I realize it’s been a while since my last real post or podcast.
I actually recorded one with Yos and need to edit it and put it up.
I hope to cajole Joe into recording one soon, and we’ll get back on the air after that looooong pause.
Author: MikeTheMan
I have software for me!
Interesting cultural question
For those of you either outside Israel, or have recently arrived, please comment on the following:
What is considered a lot of money?
Is $5 a lot of money?
Or is the limit $10?
How about $20 bucks? Is that a lot? Or maybe the limit is higher?
Another question – how much is a pint of beer at your neighborhood bar? How much do you tip for just one drink?
Looking for some data to evaluate. Your responses are greatly appreciated.
* All prices are in USD. 🙂
This just it:
clued me into something that you might want to check out: xBox 360 Ad that Microsoft pulled.
(Props to for posting it where saw it.)
Hear ye, hear ye.
I have been pronounced healthy enough to return to work – doc stressed “in a relaxed fashion!” – and I have to take more blood tests next week. What fun.
I’m hale enough to work, but not to drive myself in, due to the enlarged status of my organs. (Bring on the ridicule. I dare you.)
On another note, I baked some bread in my new automatic breadmaker. Pretty cool – and yummy too. I am going to be experimenting with different mixtures of flour and try different kinds of bread too. If you want to try some, let me know.
In the last couple of hours, I was informed that our water heater on our roof was leaking again, so I popped up on the roof to find out what’s going on, and the intake pipe to it was busted and leaking everywhere. So, after calling the landlord, he called his son, who came over, saw the problem, took a part and went to find a replacement. Hopefully life will restore to normalcy soon.
Apparently, my wonderfully psychic network at work has somehow finally realized that I’m returning, and in its joy, it exploded. Not literally, of course, but it decided to create all kinds of hell today and shot down all office operations for a while.
Wonderful.
So tomorrow I’m riding in with a coworker and I’ll be doing that for a while until I get the A-OK from the doc, hopefully next week.
Long overdue update
Well, at about this time I realize that it’s been a long time since I’ve posted, and even longer since I did a podcast.
So on the update side: I’m feeling loads better, thanks to a lot of rest, good food and well wishing from everyone. Thanks.
The strep throat and tonsillitis are gone, thanks to the wonders of modern medicine (which I am very wary of and prefer not to trust. However, a good friend of mine who is a doctor referred me to another doc close to home, and she’s been great) however the mono still has control of my liver and spleen. No caffeine, alcohol, smoking, contact sports, riding bike and more. How depressing.
Last Friday night was a hit – there’s still a little chili left over. I have to figure out a way to prepare food ahead of time, so as to allow my kosher-keeping friends to experience the wonder that is my cooking. Maybe next time I can collaborate efforts with & and use their kitchen for cooking. We shall live and learn.
During this period of time that I’ve been home I have done some thinking, and some of the heavier thoughts have been during bouts of depression that can really grab you by the balls when you’re not looking on a random afternoon have turned to the future, and specifically my own future within the confines of this gradually shrinking Middle Eastern country.
Some come to this country to support the Zionist approach.
Some come here for a better life than what they had elsewhere.
Some come for work, and stay, whilst funneling funds out of the country while the locals unemployment rises,
Some come to escape from their own humdrum world, not unlike those from here escaping to the Far East. (Internal monologue here: It seems to me that as an American, the frontier was always to the West – keep looking for some free land. Now, Westerners come to the Middle East, and our people go to the Far East. Where do far Easterners go? Since when did the East become so attractive? I’ll tell you why – Money!)
Some come for a year-long program, in which they pollute this land and then leave.
Some come for a short visit, and end up staying much longer.
Then some come because they were “baggage”, along for the ride, not really included in the decision-making process, not asked whether or not they appreciate the uprooting of their entire life during developmental years.
Some may call me bitter, or angry, but I’m not.
In the philosophical paradox – If you could go back and do it differently, would you? – even if that paradox had any merit, the answer would still be no, as every step in my life has led me to this moment, the experiences, the hardships, the victories, have all been part of shaping my existence. My folks did what they thought was the best in the part of their life where they were somewhat new to Judaism – somewhat being 5-6 years veterans – and believed (as I’m sure they still do) that Israel is the place for a Jew to live.
My own experiences in Israel have slowly shown me that Israel is becoming a place where it is literally trying to make it hard for you to live in. Call me crazy, and I’m sure some will, but I’m finding it harder and harder to justify to myself staying here.
