Hurricane Irene

Thanks to Hurricane Irene, which we all apparently survived thanks to the Democracy abusing Mayor, Michael Bloomberg (You know, they[critics] should just look in the mirror,” Mr. Bloomberg replied. “They’re alive today, whether because of it or in spite of it. We’re just not going to take any risk with people’s lives.”) we have no internet access.

So for the moment we are using family computers on the other side of town, where a tree did not knock out phone and electric wires a few blocks from the house. We didn't lose power, and they've cut the trees off the wires, but the electric company seems to be busy with other things (restoring power) so they haven't lifted the wires, and I think the cable company doesn't get their chance to fix it until electric and phone are done. Can you say REFUND?

Anyway the tales of our last gasps of summer will have to wait. The web will be a lonely place until we post again......

County Fair!

Yesterday, we went to the Dutchess County fair. I wasn't sure what kind of crowd we would encounter, it really could go either way. It could be raucous and young and tattooed, or, on a Wednesday afternoon it could be a fairly older, staid crowd. We, thankfully, came at a time when we could join the latter.

Last year we went to the Middlesex County fair in New Jersey. It was a completely different experience. The fair we attended yesterday was probably five times the size of the one in New Jersey, and this time we went during the day. There were at least five building with livestock, who, along with their owners seemed to be just sitting around waiting to be judged, there were horse shows and canine shows, but less other entertainment. We saw more shows last year, and the whole place smelled better (see above: livestock, horses, et al), but this fair had an educational section: "Century Museum Antique Village" room size dioramas of life in the late 19th, early 20th century. The little one was quite pleased with herself that she could differentiate the mannequins from the ACTUAL people in each display. I was considerable less impressed with that feat.

While some stayed for the blacksmith demonstration, same little one needed the bathroom. There was a port-a-john about ten feet away from us, but since I have an intense aversion to those, and she was not yet in hopping need, we opted to walk to the restrooms. It wasn't far, and totally worth it. They were pristine. Someone was constantly cleaning them (same thing later, when we stopped at a different restroom), all the smells came from the livestock walking around right nearby.

An observation: Cows can be really pretty. Who knew? Probably all the people who take their cows to be judged at various fairs in various counties and states. There was one beautiful black cow and one black and white cow that had blue outlining the black oblong shapes, it was really pretty. Though it's not likely I'd be able to differentiate the smaller sub-categories, things like "nicest udder." (that is not a joke)

We made our way up to the horse area, the dog shows, and then finally the rides. We didn't find the kiddie rides until after we had sent the little kids through a fun-house that basically was just a bunch of moving floors!

We checked out lots of vendors, interesting crafts, and picked up some yummy plums and cherry tomatoes (the only thing we could get in the "specialty food building"). There is no question that the big draw of a fair are the various food vendors and homemade delectables.

We had fun anyway.

Editor!!!

I am not sure where this falls on the unintentional comedy scale, but it's definitely on there:

New Jersey Doctor Accused of Poking Girl With Screwdriver

Published August 23, 2011

| Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J.-- New Jersey regulators have suspended the license of a northern New Jersey physician accused of poking a 13-year-old child more than 100 times with a screwdriver, causing bruises and small cuts.

The state Board of Medical Examiners announced the action Monday against Dr. Sylvia Lee of Emerson, an allergist who practiced in Old Bridge.

Lee was arrested at her home on July 3 on charges of aggravated assault and child endangerment. The alleged victim was identified only as a 13-year-old female. The complaint does not specify the child's relationship with Lee.

Police say Lee jabbed the child with the flathead screwdriver in a dispute over household chores.
An after-hours message was left Monday for Lee's attorney, Jay J. Friedrich of Ridgewood.

Why would they portray this as professional misconduct if it was about household chores? And she's an allergist and her default punishment is JABBING SOMEONE?!!?!? She must do that all day when she does testing and allergy shots! Even if she hadn't had her license suspended would you want to go to an allergist who LIKES POKING PEOPLE???????

Cray. Zee

Staycation?

Who knew you could be on vacation at home?

Midwest sister is in town, which means the kids have slumber parties and play together all day. It means Sis and I hang out, do errands, swim and generally enjoy each other's company.

Now, she is away so things like meals and laundry can sort of be relegated to "vacation mode." I, on the other hand, am not away, but very much in my house. Apparently, pretending not to be, because laundry and meals and other small domestic responsibilities seem to have gone by the way side.

Either she's a bad influence, or this is just the best summer ever. I'm thinking the latter. We need to take the kids to the local park and get a good game of Sand Newcomb going.

