Archives for 2008

We began the day in Ohio and progressed through Indiana and now are staying at a motel in Illinois.

A few observations:
1. The US is a big country.
2. The rest stops in Ohio are the nicest so far.
3. You can find cut up salad vegetables in most of the supermarkets.
4. If you put tuna and dressing on top, it almost tastes like a meal.
5. The price of coke on the road is outrageous.
6. Americans are very patient people–

This afternoon, traffic came to a standstill for close to a half hour on the interstate. When we finally started moving, we crawled along at about 5 miles an hour. Nobody honked their horns. Nobody tried driving around on the shoulders. Nobody got angry. People looked across at the people in the cars next to them and compared notes. No one knew what the hold up was. We all waited. We all finally started moving.

More…
Every motel we’ve stayed at has “breakfast” in the morning. Most have fresh natural orange juice and coffee (some have cakes/donuts we can’t eat.) The one we stayed at this morning had hard boiled eggs and corn flakes. This is a welcome innovation since we last were in the States.

So tomorrow, we move on through Illinois, heading for Iowa.

Thanks for being so patient! Warning: this posting is not funny.

Friday we went back for felafel to the restaurant formerly known as “Mama’s.” That is: last week, it was known as “Mama’s” and this week it was open, serving the same food with the same man at the counter, and now called “Chickpeas.” The felafel still was very good.

We walked to the area of Independence Hall and went into the Liberty Bell’s new home. It actually was very nice with some relevant photos and narrative and the bell was still there (only about one half the size I remember it being.) I’m guessing it was my memory that was faulty since shrinking the bell might have been noticed by others.

We had been told that Constitution Center was worth seeing and it was. The exhibits were engaging and sometimes clever. The building itself was very attractive.

We bought some more food for shabbat and then went back to my sister’s apartment to prepare for shabbat.

In the evening, we went to a little synagogue, about 2 blocks from her house. In the morning, we walked one block farther away and found an old synagogue, Bnai Abraham, that was beautiful. It was a very large building and the synagogue was absolutely charming. It probably could seat about 300 people, maybe more and is freshly renovated and painted tastefully. It most reminded me of the synagogue we had visited in St. Petersburg, Russia or a couple we had seen in Prague. We were told that its builders had been immigrants from Russia. After the service (which was very nice) there was a lovely sit-down kiddush and the people were friendly and welcoming.

After a very restful and pleasant shabbat, we said goodbye to my sister and set off westward. Now we are at a motel just off the Pennsyvania Turnpike at about Harrisburg.

We ended our trip to Newburgh, saying goodbye to our friends, and went on in the direction of New Rochelle. We stopped at West Point where we found some things that we were looking for in the PX. One of them was a new camera. Although I really have enjoyed my digital camera, it is a couple of years old and it was time to upgrade. We got a really great camera that I have yet to take out of the box and figure out— we’ve just been moving too fast.

We went on to New Rochelle and met my friend Sandy at a restaurant for dinner. What can I say? Sandy is wonderful- warm and gracious and kind and caring. When we got to her home, we set up our show quickly as she prepared a feast for the guests. The people she had invited were delightful and they made the evening very special.

Over Sandy’s fireplace is the most exquisite picture of her five gorgeous grandchildren. It made me so happy to see what pleasure she derives from them.

After breakfast, Sandy packed us a lunch and of we drove to Philadelphia.

Once in Philadelphia, we went into tourist mode, meeting my sister for a picnic lunch and ultimately riding the duck. What a hoot! (Actually, what a quack!) We had a great time riding through the streets of the city listening to really bad duck puns and finally splashing into the Delaware River! What an adventure! We all were given plastic duck bills that make a quacking sound when you blow into them. We all participated in a quacking symphony as we quacked to the chicken song and then to the Blue Danube Waltz. We really enjoy being tourists and the duck ride was just what we needed after days of being serious adults.

Tomorrow, we stay in Philadelphia and continue being tourists. I will try very hard not to quack too much.

