Sunday, September 20, 2015

Sandstorms And Car Troubles (An Unfortunate Combination)

The night before the storm was calm and pleasant. It was cool and there was a nice breeze that prompted unwary citizens across the country to leave there windows open overnight. No one suspected what the oh so delightful breeze would bring in.

We awoke to dark and oddly colored skies. It almost looked like it should be cold and rainy but that could not be farther from the truth. Those unfortunate enough to venture outside were accosted by a wall of dust as it hung thickly in the air.

Holidays were just around the corner and there were things to do. After all, groceries won't by themselves!

Luckily for us, we had a car. Had being the keyword here. You see, in the weeks leading up to this point the car had began to get a little finicky. The gas gauge was misleading at best and the AC only worked if the car was moving at a decent speed. The car had also taken to overheating every now and then which wasn't entirely convenient if you were actually trying to get somewhere.

All of these things in mind, The Mad Man decided that it might be time to take the car in to get looked at. He very carefully drove the car over to the garage early in the morning and left it in their capable hands expecting to pick it up later that day.

Grocery shopping plans on hold, we anxiously awaited for news on our car. As the sun presumably began to set in the sky (it was hard to see the sun through the inordinate amount of dust) we grew worried that the garage hadn't called.

It turned out our car was in worse shape than we thought and to fix it, it would need a new part that was currently not in stock. From the look of things, it would be a while before we would be reunited with our dearly beloved van.

The fact that our car was out of order did nothing to stop the holidays from approaching. The Crazy Lady had a plan and not even an unexpected sandstorm or finicky car would stand in her way. Armed with excel spreadsheets and years of experience, she braved the storm and raided the grocery stores with expert precision.

Walking through the storm to the grocery stores was unpleasant. The humidity made the dusty air heavy and oppressive. We braved on despite the unwanted weather and made our way through The Crazy Lady's shopping lists.

Groceries in hand, preparations flew by in a flurry of flour and baked goods as delicacy after delicacy were churned out of the kitchen. The Crazy Lady cooked and baked her way through her menu plans while I stood around pretending to be helpful.

I found the mini donut pans and made loads of teeny tiny donuts, some of which even made it into the freezer to be served over the holidays.

Amidst the craziness, the family gathered to welcome in the new year. After a few days of the horrid weather, the sand and humidity began to clear up leaving behind a scorching sun and semi-clear skies.

Rosh Hashana was filled with apple challah's, lots of honey and my crazy but mostly loveable fambily.

We continued the festivities with a birthday dinner for my Safta on Thursday night. It was a fancy event with plenty of champagne to go around.

Now everyone is getting ready for Yom Kippur and then its onwards to Sukkot.

I hope everyone is having a sweet new year and a gmar chatima tova!