Little Doom-and-Gloom Break

Here's a post I thought about writing over Sukkot. Because I need a break from telling you stuff like BY loves the book Michal Asks Ima About Sirens, and his brothers enjoy listening when I read it to him. And that when I told Husbinator how much BY loves a kids' book about living with rockets, Husbinator said, "Good!" which is exactly how I felt, at least until I realized that I don't want my kid to totally connect to a book that explains what to do during real-life air-raids.

Right, so I won't tell you that. Instead, I'll talk about the water company.

Early one morning of Chol Hamoed Sukkot, while Husbinator was at shul, I got a text from the water company. "Hi there!" the text opened. "Is there any chance you have a leak somewhere? We noticed you're using an awful lot of water..."

"Hm," thought I. "I don't think we have a leak. I hope it's not our boiler in the attic spilling water everywhere... But that's the landlady's problem, so it's not a big deal, anyway. In any event, the attic is Husbinator's domain, as is the entire plumbing system, really. But I love him, and I know that message will stress him out. I don't really care, myself, but I'll have a look around after I finish my coffee. Man, I'm such a good wife."  

So I finished my coffee and had a cursory poke around the house. Nothing. I wandered outside and checked what I was fairly certain was the water meter. Yeah, that dial was spinning pretty quickly. Not that I know how quickly it usually spins, but that spinning made me think I should actually investigate. 

So I went through the house again. No water running that I could see. 

I looked in the front yard. No water. I looked in the back yard. No running water. I looked behind the sukkah. And what do you think I saw? I saw a wet patch on the ground. Hm. That didn't look too bad, but what could have caused a singular wet patch between our storage tent and the sukkah? 

I looked into the storage tent and stepped inside. My foot went, "Squelch." I looked down and took another step. My foot went, "Splash." I found an irrigation pipe under a toy mat absolutely gushing water. I put down the gushing irrigation pipe. I left the tent. I found random valves under the kitchen window. I turned the valves until the water stopped. 

I checked the water meter, whose dials were now absolutely still. I gave BY what-for. Husbinator came home, heard what had happened, and gave BY more well-deserved what-for. Then Husbinator secured the valves with zip-ties, because we know our son and we know just how far what-for goes with him. 

As soon as business hours started, I got a phone call. "Hi there!" said the helpful lady. "I'm calling from the water company--"

I cut her off and thanked her for the automated text. She brushed off my thanks and asked if we had taken care of the leak yet. "Yes," I assured her. "Well, actually," I backpedaled. "There was no leak. Our son made trouble. But we took care of it."

Now that's a useful service. I don't know if the water company here provides that service because they genuinely want to conserve water, or because we're entitled to a huge refund on our water bill if we present an invoice from a plumber for fixing a major leak. Regardless, I appreciate it.

Just Weird

BSM had a friend over this afternoon. I don't know if the friend asked or if BSM offered, but within two minutes of the friend's arrival, BSM was showing him our bomb shelter. Weird times we live in. 

BSM's tour was certainly best practices, but it brought to mind 4-year-old FF washing his hands with soap and water during Corona without anyone reminding him to do so. 

Contests

Rehovot runs contests fairly often. Post a photo of your family's sukkah/independence day decorations/fun day at the new park, and be eligible to win something-or-another!

Well, today Rehovot invited residents to post a photo of our decorated safe rooms on the Rehovot Facebook page. Winner gets a free tablet!

Routine

Luckily the boys decided to sleep in the bomb shelter again last night, and we let them, even though they are more apt to pull shenanigans in the shelter than in their rooms. 

A bit after the last of the boys fell asleep, the red alert siren went off. Husbinator and I grabbed the baby and went to the shelter. A minute later we heard the standard muffled booms, and then we heard a BIG boom.

I checked my phone. Nothing on my local ladies' WhatsApp groups. Nothing on official Telegram channels. I checked again. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. 

Finally, a solid 3 - 4 minutes after the boom, my groups began the Same Exact Conversation we have every single time there's a siren. 

(Actually, we skipped the "OMG sirens!" And " Why didn't I hear it?" "Why didn't my app go off?" stages. I think we haven't had that part of the conversation for a few days, now: maybe people are figuring it out?)

But sure enough, my chats filled up with the same pointless posts that go up every time:

Whoa, is everyone OK? 

That was really loud. 

Loud. 

Yeah, crazy loud. 

So loud!!! 

Hit or interception? 

Open area. 

Whyyyyyy? 

Where did it hit? 

NO, DON'T SAY WHERE IT LANDED! 

