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Okay, I'm sick. I t think it's my old ulcer coming back. I'm dizzy and nauseous and headachy, and food and tums help a little. And when I did try to vomit earlier, what came was a very little blood. Not a good thing.

I called my doctor. I have an appointment on Monday. And if I'm not feeling better by Sunday, Mom will just have to spend Mother's Day with my brother because I will not be able to deal. But I'm sure I'll be better by tomorrow.

And it's Friday afternoon and I have so much to do. Blech.

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We just got our amazon order, a seven book order with stuff from both J. and me.

It's...eclectic, to say the least.

The Crafty Reader by Robert Scholes. New ways of reading books. It's Jonathan's, but I'll be reading it.

The Beak of the Finch Jonathan Weiner. True evolution in our time. Jonathan's, but sounds fascinating, so...

Batman Unmasked Will Brooker. Analyzing the Bat. Mine, all mine. But J just might read it.

Death, Burial and Afterlife in the Biblical World Rachel S. Hallote. His, and I'll wait to see if it's any good. Not one of my interests.

Akira Vol 2 Katsuhio Otomo I thought it was for me, but *he's* reading Vol 1.

Comic Book Culture Matthew J. Pustz. Mine.

Love and Terror in the Gd Encounter David Hartman The legacy of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, z"zl, the late leader of the Modern Orthodox movement. Jonathan's.

This is what happens when Modern Orthodox science fiction and comic book fans order books.

New Toys

A few weeks ago, our living room TV, which is about sixteen years old, died. This is a set so old it didn't have a remote control. Luckily, cable supplied that for us. The sound had already died, so we were using the stereo system. The picture died as I was watching.

So, we were paying for a cable box and no real TV set. So we needed to buy a new one. We'd needed one for a while, so my in-laws gave us $200 towards one as a Chanukah present.

My mom came to see us. We took her out for lunch on Mother's Day. Does anyone else turn into a really whiny adolescent around their mothers? Let's take a poll.

I do. I get upset over trivia and get very loud. Thank goodness I don't curse, you know?

Anyway, after lunch, we ran a couple of errands - going to the bank, picking up some bar mitzvah presents and delivering two of them. These went to a pair of fraternal twins we'd seen growing up, and we're pretty close to their mother and new stepfather, as well as their older brother. We went to their bar mitzvah the Shabbat after we got back from Israel even though it was 7:30 AM. This is because we were still on Israel time, and, anyway, the synagogue was on our own corner.

So we walk to their house and give them their presents - a set of Pentateuch with commentary and a set of Jewish law (Mishnah) with commentary. Things every 13 yo boy needs. What, to us, was cool, was that the boys were excited about the gifts, and reacted exactly as if we'd gotten them a new gameboy cartridge. Well, one of the gifts. They were joke-arguing over the Bible when we left. Their mom was thrilled.

Meanwhile, on the street below us, there was a parade. Now, over the past few weeks, there have been lots of gatherings - the rally in DC, the prayer gathering on Wall Street, the Salute to Israel parade. All of them had political ramifications. This parade did not. Itr was a Torah dedication, with the new Torah scroll carried in someone's arms under a wheeled wedding canopy from R'Rosenblatt's house to his synagogue, and people leading it and following it, and dancing and singing. It was purely religious, and purely joyful. We stood and watched until the scroll passed us by. Then we went off to buy the toys.

So, now I have a 20" TV and a second VCR and it all seems too good to be true.

If only I hadn't turned into such a *kid*.