Day 2,659 in Israel

7:41am and walking through the Arab shuk en route to the Kotel after waking around 6:15am, peeing, making coffee, having said coffee and a bunch of cigarettes, playing poker until reaching 100 daily points for yesterday (the new poker day starts at 10am), showering, dressing, brushing my teeth, doing netilas yadayim and walking to the Kotel, stopping at Cofix on Ben Yehuda for a semi strong small cappuccino.

Yesterday was a fairly decent day until near the end wherein there was a mild altercation between myself and Rami Budow and getting told never to return to Kehillat Chaveirim and that the lock would be changed, reminiscent of my mother's house and the same being done there. In the good news department, I got to hold and play with some babies at a Shiva before that and 'earned' 100nis 'helping' Rabbi Dr. Michael Rose install a bar in his shower. I also ate fairly well at the shiva - pizza from Pizza Hut and later salmon, quinoa, cucumber and tomato and some type of bread pudding or apple something.

8:33am and almost finished Shacharis, currently reading the Tehillim for 29 Tishrei and received $20 cash from Laura in NY via Eliyahu Shain via Rabbi Einhorn's tzedaka, Kollel Vasikin. Next up taking off my Tefillin, using the bathroom, bussing to and having breakfast at Tahkemoni and then presumably today's portion of Chok, although considering travelling to Meron to pray some more.

8:54am and waiting for a bus to go to Tahkemoni and didn't use the bathroom - I suppose I'm either a little constipated or just not that worried, although my brain is telling me I should be, both for my physical situation and my spiritual one, somewhat worried.

9am and on the bus.

9:14am and entering the Geula part of Jerusalem.

9:21am...

9:35am and breakfast.

10:03am and finished eating, chatted a bit with Ben Lemman and now to confirm bus schedules to Meron and get going.

10:16am and nearing the central bus station and gonna try to use the bathroom before finding my first bus for the trip to Meron and hopefully not miss it - t minus 8 minutes.

10:21am and on the crapper and don't believe I'll make the 10:25am bus. Time to check other options.

10:23am and apparently the bus I was planning to get leaves at 10:30am, so maybe I will make it.

10:34am and it's confirmed. I missed the bus so heading to another bus stop to see about a different bus but at least my bowels feel clean.

10:44am and approaching Gesher Hameitarim where the bus stop I'm pursuing should be.

11:15am and no sign of the bus. What a surprise. Does anything go right in Israel?

11:30am and giving up. Gonna head to the light rail, grab it, go to the steps, collect until lunch and then Chok and back to the steps.

11:51am and off the light rail at Davidka after bumping into Ze'ev at the central station stop and he's gotta do something at the computer store near here.

12:10pm and in the post office with Ze'ev and no idea why I'm here other than avoiding the boredom and frustration of the steps. On the way we bumped into Ben Lemman and Ariel Lerner.

12:25pm...

12:35pm and almost by the Ramban.

1:20pm and gonna head to Colel Chabad soup kitchen after barely reaching the Gemara part of today's portion of Chok... so tired... and thinking of taking a nap when I get back from lunch.

1:29pm and lunch.

3pm and finished reading today's portion of Chok (from the beginning), including taking a break by the Gemara part to go the change place to deal with some dollars and get a coffee (no turkish or standard instant in the Ramban during off season now for some reason) and tempted to go back to the apartment and get socks, shoes and a jacket.

6:05pm and heading through the Arab shuk after some studying and potato chips and smokes and coffees in the Ramban to where Mo gets his smokes and hoping to get some more Camels for cheaper and maybe find a replica Tag Heuer Formula 1 watch for cheap-ish as I'd seen someone wearing one recently and he'd said he'd gotten it in the Arab shuk.

7pm-ish and supper and notification of 2 packages to pickup tomorrow.

7:44pm and heading back to the apartment to charge my phones and await a call from Shmuel Diamont as he has some small work for me.