Sometimes People are So Nice

 

No doubt I'm sometimes guilty of complaining too much, but when there's something really nice to talk/write about it's so important to let the world know.

Last Thursday on my way home from Jerusalem after seeing cousins, I had some wonderful experiences. While walking out of the Old City, I had checked the bus schedule and saw that if I hurried I could catch a bus to the Shiloh Junction. 

With still another couple of minutes' walk to the lightrail I saw a train coming. I had to hurry, since the next train might have gotten me there too late. As I huffed and puffed onto the train a young man slid out of his seat, so I could take it. I paid and then sat down. I guess he heard and saw my arrival.

I got to the bus stop with time to spare, and the bus actually came on time, which is quite rare. 

On the bus I looked up and saw those little "outlets" to plug in the phone for charging, which was needed, since my phone battery was getting dangerously low. The only problem was that no matter how much I tried, they didn't work, so I asked the driver about it. He couldn't fix it from his end, but a young soldier on the other side of the aisle offered me his portable charger. But he got off a few stops later, and I saw that my phone battery was still low. I thanked him and told him it was fine.

To my surprise the driver reached into his pocket and gave me his portable charger. Wow!

 Yes, Sometimes People are So Nice.

Hearing Aids All The Rage With The Senior Set

I've been enjoying multifocal glasses which double/triple as sunglasses for a number of years, and now I've gone "hi-tech" with hearing aids. 

If you look really, really carefully you can see a pale wire entering my ear from under my scarf. 

After too many years of saying "What?"  "What? I cant hear you." or missing out on important information or just tuning out, since what's the point....

Yesterday I finally got hearing aids. As I type this, I'm in shock that my gentle taps on the keyboard actually make noise. It's a whole new world out there for me. Since I got home, I've been lowering the volume on the television, my cellphone etc. 

Last year when I sort of mentioned to my doctor that I thought my hearing had badly deteriorated she disagreed, since I could hear her. But this year I insisted. So many of my friends who seemed to hear much better than me have begun wearing them. It was embarrassing at people's homes having to raise the volume on their TV's. Now I can easily raise or lower the volume of my Oticon hearing aids via my cellphone. 

To be approved for hearing aids and a subsidy to cover much of the cost, I needed a hearing test which I did in a clinic in Ariel University. Then I needed to be examined by an ENT Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to make sure that my hearing loss wasn't due to a curable illness. Finally I went to the Jerusalem branch of מדטון הדים Medton Hedim. It had been recommended by a neighbor; there are many different places I could have gone to.

At Medton Hedim I had a more detailed hearing test plus a talk with the "technician," or whatever he is. Then my Kupat Cholim, sick fund had to approve their subsidy. I paid much less than the "real" price. The subsidy is for a pair of hearing aids every three and a half years. Then I can get new ones if needed at the lower price. I paid less than I had paid for my latest multifocal eye glasses about a year and a half ago. They had also been discounted by the sick fund.

Yesterday was the day. I was taught how to insert the hearing aids and care for them. I set up the app on my phone to control the volume via Bluetooth. There's a lot to remember. Just like after getting new glasses, I was told to keep them in from now on except for sleeping, bathing, swimming etc. Of course there's a follow-up appointment in a couple of weeks, and I can always call to ask questions.

When I left the office, I was amazed by the sounds I hadn't been hearing. Then I went by lightrail to the other end of Rechov Yaffo to buy earplugs in the Speedo store. The good news there was that my points --really thanks to friends who use my membership when buying in the Ariel Pool branch-- covered the price of the earplugs. 

Next I have to get another new phone, because the Bluetooth in the one I bought recently isn't compatible with my hearing aids. One of my descendants will certainly enjoy that recently bought phone.

The joys of growing old....

Surviving Without WhatsApp and Facebook

This evening Israel time, Facebook and WhatsApp, which are siblings of sorts, have ceased to work.

Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp apps crash throughout the world

Nobody knows what happened. Luckily I was able make arrangements with a friend by SMS. 

