Deliverance!

Hello World - Say hello to Yakira Miriam
Details to come......

Still Waiting Part V - The Final Frontier

Another day gone - spent in nervous tension.

This child really wants to make a grand entrance and have everyone on tenterhooks.

The in-laws even moved their flight forward 24 hours and never in our wildest dreams did we think we would be lounging around the house by the time they arrived and that included the 45 minute scenic drive around Jerusalem.
Why is it that no matter who else is in the Nesher - you are always the last one out?

Forget about things happening on Shabbat. Some 48 hours later and we're still waiting....

Still Waiting Part IV - A New Hope

No new yet but imminent - possibly....

Interesting Shabbat with the highlights being the blackout around 4am and the air conditioning going on the fritz.

In between that we finished two 500-piece puzzles and watched the clock.

Anyhow hopefully we have some news soon, but then again who really knows?

Either way may be up late tonight and that should come in handy with the Emmys taking place as well.

Still Waiting Part III

No news yet.

Was thinking about how the waiting for a person to enter the world is different to that of one who is about to depart it.

The latter is filled with reflection and contemplating. Looking back on a life's work and deeds while possibly questioning the meaning of life. Trying to assess the legacy that person will leave behind as well as coming to terms with what life will be like without that person around. Sadness and grief.

The former? Optimism and hope. Joy. Hope that the person will grow up and have a fruitful and productive life. Hope that they won't make the same mistakes we did. Hope that they will hopefully have the chance to live a life where man's ultimate goal isn't to destroy his fellow man. Looking forward to guiding the new person into the world and then giving them all the skills to ultimately go off on their own and tackle it head-on.

It is well documented how much the Torah and Judaism value life and what price they put on it. To give someone life is the ultimate gift and to think that B"H soon a new citizen of the world will be here courtesy of myself and Mrs Co.Il, well that is simply mindblowing.

The big money is on me fainting in the delivery room but I don't think so. I want to savour every moment and to be there right from the very first seconds of life.

Still Waiting Part II

Nothing.

Hope the child to be, will grow to be as patient as it is currently making us.

The only development is that Shabbas is starting to loom on the horizon and if anything does start to happen it will most likely become an issue.

Mrs Co.Il's sister jets in to Israel tomorrow which is going to be nice.

Additionally the in-laws (mine, not hers) are ready to hop on a plane as soon as they get the call.

But rest assured, as soon as there is news, you will be the first to know.

Still Waiting

Thus far have been inundated with phone calls, emails and text messages all asking the same thing - Any News?

No. Not yet.

Believe you me when there is news you will know all about it.

Till then have to suffice ourselves with basking in the glow of the Yankees sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway.

On The Cusp

Every day which passes isn’t just another day that makes us wait more. It affects the future of the person to be who is currently inside. Of course the birthday is in question but being born on August 23 or August 24 is no big deal.

What is a huge deal and is at stake is the star sign and we are looking to be on a one way ticket smack bang straight to the cusp.

August 23 is the last day of Leo while August 24 sees you enter Virgo territory.

There are debates as to when the Leo/Virgo cusp actually starts and ends but whoever you ask we are right in the middle of it now.

Persons born between two signs take qualities from both. So born about now will see you ruled by both the Sun and the planet Mercury.

The Leo/Virgo mix should result in a good-natured disposition and someone who is inclined to take life easy and is well-satisfied with both themselves and their in life. They are meant to be highly intelligent, methodical and hard-workers.

They are a blend of introvert and the extrovert (guess that’s the mixture of myself and Mrs Co.Il) which means the fire is there but it only comes out at opportune times.

It is modesty coupled with flamboyance and they make for good observers and judges of character. They are the most dependable and reliable of friends.

The greatest strength of Leo/Virgo cuspians is probably to be found in their creativity, attention to detail and inherent desire to be of service. They are also very giving and pick up on the little details that many miss.

Definitely sounds like our child.

D-Day

Well today is the Due Day and thus far nothing to report.

The first hurdle was to get past Shabbat and that's done for another seven days. Just makes it extra tricky if things start happening on the day of rest.

By recent standards, was relatively quiet for Shabbat. Six of us for dinner and just the two of us for lunch.

