If I was ever alone and stranded in Jerusalem for Shabbat, I have confirmed that I would be able to cook a (relatively healthy) set of meals. Sho is over tired :)

Friday Night:

Challah with salatim*
Chicken Soup with Matzah Balls
Bubbie's Meatballs
Mushroom Rice
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Shabbat Morning (Breakfast)

Challah*
Cereal*
Milk*
Apple Fritters*

Shalosh Seudot

Challah and Salatim*
Chicken & Assorted Vegetable Stir Fry
Leftover Rice
Leftover Meatballs

*Store Purchased

Our local shul had the most wonderful S"A Vatkin minyan (beginning at about 5:10AM).

The speed was perfect
the Hakafot were not drawn out but still festive and not rushed (I do not like 7 long hakafot) everyone got at least one hakafah!
the Kohanim and Levi'im were honoured with the first hakafah

We finished Mussaf at 8:00AM

We have decided that we are going to try to adopt our friends' method of eating a light Seudat Yom consisting of breakfast items (during the winter months) and then eat Shalosh Seudot at 12:30 - 1:00 of normal Shabbat items. This has several benifits:

1) You don't feel lousy from making the first thing you eat (hot) meat at such an early hour
2) You are actually hungry for S3 (especially important in the winter time)
3) Those who are medakdek to eat Melave Malka can do so with actually being hungry for it

On a side note: I went shopping for Shabbat on Thursday night and already found Sufganiyot on the shelf! I thought the minhag was the day after sukkot :). I opted to get some as to fulfill the inyan of connecting one chag to the next.

63 days and counting until Chanukah!

roseball will post more but the ENT 'can't' schedule an operation now because Mechal's tonsils are infected and they have to be infection free for 3 weeks...how long does it take to get a surgery on the waiting list at Hadassah 4 - 12 weeks. Since your body magically wakes you up if you don't breathe, we can't be classified as an emergency surgery...ever.

So we decided to finally go away for a Shabbat outside the Kedusha of Jerusalem. Our friends hosted us and we headed out to Shul. My friend told me that he changed to this shul because you have every kind of Jew there and everyone gets along with each other. This shul did not disappointed. You had Yeshivish, Breslov, Chssidish, Dati Leumi etc.

During Mincha I responded with standard Sefardi responses during Chazzarat Hashatz and was clearly the loudest in the room (small room). After Mincha this guy handed me a sefer intended for Bresolver's, very interesting stuff. Apparently my friend told this guy I was a Bresolver?!?!?. The individual was very nice and he explained he thought I was and Bresolver's come in all forms, beards, no beards, jacket, no jacket etc.

In the morning after Shacharit and Shir Shel Yom. The Gabbi gets up and starts reciting various people's names who have (or will) donate money for a sefer Torah. Some guy yells at him (rightfully so) for making this information public. Next, someone begins to give a D'var Torah (first guy). Another guy (second guy) yells at the person giving the D'var Torah because it was not on topic of the Parsha?!? A third guy (third guy) then yells at the second guy for complaining about the first guy. Second and Third guy yell at each other telling each other to be quiet and third guy then charges at the second guy to hit him after repeated screaming to leave. Several congregates need to restrain guy 3 (who was like 400 pounds). The D'var Torah is officially over.

The Gabbi responds quickly and takes out the Torah to try to break the commotion which you WOULD think would help but then Guy 3 then takes off his jacket and tell guy 2 (loosely translated) "do you want to take this outside?".

As the Gabbi called out the Aliya somehow people got their senses about them. Guy 3 stayed for 1 Aliya and then left.

I told my friend that this guy has only 2 options. Either he comes back and apologizes to guy 2 for attacking him in front of everybody or he never comes back to the shul. After Mussaf he came back to apologize.

Well we may have had to harvest the players and staff from the worst IBL team last year but Jerusalem now has an IBL team.

http://www.israelbaseballleague.com/news/pressreleases/index.html?article_id=149

And what a better place for them to play home games...Gezer Field!

I have officially changes my allegiance to the Jerusalem Lions

This was probably one of the most relaxing Purim's I can even remember. As this year was a Purim Meshulash (and sorry for those who missed it as it will not happen again without the coming of the Messiah for 13 years).

The 6 obligations of Purim were nicely divided

Friday - Megillah + Matanoy L'evyoim

Shabbat - Al Hannisim + Kriyat Hatorah

Sunday - Mishloach Manot + Seudat Purim

As a special bonus we got to sleep at home and eat out for Shabbat eliminating the Friday post Megillah rush!

Saturday night we stayed up until 1:30 making Lemon-Strawberry Tarts for Mishloach Manot and then bright and early in the morn to go send.

We gave the Rabbi of the community one such package. Of course we don't know his address or first name and we can't find the shul list. We look up his last name in the phone book and see 2 listing for Klein. One was Leah and the other was Shmuel. We took our chance on the Shmuel one and called to confirm. Well, I realized by voice that I was talking to the right person but then realzied I don't need to actually talk to him, rather confirm its him as I already have his address. Striking up a conversation wouldn't have been great as I can talk in Hebrew but I would be taking a chance of not understanding what is being responded back to me. I quickly opted to just confirm his address.

I get to the Rabbi's house and handed him the package. Expecting to just offer festive greetings and then leave, of course he invites me in and talks to me for 15 minutes and offers me food. You can't just walk out ont he Rabbi. At the end he hands me a Mishloach Manot including a full sized bottle of wine!

Purim Seuda was nice but everyone was exhasuted. We ended the night with an unbelievable game of FAST Settles + C&K. 3/4 players were at 12 points at some point in the game and we were almost out of Yellow Progress cards throughout most of it. Needless to say the Merchant got around. Of course the best part of it was that I won, but that is just a minor detail (for the rest of you).

Just when you think it is uneccesary to sift your flour after countless bags of finding nothing. Sho discovers some lovely living bugs in the bottom of our sifter yesterday when making mango muffins.

Word to the wise - SIFT!!!

The Canadian Exchange Rate is 94.3 cents to the American Dollar and 3.8 Shekels!

Its ALL GOOD!

http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic.

As required by Josh Brown I am posting the response to his 8 questions.

1. Because you are a real life friend of mine.
2. The picture I choose is any of the ones your wife sends out of your adorable daughter.
3. You are a good friend to have.
4. We met over a backgammon game that never took place. And you know that I would have whipped your butt.
5. I don't do this kind of thing well.
6. When are you having me over for Shabbat?
7. I don't have a favorite.
8. Your turn.

We got another Bezeq line in today in our new apartment (yay for new apartment).

The number is 02-676-4547,

02-651-1896 is no longer in commision (we could not transfer the number over since we live in a different exchange and a different central office) C'mon all of you IDTers you know what means!

I will never understand how Israelis work.

I went to Supersol Deal in Talpiyot this morning to pick up my weekly provisions (granola, apples etc.). Today I elected to get a case of 12 Manah Chamas (Instant soups).

I get to the register and the women takes my case and brings it to the head office of the store. She returns only to tell me that no, I cannot buy 12 soups at one time, only 6. Not having much of a choice in the matter (and not that I cared all that much)I comply. While she was scanning the soups in, I just had to ask as to why I couldn't be a better patron to this establishment. I asked although I could not gurantee that I would I understand the answer in Hebrew, but I figure, what the hell.

She responds (loosly translated), "we cannot sell you more than 6 since we do not want makolets buying from us and reselling it"

What the freakin heck. What does the store care as they still sold (at retail price mind you) more product. Obviously, the reseller will have a higher price in order to make it worth their while so its not like they will have another competitor .

Please tell me if I am missing something here