So much of our everyday communication is by WhatsApp and Facebook. 

I hope by the time I wake up in the morning, life will be back to norma.

What do you think?

Israel's Heading into Another Holiday Lock-Down

I have no doubt that the new upcoming Rosh Hashanah lock-down is because people have been making Rosh Hashanah holiday plans as if it's a regular year. Too many people are back to inviting their nearest and dearest who actually don't live nearby at all. 

Even worse, some of those invited to green locations aka communities without any recent corona COVID ill come from cities/neighborhoods with people who are sick with the virus.

We survived Passover alone, when we're supposed to be telling to story of our slavery and rescue to our children, so we can survive Rosh Hashanah, two days of prayers, on our own. 

I'm also not hysterical over the "how will I shop?" question. During the first lock-down, we were able to order from our local supermarket, and everything was delivered. My only problem, again, will be getting new yarn and buttons for my latest craft project, bags. I find the crocheting a wonderful way of keeping my hands busy when listening to classes or watching programs and movies. An added bonus is that it keeps the food out of my mouth when I shouldn't be eating.

I trust that our supermarket manager and, of course, chain's owner will keep it stocked. During lock-down #1 we received care packages from the government, too. I developed a number of recipes with the foods we generally don't buy.

Instead of getting hysterical, I'm just taking it all day by day. Since I have no control over the outside things, all I can do is control myself. 

Corona Lock-down Tips, How I'm Surviving

How are you getting through these challenging times? Corona lock-down isn't all that easy. I'm the type who loves getting out, even if it's a walk around the block. Actually, especially in our rather rural area, in theory I can take a walk. But Gd has decided to continue winter a bit longer.

I had to contort myself to get this photo taken earlier.

Now I'll get off the computer after posting this. Here's my little message and plans:

Even when rain resumes, I'll keep the sun in my mind. It's there, even when hidden. I'll dress as nicely as I can, even though I'm not going out. I plan another walk inside while listening to a class, like yesterday. I'll turn on the heat, so I won't suffer from the cold.

I'll finish Shabbat preparations and take out a cake and challot from the freezer.

Gd willing I'll read another children's book or story or poem at 2pm Israel time.

May Gd give us health and sense of humor to survive these difficult challenging times. I really thank Him for scheduling the corona lock-down after Purim, because all the family came here for Purim.

Corona Lock-down Tips: Keeping Fit, Even if You Can't Get Out

Life in the Corona Lock-down, all the restrictions we're now living in, makes keeping fit much more difficult.

Yesterday I took two "walks" to keep up my general fitness. Since, like most everyone, I can't really estimate how many steps and distance I've walked at home*, I rely on two pedometer apps on my phone.  You can see their icons on the screenshot to your right.

The pedometers I use are free. One is more sensitive than the other. They each have a purpose, and I keep the phone on me all the time, except when it's charging.

There are two ways to find icons for your phone:
1- google play store and "search" free pedometer
2-go into "chrome" or whatever you use and just google "free pedometer"
Match up the icons with those on my home screen.

On the bottom there's the icon on the far left, showing two feet. It's very simple to use and sensitive enough to most walking around the house. And Gd willing when this lock-down is over, it shows a realistic amount of steps when shopping and in museums etc.

There's another pedometer app on the second row, far right with one foot. This pedometer, even at its most sensitive is less so. I like that it shows me how much "serious walking" I've done.

After installing a pedometer, you have to personalize it. Go to "settings," and add whatever info they ask. The most important is "pace distance." You can check the accuracy of that by counting your steps as you walk and check that the app has the same number. "Sensitivity" can also be adjusted. You may need to tweak here and there. I uninstalled one, since it was horrendously inaccurate. The app on the bottom of my screen is more sensitive. I generally try to turn it off when in a car or bus.

Please tell me how you're managing. Is this helpful?

*I turned on facebook live for company. You can join in. Here are the recordings.

Do You Still Watch/Have This?

