I drove and drove and drove

I spent way to much time in the car in the past day and a half. Here’s a rundown

Wednesday
3:00 pm Nat and I played a racing game on XBOX, I think she beat me 4 of 6 races.
4:00 – 9:00 Drove to Pittsburgh. I ate a medium pizza on the way. Impressive stat, When I left, I called the people I was stayig by and said I should get there around 9. I pulled int their driveway at 9:00

Thursday 8:30 – 12:15 – went to Harrisburg. I didn’t do the driving, Sitting in the passenger seat can be pretty boring. I couldn’t really sleep though, since I was the navigator.

1:00 – 2:00 Meeting at ad agency – pretty productive, worth the trip? Yea… I think so
2:00 – 5:15 Back to Pittsburgh, again I didn’t drive, but still locked up in a car.
Interesting thing. At the end of the trip, my esteemed driver made a wrong turn, and drove past a church. There was a message on the billboard that said “you are iun the driver seat God has the map” Since I had the map, I think was saying that I was god. Did wonders for my ego.

5:30 -11:15 Homeward bound. I had a passenger with me, thankfully, because I was exhausted. I still drove the whole way, and had just 2 slices of pizza. (after the medium I had the day before I had to cut back.) This could have been an amazing return. We made great timing, didn’t stop one time, and we were on pace to get home in four and a half hours. But then with about 40 minutes to go we got stuck in traffic. We sat there for 47 minutes and drove about 3 miles.

I drove, or was driven over 1,000 miles, spent most of my waking hours in the front seat of the car. Now I’m in bed, and going to sleep.

Happy days are here again

Natalie just called me with great news (I am in Pittsburgh for the night). Once again we have free cable TV!!!!!
(good call Steve)

When we went to Pittsburgh we put our cable internet on vacation mode. When we tried to reactivate it, I wasn't working. The Comcast people weren't any help, they said they could send a tech out on Friday, That was on Saturday Night. We complained, and they said if they could get someone to see us sooner they will.

The whole time I kept saying, if we get free cable TV when they turn on the internet the wait will be worth it.

Well we got a call last night, asking if someone will be home between 2-5 in the afternoon someone will be over. Well the guy didn't show up until around 7:00, I had given up on him, and left for Pittsburgh, leaving Nat at home with the baby to deal with the cable people.

After he left I called Nat and told her how to check and see if we have free cable. She did and we do!!!!
once again I'm happy with Comcast

Tuesday Night Ball

For the past few months Tuesday nights have been missing something. That something was Basketball. But it was more than just the game, it was the people who played game

After I got married an dmoved back to Detroit, I didnt really know that many people my age who still ived in town. At TNB I met some of my closest friends, and Nat became really close with their wives, and it has made life really good here. I harte to wonder what life would be like if I didnt play ball on Tuesday Nights. I'd probably know the guys in the game, but would we have that connection?

Last night I made my return to the crappy courts of YBY (home of Tuesday night ball), my timing was off, I couldn't hit a shot, and I lost three of teh four games I played {that is actaully the norm for me:( } But it was great to be back

Nerves? nah...

I have meetings with two school districts that are interested in our program tomorrow. It won't be my first time presenting o a district, but it will be my time with the Boss observing. I'm pretty confident I know the material, and my training in radio school should help my presentation as well.

During one of our drives back from Pittsburgh Nat was watching a movie about a guy who was kidnapped (bear with me, there is a point to this story) . The whole time the kidnapper was telling the guy that they had to go to a specific spot, and that's where he would meet his bosses.

At the end of the movie (Spoiler time, although I don't know what movie it was) They get to the spot, and the kidnapper shoots the guy he kidnapped.

Before he shot him he explained, he told him they were going to this spot because this is where he envisioned killing the guy. He wasn't nervous at all, even though he never killed before, because in his mind he's killed this guy numerous times. This was just one of those times.

Where am I going with this, no I'm not going to kill someone, but I'm hoping that his plan works. In my mind I have given my presentation, I have even answered their questions that they may ask. I've gone over all the situations I can think of.

I didn't learn about this from the movies. When I was younger and getting in trouble I would always go through conversations with my parents or teachers in my head before I would talk to them. It has never worked. There have always been variables and the conversations I have in my head never match up with what happens in real life.

Well hopefully tomorrows meeting will be go smoothly, just like in my head, and no I'm not crazy :)

"This car has been reported stolen"

The drive back to Detroit (final trip) wasn't without excitement.

