i can't be trusted with anything!

i really messed up this time :(


i broke my mom's favorite mug, which happens to be the one she got for xmas at cadillac.
it makes me so sad. she's asleep now, i hope she don't get too upset when she sees this... does anyone have another one just like it???

Megans Passport update.

Hey all. Just letting you know. Megan called the passport office again today(thursday the 9th), and they told her it should be sent out tonight or tomorrow as it is going through the final stages. So it should arrive early next week with any luck. If for some reason this does not happen, we have secured an appointement in Chicago on the 17th at 9:00AM to get a passport at the regional office. So we should be all set pending delivery.

Remember memorial day weekend?

Those that went to Canada will in a second. Let's see. What happened?
1) We caught a lot of fish. Well, Keren caught most of them, and she also caught Walter the Bass at the river inlet on the Northeast side of Lake Duborne. In case you forgot, it was on a Shad Rap.
2) We rode 4 wheelers back to Stinky Lake and saw some beavers. Ben won the race back home.
3) Ben smoked some people at horseshoes.
But most of the weekend chatter centered around the events on the Mackinac Bridge, the Thursday (or was it Friday?) before Memorial Day. Does this remind you of anything?

You can see it's on our TV. Keren got a good shot of it last night. There's a tiny guy in an orange suit atop one the towers of the Mackinac Bridge. He's changing a light bulb, just after he painted the inside of one of the towers, and painted some of the green cabling. Look a little closer. Here he is climbing up the suspension cables.
Yep, it's Mike Rowe, from one of our favorite shows, Dirty Jobs, on Tuesday night. It's the latest episode. He was on the Mackinac Bridge Memorial Day weekend. There were numerous sightings. He seemed to be satisfactorily freaked out by the heights climbing up the cable, and he did a lot of complaining climbing down the inside the tower to paint it. We learned a bit about the bridge.
1) There is indeed an elevator that runs up the towers, but it's more fun to climb the cables.
2) Since the road doesn't rest directly on the towers (it's suspended form the cables), the road sways by up to 25 feet (7-8 meters). The oscillations are low enough frequency that you don't ever notice it.
3) One can climb down the towers on a ladder, inside a tight, claustrophobic tunnel. They repaint the inside of the the bridge too!

Here's a last parting shot, where they are just beginning their ascent up the cables. There's the camera crew down below them, and I'm sure their helicopter is hovering somewhere...WAIT! Look at the red minivan! Zoom in on the passengers. Could it be? Nooooooooo.



Posted by ben. Photography by Keren

Evil Cat Redeemed

This will be quick, and fortunately, I have no pictures.
Phoebe, once the reviled bunny and bird slayer, has once again found a place in our good graces. Last night, 2:00 am, lots of crashing in our dark bedroom, followed by the sound of strange rythmic squeaking. Since Gary didn't seem to be curious, (and Roy remained snoring on the bed) I got up to investigate. When I turned the light on, Phoebe was crouched over what appeared, at first glance, to be a huge mouse (or rat?) But when I got closer, I saw it had wings. Somehow, a bat had gotten into our bedroom and Super Slayer had caught and wounded it. Gary went back to sleep and I took it out to the deck to finish it off. Since Gary wasn't willing to get up to help, I used his boot to smash it.

More invitations

I woke up this morning, and saw this:

"congratulations for the blog input...."

and the inevitable "but..."

So, apparently one who was not briefed on the procedure and did not see who did what, might miss some important details..

Safta Sarah worked a lot on this last night and today.

The procedure was:

1. printing the invitations (watched the movies "the illusionist", "Monty python - the holy grail", "fearless", and some more internet stuff to pass the time.

2. cutting the invitations - started with Dikla, then Dalia tried to do some, but after a minute she saw the guillotine does not function well in her hands, so she gave up on the use of it (not before she started crying). The rest of the cutting Odi did with the guillotine and Dalia with a Japanese knife.

3. Inserting and gluing the ribbon - Dalia & Sarah are the official ribbon team. arranging everything on the kitchen table, gluing, moving it to the other table to dry... they are on it also this morning.

The Sharonim Blog Uploading Management is sorry for any detail which was forgotten along the way.

Invitations

One might say that all the work is behind us....

That one might not be so acurate...

So, for today we have for you.....

The invitations.

The Sharon print house, named "Odi & Dalia", have made it - all the invitations in one day.

They had a freelancer, Dikla, to start the procedure.

It all started with printing. so, how do you print 180 invitations (3 minutes per print)? you just watch 4 movies on the computer, while the printer does the work. after a few minutes you almost don't hear the printer work. That was my (Ron's) part.