A lot of people are in shock that this is our television. I'm curious to know who else still watchs one of these. If you do, please let me know in the comments, thanks.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as it still works, it's a shame to get a new fancy modern one. The "companion" is the DVD player on top right. I have an enormous collection of DVDs, some of which I've seen dozens of times. There are people who like to reread books; I like to rewatch movies. Who else watches DVDs?

One of the reasons I don't want to rush into buying a newfangled television is that I'm afraid it won't fit into our special cabinet space, although our sons measured and insist that there's a small size that will. Of course, buying a newfangled television will require signing up for a "deal" and learning all sorts of new tricks.

I never say never... Will it be sooner than later?

WhatsApp on The Web/Computer, How To "Tips"

I'd been hearing rumors that it's possible to get WhatsApp messages and write them on the computer.

I really wanted it, because sometimes the messages are so long, it's hard to read them on the tiny screen. And when I'm home in the den, I sometimes don't have my phone with me. Also, it's so much easier for me to type longer messages, especially in Hebrew, on my computer keyboard. One of the reasons is that I learned something really great in JHS 74, when in the 7th grade. It's called touch-typing. I don't need to search for the letters. My fingers were trained, over half a century ago, to know where they all are. And I've even taught myself, meaning my fingers, where most Hebrew letters are. But it's so much harder to type on a phone screen, even when the phone offers suggestions, trying to read my mind.

Finally, last night, when the Jerusalem "Big Blue" Lions decided to start a fan WhatsApp group before the big game* tomorrow, it posted instructions on facebook how to put the app on your computer. So I did it! And now I'll share the news.

This works if you have your own computer, which is somehow/connected to the phone. Try and see if it works for you. There are two ways:

1. From the computer, click WhatsApp, and follow the instructions.
2. From your phone, go into WhatsApp, then click the 3 dots in the upper right hand corner, then WhatsApp Web, and follow instructions.

That's it!

*Tomorrow, Friday March 1, 2019, the Jerusalem "Big Blue" Lions are going for their record breaking third Israbowl National IFL Tackle Football Championship in a row. Yaala Big Blue!

Yippee Me, I Assembled Wheels on New Heater

American style central heating/cooling is very rare in Israel. It certainly wasn't anything we planned when designing and building our house, thirty-five plus years ago. To be honest, a good part of the year we need neither. That's especially since I chose to build on the east of the neighborhood, used some principles of passive solar heating, besides investing in double walls and windows.

Because of the way the house had been designed and built it has always been relatively easy to heat and cool, but in recent years, when I've spent a lot of time sitting in the den at the computer, I've needed heat in winter. I began using old electric radiators, which had been on their "last legs." Finally I really needed a new heater for the den. Buying one seemed so complicated. We don't have a car, and carrying one onto buses is beyond my capabilities.

I asked a neighbor to take me down to the Shiloh Industrial Zone, where there's a big store that sells all sorts of household/building machinery and supplies. We bought some of the new kitchen tiles there, too. I bought a garden hose, clothesline and a few other items in the past. Yes, they sell electric radiators but didn't have the small size I wanted for the den.

I've been kvetching about the cold den on facebook, and a different neighbor told me to go to the nearby grocery store. I took his advice and bought a small electric radiator. I waited outside until someone came by who could take me and my precious purchases home.

Then I excitedly removed the radiator from the box and discovered that we'd have to assemble the wheels. The instructions were sans a diagram. There was just a simple sentence telling us to "use the included screws."

Duh!? There weren't any ordinary screws there. There were just two pieces of metal with wheels on each and two curved metal things with a sort of screw at one end. When I came home from the Jerusalem "Big Blue" Lions exciting tough win against Petach Tikva, I had been hoping that the radiator would be ready for use, but it wasn't.

I examined all the parts and turned the heater over. Then I figured out where one of the two-wheel pieces went, but not how to attach it. When I come back from games and other exciting events, I'm a bit (OK very) hyper. I tried to relax at the computer, but my mind was spinning in lots of directions. Before going to sleep, after 1am, I decided to take a good look at what we had. I figured out where the second wheel piece went but not how to attach it at all. Then I looks at those curved metal things, convinced they had some purpose.