I am one of the many who have an alternative. Many who come here of their own decision make that decision, and have to live with the consequences of their own actions. I’ve been living with the consequences of somebody else’s. Now, I’m not blaming the folks, or trying to moan and groan that my life is so hard, why me, why me, oh god, life is so hard – because that isn’t the case.
Life ain’t too bad, but it sure ain’t easy. It’s been steadily getting better, and over time the graph lines keep rising in some sort of fashion. But it’s still no picnic.
I might be in a funk of “grass is greener”, but I don’t know – I’ve never really stood on my neighbor’s lawn, stepped on it barefoot to feel it’s reality, rolled around in the sun, smelled it after it was freshly cut.
Over the years I’ve had to field a lot of questions f the nature, “Well, why don’t you leave? What’s keeping you here?” And to tell you the truth, I’ve been here for 18 years now. This is pretty much the only world I know – and I’d like to think I know it fairly well. To uproot and change now – it’s not easy to do, much less think about. This has been my home for so long, the prospect of trying to develop this kind of connection somewhere else is scary. But I believe the day is coming close where the state of my own lawn is such a mess, all pitted and covered in dog crap, that I might need that stroll across the street, to try the other firsthand.
So that’s just a bit on my mind.
Some movie crap
Ripped of shamelessly from .
Day 7 of the ongoing chatter about my misery
So today proved a little better than the past few, inasmuch I slept a bit better than I have done until now.
I also ventured out into the world for a walk along Emek, and dined my lunch while reading the beginning of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. The introductions are fairly lengthy, and I have yet to actually read any war philosophies, but the background information presented is extensive and informative. After lunch, I moseyed along to a DIY place and picked up a drill bit I needed, and walked home.
At home, I decided now that I had the drill bit, I would complete a project that I’ve wanted to do.
In a small niche in our living room, I had stacked all manner of crap. I cleared it out, and put 5 hooks on the wall, and made a nice little corner for my helmets, jackets and gloves, as well as some of my other riding gear. It turned out really impressive and it looks a lot more orderly than before. The sense of accomplishment attained by the simple small things far outweighs the complexity of my job.
Ah, a nice note to sleep on.
Weekend update of my annoying continuation of existence
Friday morning, drove me to my doctor’s and left me there, as arranged.
I saw the doc, and she confirmed the results of the tests. 1. Infections Mono 2. Strep throat and 3. Tonsillitis.
Yes, I don’t do things by halves.
The night before, Joe had come over and made a really good soup/stew comprised of a lot of stuff lying around the house and mixed it all up and it was good.
When I got back from the doc, my lovely lady was waiting for me, and she made a really good vegetable salad with carrots, peas, potatoes and eggs. Mmmm. Very nourishing.
We also spent some time together and it was nice to see her. It’s always nice to see her.
I’m still waking up at odd hours in a cold sweat, I’m told that this is the fever that I’m suppressing with pills working its way out. It’s not pleasant waking up in a pool of your own stinky sweat. The only thing you can really do is grab a towel and run for the shower, and hope that I don’t kill anyone on the way there.
Anyways, it’s late at night, and I’m going to grab a last bit of something and some magnesium for muscle relief and see where that sends me.
See you on the morrow, when I begin another week or R&R at home.
Day 4 of the agony that must continue endlessly
Well, in response to my previous post, I’m so happy to know soooo many people would gladly help me figuratively kick the bucket. It’s great to know I can count on you, people.
The test results came in today, and confirmed the suspicions that I do indeed have both mono and tonsillitis (more commonly known as strep throat).
So antibiotics begin, and I hope they do something soon, otherwise I’m going to be extremely unhappy.
Everyone’s been so full of well-wishing and stuff, as well as adding their advice and personal experiences. Thanks, everyone. It may not physically ease my pain, but it’s good to know that a lot of you have been in pain before! Muhahaha!
was nice enough to drop by yesterday at my behest and bring me a sandwich that I was craving. It took me forever to eat the damn thing, as I had to chew so long that my jaw started to hurt, but it tasted great. Aroma’s fried halumi cheese on whole wheat bread. Mmmm. He was also nice enough to wash my dishes, even though the majority of them were ‘s, but thus continues the eternal roommate battle. Thanks, Joe.
Here’s to hoping that tomorrow will bring better feelings.