Under Siege - Day 3

It's day three of Operation Mold Removal here at Jtownunderground's apartment and I've eaten plaster already twice. And, let me tell ya, it wasn't tasty. The apartment is such a wreck, it's a miracle I still have this one swatch of bed to sit on and type. Every room is filled with either our stuff or stuff the contractor brought in. There is dirt and plaster pieces on the floor of every room, and they are using two brooms to try to keep the mess at bay (it's not working). Progress is going well though, and I'm waiting for the workmen to return to get started on the master bathroom. They have a lot to fix in there and Pidgeon and I are looking forward to our weekend retreat away from our construction site.

Since we're basically under siege, and my kitchen is all cluttered and messy, we've taken to eating out. On Sunday afternoon, we had brunch at Caffit and I ordered the sweet potato and leek quiche. I asked the waiter if it was good and he insisted it was delicious. Unfortunately, when it arrived, I found it tasteless and mushy and so I basically left it untouched. We had ordered onion soup to start and I filled up on bread, so I decided not to send it back to the kitchen. Also, our waiter never once showed up between leaving us our food and bringing us the check, so I didn't even have the option to send it back. Now, I was okay with paying for it and just chalking it up to a bad order, when the manager came over and basically chastised me for not saying anything. She insisted that, had I said something, they could have replaced it with something else. I told her not to worry about it and then Pidgeon and I left to get the rest of our day going. I was annoyed with the way she addressed me and, I could have said something snide about the lack of service in the restaurant,  but I usually am happy with the food. We will certainly go back there to dine, I just don't know if I'll order something I'm not already familiar with.

Meanwhile, last night, the family went out to Buffalo Steakhouse for a mini celebration. It took us over an hour to get our main courses and I ordered the hamburger since the thought of eating another steak just didn't appeal to me. I wanted some beef, just not that much! Well, I didn't tell them not to bring me a bun because, up until the moment I got my plate, I thought I would eat the bread. However, since it took so long to get our meal, I had filled up on diet coke and the french fries and onion rings that were going around the table. When the waiter came back to remove my plate, he asked me why I didn't eat the bread, and I told him that I just wasn't in the mood. He then chastised me for not ordering initially without the bread and I said - stupidly - that I didn't think I could do that. He got all snobby and responded that "anything can be done". Bitch.  I didn't eat all my french fries either, should I have not ordered that too? I also didn't lick my plate clean, is that offensive? I'm sorry I wasted the food but isn't it my right as the customer to order as I please and eat what I want? I'm getting a little tired with the attitude of the wait staff at these establishments on Emek. The more they bug me, the less I'm inclined to eat out. And folks, I'm quite a big eater, so that's just bad business practices. 

I'm trying to adopt a new policy of not complaining to Pidgeon about his family, as I don't think it helps him one bit. Sometimes it's difficult and I slip, but for the most part I think he knows that I'm trying. Well, at dinner last night, his sister said something completely inappropriate and I was livid. This came after the fact that, when she was organizing this shindig and she told us it was called for 6, she neglected to inform us of the 2 hour time change and come 6:30, both Pidgeon and I were starving and wondering what was going on. I was upset that she dissed us in that fashion, but since Pidgeon was even more pissed, I decided to control my tongue. Pidgeon and his sister have a difficult history and, as of late, he has been making a tremendous effort to change their relationship. Since we're all adults now, it's in the best interest of the family for them to get along since we all get together so often. But what should he do when he takes 2 steps forward and she takes 2 steps back? I bit my tongue last night after her rude comment, but all I wanted to do was ask her if she heard herself speak. I honestly don't think she realizes what she says sometimes - and she can say some mean, spiteful and obnoxious things. Pidgeon is reconsidering whether or not to make an effort anymore, I think he should just point out these problems to her and see what she has to say. Either way, I have to stay out of it because this is his family, even though it kills me inside to see him try and constantly get rebuffed and hurt. 

I'm excited because we're planning our trip to the States! I can't WAIT to get back to the family and we're hoping to go in the Spring so we can have some good weather. My Mom offered to fly us in, if we paid for everything else while we're there. Since we want to do some East Coast traveling to visit the rest of the family, that could get a little pricey, but it's well worth it. I have no idea how often I'll be able to get into the States, so this could be a great opportunity for us. Pidgeon needs to get clearance from his advisors and I need to consult with my thesis advisor and then we can book some tickets. Woohoo!  The Big Apple - I'm a coming back to see ya!

Pidgeon and I are getting away for Shabbos, but I still have to cook and it looks like I'll also be cooking for some other folks as well. I'm looking forward to mixing things up and so I'm trying to figure out a good Shabbos menu for everyone. I have such issues with chicken on Shabbos day and since I can't use any sauce, it gets boring just breading and frying/baking cutlets. But, I'm hoping to supplement with some interesting side dishes, so it should work out ok. 

Well, the workers came back so I'm off to go "supervise" once more. Not much left for me to do, but I think my presence is good enough. Here's hoping I don't eat anymore plaster.

