February 2018/Feb 2nd

Feb 2nd

We continue this week where we left off last week: preparing my mother’s aliyah.

As Esther continued getting our house ready for her mother-in-law, I was busy trying to take care of a dozen things which needed doing, on the Seattle end. So we were meeting movers, and estate-sales people, and bankers, and real-estate people.

We were packing, and tossing things, and getting a bit on each others’ nerves as the week progressed. More than a bit, to be honest; but fortunately we made continual progress, until we had pretty much everything all set for the movers.

They showed up Wed morning. They were there until late afternoon, when we had thought they would be done a lot earlier. It seems that we had packed a lot more than we had initially told the movers. The two gentlemen who came did an outstanding job, and were pleasant. It remained only to get to the plane.

I had arranged an airport shuttle for 03:55, and set my alarm for 03:00 on the theory that an hour would be sufficient preparation time. It was, but only by entering panic mode as the clock wound down. We had 7 pieces of baggage, in total; the driver was unhappy.

At the SeaTac airport, we were supposed to have a wheelchair for mom. But there was no such service at the curb, and there were also no luggage carts. So I went inside the terminal and found a wheelchair provider, got him to come to get my mom, and we lugged the 7 bags inside. Or, rather, he pushed my mom and the two small carry-on bags, while I lugged the 5 big bags. I’m more manly than I appear.

He took us to “the wheelchair line”, which was unmanned. He told us someone would be with us soon. He was incorrect. Eventually, I got the attention of an agent there, and she did take care of us. That was good, since I didn’t have the strength at that point to lug the 7 bags through the long line waiting to be checked in.

We then approached the TSA checkpoint, and were whisked through the line (one plus for the wheelchair), only to have to have my mom get “wanded” and her carry-on bag given special attention. Because most terrorist attacks in the US have been perpetrated by 90 year-old women in wheelchairs.

Eventually we did get on our flight, and once again the wheelchair was a boon. The flight to EWR was uneventful, and we got all of our luggage; so no harm, no foul.

We then ordered an “UberXL” (because we had so much luggage) and spirited away to my daughter Daniela’s place. She and her husband Jeremy are volunteering to host us this shabbat, despite our crankiness. They’re good people.

I’m really looking forward to this shabbat with my daughter and son-in-law! A short visit, and a short respite before continuing mom’s aliyah saga.

This shabbat Esther is yet again “out for meals”, while I am also out for meals, at Daniela and Jeremy’s. They and mom and I will have:
homemade ḥalla, baked chicken, stir-fried tofu and vegetables, and {sorry, I can’t actually remember the rest of her menu because I’m wiped out…}

Until next time,
shabbat shalom!

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