Nat and I drove separate cars, she started out with baby, both cars were filled with stuff.

I got a call from Nat, who was a few minutes ahead of me. She just wanted to warn me that there was a cop car hiding out. I checked my speed, going about 68, passed the cop, and didn't think about it. A minute or so later I look up and notice that police car is behind me, Checked my speed, still wasn't speeding. Looked in the rear view again, and noticed a second cop car.

This time the lights went on. I was so annoyed, I knew that I wasn't speeding. Maybe went 6 miles over the limit or something. But he, they say that OHIO police live Michigan cars, cuz they can charge on the spot. So I pull off the road, and both police cars pull off with me. The Officer asks for my license and registration. I know have to dig through the luggage sitting in my front seat, I find the stuff he wants.

I should mention that I am driving the AP's car. We had borrowed it from them when they went of to Israel in February . I should also mention that the car is actually owned by his father in law who we will call Verlander.

The Cop looks at my license and the insurance card, and asks me
"Whose car is this?"
"It's my friends he lent it to me while he's away" was my reply.
" This car has been reported stolen, please step out of the vehicle"

I step out of my car, and the cop asks me what's in my pocket. I tell him I have my cell phone keys and my wallet. The cop from the 2nd car comes over and asks if I have a gun in my pocket, and would I mind if he patted me down. I didn't mind, and he didn't find a gun.

They ask me to sit in the police car (front seat) while they check out the car. When we get in the car, the officer again asks me about the car. I tell him its my friends car, and we had reported it stolen a few months ago stolen a few month ago in Pittsburgh, and was found in Homestead (a city next to Pittsburgh) and we picked it up from a towing place.

So the officer, Dean (his real name) asked if he could call my friend, did I think he'd be at home or work. "Actually he's in Israel, but we can call him since he has a local phone number" So we try to call AP, but I had the wrong number.

I called Nat to ask for the number. I told her that everything was OK, I got pulled over for driving a stolen car, and I just had to call AP to straighten it out. She shouldn't worry just keep driving, and I'll see her at home.

We call AP, Dean speaks with him, and he verifies everything, gives him the number to his insurance company, and they could verify that I can be driving, and that the car was recovered. Dean then asks of AP has the number to Verlander so we could call him. Unfortunately, Verlander is in Uruguay. Dean looks at me and says "your friend is in Israel, and his father is in Uruguay, this is pretty international"

He then calls the station and tells them the new information that he learned. He still didn't believe me enough to set me free. As we sit in silence I couldn't help but wonder what made him run my license plate. I didn't ask because my fear was he got me speeding, and was just pulling up my information. The last thing I wanted to do was remind him that he originals wanted to give me a ticket.

Unbeknownst to me at this time Natalie received a call from the Pittsburgh Police station
"Is Verlander there?"
"No, this isn't his cell phone this is Natalie"
"well he reported his car was stolen a few months ago, and this is the number he gave us. The car has been found, and the driver is being arrested"
"WHAT?? The driver is my husband, and the car was found months ago by the Homestead Police!!"

The caller frm the police station told Nat that she'll call her back when she checks this out. AP meanwhile calls the Pittsburgh police, and his insurance company, to see what they can do. He gets in an argument with the police, because they just didn't communicate and that's what caused this whole problem.

MEANWHILE BACK IN THE POLICE CRUISER

Dean tells me that this isn't so uncommon, many departments have bad communication, they just have to check it out. He wanted to know if I had the reciept from the tow place. We went to the car, I looked through the glove compartment, and I couldn't find it. So we head back to the police cruiser.

I hear someone radio over asking Dean if she should send the toe truck to pick up the car. He tells them to hold off. I am having visions of spending Shabbos in jail in Lordstown Ohio. (For those familiar with the Ohio Turnpike I was stopped right next to the big GM plant, about 20 mile in from PA. )

(As I write this, I'm watching SNL, the skit that I being payed, is about a guy ho is being led into jail for driving a car that has been reported as stolen. The guy said it's his car, he reported it and it was found a while ago. They left him in the holding cell while they checked out his story)

Finally after an hour or so sitting in his car wondering what was going to happen he gets word from the Homestead Police that I am telling the truth and he lets me go.

Before I get out of the car, Dean shares with me how I got caught. It wasn't a trooper who ran my plates, there are sensors along the road that can recognize license plates. It recognized mine as stolen and alerted the authorities.

