A Wonderful Shabbat!

With plans to be in Beit Shemesh at the Smilowitz's for Shabbat, I of course scheduled my Friday with plenty of time to get there, via bus, before Shabbat.  I woke up at 9:30ish, went to the bank, worked out for a little over an hour, showered, and was on my merry way.  I took a bus from the main bus stop near where I live, called Aluf Sadeh, to the Coca Cola Factory bus stop.  I switched sides of the freeway by walking up and over, on a little bridge/overpass, then walked down and to the bus stop.  I got there at about 1:30- maybe a little before. I was waiting for the 497 bus, and in my experience with that bus I knew that it was often either too full or off-schedule.  But it's supposed to come every twenty minutes, so I was expecting it to come on the soon-ish side.  Of course it wasn't until 1:50 that I looked at the clock and realized how long I had been standing there with no 497, at which point I was kinda just curious about where it could possibly be.  At 2, I was overjoyed to see a 497 come around the corner.  And about fifteen seconds later I was super sad to see it drive right by me with a full bus-load of people.  So I started to get a little nervous, because in Israel the buses stop running at a certain time before Shabbat and Beit Shemesh is kinda far away.  I wasn't too nervous, though, so I only kind of started to think of a Plan B.  2:20 rolled around and no other 497 had appeared.  By this time I was getting progressively more nervous because technically a bus should have come, based on the twenty minute thing, and Shabbat was definitely approaching.  It was time for a real Plan B to arise, so I thought about taking a taxi.  The problem I had, though, was that I definitely did not have enough money in my wallet for a taxi ride to Beit Shemesh, so I would have had to do some serious bargaining/begging.  I looked at my watch at 2:34 and started to plan the words out of what I would say to the taxi driver.  Now I was nervous.  Not only was there no 497, but a taxi hadn't driven by in a really long time.  I kinda just felt stuck.  But, thank goodness, at 2:38 a shimmering, half-empty 497 came rolling around the corner and I was totally saved.  I don't think I've ever been so happy to pay a bus driver. 

I got to Beit Shemesh after a forty-five minute bus ride, called Michelle Smilowitz, and she kindly came to pick me up.  Crazy to see her after it's been so long!! Their house is about five minutes away from where I got off the bus, so we got there super quickly.  I walked in the house to see their awesome five kids, and a totally beautiful home! It's so colorful, bright, and welcoming-- I loved it.  I put my stuff down and set up my stuff for Shabbat, and we hung out for a little bit until Shabbat was about to start.  I went to synagogue with Rabbi Smilowitz and three of the kids, and despite the Ashkenazik nature of the minyan I enjoyed the tefilah.  There, I saw one of my madrichot because she was coincidentally staying up the street from where the Smilowitz's live.  So funny!  I had dinner at the Smilowitz's, which was so so nice.  Such great food, and awesome to be with them.  We definitely talked some Seattle, which is always a good thing.  After dinner I played a good game of Perpetual Commotion with Michelle and the two oldest kids, and afterwards I read for a little bit.  Before Shabbat I had made plans with my friend Devon, from NYHS, for him to come over, because his Yeshiva is super close to the Smilowitz's house.  A little bit after Perpetual Commotion I heard a Devonly knock on the door, and sure enough it was him.  I felt so badly because it had started pouring half-way through his walk, so he didn't have a jacket or anything.  I gave him a towel to dry off, and he came in.  It was good to see him because I hadn't yet seen him since I got to Israel, and we just hung out and talked for a couple of hours.  He left a little before 11:30, and I went straight to bed right after. 

