Can't brag (as much), Can do the wash

עוף*

Hello, dear readers. I started this entry right before the picture in my hallway crashed to the ground (as enumerated upon in the previous few entries). Having properly processed the latter incident - with thanks to Leora S. for her assistance - I am ready to move on. And so...

Yo! Thank Heavens above, I just got a new microwave and am all set to properly nuke food (and hopefully not give myself some mysterious radiation-type disease in the process).

As I gently put my sweet potatoe in for a thorough tanning session (must employ euphemism so sweet potatoe does not run away in fit of fear), it momentarily perplexed me that all of the microwave commands were in Hebrew. I was all: "How am I supposed to know how to use the dang thing??"

Then I remembered that I do, in fact, know Hebrew and figured it out. And I had a lovely, if a little shriveled, yam.

On the topic of electronics, since I moved into my apartment 1.5 months ago, I've proudly saved money by doing without certain appliances, which include a TV, radio, toaster, washing machine and dryer (alot of people have washer/dryers here, as opposed to Manhattan, where having this combo in your apartment is akin to finding the Holy Grail). I continually bragged to any trapped soul about being so monk-like in denying myself these 'American' pleasures, which I explained are not really necessities to a dyed-in-the-wool Israeli like me (heh). Never-you-mind that I'm not exactly living in a Unabomber-type shack in some (hopefully enchanted) forest.

In any case, I finally broke down and got the above described microwave as well as a washing machine since I think they really are necessities - I mean, am I going to use a frying pan/oven to heat things up for an hour when I can healthfully nuke them in 15 seconds? And since time is money, am I going to clean my clothes at a laundromat every bleeding time I run out of socks when washing machines here are decently priced (and I even got a more environmentally oriented, and therefore fiscally prudent, model)?

I did hold off on all of the other electronics I named, including a TV (which this socialist republic taxes - I'm sure Obama would approve). My dad, who cannot fall asleep without the TV on, is probably in the process of disowning me (chas v'shalom!). For a while I thought I would go all hard core and stop watching any sort of programming, but then I came to the realization (with the help of the voices in my head that I began to hear) that the silence in my apartment was so deafening that this had to stop. Luckily there is a glorious thing called "The Internet". Perhaps you've heard of it? I can basically download all the shows and movies I want to see, for free. Nevermind that it involves my lying in bed with a laptop, and that the movies often stop at the most critical moment because of some sort of issue. It (basically) works for me!

And let me tell you, there is nothing like waking up in the morning with a laptop on your stomach.