Is it Shabbat Yet???

Is it Shabbat Yet??

Today was yet again a chock full day with a lot accomplished! Let’s begin at the beginning…

Our day began with a sojourn to Yerushalayim and a visit to Misrad HaKlitah. Since we arrived early, I figured we could be productive in the meantime, so we sat on a bench on Ben Yehuda to make some calls. As you may recall, we received our appliances yesterday. Unlike most places, here you get your appliances delivered by one company and installed by another. But wait, there’s more! We received 4 appliances plus a stove top. Each one needs a technician from a different place…so, while waiting for the meeting at Misrad Haklitah, I sat there and made all the appointments for them to show up both on Friday and on Sunday.

Then, it was on to Misrad HaKlitah. I expected the worst and hoped for the best. I got the best! We were in and out in 15 minutes flat. There, we filled out the paperwork for money that will be automatically deposited into our bank account over the next few months. It is yet an additional benefit we receive as Olim. In addition, we got the information regarding the free Ulpan available, the free education that Daniella is entitled to (a FREE Bachelor’s degree. For those of you reading this while filling out the paperwork for college tuition in the States, please pause for a moment and ask yourselves why you are paying that kind of money vs FREE in Israel as Olim)
From there, we went to Ace Hardware to buy some bulbs. Sounds crazy, but we have been making do with 3 bulbs and moving as needed. We now have a house full of light.
Andy and I split up (oh, calm down…just for a few hours!) and I went to Bezeq, the phone company. Funny, when I told them that I had made an appointment with someone from their company to come out and hook up our phone and internet, they told me that I do not exist. After a series of comical conversations, it turns out that not only is a technician not coming out Friday as planned, but that he had already been here and we had phone service (we do not have an actual PHONE but one thing at a time). Once we get all hooked up, I will have our VoIP line to call and get calls from America for one low flat rate.
Back to the house to get busy building more…this time it is bookcases. I have 12 to build along with A LOT of other stuff. Remember the visits to IKEA many weeks ago? Well, I now need to actually build the items I bought in Dante’s Inferno!
So that is the daily wrap-up. Tomorrow evening brings a much needed rest on Shabbat. By the way, this will be the first time in over 20 years that I will be in Israel for 2 Shabbatot in a row! All those trips over the years were all 10 days or less.
Hope to write again before Shabbat…