This morning I went to synagogue nice and early.  Similar to most minyanim I've been to in Israel, they finished super early-- at 10:30ish!  Since my lunch plans weren't until 12, I just hung around at the synagogue and read for a while.  I headed towards my lunch destination at 11:25ish, and was surprised when I got there all of three minutes later.  I ate lunch at my Em Bayit's parents' house (Em Bayit literally means "house mother" but her and her husband are the family on the girls' campus for my program).  My Av and Em Bayit have been staying there for a little over a week because they just had their second child and obviously needed some time off.  I had met her family before, so I was excited to be at their house because I really liked them.  I knocked on the door, and was immediately welcomed with warmth by my Em Bayit's father. I knew it was going to be a great meal.  I came in and the whole family was just hanging around...  My Av and Em Bayit, her three sisters, her parents, and her Bubbe.  They really made me feel instantly welcome and comfortable, which is totally something I appreciate.  I think it's a unique quality that some families have, which is to be so genuine in hospitality that guests really feel immediately at home.  And I definitely felt that today.  SO nice.  We hung around for a while before lunch, then two other people who were eating there came and we started.  Obviously the food was totally delicious, but that was relatively unimportant compared to the company.  I really was able to "let my guard down" and enjoy myself, and I felt totally comfortable being there with the family and their other two guests.  Great. Meal.  After lunch and a great dessert we played a couple games, and before I knew it it was time for me to go back to the Smilowitz's for Seudah Shelishit (third Shabbat meal). 

When I got there I spent some time reading, talking to Michelle, and hanging around the kids, and after a little while we all sat down together for Seudah.  One of my favorite parts was that they had matbucha, but even better than that was that Michelle said she knew I liked it because she had read my blog. I loved that!! We had a really nice meal together, accompanied by some learning of the Navi Shmuel, and soon after Shabbat was over.  We made havdalah when Rabbi Smilowitz and Yitzy got home, and afterwards we cleaned up the kitchen/house a little bit.  After three of the kids were in bed, Michelle kindly drove me to the bus stop. We decided that I will definitely be staying there again, so I'm excited for that to happen! 

So I got to the bus stop at 7:15ish.  Guess what time the bus came... Anyone? 7:45.  Classic. Haha.  Of course the bus was packed.  And more-so of course the bus was all America back in the day; women-in-the-back, men-in-the-front.  I was totally ready to go all Rosa Parks on everyone until the only available seat on the entire bus was in the back.  I think it would have been a little too extreme to like sit on some man's lap, for example, in order to make a Rosa Parks statement.  I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have gone well for more reasons than one.  So I conformed to the ridiculous behavior and enjoyed by two-foot cubicle of jam-packed space in the very back corner of the bus.  Here's something about the bus that was a little confusing to me: it felt like Antarctica.  I mean, technically I don't know what Antarctica feels like.  But, let me just say that the temperature was not even normal.  I resolved that the last time I was that cold was during the snow storm in Seattle last February.  But I'm not even so sure that I was that cold at any point during the snow storm.  Point is, wow.  I was actually shivering, and I had real goosebumps all over.  Those are two things that never happen in the life of Julia Owen, so please recognize how serious I am when I say that it was Antarctica! And I had to deal with that for like forty-five minutes.  I tried to sleep, but I was too cold to sleep.  I totally just didn't know what to do with my freezing cold self, so I listened to music and blew hot air into my hands. 

When the bus finally approached the Coca Cola Factory, I was cold to my bonessss. Expecting a warmer temperature when I stepped off the bus, I was sorely disappointed when it was even colder because of the wind that was blowing.  Lame!  I walked to the other side of the freeway to the bus stop, and waited.  Of course no bus was coming, and I was freezing, so I decided to make the best of the situation.  There is a restaurant here called Burgeranch.  And there happens to be a branch right behind this bus stop, off of the freeway.  Why is this significant?  Because they have something there called Volcano Ice Cream, which is not only heaven but it is also totally dairy-free.  Here's what it looks like:

Guess what it is.  HOT brownie underneath amazing vanilla ice cream.  In other words, as I said, heaven.  I figured that it was a worthwhile investment and treat for having to wait for so stinkin' long for buses.  A bus didn't come for another half an hour, which was beyond obnoxious, but at least my taste buds and stomach were happy.  While I was standing at the bus stop, by the way, one of the craziest interaction I've ever had took place.  A very chassidish man, running while pushing a stroller to catch a bus came towards me.  He asked me if I would help him, and I obviously said yes.  Little did I know that helping him meant that he was going to basically throw his sleeping child into my arms while he put his stroller underneath the bus! So, yes.  I have officially held a completely random sleeping chassidish child at a bus stop.  Not going to lie, I actually laughed out loud when he turned around... I'm sorry but that was beyond unexpected.  At least the kid was cute. 

Thankfully the bus did come, and I got home safe and sound.  I'm about to go to sleep because I have Ulpan and Magen David Adom in the morning! 

Shavua Tov to all!