Shalom! I'm going to try typing and see how it goes. When I got home from ulpan today, I took Emma out for a walk. It was a windy day and there were leaves swirling around and Emma is always hopeful that she can catch one, so she took off. I didn't want to let go of the leash so I jogged along with her - until I tripped and fell forward on the brick sidewalk. The breath was knocked out of me and then I heard Emma yelp as the leash tightened and stopped her dead in her tracks (and no doubt jerked her backwards pretty hard).

I just lay there for a minute or two and then managed to get to a sitting position. Emma crawled into my lap and we just sat there kind of stunned for awhile. Of course I didn't have my cell phone with me, so I finally managed to get myself up and went home. David got an ice pack for my right hand and wrist, and some frozen peas for the lump forming on the right side of my knee. What I was really worried about was my rib cage on my right front side, right over my liver. Every time I breathed in, it hurt. We were being picked up in less than an hour by the Turners to go into Yerushalayim to have a Farewell late lunch/early dinner with Avital who's leaving Israel next week to go back to the states (after studying at Neve for the past year). I called our chupat (medical clinic) and was told our doctor had left at 1:00 PM. It was 1:35 and he lives in the building right next door to us, so I called him and he told us to come right over.

Thank G-d he didn't think anything was broken so I didn't go anywhere to have any xrays. He felt that if I had a bruised or cracked rib it wouldn't hurt my liver, so I could rest easy about that. I can't laugh or cough or sneeze without pain though, and my right arm is pretty messed up; I can't even straighten it. I'll have to go down to see him tomorrow and get a referral for an orthopedist, since I had surgery in my right arm for tendonitis a couple of years ago, and I want to see what I pulled and what I should do about it.

I can't even blame this on the uneven sidewalks or the sweet gumballs that were all over the ground in St. Louis (after I fell 2 previous times there). This was just plain klutziness.

So we went to Yerushalayim, and it was so enjoyable being able to go in a car. Actually there were 9 of us so they took both their cars, and we met Avital and Rivki at Cafe Rimon and had a really nice time. It's sad that Avital is leaving, although we haven't seen her much recently. She gets to go to Leah Grunberger's wedding before she heads to New York.

I don't think I'll be able to bake challah this week. At least we're eating out Friday night, at Yosef and Joke's from ulpan (they're from Holland), who live just a little ways up the hill. They have a dog named James (as in James Bond). They said we could bring Emma but James is older and I don't think he would like a new dog in his "turf."

Last Shabbos it just rained and rained all weekend. We ate dinner in the building next door with some people we know slightly from shul (originally from South Africa). There were 12 of us, all couples, and we were the youngest, as usual. It's interesting how South Africans serve dessert, and when everyone's finished they completely clear the table - and then bring out tea and more dessert! It's their minhag (tradition) - dinner doesn't end without tea and cake.

There was an interesting gentleman sitting next to me who seemed to be a super entrepeneur. He was born in Israel but moved to the states when he was three. He's a lawyer, real estate broker, investment broker, is part owner of the NBA (that's what he said), and has made and lost and made again millions of dollars (that's what he said). When David was telling about how his job hunting was going, this guy interrupted and told David he needed to march into whatever company he wants to work for and tell them, "I'm the guy you want. I'm the best there is, I can learn anything, and you can't get along without me for another day." Pretty positive thinking!

Actually, tomorrow David is going to work with a guy we know (I play mahj once in awhile with his wife) up in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv. Aaron Dovid is going to show him around the company and introduce him to some people, and hopefully he'll get an interview. On Sunday morning he has an interview at another company in Har Hotzvim, the industrial center in Yerushalayim. Our downstairs neighbor works there, and he thinks David has a good shot at getting that job. David is ready to to back to work. But wherever he works, he's going to have to learn Ivrit pretty quickly on the job.

I also starting working again for Yad Ezra VeShulamit , the organization that provides food for a lot of hungry Israelis. But I'm not going into the office - I'm making fundraising calls from home to people who made online donations. I started last Sunday night. In the one hour (that's one single hour) that I called, I got $100, $160 and $180 donations! And these were only my "shmooze" calls to thank people who have already donated! These were very kind people who want to have some part in alleviating the hunger and suffering of so many Israelis. I make a commission on anything I bring in, so if anyone reading this wants to make a donation, please let me know or donate online at yad-ezra.org and be sure to say that you want me to get credit for the donation. Thank you!

I seem to be typing okay. It's only when I try to straighten out my arm that it hurts. But not as bad as my ribs/stomach! I may sleep with a heat pack tonight.

I love Wednesday nights. No more class until Sunday. But our morah (teacher) gave us a LOT of homework; I should be working on it now probably. This week we've progressed an unbelievable amount. The funny thing is, I'm looking forward to going and am looking at it as a challenge that I'm going be successful in. Sarah is trying to prepare us for the test at the end, which we can decide to take or not take. The only reason for taking it is to go to the next level of ulpan, which would be Bet or perhaps only Aleph ploos. A lot of people say to take Aleph twice so it really sinks in, but I don't think I'd have the patience for that. Another 6 weeks of classes? No way, Jose!

David is really enjoying his nighttime learning classes. I hope he has the energy to keep going after he starts working; he doesn't get home until after 10 or even 11 some nights.

I'm listening to country music and crying. Sappy, huh? There's some really sad and some really beautiful stories in country songs. I still haven't found good Jewish music stations. David is going to re-build my computer and take all the extra stuff off so it will run better and faster, and then I can try to find some good internet stations.

All right - time for some dik duk (Hebrew grammar).