerusalem artichoke. I decided to try it again, even though the last time I ate the Jerusalem artichoke I was sick for 2 days with an awful stomach. We both had a bit of minor discomfort but fortunately, I think it passed and I might even make them again!

Oh, and my sister Rick RULES! She faxed me a bunch of baking recipes so that I can bake for all the things I need to bake for. I have to help make dessert for Buggy's Aunt on Wednesday night, I need to bake dessert for our dinner Friday night and since Buggy's MIL does a huge open house for Simchat Torah, I am baking brownies and blondies for that too. Plus, well, we're having almost 15 people over for dinner on Simchat Torah night (I'll fill you in more in my next post) and I'm gonna be baking for that as well!

Happy cooking everyone!

Happy New Year!

Buggy and I are extremely devout leading up to this Rosh Hashana. We have been getting up with the 6:00 a.m. Sephardic Minyan as they sing their Slichot each morning. Today was no different and, rather than waste the opportunity to update the blog, I decided to try and squeeze it in before the day gets crazy.

Yesterday was so busy, I am shocked that I managed to get into bed at the end of the night with teeth brushed and flossed and face washed. I was beat! We were up and out of the apartment early because Buggy had a nutritionist appointment. Fortunately, he only gained 1 pound since the wedding so we were all thrilled to hear that news! I, of course, gained 5 pounds since our wedding so yes - we are both on diets. But, lord knows that the three day holiday here will be extremely challenging!

After Dr. Diet, we went to Buggy's folks so I could pick up my passports for the army. We were determined to get my pitur yesterday and, since I had no idea what I needed to get one, I had to pick up all passports. We then went back to the Central Bus Station to pick up some things from a couple of the shops and I bought an InStyle and a Glamour and 2 comics for my husband as a Rosh Hashana reading gift. Since we aren't allowed to sleep over the Chag, we will have to have plenty to keep up entertained.

Buggy had to be at work at 2:00 and traffic in Jerusalem these days are INSANE! It takes forever to get around because everyone is driving and doing errands for the Chag. It took us 45 minutes to get home from the Central Bus Station while normally it would take much shorter.

Anyway, we began our adventure with the army and for me it was like stepping into Animal House, complete with hazing. Buggy dropped me off and had to look for parking because the PERFECT spot near the front was available, but there was a children's toy in the gutter and Buggy didn't want to run it over. While we were "arguing" about the toy that was obviously garbage, some other guy came and ran over the toy and took our spot. I was not pleased. So, Buggy left me off and I went upstairs to the floor that gives out Piturs. It's also on the same floor as the lunchroom and boy was it boisterous. I realized then and there that I was at the mercy of a gaggle of 18 year old drunk with power! When Buggy tried to join me, they wouldn't let him come upstairs because he wasn't there was any specific reason. I put on my extremely-sad-face, like this:



And, sure enough, one of the 18 year olds felt bad and they let Buggy come up. Anyway, the rest of the process was extremely painless and we were in and out within 10 minutes!

The rest of the day was a blur so I can't really recap right now, but I cooked a great dinner with fresh corn on the cob, Israeli salad, some broccoli and dressing sauce and sesame teriyaki salmon.

Today
Was just as busy, if not busier! This morning, we spent at least 2 hours at the bank moving money from one account to another, cashing checks and getting back one check that bounced (ouch!). Then, we went to change some money so I could pay the contractor who did some work on the apartment and then we raced to Buggy's dentist appointment. We also figured out a GREAT birthday present for Buggy's Mom's 60th next week and we were struggling with a fax machine and photocopies of my credit card and teudat zehut, etc. It was a pain, but we managed to make it back to the apartment for a quick lunch and to pay the contractor before Shabbos, and then went off to visit out registry at 4UGifts. We picked up a beautiful present for Buggy's folks, a funky honey and apple sterling silver set (by this new Italian designer - it's really stunning) and then swung by their house to drop off the gift and send the Carmel Forest Spa the fax for Buggy's Mom's birthday present. Then, we had to go to Emek to pick up some last minute provisions so I can cook tonight. I bought 2 big slabs of salmon fillet and some toasted sesame oil. I'm planning on making sesame teriyaki salmon for Buggy's folks, some blondie's for Buggy's sister (we are eating by her on Friday afternoon - a BBQ! I've never had a BBQ on Rosh Hashana before, should be fun!) and some carrot cake for Buggy (he likes it much better than honey cake).

Tonight, I'm praying to be able to write some more thank you cards while I do my baking, and I already have another wash up. I had to wash all the bath towels, it was really time, and that will take at least 4 hours to do. In the interim, I'm hoping to make some calls to the States to wish everyone a Chag Sameach.

But - for those who read this blog and who I would normally call but chances are won't be able to because of the hectic nature of the day and the time difference - CHAG SAMEACH! Happy New Year! May all of your prayers for this year come true, and may the bombing stop in Sderot and throughout the South of Israel.