Sandy

Super Storm Sandy has done her best to destroy New York City and New Jersey and lots of the surrounding areas, practically the whole northeastern portion of the country.  I have never seen anything like it and it makes the worst hurricanes I've witnessed in 17 years in Florida seem like Spring Showers. 

There's other bad news today too - a report that Iran is boasting its drone has pictures of Israel's military bases.  Wild boars savagely attacked four people in Berlin. And OctoMom is in some kind of rehab. 

I am heartsick to see so many people's lives and livelihoods washed away or deeply damaged.  

Yes, even the lives of those folks in Berlin and yes, even OctoMom's.

:'-(

Alone

A combination of circumstances kicked in and hubby and the couple we made plans to go to dinner and the movies with last night could not go. I had a choice of what I could do with myself - read The Racketeer, watch TV or go to shul. I picked a choice I almost never do - I opted to get in my car at night and drive to a funky (but reasonably safe) area of Fort Lauderdale and see the movie I had been eagerly looking forward to on my own. All by myself!

I would have greatly preferred to have company to drive me and make interesting observations about the movie and not to have had to sit alone in a dark theater for a little while. But to tell you the truth, I enjoyed the movie and the small feeling of independence.

When I was working I'd go on out-of-town business trips by myself and all over the state to meetings and seminars. Not anymore.

I hope I never have to live alone. Poo Poo Poo. It does not seem like fun although there are many who thrive on it. But I always want to know that I can take care of myself and do the things I want to on my own.

;-)

The Racketeer

Waiting for me at the Broward County Public Library is The Racketeer, John Grisham's newest novel.  I am so looking forward to it as it's my favorite kind of thriller - the REVENGE novel! 

How delicious!  I must remember not to chastise myself for enjoying these tales so much.  I am certainly not the "turn the other cheek" or "forgive and forget" kind of gal but of course I draw the line at the more corporal types of punishment.

All of my favorite revenge novels have the same theme, unashamedly copied by their authors from the original revenge novel, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Tim Green's Exact Revenge is a special favorite; I must remember to re-read it after The Racketeer.

Did you do me wrong?  I'm going to get even the best way possible just like the heroes of these stories - by Living Fantastically Well! 

Interesting Times

I finished listening to Killing Kennedy, the Number 1 non-fiction bestseller.  How fascinating is this story of the events of 1962-1963 leading up to JFK's assassination!  Even more so for me as it was the time I first became aware that there was a great big world outside my home, my school and my neighborhood.  I actually remember most or at least some of it..

Although JFK enjoyed a super high approval rating, there were plenty of factions that would have preferred to see him dead - mobsters, a crazed despot in Southeast Asia, his own Vice-President, angry Russians who were confounded by the Cuban Missile Crisis, a legion of spurned lovers, the anti-Civil Rights KKKers, Communists (like Lee Harvey Oswald) and the friends, relatives and supporters of the Cuban freedom fighters whom JFK left stranded at the Bay of Pigs. No wonder so many conspiracy theories about his murder abounded!  So many problems during that era, yet we think of it as Camelot, a genteel time and place when all was beautiful.  

There is an old Chinese blessing (or is it a curse?): "May you live in interesting times".   

Yes indeed, I certainly have...

Perfect Day

Here's an article breaking down what most women fantasize would be their Perfect Day.

And here's my slightly modified version, wink, wink. 

According to the data, the average woman's perfect day would break down like this:

• Intimate relations: 106 minutes

Gasp! I think 30 minutes might be quite enough thank you very much.  Perhaps I am missing out on something?

• Socializing with friends: 82 minutes

Yes, maybe even more if you count texting and online game playing.

• Relaxing: 78 minutes

Since watching TV is further down the list I will assume this means relaxing in the tub.  I love my tubby time but an hour and 18 minutes?!

• Prayer/meditation: 73 minutes

I pray every day and throughout the day but I don't think it adds up to 73 minutes... 

• Eating: 75 minutes

OK this seems a little rushed to me.  My morning coffee and the paper takes about an hour by itself.

• Exercising: 68 minutes

Me: Zero time!  This one has no place in My Perfect Day!

• Watching TV: 68 minutes

Way too little!  Plotzing in front of Boob Tube is a high priority!

• Shopping: 56 minutes

A Perfect Day might have more like 2 or 3 hours especially if a pal comes with.

• Cooking: 50 minutes

I cook about this much each day but a Perfect Day would consist of 10 minutes of ordering out. 

