hiking in the wadi

First we noticed some dead birds here and there. One was dying in our backyard so I took it, without touching it because I thought it might have West Nile Virus or something, It would probably be called North Nile Virus here, but we'll keep with its scientific name. So I moved it out of the way and found the dead leopard or hyena or jackal, whatever the word תן translates to. Which was pretty cool. So I laid the bird nicely down right next to the big dead animal which was actually pretty much covered by some bushes. It looked as if it had been dead for a while.
Yesterday some kids were hiking in the wadi and they found a dead guy who had been dead for quite some time. We found this out when golda went searching the news sites for why we were hearing tons of helicopters in the area. Generally that means we are bombing lebanon, but something sounded different about them this time. So golda locked the door and we got canned food and decided not to leave until they found the terrorist. But it might have been the terrorist who was dead. or there might not be a terrorist. it could be some poor guy who just fell dead of a heart attack and was partially eaten by the wild pigs.

In any case, today wasn't such a bad day. I had potato soup for lunch. I didn't get blamed for 2 things that weren't my fault It took some explaining on why they were someone elses fault, but they really were. And finally, thank god and golda, meatballs.

I've had this cold for the past month and I can't seem to shake it. But its got to give soon, because I am beyond just done with it.

Purim is coming and the kids are dressing up as unknown because they haven't gotten the costumes that their bubby is bringing them.

getting warmer

It seems springtime has hit the hills of the Galilee as it has been getting progressively warmer. One day of cold last week, not bad at all. I was told by a numb er of different places that it always rains on Purim, so we'll have to see what happens this year. It is a month later then usual because of the pregnant adar.

Work is going well. I just got a new server so that I can bring all our email functions inside. We are currently being hosted by Yahoo and they are really a bunch of incompetent jerks. I wouldn't recommend anybody use their pay services.

I went to the English Edition of the Siyum Hashas with David last week in jlem. We had a great time, the speeches were very positive in nature. There was not a word of politics spoken, and I appreciated that, and all the speeches were by big-name rabbis. No politicians were even seen on the dais. It was funny watching cosuin yoli, the rabbi, try to convince these big rabbis that they really had to sit where he put them. I heard that at the Hebrew edition, the rabbis people fought among themselves to determine where each one would sit. The only negative word I heard throughout the evening was against the Internet. And that was only two sentences. He said that a boy could be learning torah and a minute later at the push of a button be in the worst place. I decided that wasn't a good enough argument for me and did not get rid of my Internet connection at home.

We ate dinner at KFc in Mevaseret and there was a long line of seminary girls in front of us so we should have walked out. For some strange reason we didn't and it took us over half an hour before we were able to even place our order. Fortunately for us, it is fast food and within a couple minutes after ordering we got our food. A zinger each and 16 spicy wings to split. Though we did leave some for shani. I didn;t get anything for golda because I didn;t come home that night and then went to work the next day so it would have been like 24 hours before she got it and it probably would have been rotton by then. I was considering nt going because I wasn't feeling that well, but after 7 or so months of learning daf yomi every day and going through some 6 mesechtas, I felt a need to participate in the celebration of those who have been doing the same for 7 and a half long years. It was worth it, but I didn;t get into bed till after midnight and couldn't sleep because of this damn cold and then got up at 5 for davening. I got to work by 9:30 and at 3 I couldn't take it anymore so I left. My boss asked me if I wanted them to call me a cab because I looked like I would pass out.

As I was driving home I was listening to the country music cd that david left in my car and it gave me the strength to drive home without killing anybody. When I got the the junction where I previously started to walk home ( a previous post) I saw 2 yeshiva bochurim looking for a tremp. So I stopped and like an Israeli yelled at them for tremping in a place like that. One of them was the son of the head of mikdash melekh. He had made aliyah when he was 9 from Seattle. The guys were on their way to visit reb david abuchatzaira, the grandson of the bubba sali. Bubba Sali is not like Bubba Becky, except that they are both dead.

David just called and told me he talked to michael, the yedid nefesh, and he was kicked off his plane. Yoili had told me the detroit crew was in the upper section so we went up there to look for them, but in reality he was in the bottom section. so now we have an issue with yoili.

I will try to post more this week, but its getting harder and harder.

Tonight we are meeting with a couple that might want to make aliyah because he got an American job offer here. but his wife doesn't want to move. I think I'm going to tell her she may as well quit davening, because 80% of the prayers are for a return to the land. in any case I'm going to come out pro moving here because I am no meragel. I have another scheduled meeting tonight. Someone wants to talk to me about the land reclamation project in Pekiin. Either he wants me to buy, or know someone who wants to buy, or he just wants my blessing. I hope he just wants my blessing. I would give give it to him.