I call Nat to let her know that I'm OK, and to see how far ahead she is. She tells me she pulled over to a reststop, has never been more stressed out. I was like, "why? I told you not to worry. Then she told about the call she had received.

The AP's are coming back home in a few weeks, and we will return their car. But the stories and memories will forever remain.

"OUR PLEASURE"

I hate the saying "it's the least we could do"it sounds like you're saying if there was less that I could have done I would have done it, but still people use this saying a lot, when they are being thanked for something.

That being said

As I mentioned last week, We (we being work) had a meeting cancelled due to a death in the family of the person we were meeting, and we sent her flowers.

I called her today to reschedule and sent her my condolences. She appreciated it, and thanked me for the flowers.

As the conversation was coming to a close and we set up our meeting, she once again thanked me for the flowers, and I said "Our pleasure"

Slice of Life

Me (OUTLOUD TO NO ONE IN PARTICULAR)- I think the XBOX may be the greatest thing to happen to us.
Nat (IN THE OTHER ROOM TALKING TO HER FRIEND) What did you say?
Me - I said, "I think XBOX may be the greatest thing to happen to us...aside from Jonah.
Nat - I'm glad you added that last part

Diseased??

We made it alive and well to NY, the drive wasn't all that bad. For Shabbat we are staying with some close friends, who have twin girls a few months younger than Jonah.

Upstairs from these twins, lives their first cousin, I don’t know how old he. But he is the "villain" in this story. Early this morning we took Jonah over top play with these twins and he enjoyed their toys as any youngster would.

Little did he know of the danger lurking among those toys? See unknown to us, (and apparently the mother of the twins) the first cousin upstairs has hoof and mouth disease. And he also enjoys playing with, and licking the toys of his cousins.

Now he has exposed Jonah to this dreaded disease. (And the girls, but that really isn’t my concern) Seems like we won't know whether he actually caught this mad cow disease, for a week, when we should hopefully be back home. If he got all sick, it would really ruin our little vacation here.

Gitmo

In general I stay away from writing anything political, this isn’t difficult cause I don’t care much for politics. However I was listening to Gregg and Michelle on Live97.1 (streaming audio rocks) and they were talking about the "torture"

that was being dealt to the terrorists there. I believe they called their mothers whores, made them wears bra's and called them homo's. Not the nicest things to do. Much nicer then blowing up innocent civilians, killing women and children, but still it's not friendly.

This produced some outcry among politicians, most notably Carl Levin, a Michigan Senator, who was outraged by this treatment. I'm outraged by the people who are outraged. These "people" don't deserve the same civility regular people do.

They gave up that luxury when they started cutting off the heads of POW's, blowing people up, and in general resorting to terrorist acts. I think we have to stop being so damned PC about everything. They should be happy that this is the extent of the "torture" and it wasn't worse.

I’m currently reading a book on Elie Cohen, the super spy for Israel in Syria, I'm up to the interrogation part, and I don't want to speak for him, but I bet that he wishes all that happened was that they called his mother a whore, and told him every one knows he is gay.

Man plans and G-d Laughs

My mothers favorite saying never rand more true (truer?) than today. I came to work excited about our meeting in Harrisburg, I even wore a suit!! and then we get a phone call from the agency that we are meeting with. Hopefully its just a confirmation call, to say that the meeting is on right...no.

Unfortunately the woman who we were supposed to meet with had to take a bereavement leave for a days, and obviously and understandably we have to be rescheduled to a date unknown as of yet.

Here is where things get interesting; we decide that the right thing to do is to send flowers. But we don’t know died, just that it must have been someone close to her. So we start going through the obituaries, hoping to get lucky, which we do.

We find the funeral home and all that, but it doesn’t say where to send flowers,. So I call up the office, and ask where can we send flowers, and the girl I spoke with said she wasn’t sure, they were looking through the paper to see where the funeral was.

I knew that info, but I didn't want to make it sound like i was stalking this lady, so I kept that to myself. In the end we called the funeral home, and they gave the info we needed, and we sent her the flowers.

All Star game

Does anyone else find it funny that Derek Jeter is in all the commecials for the Baseball All-Star game, but didn't make the team

Free XBOX!!

No I'm not giving my beloved XBOX away. Brian sent me a link that said I qualify for a free XBOX 360, which is the new XBOX, and supposedly really cool. SO i went to the site to see just what kind of crap I have to do to get this XBOX, which costs around 300 dollars.