So, we printed, and Dalia and Odi cut them with a special guillotine Odi got from work.

How does it look?

just like this...

Decks, Dancing, and Delays

I aplogize for not responding to the wonderful videos Ron made of the deck project. I wish I could have been there to help! Some comments on the project for Ron, Odi, and the guy in the red shirt(probably the brains behind the project).





First of all, it looks beautiful! Can't wait to see Omer & Ron, Keren & Ben, Odi & Dalia, ......well everybody, dancing on it. I do however, have a couple of engineering concerns. Do you think the concrete footings are deep enough (should be 1 foot below the frostline) to prevent the frost from heaving them in the winter? The other concern is snow load. The support structure should be able to handle 150 lbs./s.f. I know, I know it only snows every 50 years, but......with all this global warming going on, and the associated wild climatic swings, you could get two feet of snow, followed by a cold rain, and the deck is ruined. I'd hate to see Ron, after a few beers, unable to hold his position on a deck that listed badly to the south.





I do hope that Ron is seeking medical attention for, what appears to be, his serious problem with flatulence. If it has not improved by the time we depart, please let me know Ron. I have some remedies in my truck that will put a cork in it for you.





Okay, Dalia and Sandy, I understand both sides of the getting up on Monday morning issue. Getting up late would require that many others delay their realization of a good time. Sleeping only on the toilet would require that many others delay their realization of a basic comfort. As self-appointed mediator in this dispute, I suggest we discuss it on Sunday night, after a beer or two, when we will all be a lot smarter, and then hold an election. I would be happy to count the votes and announce the group' final decision (which will be binding).



Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait

gary

Advice post

I'm starting a list of advice for the Koesters coming to Israel.
everybody, feel free to add/comment.

Weather:
It's going to be hot and humid. it can be anywhere between 80-95, but is also likely to climb to 105+. the humidity in TA is usually above 90%. the combination is not pleasant.
the good news, is:
- it's a bit cooler and a bit dryer in jerusalem and the north
- there's air conditioning everywhere
- it's not gonna rain
- it's going to be fun anyway!

Clothes:
bring stuff you'll be comfortable to sweat in.
don't bother with a raincoat or a winter jacket.
shorts, t-shirts, tank-tops, skirts... anything from "breathing" fabrics.
bring sandals/flipflops, but also shoes you'll be comfortable hiking with, just in case.
swimsuit!
hat
jeans and a buttoned/collared shirt is fancy enough for any restaurant. you will probably be fine with a t-shirt in most places. you won't need your suit and tie, but do bring some nice clothes :)
don't need to bring towels, the sharons have plenty.
feel free to use the washer/dryer too...

Cosmetics, etc:
sunscreen! (although you can also buy good stuff in israel. a bottle of lotion typically costs 10-15$, depends on the size, number, and if it's on sale)
you can bring your own shampoo and stuff, but you can find almost any brand in the stores in israel.

Electronics
the power system is 220V. camera chargers, computer cables, electric shavers etc., usually work in the range 100-240V (check!). in this case, you will only need a small plastic converter to switch from flat to round prongs. we should probably have some laying around at home, i'll let you know if you need to get one before you fly.
we have hair dryers, but not hair straighteners/curling irons etc.

Flight
it's a long flight, bring a book... they'll make you throw away at security any drinks that you may want to carry on the plane with you, so either bring an empty bottle and fill it up at the gate or buy it after going through security.
the gate to israel is usually at the far part of the airport, and there's another security check at the gate. don't go there too early though, cause you'll have to go through that second security again if you want to exit the gate area for some reason (like go to the book store or something). go to the gate just before boarding.
the airline staff usually go by and offer water/juice during the flight (not only during meals), and they let you just go to the back of the plane and get some water if you need during the flight. don't be afraid to appear rude or bother the flight attendants, trust me, the Israelis on the plane are a lot more obnoxious than you can ever be, even if you try hard.


Passport control / airport information
when you deplane, follow everybody to passport control.
you will be asked to give the address of where you'll be staying. i will send you all the details by email, i recommend to print it out and keep it with your passport.
the baggage claim is a passenger-only area, we will be waiting for you only after you find your luggage and exit the baggage area. in my experience it's rather quick, but august is high season - so who knows.
between the baggage claim and arrivals hall you'll go through customs. you don't need to talk to anyone there or show them any documents (unless they randomly select you or approach you themselves), just go through the GREEN gate to the automatic doors. you only need to declare stuff above $10,000, i think you are in the clear.
from the airport it's only a 15-min drive to the sharons...


i'll add more things if i think of them, and as i said before, feel free to contribute to the list!