This morning we woke up in Philadelphia, played a bit with Roxy the cat, and proceeded onward in the direction of Newburgh, NY. We enjoyed driving up the Jersey Turnpike, a road that carried for us a number of associated memories.

We stopped in Montvale, New Jersey and bought some food for lunch and for dinner. Then we drove on in the direction of Newburgh, NY.

We even remembered our way to our friend, Gail’s home! It was wonderful to see her and her husband and her daughter once again. Gail arranged our talk here in Newburgh and it’s hard to even explain how special she is as a person and as a friend. All I can say is that she is the absolute best!

The meeting we spoke at was very nice. We enjoyed seeing some of the people we knew when Aaron lived here (I never actually lived in Newburgh.) Unfortunately we had an equipment failure (no, not a wardrobe malfunction, an equipment failure.

In order to use our computer (that had a round European plug) in the US along with the projector we purchased here (that has flat US plug) we brought along an Israeli/European extension cord along with an adapter so that it would fit into a US socket as well as an adapter for the US purchased projector so that it would fit into our Israeli/European extension cord. (Have I lost you yet? No? I thought by now no one would follow me)….

Anyway, apparently the adapter that had been at the end of the Israeli/European extension cord got left in Philadelphia, thereby making the extended operation of the computer problematic. So out my husband went to get us a replacement at the Radio Shack. Fortunately, they had just what he needed and so the evening went off just fine.

All’s well that ends well. Now the people in Newburgh too can hardly wait to join us on a vacation to China!!!

(At least that’s what I am hoping.)

After a lovely breakfast with my cousin, we got into the car and headed toward Philadelphia. My sister, Vicki, was waiting. It was good to see her. We walked to a nearby restaurant and had felafel and then we had a couple of hours to kill before we were to meet with my cousins.

My sister suggested a trip to IKEA (yes, J&K, IKEA). I was really surprised. It was a totally different store from the one in Israel. Totally. Well, of course the first thing I noticed were some no-no’s on the menu at the restaurant, but it was so much more. It was IKEA a l’Americain. It looked nothing like the IKEA we all know and love in Israel. It was very full of merchandise everywhere and there were items that were very American– stuff I had never seen in Israel- fabrics, dark wood furniture, panels to hang on walls. So strange.

For my sister, I am guessing that it was a surreal experience. She is still reeling from her friend’s death, yet with no shiva to attend, she is cut loose back to life and IKEA after having spent a torturous six months watching her friend become sicker and sicker.

I have learned some things about my sister.
1. She is very loyal. Even when things were terrible, she stuck with her friend– even when she broke her leg and was supposed to be home caring for herself.
2. She is unselfish. See above.
3. She is resilient. Now, when she could, and has every right to dissolve into [temporary] dependence, she didn’t. Despite it all, she is a kind and gracious hostess.

Tonight we met with our cousins and Lori brought along two treasures: a book of old family photographs (of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents) and her daughter- a bright sunny little girl she adopted from China. Ada (my father’s sister’s daughter) and her husband joined us and it was wonderful to see them again. Bruce (Lori’s brother) was also with us. The restaurant was miraculously empty and we had a couple of hours to ourselves in a gigantic living room– and so what else to do but show pictures of China, pictures of the grandchildren, a short video of Yaakov juggling and another of Sam singing.

It was a lovely evening. And now if I can just keep earthlink feather-something from hijacking my computer…. (I’m using my sister’s for this)

Tomorrow- On to Newburgh

Friday was a lovely day of relaxing and talking with my cousin. My husband and I went for lunch to a place that had bagels with real whitefish salad. You see, we have not really found whitefish salad in Israel, so instead, I buy smoked mackerel and my husband flakes it and mixes it with mayonnaise and it serves as a perfect substitute if you pretty much have forgotten what real whitefish salad tastes like.

My cousins invited friends to dinner and it was a delicious, pleasant, meal.