Turns out all I had to do is fill out a survey about some products, just yes or no questions, do I want what they have or not. So far so good. I clicked no for each and every one. at the end, they said I had to sign up for two things on page 1. So i signed up for a citi bank card and a Discover card. Because they didn’t cost anything. So it was time to click on page 2. There it gave more things for me to sign up for.

At this point I gave up. I doubt that I would have gotten a new XBOX, and besides I think my regular XBOX would probably get jealous if I went with the newer sleeker version, and what kind of message would that send to the baby, if I was always looking for something better and nicer. He may be afraid that one day we'll tire of him, and find a better kid, one who sleeps through the night, takes regular naps and doesn’t spit so much. So since I didn’t want to instill that fear, or values in the baby, I decided to quit going after the XBOX 360.

(P.S. as I write this, Citi Bank calls me up to verify that I applied for the card, and told teh guy, taht I did, but only for a free XBOX, I didn't want the card. He laughed, and told that I was almost accepted for teh card, and its no annual fees and free balance transfers, since I need a card anyways in my name, I told him to process it. If i get screwed, I'm gonna be sooo pissed at myself. )

My name

IS my name that hard to pronounce and understand. For those whodont know me its Shauli (pronounced shoe-lee, or ryhmes with Julie) anyway seems like everytime I recieve a callback from soemone who IO left a message for (work related) they cant even begin to pronounce my name. I know what you're thinking, that I speak to fast or slur my speech. but I don't, i say my name slow, and i REPEAT IT!! if this keeps up I just may have to chnage my name..any good ideas?

Detroit- great sports town

this a great article, a must read for all

ESPN.com: Page 2 : There's no place like Detroit

funny story

I came home from work today at around 3:20 or something, and I noticed a guy just sitting in his car in front of my house. I didnt give it much thought, and forgot about him. About an hour and a half later, I went to take Jonah out for a walk, and he was still there. Now I began to wonder, why is that guy still in front of my house. So as I walked I would turn and look behind me, to check if he thought since I was out of my house, it would be a good oppurtunity to do whatever it was he was planning. He did get out of his car, and I saw him walking into the shul/school that is across teh street from me. I called up someone who is in charge of teh shul/school, we'll call him Magglio, to see if he was expecting someone. He said he wasn't, and asked if I go and see what the guy wanted. So because I live for dangerous missions, Jonah, who was sleeping at this point, and I went in the building to snoop around. We walked through teh main floor, and didnt see anything strange no people an dnothing was out of place. I went out and called Magglio to say that his car is still in front of the house, but I didnt see him. i also didnt check teh second story, which si where the main synagogue is because I had Jonah and he was sleeping.
Maggliodecided to come by and check it out. He came by and we went upstairs, and sure enough there was teh guy from teh car sitting in on a bench in teh lobby of teh main sanctuary. He got up when he saw us, and asked for a job in teh maintenece dept. He said he waiting for us to come by. The guy, who we'll call Rasheed, informed us that Lord told him to stop by, and wait for us to stop on by, and Whala, here we are. Magglio told him thats great but he couldn't do teh hiring because its contartced out, and he should stop by on Monday morning. The guy said OK, and then reminded us that the Lord told him to wait and we showed up. Magglio still didnt seem that impressed.

Work

Usually I don’t blog about work, but today has been what we hope is a breakthrough day for our company. I work for an upstart media sales company; we are offer a new media outlet for companies to advertise on. Since our media is new, companies have been slow to jump on board. Today however I set up a meeting with an ad agency that is very excited about us. I was so pumped up after getting off the phone with the agency. Most people I speak with ask that we send info, then they spend forever looking over it (one guy told he hasn’t had time, I should call him in a month. I sent him one piece of paper, half of it has pictures, it can’t take that long to look over) but these people were interested, and said suggested meeting next week!!! I also spoke with another potential client and they were intrigued but asked that I send out info, since the marketing director is crazy busy with three new facilities opening up in a short amount of time.but hopefully they will work with us in the future.

programing note

Nat, the love of my life, has started her own blog www.donutsmom.blogspot.com therefore I am no longer shu or nat, im Just Shu. One day when I have more time, I may even switch my url to Justshu. ill keep you informed

communication

They say "Communication is the key to a successful marriage"

On most days I come home from a long day of work, ready to just lie down and relax. Nat however has different plans; she has spent all day with the baby, and trying to get work done. So when I get home, I'm in charge of the kid, and Nat will run out to the store, or the gym, or buckle down and get some work done. Relaxing for me, I think not.

