There are few things that tug harder on my soul than Jerusalem. Words are not adequate, Jerusalem is my true love, the one that I will never live without. There is an attachment, a bond that is not unlike that of child and parent. I am heartbroken and left diminished outside of her walls. In time I will return to drink deeply in the sights and sounds of my city. There is no other place that I can think of that has this kind of impact upon so many. G-d’s touch is upon the stones.
Archives for July 2004
My Blog
The loyal readership has reached out to me and spoken. Ok, the very few who read this and remark have made comments upon how often I update this Blog. There is a feeling that I could be doing more and doing it faster.
The answer is I could. I can be quite prolific and I could write more, but the question is why should I do this. I write because I enjoy it and I need to continue to practice so that I can hopefully keep it at a higher level.
I don’t feel the need to produce copious amounts of material because I find it kind of dull and cannot imagine that anyone else would find it to be exceptionally stimulating. Not to mention that I also post on a couple of message boards which probably explains some of why I do not always have much to say.
Listen to the silence around you and you will learn many things. Seriously. It is a good skill to have, to be comfortable with silence.
The Lakers
And for a post of a less serious nature I bring you my short rant about Jerry Buss. Old Doc Buss used to be the finest example of an owner in sports. He ran a first class organization in which he brought in the finest staff he could find and let them run the show.
Too many times we see owners get involved in something that they do not know much about. I know that they are the owners and that it is their money, blah, blah, blah stuff. But the reality is that none of us are experts in everything and sometimes the best that we can do is to hire a great team and let them do what they do best. And that often means you must get out of the way.
And now Old Doc Buss has forgotten that lesson. He chased away a coach that brought him 3 titles in five years and has so incensed the most dominant player in the league that he is demanding a trade. I am not interested in discussing egos or why Shaq/Kobe should shut up and play. This is not that different from the real world in that we see management do stupid things like this there too. Egos abound and sometimes your ego as the boss/owner can wreak havoc.
In this case even though Shaq is not the player he was, you will never find equal value for him. He is a key reason for the 3 championships and his presence means that the team will remain competitive. Why break this up early and risk losing seasons when you do not need to do it.
It is a sad time for Laker fans. Fox did this to the Dodgers when they traded Mike Piazza. And now it is 16 years since they last won a world series and almost a decade since they made the playoffs.
My weekend
As the baby countdown continues I have found that my weekends are getting busier. There are more “little tasks” that need to be taken care of. I have two toilets to fix, one here and one at my folks house. More reorganization of furniture and closets so that the new child has a pleasant place to to come home to. More cleaning of toys and paraphenalia that have been locked up since my son was little. Oy.
All I want is about a week to lie on a beach and just be. I haven’t been back to Maui in 8 years, but I am ready to step on a plane today.
My abba
April 28, 2004 will be a day that we will not forget, but it was really only the beginning.
It has been a long and twisting road waiting for my abba’s health to improve. There have been a number of rough spots during which we questioned whether he would come home standing or otherwise.
As of today’s tests we learned that his heart attack appears not to have been major and the damage hit a less important section of the heart. It was the endocardium of a lower section, or so it was passed on to me.
The graphic is nice, but it is not detailed enough to show the interior section that was hit. Back in my days as a CPR instructor I used to lecture about the heart, but that is not all that relevant for this discussion, just a nugget about me for the viewing public.
So now we have determined the need for an angiogram. It is not a question, just a question of when. The hard part is trying to determine whether it is better to continue things in New Jersey or to try and do this here in L.A. Once they go in there are a number of possibilities, but we do not expect anything serious.
My abba is not interested in going back in, and who can blame him. He spent about 60 days living in a hospital, but he has no choice. If I need to pick him up and throw him in the car he will go.
In the meantime the babycountdown continues. This plays it’s own role as there is a real incentive for the grandparents to get back to LA for the birth of the 5th grandchild. But I will not stand for rushing my dad’s healthcare just for this. My child needs a grandfather who will be here for the long run, if they miss the birth, they miss it. I don’t care as long as my abba’s health is not adversely impacted by this.
Baby Countdown
The baby is coming, the baby is coming Where is Paul Revere when I need him. It is July 7 and in a matter of weeks I will become a father for the second time. We have the names narrowed down, more or less. It seems like we are really close to selecting one for a girl and one for a boy.
So, you the loyal readers are probably wondering what those names will be. Get used to disappointment. I share much of myself and my thoughts, but the familia is my business. I am a nasty, angry over protective cuss when it comes to them. Ok, I am regardless of their involvement, but I get more ornery when they are in the picture. So I am not saying a thing.
It is so interesting, just so wacky, I am going to be someone else’s daddy. My son said to me “Abba, you are my daddy, no one elses.” I looked at him, smiled and explained that he would share me, but that he would share me with someone who would be very special to him. He can’t wait to be a big brother.
And what a wild year it has been, Jerry was right. What a long strange trip it has been. I have so many memories and so many stories that I could share, but I am ready for things to settle down. I am not sure that I was cut out to sail such turbulent seas with so much responsibility, or maybe I am. I am not quite sure. I try to make a game of it and say, is this the best that you have got. Show me more, bring your best and I’ll eat it alive. It is like playing hearts and shooting for the moon, I do it all the time. Big gamble, big reward.