Now we have a wedding tonight in Petach-Tikva which we hope to stay the duration of, although the travel to and from PT is not going to be so easy for Mrs Co.Il.

Any news though and you will hear it here first and not that other place.

One Hit Wonder IV - She's Like The Wind

To be fair to Patrick Swayze, the fact that he is even a one hit wonder is surprising.



When I first heard She's Like the Wind I had no idea that it was him doing the singing, but all credit to him. He can sing pretty well.

It’s a good song which I think stands the test of time. Even more props to him for the fact that he also wrote it.

The song rode on the back of the massive success of Dirty Dancing but was overshadowed by I’ve Had the Time of My Life which took home a Grammy and an Academy Award.

It still did very well in the charts and you can hear it now and then on the radio today. Go to any Karaoke bar and you will probably hear it there also.

After being under the radar a bit, Swayze made the news recently for defending Mel Gibson after his outburst.

Good Times

Still waiting and no news yet. Maybe sometime next week.

Stall Etiquette

When you go to work not only do you have to do your work but you need to conform to a variety of social protocols and etiquettes. Such as giving money to someone who is collecting for a person who is leaving and whom you dislike intensely, laughing to your boss’ jokes and joining in the sports conversation even if you hate sports.

None of those are as tricky or as sensitive as deciding which stall or urinal to choose.

Do you think you know which is the right one to choose? Test your knowledge by playing this cute game. Sorry ladies, but the game only applies to men but you can still give it a try.

There are rules guiding you which urinal to select such as you can never use a urinal adjacent to someone else.

You shouldn’t even pick a urinal which is likely to have the adjacent ones occupied. Such being the case you are better off picking an end one. You can always take the easy way out and just use a stall.

Besides that you should be aware that there is no talking, no singing and no glancing.

You might think I am making a big deal of this but this is nothing compared to the ICBE which is the The International Center for Bathroom Etiquette. They cover every angle of bathroom usage such as using bathrooms in other people's houses and etiquette around the world. Quite interesting.

Six Days Seven Nights

Went to the doctor last night and all is good. Baby is healthy and moved around a lot after the appointment, giving plenty of grief to Mrs Co.Il.

Finished watching Season 5 of 24 as we raced through the final seven episodes. While some aspects of the storyline were ludicrous, some of the set-pieces were astonishing with some of the most gripping drama you will ever see.

Why don't we send Jack up to Lebanon to sort everything out? I'm sure he'll only need 24 hours to fix everything up. That's how it usually works.

One Week at a Time

The due date is now just one week away and even though the baby will most likely come late, we are on red alert status now.

Difficult Friday night for Mrs Co.Il. I was asleep all through it but heard about it in the morning. For a while, she thought the baby was getting ready to enter the world, but in the end it was a false alarm.

With nine people invited for lunch would have been interesting had we not been there. But we stayed put and had a fantastic meal with great company.

Went to Tal Bagels for lunch on Friday and Emek was teeming with people and traffic which was beyond belief. As crowded as I have ever seen it. Met the whole world at Tal Bagels which was nice.

Rounded off our stereotypical Friday in Katamon by purchasing a few things at Super-Moshava. A few things which cost 171 NIS.

One Hit Wonder III - Don't Worry Be Happy

How will music history assess 1988?

Well what were the Billboard magazine Hot 100 number one hits of the year which was led off by Faith and finished with Every Rose Has Its Thorn?

In between there were such memorable songs as Father Figure, Got My Mind Set on You, The Way You Make Me Feel and Red Red Wine but there were also more forgettable songs such as Never Gonna Give You Up and Foolish Beat.

One though stands out like a sore thumb and that is Don't Worry, Be Happy which topped the charts for two weeks in a row in September.



The film was from the soundtrack to Cocktail which also had a number one song with Kokomo.

DWBH exploded and was just another part of the wacky 1980s. With 10 Grammys, Bobby McFerrin may not exactly be a one-hit wonder but he had success here which was way out of proportion.
And just like Macarena and Mambo No. 5 you wonder what exactly was going on at the time, because let’s be honest these songs aren’t very good. Infact they are quite awful.