I wish she could stay longer.

10 Questions

Mishpacha Magazine has a feature called 10 Questions, where they ask a person ten questions about things they seem to have some sort of expertise in. It could be questions relating to a profession, a social issue or just a cultural phenomenon. This week, Mishpacha highlighted a gas station owner who sells a pareve chulent at his gas station on Thursday night.

I wasn't impressed with the interview, which as always is the fault of the reporter. These would be my questions:

1)There are certain business that we are used to hearing Frum people being involved with (jewlery, real estate are just two examples), how did you decide to buy a gas station?

2)Wow! A Chassidishe guy owns a gas station on a major thoroughfare in the county that is closed on Shabbos. Did you find that it took longer then expected (based on market research of other gas stations in similar neighborhoods) being closed on one of the busiest shopping/outings days in the non Frum world?

3)When setting up the convenience store did you always plan to make it a heimishe place with kosher food, kosher reading material and cds?

4)Did you consider, being a heimishe place, not selling lottery tickets or cigarettes?

5)The big news about your gas station is your Thursday night chulent. Do you have a hechsher?

6)Could your lack of hechsher, plus popularity, chip away at the kashrus system we have in place, that in order to sell food and be taken seriously, one needs to have an outside agency or Rav supervising the kashrus-one who does not have a financial stake in the selling of the food?

7)Do you have to follow any of the guidelines of the board of health? Do they inspect your facility, or the facilities where you prepare this food?

8)You claim to have been the first to have chulent on Thursday night and all others followed you. Does your Town not have take out food stores , so you filled a need that was just not there before you started serving and selling your meatless chulent?

9) Do you see yourself branching out to more gas stations?

10)Do you see yourself branching out into more "Thursday night fare,' and if you expanded your menu, would you feel any responsibility to get a hechsher?

Non-Sequitur

As much as I hate to admit it, I am getting too old to manage on just three or four hours of shut eye. One, because physically it takes its toll, and two, I just don't have the time or BH lack of responsibilities to be able to make it up by sleeping as late as I'd like. I think this is one of the major indications of one's age. You can stay up, that's not the problem, it's how it affects you the rest of the day/week/month that really brings it home. (If you want to really feel old, and you are female, go to a wedding and try dancing. The minute the young girls see who's hand they are holding they will drop it like a hot potato and start an new circle without anyone over age 25)

These sleep patterns are unlike those of the many teenagers currently residing at this address. I sometimes wonder if I did not wake them how long they would actually go. If they did that, they'd stay up really late the next night because "I slept all day," so the cycle would continue.

This morning at about 7:00 am, after a very late night hanging out like a teenager until two in the morning (then getting home and getting the non sleeping actual teenagers into bed before retiring at about 2:45), little four year old came into my room. At some point during her yap fest I mentioned that we should try to sleep, because "I love sleep."

She looked at me with her eyes huge and replied:

"I LOVE candy.".

Of course she does.

He is Frummer Than I

In today's day and age everybody seems to be trying to be prove how much frummer he is than the next guy.

I went shopping today, as I often do, more often than I should probably, and I learned how true this is.

I did a medium size shopping, but wasn't in the mood to shlep the bags home, luckily, the store offers free delivery. I asked that they deliver my items, minus some chicken, flanken and cheese.

The non-Jewish Spanish guy was putting the items in the bag I would be carrying home with me, (as opposed to the box that would be delivered later), and I handed him the cheese "This can go in there too," I innocently instructed him.

In his broken English he informed "That's cheese-separate,separate."

I started to explain that everything was in packages, but he just shook his head and put the sun dried tomato and basil encrusted fresh mozzarella in its own bag.

Then he gave me a big smile.

Slow Sunday

Needing to catch up on sleep, I crawled back into bed at 9:45 this morning. Being just a few days before Tisha B'av we had no big plans for the day, nothing beyond the misery of going through and organizing all the toys. We figured it was a good activity for "Shavua She Chal Bo," and spent the past few days alerting the masses in the house that that would be the activity for Sunday.

When I went in for my late morning zzzzs the girls were mostly still in bed. I did not wake them, because they don't go to work on Sunday, and I figured not much would happen anyway if I was in bed.

I was wrong. When I got up from my nap, the toys were almost completely arranged, organized and discarded. I could not believe that they had gotten up did their morning routine, and then just got to work on what they knew I wanted done!

Once everything was really finished, a few hours later, we piled into the car for a ride to a self serve yogurt place about half an hour away from us. It was actually fun, though the amount each one took was different so it would be hard to compare the cost with a place like Carvel (though everyone took the amount they wanted, not too little not too much, none leftover!)even with the total amount costing the same. So per pound it may have been more, but we all got what we liked.