• Talking in the phone: 57 minutes

I could easily do this much with a friend or the kids.

• Computer/Email/Internet: 48 minutes

Oh you must be joking!  A Perfect Day would be about 5 hours of techie nirvana.

• Housework: 47 minutes

Who answered this survey anyway??  What woman would say that a Perfect Day contained ANY housework?  But for the record, I do about 1 1/2 to 2 hours of this drudgery on a Non-Perfect Day .

• Napping: 46 minutes

You Betcha!  A Perfect Day would have a nice 1 or 2 hour nap.

• Childcare: 46 minutes
• Working: 36 minutes
• Commuting: 33 minutes

Zero on all three. Enough said.

Solitaire

Everything I know about Life, or at least a whole lot of it, I learned from playing with myself.  Solitaire that is.

I play often, the iPhone version of course, and I've made the following observations:


Woman in cell playing solitaire
 by Nickolas Muray.

Your worst opponent can be yourself

Sometimes it pays to take the penalty and reverse your last play

The first time through the deck you don't know what cards you'll turn over but by your second and third time around you should have a better idea what to expect

If you replay the entire game you will do better (but in Life that's not usually an option)

Sometimes you can't win no matter what you do

When you win and think you've done well, it's best not to compare yourself to the person who finished in the fastest time and with the least plays
;-)

Friends and Politics

I don't have a whole lot of friends but the ones I have are all very smart, well informed, compassionate and thoughtful.  They are all menschs - they take care of their families, work hard, and (almost always) love the same partner for decades.  Several help rescue animals and quite a few work to promote causes I myself believe in. 

Many, indeed most, are Democrats and I can see why. They, like me, support a woman's right to choose (some of us remember when women got "back room" abortions), the complete separation of Church and State, the DREAM Act, gay marriage, giving a hand to those in need and the repeal of don't ask don't tell (THE stupidest policy I think I've ever heard of).  They are scared of policies that would hurt "the little guy" and help the rich get richer on the backs of the working man or woman.

For a reason that is deeply important to me, I did not vote Democratic this year. That does not mean I will not do so in the future or that I agree with all parts of the Republican platform or that I am enamoured with its candidates or that I have lost my mind.  I truly believe I am an Independent voter and being Independent in all things is a good thing.  

On that one I think we can all agree. 

;-) 

Torah Study

Pizza and Parasha tonight with Rabbi Emeritus Frazin. I am no Torah scholar, that's for sure, but I do have a favorite passage:

Genesis, Chapter 12
The Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you.
I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
And you shall be a blessing.

This passage and the ones surrounding it give Jews their claim to the land of Israel.   It has been beautifully crafted into the lovely ballad by Debbie Friedman, L'Chai Lach (Go Forth).

Other favorites? Of course Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, "to everything there is a season..."  Also beautifully adapted into the ballad "Turn Turn Turn".

And from the Book of Ruth, the heart-wrenching plea "Beseech me not to leave you or refrain from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."

Beautiful, no?

:-)

Welcome Layla Maayan

Newest cousin, born in the wee hours this morning, has a Hebrew word for her "English" middle name. Maayan means "Spring" in Hebrew, a beautiful word.

I have noticed the trend toward parents choosing Hebrew words or Israeli names for their children. I do believe children should have somewhat "mainstream" names to facilitate their way in the great big outside world, but on the other hand, a name like Chaim or Shaniqua does confirm that child's identity.

In my generation, we kept our Hebrew names somewhat private, as if they were our "secret identities", known and spoken only by our families.

Welcome Layla (named for your grandfather Larry, a great guy who died much, much too soon at 44) Maayan Katz! Wear your name proudly and be a Blessing to all of us.

;-)

Decisions Decisions

I must say, this happens like NEVER!  THREE interesting things to do on Monday night!

Number 1.  Watch Da Bears on Monday Night Football.  Hubby is actually in physical pain when Da Bears play and he cannot see them (and swear when they screw up which is most of the time although there truly may be hope for them this year).

Number 2.  Watch the third and final Presidential Debate.  This will be on foreign affairs and normally I would not be adverse to skipping it but I am concerned about Israel (more so than usual this year). 

Number 3.  A night out at the Seminole Hard Rock with free tickets to see Michael Feinstein.  Nights out are rare treats and putting on makeup and a cute outfit and hearing nice music always puts me in a joyful state of mind.

Numbers 1 and 2 can of course be recorded and revisited ad nauseam but you can't beat seeing them in real time. 

