Monday during the day, I accompanied Elisheva to the super market where we did some shopping. She also ran a few errands while we were out. It was a beautiful day if you stayed in the sun – it was rather chilly in the shade.

The boys came home and it was wonderful talking and playing with them. They are great kids. That night, my parents arrived – my brother went to the airport right from work and picked them up. It was tough though because the youngest needed to go to bed before they got here. The twins were still up when my parents arrived and that was rather joyous to watch. Irene, Elisheva’s mother, came over to say hello, but we cut the socializing short as it was almost 11 and eveyrone was exhausted.

The next day I brought over the gifts I had brought for the boys – some Bionicals and some mini-radio controlled cars. I spent the afternoon helping the boys assemble all of these. (Side note: Austin, Dug’s rotweiller, loved the mini-radio controlled car I had gotten so I knew how they worked – he was having a ball chasing it all over the house. Not a problem until he got it in his mouth. Had to be quick…)

Moshe had a program with his school that evening, and Sruli was head down into the computer playing Fifa which Mom (or Savta as the boys call her) brought for him. Apparently, he is quite addicted to the game.

Chemi, Etiel (or Yati) & I played around while Dad (or Zeyda as the boys call him) cuddled with Shaltiel.

After Moshe came home, Mom & Dad unpacked the big surprise present – a telescope. With that, the boys went to bed and the adults started to chat. Mom mentioned that she had attended a lecture on Jewish genealogy where they talked about a website called JewishGen She said that she and Dad were able to find my father’s grandfather (my great grandfather) in the voter registration roles for Romania. So, Stu went looking, and then I took over, sure enough we were able to fnd both my fathers paternal and maternal grandfathers. Unforunately, we had little to no luck finding much on my mother’s side of the family. What we decided to do is to post the info we have found and know in their database so if anyone else does a search, they will find contact information for our family.

At that point it was 10:30 and everyone was exhausted and so we went to bed.

Dug dropped me off at the airport about 3 hours before the flight. I checked in which took a few minutes, and then headed to security. Passed through but as soon as I stepped out of the metal detector, I was stopped and advised I had been randomly selected for closer scrutiny. So, my carry on was disassembled, I was wanded, and then I was frisked.

Finally through security, I wander into the terminal. I walk around a bit and then see Q sitting at the bar. I had run into her a few weeks prior at Fosters and when we discovered we would be fling the same day, I jokingly told her that I would see her at the airport. So, we chatted until her plane boarded.

I then sat and read for a bit before my plane boarded. It was a CRJ 40 and was only roughly a third full. Plenty of room to spread out.

Arrived at Cincinnati and headed to the gate to check in and confirm how much time I had. As it was around five, I grabbed a yogurt and relaxed before the next leg.

That was on a pretty full 767-300. I have to say that I like the 767s – big & roomy. Seven and a half hour flight time to Paris. Go to watch Wimbledon – I love Paul Betany. I had never seen it before – it was a really good movie.

Arrive in Paris and we don’t get a jetway. Instead they have these big buses which use hydraulics to elevate to the plane’s door, then open the entire front of the bus so you can walk on. When the bus is full it lowers and drives off to the terminal where it again elevates and lets you out on the second floor.

Then I have to navigate through CDG to my terminal – no easy experience which includes passing through security again. Yup – frisked.

Finally find my gate and sit and relax. But no, they change the gate – without making any announcements. And without any clear direction to where you are going – which is between two storefronts and down an alley.

Make it to the correct gate just as they start boarding. Of course, they target me for a routine spot check – third frisk of the day. Again its a bus ride to the plane – which is apparently parked in Versailles. After what seems like 45 minutes of driving around the airport, we pull up in front of a plane – presumably ours. And we wait. And wait. For thirty minutes. On a bus without seats. Finally we get to board – an airbus A320 also full. They apologize for the delay – and blame radio problems.

We get airborne and I sleep most of that leg. Pretty amazing since I was surrounded by high school students.

Finally the plane lands in Israel. The new terminal is beautiful – and big. Walk about two miles to passport control and sail through. Get to the baggage claim just as my bag comes around. Grab it, and walk through customs with nary a glance.
Walk out into the terminal and no sign if my brother. So, I go change some money and look for his cell number. Forgot to bring it. Call my folks – answering machine. Then I look up and see my brother. Call him over and head to the car. Of course, since it’s a new terminal, Stu isn’t 100% on how to get back to the car so we hunt around abit. Get to the car and onto the road.

We get to his house around 6:30 where the kids and my sister-in-law are waiting. Big hellos and Elisheva has to run out for work. So I chat with Stu and the kids until he puts them to bed. Then he and I grab a quick bite before he takes me to the neighbor who I will be staying with.

And then, to bed.

Its a bad sign when you need to go to the bathroom and think “ah, five stress free and undisturbed minutes”