Siyata D'Shmaya and Lunch Bargain

Yesterday I just had to get out.

Sunday is a day off, and we had been snowed in for most of last week.
I had an important "assignment," to get prices of the medications my parents need. I was hoping that the "mitzvah" would facilitate my travel. I needed the help, since we don't have a 9am bus. It's either around 8am, too early, or 10:30, too late.

Before leaving, I hung out two washes and planned on returning home on the 3:30pm bus at the latest, so I could take in the wash before the dusk humidity dampened it all.

By the time I got out, it was almost 9:30, the worst time for rides and a full hour before the next bus. Being Sunday, I also knew that there would be lots of competition for rides, if any car did leave.

Miracle! Before I got to the bus stop neighbors stopped their car, "Jerusalem? Get in!" If I had left my house a minute earlier or a minute later, I wouldn't have gotten that ride!

Bonus! First thing they asked when I got in was:

"Where is -- sitting shiva?"

Oops! I had forgotten that I had wanted to copy the address and visit (pay a condolence call) her. So we werent there before I checked out medicine prices.

Jerusalem looked gorgeous, post snow.

I walked and walked. It was time to eat lunch. I decided to budget myself a maximum of ns20. I wasn't in the area of cheap sandwich places. I also didn't have water with me, not smart. Finally, I made it to downtown Jerusalem and decided to try out the Holy Bagel. I peeked into the "old one" but decided to try the new one near Sambooki. Of course, I wouldn't go to Sambooki, since they didn't give me olive oil last time.

So I went into the new Holy Bagel. A worker was cleaning away "something" from one of the cream cheeses. That was a turn-off. Then I checked out the tuna. It had some of those, I've been sitting out a long time brown spots on the top. Puke! I figured that the girl was clearing a sign of "unfreshness" from the cheese, and to think she was doing it by the front door meant that Holy Bagel is off my list. So I continued walking.

I checked out the Cafe Hillel and noticed the sign for their "Red Box Breakfast Special." At ns19.99, it qualified for my ns20 budget. It's a great deal and like many "breakfasts" served all day. I had a tuna sandwich, a yogurt drink, cup of coffee and some olives. It was a "to go," so I couldn't eat there, but it was really a full meal. I had the yogurt later, on the bus home.