But But Don’t Worry, Be Happy was good enough to see McFerrin win three Grammy Awards and we’re not talking about one of the trivial ones they give out.

We’re looking at Song of the Year which saw him edge out "Be Still My Beating Heart" (Sting), "Fast Car" (Tracy Chapman), "Giving You The Best That I Got" (Anita Baker, Skip Scarborough & Randy Holland) and "Piano In The Dark" (Brenda Russell & Scott Cutler).

To give you an idea, which songs had won this same award previously? That's What Friends Are For, Killing Me Softly With His Song, Just the Way You Are and Michelle.

He won Record of the Year where he got the better of Anita Baker - "Giving You The Best That I Got", Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car", Michael Jackson - "Man In The Mirror" and Steve Winwood - "Roll With It"

Here he joined the company of Hotel California, Beat It, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Moon River and I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

Finally he won Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male at the expense of Phil Collins - "A Groovy Kind Of Love", George Michael - "Father Figure", Sting - "Be Still My Beating Heart", Steve Winwood - "Roll With It".

You name him, he has won this award as well. Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, James Taylor and Frank Sinatra to name a few.

Does DWBH really belong in this company? This wasn’t the Grammy voters getting swept away with the tide. They would have been voting for the awards months after it all subsided.

Sanity prevailed with Album of the Year which George Michael won for Faith. The three other nominees here were Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman, Sting - Nothing Like The Sun and Steve Winwood - Roll With It.

After this, Bobby McFerrin’s place in popular culture was secure. The persistent rumors that he was dead only consolidated this.

Only a matter of time before the remix is done.

Cruise Control

Suri Cruise is almost four months old and no one actually knows if she exists or not.

Apparently pictures of her are about to be released soon but what does that mean?

Without DNA tests, how do we actually know that the biological parents of the child in the photos are TomKat?

We don't know for a fact that Katie was pregnant.
If she was pregnant, we don't know for a fact that Tom is the father.

If there was nothing to hide, why all the secrecy?

Quiet Man

Another day, another day closer to parenthood. For the time being, not much is happening.

Done with 24 which has taken up all my recent evenings. Hopefully I can use these hours I now have up my sleeve to continue writing my book. Wanted to start last July and only ended up beginning in February. Have done about 100,000 words to date but much of it is a mess and needs intensive polishing.

If you ever want to brush up your procrastination skills, start writing a book. It's amazing all of the things you can do and think of doing instead of writing.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Not much happening.

Hope to finish Season Four of 24 tonight.

Two Weeks Notice

So just about to enter Week 39 which is really the beginning of the end or is it just the end of the beginning?

With it very difficult for Mrs Co.Il to negotiate our three flights of stairs let along walk outside in the searing heat, we have decided to invite everyone to us for Shabbas.

Last week was 10 people and yesterday was 12. Next week will be about the same. Thank G-d, Shabbat is now starting to finish at a more reasonable hour.

Good to see everyone now as, off the bat our social activities will be curbed.

At times Mrs Co.Il feels like she is feeling contractions or that her water has broken so guess that is a sign that we are pretty close.

For me, the real indicator is when she wants to start cleaning the oven. Then I'll know we're really close.

The Fast and the Furious: Part II

Wasn't easy but I got through it.

Had a headache earlier this afternoon but its gone now and mercifully the one I normally get around the breaking of the fast hasn't emerged.

Now breaking the fast on an assortment of things. Have already consumed two cups of Chai tea, some Melba toast, lemon sorbet, passionfruit sorbet and now about to have two slices of toast with Vegemite.

The Day Before

Often the day before the fast freaks me out more than the actual day of the fast.

Guess its that whole expectations vs outcome thing at play.

Make no mistake, tommorow is going to be a long, hard day.

Had some One Hit Wonder technical issues so it will be appearing tomorrow instead.

Home Straight

When we started doing scans the baby looked like a dot, then it grew into some sort of hybrid creature and now it is a person.

You can see the face and see eyelids and nose. Then there are the long legs which are causing Mrs Co.Il no end of strife.

We are ready. Just labor awaits.

From everything we have learned and all the preparations, I'm confident that it will go well but its easy for me to say. I'm not the one on my back having to push. But I will be there as motivator, breathing coach, masseuse, chef, et al.