Print Out and Be Happy

Today, I made a commitment to myself. Today I signed up for the gym at the local senior center (again) and went to work out. Okay, not exactly Olympic material, but I felt good walking for about 40 minutes on the treadmill, reading Tehillim, and sweating a little.

Of course, I left my phone in the beverage holder - standard operating procedure. Didn't notice until I got home, and went to check out my notes on the phone. I had written down the name of a couple of printers I saw at Staples last night and went to look them up on google.

Thank G-d the staff found my phone and waited for me to call. So I googled the printers from memory, and found one I hadn't seen before: HP Deskjet 1000. Cost: $29.99. Location: Target. Total win-win.

As my laptop is not attached to the main printer at home, it's a hassle to send the document to my email account, or put it on a flash drive to walk over to the main computer and print out. Starting this afternoon, I can print out at my own desk. Talk about excited. And my new little printer comes with a carry pouch for travel!

It's the little things. And the things that don't weigh so much. Things like my deskjet. Oh yeah.

Biking My Ride

This was my off carpool day, and I looked forward to taking a long bike ride. I started out to a destination that would definitely take 30 minutes, but when I hit the 20 minute mark, I was beat. It had hit the wall.

Lucky for me there was a traffic jam up ahead, which meant the bus had stopped before the actual bus stop sign and was letting a wheel-chair bound passenger off. The takes a good 5 minutes, long enough for me to catch up to the bus, load my bike up and stand in line to enter.

I ended up being a few minutes late for my appointment, but had a wonderful meeting. My mentor is a delightful person, and has become more like a friend. We chatted away and actually made some real progress on a project we're working on.

When it came time to go, I knew I wanted to go to the local farmer's market, an outdoor affair with all kinds of fruits and vegetables, usually delicious and beautiful, at astronomical prices. So I rode my bike to the nearest subway stop, got off at Hollywood/Highland station with about 8 million other tourists, and rode the short few blocks to the market.

I decided to choose wisely and spend no more than $10. That included a hit of wheat grass, with a spritz of ginger. Feeling incredibly invigorated, I sprinted the rest of the even shorter way home.

Ah, the joys of moving around the city on bike. Now if only I was actually in shape to do it right.

A Final Word About Today

I asked a dear friend of mine to save me a seat the Bikur Cholim luncheon today (see previous post) so when I got there and it was mobbed, all I had to do was find my friend and put my purse down. I was then sent off to get food.

Before actually joining the buffet line, I dashed over to the exhibitors. There was a chef there with a big plate of cactus salad for us to sample. I was so excited - finally an opportunity to try what the locals here called nopales. They are oblong, flat prickly pear cactus denuded of spikes and grilled or sauteed to add to tossed salad.

I had a quick conversation with the chef, mentioning to all around me that nopales, the term used to refer to prickly pear cactus in Spanish, is a local remedy for elevated blood sugar. Of course I also mentioned that I thought it was interesting that Hispanics, which have a genetic tendency toward diabetes due to a mutated allele, live in a country where this cactus abounds.

The chef smiled, and everyone around me went about their business in much the same way most people would when they hear something talking about their encounter with space aliens. I decided I really need to keep some information to myself, and vowed to do so whenever so challenged.

I tried the nopales salad, and thanked the Holy One, Blessed Be He, that I don't have diabetes. Or maybe it just needed a different dressing. Still, I think it's amazing how G-d puts the cure to the disease right where it's needed.

What A DayThis Was

I got the rare opportunity today to go from one mitzvah to the next. The day began with a bris milah, welcoming the son of a cousin into the covenant of Hashem. Ah bliss. The baby was cute and cuddly, hardly cried, and the mohel passed the time working on his stand-up monologue.

At first I was a bit put off by it. This is an important moment for the baby and his parents. Why all the jokes? But when I looked around, I realized that the mohel was really playing to the crowd, a mixed bag of seculars who really wanted to have lunch.

How secular were they? They thought my husband was a rabbi, which never happens in our crowd. In truth, it's a big deal for people who have little tradition in their lives to have an orthodox bris for their son, and I was proud of them. Even thought the baby's father looked like he was going to faint, and had to be helped to a chair, they did the right thing.

Since the food wasn't really kosher (they call it kosher-style here), I had my family drop me off at the annual Bikur Cholim luncheon, a stunning array of food and exhibits to raise money for an incredible organization. Ladies, I have to say, you are amazing. But unfortunately, it's an organization for women who are not otherwise engaged - in other words, don't have a full time job and/or have the financial resources to devote themselves to a spur of the moment request for help.

I am, unfortunately, not one of these women. But I thank the Holy One, Blessed Be He, that these women exist, and they live in my neighborhood. Ladies, you rule.

Tofu To See You

My food science class got a real treat today: a tour of House Foods tofu factory in Garden Grove, California. Home of Knotts Berry Farm, the small community of industrial sites was very warm and inviting.

First, we learned a lot about tofu. This company makes tons of it, literally, and almost all of it is kosher. I was so excited.

Then we toured the plant and watched workers creating all the different types of tofu - soft, hard, firm, semi firm, soy milk. In fact, we even made tofu ourselves, in groups of three, out of warm soy milk, calcium sulfide and water. Talk about cool.

The plant R&D department made lunch, which I turned down as I really need a Rabbi supervising things when I'm away from home. But it looked and smelled good, and chances are, was perfectly acceptable to eat. All, that is, except the mock cheese cake, which actually did have dairy in it.

We had been expecting a long trek to get to Garden Grove, and prepared ourselves for a 1 hour there and a 2 hour ride back. We got the "there" part right, but actually got home in less than 1 hour. I rode my bike to my friend's house to carpool, so I rode home afterwards feeling like I had learned a lot today.

One thing's for sure: more House Foods tofu in my diet. My estrogen receptors need it, and my hormones crave it. I think I'll try garlic and pepper.

Parking Spot from G-d

I was on my way to teach physiology when my phone rang. I stopped my bike, on my street, and answered the call. It was an old friend asking for a favor.

Monday and Tuesday is street cleaning on my block, which means alternative parking leaving one side of the street clear. The side of the street permitted to parking was full and the family van was on the wrong side. We had 30 minutes to move it.

As I was winding up my conversation, a neighbor came running out of the house, jumped in her car and drove off. Wouldn't you know it - the car left from the permitted side of the street. I quickly called my husband to move the car while I stood in the spot.

If my friend had called a few minutes later we would have missed the spot. Thank you G-d.

Feeling the love.

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

One by one my kids wished me a happy mother's day. My friends wished me a happy mother's day. And unfortunately, if I didn't have so much homework, I would have done something special for mother's day.

But I did get a gift - a beautiful hamsa necklace. Petite, sterling silver and cubic zirconium diamonds. I really love it. Of course, I should. I bought it.

You know, if you want the right gift, don't leave anything to chance. Just get it yourself. Life is too short. Might as well be happy.