Shabbat morning we walked to a synagogue that was at a distance since my cousin wanted wto be with friends who were having a kiddush in honor of a happy occasion. It was sunny and bright and warm. The walk was pleasant because of the company and because of all of the beautiful homes we passed on the way.

My cousin and her husband are generous and kind people and staying with them was delightful.

Although it was the longest shabbat of the year, it passed all too quickly and this morning, we find ourselves packing and getting ready for the next part of the adventure.

We woke up early in the morning Thursday, a benefit of still adjusting to US time. We gathered our things in preparation to leave for Baltimore. In addition to the normal things people bring on trips (clothing, toiletries, etc.) we are traveling with a number of electronic devices. As a result, the number of cables and connectors and electrical appurtenances is ridiculous. We have the computer, the projector, the digital camera, my iPod, my husband’s MP3, and the cell phone… all of which seem to connect and interconnect. In order to solve the “ohmigosh, there could never be enough outlets in the motel room” problem as well as the “we’re going to have to bring along 50 plug adapters” problem, we brought along an Israeli power strip (known in Israel as a bathtub) and one plug adapter.

But I digress.

The ride to Baltimore was very pleasant.

When we arrived, my cousin was actually even prettier, sweeter and more lovable than I had remembered. Funny thing about DNA. It’s strong stuff.

We presented our show to an audience for the first time in the media room of friends of my cousin and her husband. We had fun doing it and I think they enjoyed it too. I think they will enjoy the gifts we brought for them.

By the time we left, it was late, but we ended the evening with dinner and fell into bed exhausted.

We rose early. Very early. Like 3:30 a.m. early. Which is 10:30 a.m. in Israel.

It gave me time to blog and then at 6:30 or so, we went to the little tea room where there was coffee and tea and fresh orange juice and even packaged blueberry muffins with a good kosher imprimatur. We decided to go to Fort Dix to update our military ID cards. The amazing thing is that neither of us could remember in detail how to get there. We missed a left turn but weren’t sure, so we stopped to ask. I walked into the only entrance of a two story building. There were only steps to the upstairs. I walked quietly upstairs and came into a room filled with desks and computers and a humming fax machine and as I walked down the corridor, I saw more offices, a coffee break room, a huge copy machine (also humming)… everything but people. There was not one person in the building. (At least I couldn’t find any.) So I conclude from that that the US military (nearby, remember) has devised a weapon that can render an office personless. Of course years ago, the Israel government bureaucracy had devised a weapon that can create the personless feeling in an office even when there are workers.

So we turned the car around and proceeded in the direction of Fort Dix. There was a brand new entrance that said “Welcome to Fort Dix.” The MP at the entrance said to us, “Turn around your car and go out of the gate and go to the visitors’ center where they will make you an ID card.”

So we turned around, parked, signed in, and sat in what I now remember as MSA (Military Suspended Animation). We waited over 1.5 hours while they served approximately 4 people, all the while watching a TV tuned to a channel with discussions on fabulously interesting subjects such as whether New Jersey needs to amalgamate some of its x number of small towns. We did finally get the ID cards, but found out in the process that our home at Fort Dix which carried some happy memories, had been demolished.

But there was no time to visit in any case, because we had told my sister that we would be in Philadelphia by noon.

Although we had no way of knowing in advance, we arrived in the States at precisely the right time to accompany my sister to her companion’s funeral. He had had ALS and she had been at his side throughout it all. My sister and he had enjoyed going to the theater and opera and museums together. They traveled together sometimes. His family was warm and accepting and they value her. And it was sad.

Our dear cousin Lori (the third sister) was at the funeral. She was, as always warm and kind and bubbly and full of enthusiasm. She is very lovable and it was nice to be with her. We will see her again next Sunday.

After the funeral, the family (including my sister) went out to eat and we went hunting for a kosher restaurant. We found a place that was fine foodwise, but don’t expect to see it on Martha Stewart’s better living…

Afterwards, we picked up my sister from the other restaurant and we all came home, exhausted.

Today, we go on to Baltimore.