What to do?  What to do?

;-)

The Villages

I always pictured that retirement would be in a huge retirement community for "active adults" ala the Del Webb communities or even like my folks' now aging Kings Point enclave. Now that I'm actually retired, I am not quite as interested in this lifestyle change as I thought I'd be.

Two friends have bought new places recently, one in Del Webb, Georgia and the other in The Villages, Florida.  The Villages, located about an hour and a half  from Orlando in the middle of nowhere, is probably the hugest retirement community in the world.  I simply Must check it out.

We're planning to meet up with Scott and Victoria and a bunch of Vicky's family (love them!) in late December in Orlando.  We'll cuddle the kids and celebrate Scott's birthday at a fancy restaurant.  It's the perfect opportunity for a side trip overnight to The Villages and see if life there might truly be better.  I honestly doubt it because as I get older, living in a Jewish community has become more important to me.  I love seeing deli's and Judaica stores and Shuls and yes, even the Frummers walking on Shabbos.

The Villages' promise is that we can live like millionaires on our retirement budget.  But it's hard to believe life could be much better than living here...

;-)

Levi Strauss and Company

Have you seen the new ad for Levi's jeans?  Once proudly crafted in the U.S.of A. and now manufactured in what I surmise are 3rd world sweatshops, this iconic American company has a new advertising campaign.

Targeted at young people, the announcer says “This is a pair of Levi’s, buttons and rivets and pockets and cuffs, and the thread that holds it together".
      

“When the road gets rough and the sky gets jumpy and the stars start falling on top of your head and the waves start breaking against your legs, it’s the thread in your seams that’s tied to your dreams.”

      

“You follow your heart, follow the leader, you’re the leader. Are you joking, are you breaking, are you shaking? You’re the next living leader of the world. You’re a kid. holding onto the thread. That holds it together. This is a pair of Levi’s.”   At that point a Twitter hashtag, “#GoForth,” appears.  

I have mixed feelings about this ad that is trying to convince Generation Next to make Levi's "the Uniform of Progress".  Surely my own generation adopted our own look of "Progress" - tie-dye, beads and of course, our beloved jeans (Levi's a favorite then too).

Of course, a nice fitting suit might result in more Progress for our young people, so many of whom cannot find meaningful work after college. 
 

Just a thought... 

      

A Day In The Life

I asked myself what teenage Ev would have thought of my day if she could have peered into the future and seen it. 

I started off the day with excellent news from a friend and what teenage Evelyn would have called good news from the daily weigh-in.  I checked the finances and paid bills from a bank account that would have sent teenage Ev on an immediate shopping spree at Marshall Fields.  

Not having to go to a job would have amazed teenage Ev, who would have trouble envisioning she would ever lead a life of genuine leisure.  I put on a cute outfit (teen Ev would have approved), took my expensive Coach handbag (teen Ev would have drooled), got in my late model car (teen Ev would have hyper-ventilated), headed to Torah study (teen Ev would be surprised but maybe not shocked) and had a spirited discussion with the Rabbi (teen Ev would have expected this!)   I stopped at Tuesday Morning for a new cell case, Sylvia's Kosher for chicken, the dry cleaners for the post-cruise cleaning pick-up and the Homeowners Association office to pick up new keys to the common-areas.  How very civilized!  How sophisticated I am!  What a good life!

The best part?  The good news that arrived early.  Teen Ev and I both agree on that!

On The Calendar

I've been away - both physically and mentally - for a few weeks.  A cruise (can you really can it a vacation when you're retired and every day is a vacation??) and hubby's eye surgery and a few other distractions which have thankfully dissipated.  So today is my day to regroup and plan ahead.

First thing is to assess my calendar for the next seven days.  It is gently filled with small activities, none too urgent or stressful, just the way I like it. 

Torah study today, that is, if the garage door repairman shows up in time so I can get the car out of the garage.  Doubtful...

No Friday night service this week - they're holding it at sunset on Hollywood Beach. Nice idea but not my thing.

Saturday morning shopping with next door neighbor Marilyn!  We've been neighbors for 11+ years and just now getting friendly.

Monday night is the Michael Feinstein concert at the Hard Rock.  Nice piano classics, Frank Sinatra style stuff.  Perfect for my current mood although I was never a big fan of Old Blue Eyes.

Pizza and Parasha on Tuesday night.

My first meeting of the City of Hollywood Retirees Association on Wednesday night!  I wonder if I'll see any old friends?

:-)