Who can I contact to install a shelter door? 

I did not know that I craved the comfort of this routine. Yes, everyone thought it was loud. No, it's not just us. As inane as the conversation is, it is good to know that we are not alone. 

Today I Feel...

I like the Hebrew much better, but here's the English:

Tehillim 80

For the conductor, to the roses, a testimony, of Asaph a song.

O Shepherd of Israel, hearken, He Who leads Joseph like flocks, He Who dwells between the cherubim, appear.

Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh arouse Your might, and it is for You to save us.

O God, return us; cause Your countenance to shine and we shall be saved.

O Lord God of Hosts, how long have You been wroth at Your people's prayer?

You have fed them bread of tears, and You have given them to drink tears in large measure.

You have made us the target of strife to our neighbors, and our enemies mock themselves.

O God of Hosts, return us; cause Your countenance to shine and we shall be saved.

You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out nations and planted it.

You cleared [a place] before it; it took root and filled the land.

Mountains were covered [by] its shade, and its branches were great cedars.

It sent forth its branches until the sea, and to the river its tender shoots.

Why have You breached its fences, so that all wayfarers have plucked its fruit?

The boar from the forest gnaw at it, and the creeping things of the field graze on it?

O God of Hosts, return now; look from heaven and see, and be mindful of this vine,

And of the foundation that Your right hand has planted and over the son You have strengthened for Yourself.

Burned with fire [and] cut off; from the rebuke of Your countenance they perish.

May Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You strengthened for Yourself.

And let us not withdraw from You; grant us life, and we shall call out in Your name.

O Lord God of Hosts, return us; cause Your countenance to shine, and we shall be saved.

Well.

I am not exactly in a headspace to write, but I want to write. So.

I didn't understand. When shul was so empty on Simchas Torah, I thought it was because people weren't comfortable walking all the way to shul, what with all the rockets in Rehovot between 6:00-9:30 am. But I was surprised by that decision. Turns out I was right to be surprised: people weren't absent due to the rockets. They weren't there because so many people had been called up to the army.

Auntie Em and Uncle En were here over Simchat Torah. (Mazel tov Dr. Wiggle Wumpus, and sorry it took us 4 months to get kiddush going for you!) At some point in the late morning/early afternoon, Auntie Em told me she may have misunderstood, but someone told her there were ground forces in the field. I didn't understand. Wow, the IDF went into Gaza? No, ground forces in Israel around Aza. An invasion by Hamas. I stayed very calm, because I didn't want to understand. Well, we'll check the news after chag, and we'll see. Nothing to do about it now, anyway.

At the community lunch after shul, the rav said it was OK that we had danced hakafot, and he compared this to other terrible years where Jews danced on Simchas Torah. I was confused. Of course it's OK! It's just rockets... I didn't understand.

After chag, Auntie Em was very, very upset. On the phone with her daughters, whose husbands had all been called up. Still, I managed not to understand. Even after skimming headlines, I wouldn't understand why she was so upset. But I didn't actually read the articles, not really, because I wasn't ready to understand. I was only ready to be pretend-devastated that there was no school tomorrow. Disappointing, that, but not really a surprise.

Yesterday. Sunday. I started to understand. I am in shock. I was and still am mainly focused on my kids. Kind of pretending it's COVID-time, where my responsibility is to keep the kids entertained and in line. My WhatsApp chats are so busy, so filled with people doing Chesed. I am overwhelmed. I donated some money, but I a confused.

Why are people collecting food and clothing and hygiene supplies for soldiers? Don't the soldiers have that? Doesn't the army supply basic necessities? I understand sending gift packages, but why are people making actual food, asking for underwear and toothpaste and flashlights and... what is going on? Is this for real? Or are people just needing to help, so they're... what? I don't understand. I read two articles, and now I don't want to understand again. Yes, it seems that basic supplies are actually needed, as the IDF hasn't yet ramped up enough to supply everyone they called up. I won't understand. I feel bad that I am not joining the wave of chesed, but I am overwhelmed. I will try to be good. I will try to be kinder to my family. I will daven.

I made a schedule for today, Monday. Things are better for me today, especially with the schedule. I haven't checked the news yet. I don't want to understand. Later. Maybe later I will join the massive wave of chesed, but maybe I'll just donate money and let other people do that, and play to my strengths. What are my strengths? 

Is this too upsetting? Should I not post it?

Yes, it's upsetting. But honestly, it's not upsetting enough. I have small problems: my family is safe.

Yes, I am posting.