Suddenly, I realized that they were to be hooked around the radiator and put through holes in the wheel pieces. And that little butterfly was to tighten, screw it in.

Yes, I was right, and as tired as I was I couldn't wait until morning to get the heater all assembled.

I'm very proud to say that I did it, and I didn't even cheat by googling for instructions.

Afterwards, I was so excited that I needed a sleeping pill or I never would have succeeded in falling asleep.

Look! Here's the radiator heater heating the den. Thank Gd for gifting me with a bit of mechanical talent.

Suddenly Cooking Again

For the past couple of years, I barely cooked and didn't bake at all. When I didn't have a functioning kitchen I became very lazy. A few times I baked at my daughter's in Ofra and at a neighbor's, but that was it. If it couldn't be easily cooked in a pot on an eccentric electric burner or two, it just didn't get cooked at all. That had been my kitchen for the past year. And for quite awhile before that, when my old mini-ovens still worked, even before we retired the old stove top, which smelled of gas, no more than two burners were strong and reliable enough for cooking.

Now, I have a kitchen, bli eyin haraa-not to tempt the evil eye, and I must get used to making real meals again. No doubt that our food bills will go up, and I pray that my weight won't join them.

The first things I made in my new ovens were a supply of cake and challah. I couldn't make a super-sized supply, since we don't have much freezer space, just the fridge's freezer. Last week I also made us moussaka, one for Shabbat lunch and one for the freezer. Remember that we're only two people at home, versus the 7-9 we'd have at ordinary Shabbat meals a few decades ago, and don't do all the entertaining we once did. Nowadays, I'm overwhelmed when there are five to prepare for!

Yesterday I cooked the meat and poultry for Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. I didn't make all that much, but it was more and more varied than I had made for a long time. Take a peek:

#morningcoffeehaiku in New Kitchen

hard to choose a mug
at least the coffee's ready
cold press in the fridge
#morningcoffeehaiku

such perfect coffee
grateful for my new kitchen
Rosh Hashanah soon
#morningcoffeehaiku

strong sun defeats clouds
cold strong coffee wakes me up
Gd willing great day
#morningcoffeehaiku

love my new kitchen
enjoying the great upgrade
planning was fun, too
#morningcoffeehaiku

coffee wakes me up
sun still hidden by grey clouds
perked last night and chilled
#morningcoffeehaiku

early coffee, sigh
didn't sleep enough again
too much on my mind
#morningcoffeehaiku

another grey morn'
looks brighter with new cellphone
coffee cheers up day
#morningcoffeehaiku

morning sans smartphone
it died suddenly last night
still coffee sunshine
#morningcoffeehaiku

awfully early
didn't sleep enough last night
coffee to rescue
#morningcoffeehaiku

Oops! No Water

Like many Israeli suburban locations, our regional council thinks the way to our hearts/votes is with new sidewalks. We would have really preferred they return the bush shelters they replaced with holey tin cans.

Instead they have made our lives difficult, not only ripping out perfectly good sidewalks, but adding another to the other side of the street, which has narrowed the street. Many bus drivers have gotten stuck and refuse to drive by the house. They go a different way, which leaves waiting passengers in the lurch.

Besides that, there's the dirt and dust, and I almost broke my leg the other night. I hadn't realized that the sidewalk nearby had been ripped out, and I stepped into a mess in the dark.

And then yesterday, just as I was about to leave the house for Jerusalem, I tried to wash my hands and discovered that we had no water. I had heard the tractor at the front of my house, and had an awful feeling about it. I ran out and discovered that it had broken the water pipe to, davka, my house.

I ran back in and called the "municipal authorities." Thank Gd they were able to quickly send a plumber to make a temporary repair. If I hadn't been home, I never would have known about it to be honest. That is except for the mess in the yard...

Never dull, for sure.