We ate it a park down the block from the store, the little kids playing in the playground, and the big ones shmoozing with their camp friends who they alerted that they'd be in the area.

Two of the kids wanted to bike ride when we returned, so off we went.

Bike riding, ice cream, and a major job tackled. Not bad for a do nothing Sunday

Diagnosed

Some of you may recall a few weeks ago I was lamenting the state of my ankle.

Well, it hasn't gotten better, in fact, it has gotten worse. I finally went to the orthopedist today. It's not broken, but it was sprained, and my flat duck feet aren't doing it any favors in the promotion of healing department. I have custom orthotics, but they are over twenty years old, and apparently it's time for new ones.

Fiiine.

Appointment is set for Monday at the podiatrist for new arches. The sticky wicket now is the doctor wants me to go for physical therapy. Which means at least an hour twice a week. In the Summer!!! What a kick in the.....ankle! The first place I called set everything up then called back to say they need authorization, so, no, we don't want you (And this is BEFORE OBAMACARE!).

Now I gotta find a place and stick into my schedule of doing nothing, kayaking and swimming. When will I find the time? To add injury to injury I tripped over a new box of Oxiclean and the edge of the box stabbed me right in the particular spot that the ankle is tender.

Whatever.

Fate

There are many stories, some motion pictures, of people who avoid what appears to be their fate, only to succumb at a later time in a similar or even exact same way. I recently had this experience.

With my bluetooth.

For those of you who do not see me on a regular basis, or only see me on Shabbos or Yom Tov, you may not know, that I and my bluetooth are rarely separated. In fact, I am quite certain that there may come a Friday night, when I am ready to light candles (probably in the winter, when I will have showered early in the day), and may indeed find the apparatus still attached to my ear.

For those not yet converted to the joys of a bluetooth, just know, if you get one, you may want to get an unlimited calling plan with it. It is so easy to cook and clean and pretty much do anything hands free, that once you try it, you will never want to go back to the neck straining mode of holding the phone with your shoulder while peeling potatoes, or washing dishes (no, not talking on the phone is NOT an option).

Last year, while watching the kids at the pool, I leaned over, and "spelunk," it fell off my ear, and into the pool. I resigned myself to a trip to the store for a new bluetooth ( I get the cheapest one-the plantronics is so comfortable!). We fished it out, and I decided to see if it could be salvaged. I had a number of those "DO NOT EAT" sillica gel packs that are meant to keep clothes and shoes moisture free, and I put them in a ziplock back with the bluetooth for three days. Lo and behold! It worked! The range was no longer thirty feet between phone and bluetooth (though I'm still not convinced that it's not my lousy phone), but otherwise it was as good as it had been.

This summer, I am enjoying my resolution to go kayaking once a week. (I'm having a super time with it-alone and with others) I wear a fanny pack, in which I put the car keys and my phone, safely ensconced in a "water wallet." What is a water wallet? Well, many moons ago MBB bought a bathing suit that touted a "water wallet" as a great feature that was included in the bathing suit. He bought it online, so we waited, with much anticipation to see this water wallet. It turned out to be a a ziplock sandwich bag(freezer bag strength). So now, when I go kayaking, I take a water wallet from the many boxes of them we have handy in the pantry. I like to wear the bluetooth, because I obviously do not take the baby with me, and if someone calls me, I can pick up the phone without removing it from the fannypack. It would be more of a hassle to replace the phone (pictures, contacts) then to replace the bluetooth. Plus, I have built in bluetooth in the car, so even when I don't have an earpiece I can abide by the law and continue hands-free driving.

Unfortunately, the last time I went the bluetooth slipped off my ear as I got into the kayak, and finally, met it's watery demise.

Sleep well with the fishes, my friend.

The Enemy of My Enemy...

I don't know a lot about the current debt ceiling crisis, I just know that the New York Times editorial board hates the "deal," which makes me quite certain that whatever it is, it's a good idea!

Seriously, there is one aspect of economics I don't really understand. Social Security. I think it should be structured more like insurance for retirement, versus guaranteed pay out for retirement. There are many people who do not need the money from the government, and though they've paid into it, I still think it should be doled out on a need basis. As for all those years that people paid into it? As I said it's insurance, it gives them the opportunity to make risky investments in their older age, or visit casinos a few times a year, because if they fall on hard times, Social Security will then be there to prop them up!

Before you yell socialism, think about it. It makes sense.