Blog/June 2018/Jun 8th

June 8th

Our sojourn in the Exile continued this week, as we helped the youngsters take care of the newest additions, and encouraged them (all) to remain calm. Esther and I well remember the emotional roller-coaster of new-parenthood, though it was “a while” ago. Patience, my children; patience!

I was given more manly tasks: fixing doors, securing cabinets, taking out the trash. I’m beginning to feel like a domestic.

Sarah returned to the Land yesterday; sad to leave her sister, but probably happy to return to her she-cave in the Land. I understand that yearning.

The babies are particularly cute and engaging when they want to be, then suddenly they’re not. Fortunately, the non-cute phase only lasts a short while, until they’ve been cleaned/fed/changed/held — or whatever it is they are yelping about at the moment. Like all babies. As sole grandfather in the house (at the moment), I can definitively proclaim their cuteness derives from our side of the family.

From the “kosher pork” files:

• An Iraqi leader says that Jews can return to Iraq now. I’m sure they’ll have to put up turnstiles to control the influx.
• Maybe Tom Friedman will take him up on the offer. Please!
• Facebook is concerned about your privacy. So much so, they just spilled the contents of 14M users’ private posts to the public. Nice security work, FB! You could be hired by the DNC.
• Microsoft has reached an agreement to purchase “GitHub” for $7.5 billion and “make GitHub better at being GitHub”. Not sure what could possibly go wrong with that! After all, Skype has improved so much after MS acquired them, it’s almost unusable. That’s a security feature.
• Just one reason why I hate Python.
• And for those of you who might feel you haven’t seen enough of the Obamas, never fear! Netflix is in talks with the Obamas to have them “produce a series of high-profile shows”. Because you need to be told what to think by your intellectual superiors.

Today Daniela and all the distaff staff will go to the pediatrician for the first “well-baby” checkups. I expect to hear only good news, since at the rate they’re feeding they’ll be mini-Sumo candidates soon. I’ll be left behind to sweep the chimneys and stoke the stoves.

Looking forward to a peaceful shabbat with pleasant weather! My sourdough starter finally started, so I’ll have the opportunity to larn my daughter how to sourdough a loaf.

The whole family (less Sarah) will be spending shabbat together. It will be my last shabbat in Exile for a while, anyway. The menu will contain (at least):
homemade ḥallah, spicy gefilte fish, sephardi-style stuffed vegetables, various salatim, and ice cream.

Until next time,
shabbat shalom!

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