When people are battling serious illness, I'm not going to get hyper hysterical over inconveniences. Please pray for a refuah shleimah, complete recovery for:
Miriam bat Chaya
Leeba Asnah bat Sara

Wonderful Week שבוע טוב Blogging Less

I wish you all a Wonderful Week שבוע טוב

Thank Gd I have another wonderful busy week planned, and I will probably blog a bit less than usual. All good, B"H, thank Gd. I may just send off picture posts with a bit of writing. I hope nobody minds, or actually I hope you do. I hope you miss my posts.

Enjoy in good health all there is.

Walking in Jerusalem, "Live Feed"

Recently, I find myself doing the new "live feed" via Facebook. Facebook friends get a little box/notice, and if they want, they can click and follow it. Sometimes I do it when sitting on the bus, front seat, and I have some FB friends who really enjoy joining me. When I photograph the trip, I add all sorts of decorations to make it more interesting.

Yesterday I set it up to photograph my walk, which you should be able to see by clicking  Walking in Jerusalem.

I don't know if people realized that I was photographing as I walked. But some friends did join me, virtually that is. Here are a couple of stills from the walk.

Did any of you see this?

Where was The Police?

Yesterday afternoon we got stuck in a humongous mess of a traffic jam at the junction of Sha'ar Binyamin. Apparently, a car had seriously stalled between Sha'ar Binyamin and Adam, and by the time our bus was ready to rejoin traffic on Route 60, the traffic was already backed up a kilometer to the north.

There was total bedlam as cars, vans and trucks cut and U-turned wherever they dared. Traffic on the dirt security road was heavy.

There's a police station in Sha'ar Binyamin, and a fit policeman could have walked over in about five minutes, even faster by car. There should have been a police crew directing traffic. It's a total miracle that we didn't get totally tangled up for hours. That was my fear, since we were in a rush to make it to Jerusalem on time for Israel's Place Among the Nations, in the Menachem Begin Heritage Center.

I sent an email to the police at the time and don't know if they actually sent anyone, since the bus driver managed to join the slow-moving traffic on Route 60 to Jerusalem. We crawled for a couple of miles and by then the stalled car must have been towed. Thank Gd we got to Jerusalem and the Begin Center on time, no thanks to the local police.

Jerusalem Egged Buses Modernizing, Part 2

Jerusalem Egged Buses Modernizing, Part 1, is about the new way of paying for bus rides in order not to waste the driver's time. It's more complicated than the "exact change only" which is required in some places abroad. The complication is that not all bus stops are equipped with paying machines, and you can't pay the driver. Part 2 is about the modernizing of Egged Jerusalem buses:

Charge Your Phone/Tablet/Laptop As You Ride

Yes, in the newest buses, if you're lucky, you'll find yourself next to these chargers. You have to provide your own cord of course, but it's still a very nice little modern convenience.

People who travel in cars generally have chargers easily available, but we bus travelers dependent on public transportation  sometimes find ourselves wandering like gypsies.

I try to remember to have a portable charger with me and a charger you plug into an electric socket. They both have the type of wires you need to use the chargers on the bus.

Enjoy!

PS if have any suggestions for other topics of "improvement" or modernization on the buses, please let me know, thanks.

Unthinkable: Day Without Phone, Oops!

I must admit that I was very lucky. Somehow, my phone slipped out of my pocket yesterday as I was getting out of a neighbor's car. Part of my borderline OCD is that I check for my phone frequently, especially after leaving the house or a car etc. It's not even something I think about.

My friend and I got to Ofra, got out of the tremp, and... yes, the phone wasn't on me. We immediately called it from my friend's phone. No ringing, no vibrating, no phone.  I looked on the street we had crossed, no phone lying there waiting for me to rescue it. We didn't remember seeing anyone walking just after us who could have taken it.

