Winter has arrived and a few other things...

No more "Indian Summer" if there was one this year. It's cold! Rains began pretty early, and it's already cold. Yes, my fingers hurt from the cold. And my feet, too.

Oh, are you wondering about the picture. That's the only sort of picture I can take during my exercise class. I was hoping the balls stuck in the ceiling would show.

It was so cold during the lesson that I couldn't relax. We exercise in what's known as the "Ulam Payis," a big Israeli gymnasium. Many communities have them. Some of the money comes from the "lottery," the "Mif'al Ha Payis." This way people "donate" and sometimes win and win big, really big. Apparently there are enough Israelis willing to part with their money for big prizes and big buildings.

In Shiloh, it's also used as a community center for major events, and for the school and various sports, including basketball and exercise classes. On Monday when I was there, all the upper windows facing east were open. It was much too cold. Only when we did the final "taps" at the end, did I warm up. The "taps" are a sort of self-massage to stimulate the body, circulation, lymph etc.

Today I went swimming and walked a bit and visited trekker's new apartment. It's a great location but needs work. Apparently it was built pre-electricity and piped water, since all of the pipes and wires are on the outside of the walls; none are internal. They're fixing it up. I just hope the landlord doesn't throw them out once they've renovated. I'm the worrying type.

Then I shopped in Machaneh Yehuda (the Jerusalem market) which is getting fancier and fancier and walked to the bus station and took the new bus and then I tried schlepping my bag on wheels up the hill. Luckily some girls in a car looking for the "mishkan," the Tabernacle, gave us a ride up, and I explained where the synagogue designed like the mishkan is.

And then I got all mixed up using photobucket, probably since I was hungry. So I had an early dinner, since I was starving. I had an early lunch, too, in a new place downtown. You know what they say about the "magic trick for success" in successful stores and restaurants--three things: location, location and location! Well, this place had it, right next to the bus stop of lots of buses. I was hungry, saw the sandwiches and sat down and ate. It wasn't even expensive.

I do have other things to do.