the children who come to our shelter are usually visiting their grandparents or happen to be in the street, and they really don’t feel like talking to some old lady, so I was very happy to see in the Times of Israel an interview with a kid who is aware and comfortable in his new reality.
I blame the contrast between our warm bed and the cold, damp shelter. But whatever it was, for the first few days of the war I was really suffering. I kept thinking I would come down with bronchitis and I wrapped myself up in at least 3 layers before i put my coat on. But Ezi seemed fine with it, so as usual I blamed my finicky nature. Since then, Ezi has been hacking away and getting sicker and sicker. Today was the first day he brightened up a bit, so when i offered to buy more cold medicine he offered to join me. And, as always seems to happen, the chore itself seemed to somewhat relieve his symptoms. But the queue was very long so I offered to wander the store while Ezi sat outside.
There was really a lot of stuff I wanted, stuff to spoil me, cosmetics I don’t need or use, perfumes (for the man who lost his sense of smell in Covid), vitamins that don’t do anything because I forget to take them, nail polish (I’m going for what Churchill called ‘victory red’)…. You know, the usual. But as I wandered the normally elegant pharmacy it began to look more and more like a remainder store. The brands I treat myself to all the time were just not there, except in the cosmetics department. And when it finally came my turn, the only cough medicines and cold medications were something you’d buy in the dollar store, and the even the nail polish remover was generic and ineffective.
When I complained to Ezi (the pharmacist seemed too young to remember better times) he reasoned that the shipping blockade of the Houtis together with the flying limitations have made the usual imports problematic.
This, I explained, is why I always carry a large stock of my favorite items. He did not appreciate this response, tired of items falling out of the cupboards whenever he opens the doors.
All this, is not what I need to be reminded that there is a war going on. Seven alarms last night threw even the hardiest neighbor off track, and this morning most of them didn’t make it to the shelter. I myself was told I responded to every siren, but I have no memory of it…
simple pharmacy trip – 3.11.26 Read Post »
This morning’s bombing caught us all off guard. We were in the middle of exercising at home, at the point where you begin to cool down, and once again, we had to run down to the shelter. And as usual in the morning there were lots of passersby as well as the usual residents, But then a neighbor who usually doesn’t make it downstairs came in with her son, and had to tell us all how she arrived in time. A nice man helped her to the back of his four-wheel scooter and dropped her off in front of our house. Her son, who was running behind them, photographed them, and I realize the kind gentleman was the very hairdresser who cut my hair yesterday.
So the crazy stories fit together.
The three other attacks were uneventful. This afternoon the two sirens kept Ezi out of bed, and he really needs to be staying in bed. I hope we have time to recover.
hair bomb part 2 – 3.10.26 Read Post »
Because I was anticipating the sirens at 2 a.m. all evening before they came, my sleep was too short to let me cope with the rest of the day. The death of two citizens from cluster bombs made me very jumpy, and I became very anxious about going to the hairdresser.
I went there anyway, and asked Amir where do we go in case of an attack. “Over there,” he said, pointing to the sea-and-sun entrance. “But you don’t need to think about it – they never come in the afternoon,” he said, and began putting aluminum foil on parts of my hair.
That was just before the sirens began. I ran off before every one because I didn’t beieve I could move as fast as everyone else. But I found myself following sign and lots of other people to another building, and after the next siren found myself unable to find my way back. It proved 15 minutes too long for the color.
I don’t know what happened to my hair witrh the second siren, or the third – but I am now – after 4 hours – an exhausted redhead.
hair bomb – 3.9.26 Read Post »
If you wrote me and I haven’t answered, if you called me and the line was dead, if I promised to call, to zoom, to whatsapp, please understand – Bombs take time.
I forgot to cancel a doctor appointment, to hold a zoom meeting, and I don’t know what else, today. I was busy running up and down the stairs running from the rockets, the cluster bombs, and whatever falls from the sky. Sorry – today was one of the worst. And its not over.
I don’t know why it just hit me, but as I sat in the shelter at 3 in the morning I suddenly realized that the whole story isn’t about me. I may be in a life and death situation, but the whole story is about China, Russia, amd the U.S. and world domination. I’m just collateral damage. So if my house blows up, or I damage my knees for life on the stairs, it doesn’t matter.
Well, to me it does.
we’re in danger and we’re not important – 3.7.26 Read Post »
there’s a little problem with whitman, but here’s the video of my talk last week. Let me know what you think.
here lie – last weeks video – 3.5.26 Read Post »
After three sirens last night between 2 and 4 in the morning, the announcement came that businesses could open if they had an accessible shelter. To my mind, stunned from sleeplessness it meant that I could go to see the doctor I’ve been waiting for months for an appointment but I should really wait to cut my hair. So, fearing the complications of getting caught in a siren, I asked Ezi to join me at the doctor and got all gussied up (actually only lipstick and mascara) and we went. I figured 15 minutes to the hospital, 15 minutes at the efficient doctor and fifteen minutes home and back to the shelter.
But of course there was a siren and we had to go to the safe room for the all the doctors on the floor. This extended the time of the visit by a while but the good news and advice I got from the doctor made it worth it.
Because we wound up getting lunch ready at 3, we wound up rest for a nap at 4 but were interrupted by a siren. So the whatsup was appropriate
opening up – 3.5.26 Read Post »