Next, I called my husband and requested a few things:

• notify the kids that I'd be incommunicado for the day
• contact the neighbor (or his wife)) who had given us the ride
• contact our son who has the number of the kitchen contractor that I'd be incommunicado for the day

And then we went off to class, the senior citizen program we attend in the Ofra Girls High School, aka Ulpanat Ofra. My friend was very impressed at my calm attitude considering that I can get hysterical too easily. Luckily I still carry my camera on me and was able to photograph our activities.

Throughout the morning I did make lots more calls on my friend's phone until I knew for sure that mine was being well cared for. And about eight hours after leaving the phone in the car, I picked it up from my neighbor. 

All in all, I'm rather proud of myself for getting through the day with a smile on my face.

Heater/Cooler Update

The other day I posted that I feared we bought "a lemon" concerning our new airconditioner/heater. Twice I've had to call for repairs within months. So the technician came yet again and said that the actual machine is great, but the crew that installed it made mistakes. Apparently there have been major leaks with the "gas."

So, the technician told me that he'd "reinstall it," whatever that meant. OK, I didn't have to do anything at all. He didn't even want to cup of coffee or glass of water. I didn't bother him. It's not one of my fields of interest. And as I've written before, we're probably one of the last people in Israel to buy one of these machines that both heat and cool. 

I just hope and pray that the two I bought will work without more than the routine care, cleaning the filter. That we did learn how to do. My husband climbs up to remove it, and I do the "cleaning."

Modernizing can be rather complicated, but our house is now so much more comfortable, thank Gd, bli eyin haraa-don't tempt the evil eye.

Airconditioner Blues, Did We Get A "Lemon?"

It wasn't that long ago when I, in the voice of Baile Rochel, joyfully reported that we had gone modern and gotten those air-conditioner/heaters.

I just hope that ours isn't a "lemon." A few months ago we had it serviced, since water was coming down onto the couch. And now I called the agent I had used to complain that it's not heating up.

Grrr... I'm not a happy camper. Bli eyin haraa, the smaller bedroom one is doing its job. I started turning it on for an hour or so before going to bed, so the room will heat up a bit. I hardly used it in the summer, since my bedroom is pretty cool and shaded, especially since the neighbors put up an industrial kitchen next door that blocks the sun.

Winter has arrived, thank Gd, and the rest of the house needs to be heated. So, I'm waiting to hear from the guy who has promised to "take care of it."

Reflecting on a Strange Self-Portrait

This morning, when I was about to pour my second mug of coffee, I noticed my face staring at myself from the top of the French Press. So, being the coffee-crazed, overtired, amateur photographer I am, I tucked my hair in a bit better and went running for my camera.

Am I nuts?

Today we live in a world of selfies, twitter, Facebook, video-talking/calls etc. I'm in touch with a whole bunch of people via Facebook about my coffee drinking. Some of them I really know in real life and are even relatives, or relatives of relatives whom I've known f2f my entire life. But there are others who live in different parts of the world whom I've met through blogging and Facebook. And there are those I could pass in the street and haven't a clue that we are great buddies in the world of Facebook or they know me "well" because of my blogs.

Over the years, and I've been blogging for well over a decade, more like a decade and a half, people have stopped me at various venues asking if I'm that blogger they read.

I'm old enough to remember the days when phone calls were a luxury. Each call was billed, and if you called out of your immediate district, you were charged even more. Today I have a phone deal (Golan) on my cellphone which allows me to call all over the world, and it's covered by my monthly fee. I don't take advantage of it all that much, but since it also has an option that allows people to call me as if I'm in either the USA or England, (the choices I made from the many foreign countries on the list) family and friends can call me as if I'm in New York or London. To me this is like Science Fiction. I haven't a clue as to how these things work. I'm still trying to figure out how a "photocopy" turns up in a different location aka a fax.

Also, I was raised when we used film for photography, and I was constantly threatened by my parents that they'd take away my camera if I wasted film on bad pictures. The developing and printing was so expensive then.

I guess I'm a bit insane as I try to keep up with the 21st century and all of the changes from my childhood, adolescence, early adulthood and even middle-age. Am I that old?