Yesterday when I got home from work the house was empty. I sat down on our couch (really it's a mattress, we don’t have a couch in White Oak house) played some XBOX and was able to just relax.

When Nat got home we went out for dinner, and she mentioned how she felt bad that she wasn't home when I got there. I let her know that it was OK, since I had time to sit back, and play games. Nat said "had I known that you don’t mind me not being home when you get home, I won't rush home, and maybe I'll schedule some of my shopping for later in the day.

I know that hanging out with the boy is stressful, and in a perfect world I would love to get home and just talk to my wife, but to come home, have Nat run out or work for a few hours, it's just tough. I also don’t want her to never be home when I get there, but every know and then, it isn’t the worst thing in the world

See what a little communication can do, had we not had this conversation, there would be more times when Nat is rushing home to be there when I get home for work, and I wouldn't have time to relax until everyone is asleep.

a little morbid

A Pittsburgh Steelers fan, or former fan I should say, has made national news recently. Basically he passed away from cancer, and had the viewing at his funeral set up to look like a typical Sunday afternoon during football season. He was in his chair, with his feet crossed, a beer and pack of cigarettes next to him, and a High Def TV playing Steelers highlights. His family friends said this is how he would like to go. I think this is a interesting idea, trying to jazz up a funeral. Purely hypothetical since, as a Jew we don’t believe in viewings we just go in straight to the box. But if you could what kind of send off would you want. Even I think that this guys set-up, while original, is pretty shallow (I hope I didn’t shock my readers to much with that statement) I think I would have a family set-up, maybe set the viewing up like my family BBQ have mannequins dressed up to represent my family, that would be fun and interesting. Even if I wanted to imitate this guy, as a die hard Lions and Tigers fan, I think I would just depress everyone even more by making them watch highlights of the Leo’s and Tigs

What, no fireworks?

Happy 4th everyone!!

July 4th is synonomous with a few things, BBQ, parades and fireworks. We took care of the parade first thing in the morning. the annual Oak Park parade. Honestly parades arnt my things, and this one was on the lower tier of parades that I've seen. luckily we were there with my brother sis in law and their kids. That made it more enjoyable. I don't think Jonah could care either way, and watching it with little kids who thought it was cool, did make it enjoyable. We didnt have plans for a BBQ, we had one at my parents last night, so we ordered burgers from the BKC. it did the job. We had fulfilled two of the three Mitzvos (commandments) of the Yom Tov (holiday) July 4th The rest of the day we had no plans, in our fair city the fireworks are shot off in the middle of June for some unknown reason. They used to do them on July 2nd, over the U.S. - Canadian border, it was a comrmise between the two independence days of these two countries. That tradition has since turned ino all teh fireworks in the city re doen in June, its dumb.
Anyway Nat decided to go out shopping for a whilein teh afternoon, and I saw anchorman for the third time this weekend. (unbelievable movie) Thats when fate intervened, Nat called me from teh store, that our the Thompsons came through in the clutch and were having a BBQ, wow two BBQ's in one day, the Greenbaums were also coming. thankfully D.G had bought a box of firecrackers from some kids in front of 7-11. Nothing big, just some sparklers, poppers, and a few that shot out sparkles in green and yellow. It wasn't what was intended when they said that fireworks should be shot off in the 4th, but it fulfilled the basic commandment, thou shall see fireworks.

Firsts

Today was an excting day for Jonah, he went to his first Detroit Tigers game. This wasn't his first baseball game, he's been to daniels little league game, and two Pirate games in Pittsburgh. But he's a Tihers fan, and he went to the game in full Tiger uniform, looking very cute. He didn't cy even once, o complain about the heat beating on his little head. After we got home we went straight to my Parents and went swimming, Jonah first foray into the pool. He loved it, he's a natural swimmer, he as kicking his feet and using the kickboard, move over Michael Phelps, (8 time olympic medal swimmer) here comes Jonah. He capped off his crazy day by playing is first game of baseball, sort of, he was thrid base for teh beginning of the game. then he crawled over to the other side of teh lawn and became first base. I feel that he has grown alot today as a person and a man. (if only he'd sleep through the night now)