Alone at last

Sorry I've been MIA for a while, but we had two weeks worth of family visitors and I haven't had a chance to update the blog. Unfortunately, my folks left late last night and I've been feeling a little down since they've gone. I'm in bed, listening to pidgeon snore ever so gently this morning, and waiting for the Dud to heat up my water for a much needed hot shower. It's weird to have the apartment to ourselves again, and the visit was so quick, it was much shorter than I would have preferred.

But, here are some fascinating highlights of the trip:

• We ate out anywhere and everywhere - breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks - for almost 2 weeks straight. Pidgeon and I put on a lot of weight in that period of time, but it was well worth it. Yesterday, pidgeon's brother taunted me for passing on a piece of cheesecake. I just smiled and told him I ate steak for dinner - 4 nights in a row last week - and he was pretty speechless. Steak trumps cheesecake, anytime, any day. We also tried the new restaurant down on Emek called Buffalo's Steakhouse and it was surprisingly good. My steak was pretty tasty and the bread was amazing. My parents liked it so much that they decided to eat there again before their flight last night. They raved about the bread too. We got breakfast each morning from Bagel Bites and I actually have another plain bagel with American tuna in the fridge should I want it this morning. But, I think the biggest hit with the folks and the Dude this trip was Neeman Bakery on Emek. My brother, as you recall, picked up a chocolate mousse cake for our lunch meal two weeks back and my father was in heaven! He bought loafs of marble cake, chocolate chip cake, rugelach, danishes and my Mom and I surprised him with some tiramisu cake. Which, I finished straight from the container using a fork, after they left last night. What can I say? I'm an emotional eater and since I've given up the smoking (1 month and counting!) all I got is my TV, a fork and some dessert. 
• You Ate All That! - Last Tuesday night, pidgeon and I slept at his parents because the apartment was full and there was no room for us as well. We decided to celebrate some alone time by going out to eat at this new sushi restaurant at the bottom of Emek called Tamago. Personally, I have a huge preferance for Sushi Rechavia because their fish is fresher and their rolls are a lot more interesting, but pidgeon wanted to try this new place so I acquiesced. We were starving, having missed lunch and since it was close to 9:00 p.m., we ordered appetizers and a main. I had the tempura and pidgeon had the soup. I ordered the vegetable platter (which was 3 rolls of sushi) and pidgeon had the sushi/sashimi platter. We got jasmine green tea for the table, and I got a nestea and pidgeon got a juice. All together, the bill was 252 shekel. What happened next was just appalling. The manager came over to present us with our bill and he proclaimed: My goodness, I can't believe you ate all that food! I mean, I checked the bill and looked at your empty plates, and I see that you did finish everything! Needless to say, I was not happy with his comment. And, were I a bit more on the ball, would probably ask him if that was a fat comment. But, we left and vowed never to eat there again (besides, it pales in comparison to Sushi Rechavia and the rice was hard). We then decided to really stick it to him and helped ourselves to dessert at Aldo's next door.
• How do you know you've made an impression on your mother-in-law? I'll tell you. When she sends you an e-mail forward about a neighborhood woman selling plus sized clothing from her home. American sizes 18-24 no less! Now, I haven't been a size 18 in YEARS! I actually will admit that I wore a size 22 suit to my cousin's wedding a number of years ago, but I'm a healthy size 14 today (and trying to get to my dream size 10). Which means, B"H, I can shop in stores throughout the Globe! Any store carries a size 14, except perhaps the uber-designers and Zara, but I've been a member of the mainstream shopping society for 4 years now. And proud of it. Not really sure where that leaves me with my MIL. Am still obsessing over that e-mail, believe me, obsession.

My parents had a really great time on their trip and we did a lot of shopping, meetings and planning. Starting Wednesday, this apartment will once again undergo a transformation, and that means I am now looking at 2 weeks of hell. We discovered a tremendous amount of mold growing in the Mamad, which is unusual since the Mamad is now obviously ineffective against outside agents. So, the contractor is coming to do some construction in the room, and will also do some work in the master bathroom. We are switching ALL of the light fixtures in the apartment because they are much too weak and the lighting is really lousy. My Mother couldn't even read her book because, with all the lights on in the living room, she still couldn't see the words. Meanwhile, the toilet in the master bathroom went on us and we're going to need a new one of those. And, we ordered an entire wall unit for the living room, so pidgeon and I can get some of our stuff out of boxes. I'm thrilled with all of the renovations, but it will mean the following:

early morning wake up, stranger work men flitting in and out of the apartment every day, tremendous noise, tons of dirt, plaster and paint, smells that I could do without, etc.

The plus side is that, when everything is finished, this place is going to look great. 

The electrician wanted to come early this morning and I begged off, telling them that I needed one morning to sleep in. With the family in town, we were up and out by 8:00 a.m. which is really too early for me. The irony of it all is that I woke up, on my own at 8:00 a.m. 

I'm meeting the contractor this afternoon in town to finalize the light fixtures my parents ordered, have a Dr.'s appointment later, and will spend the rest of my day just taking care of all the linen and towel washings I need to do. After that, I have to move the entire contents of our wall-to-wall closet into one room so they can work in the Mamad. 

It's gonna be hell people but hey, I guess that's just the reality of Israeli construction. Wish me luck!