Damascus Gate and Being Sick :(
I've missed a couple of days, because I got sick Friday night. It started out as a headache that turned into a migraine all night long. By morning (I will skip the gross details) but my body was letting me know in multiple ways that I was not feeling well at all. I was quite dizzy too, and remained that way all day on Sunday as well. That is one of the longest-standing bad headaches I have had. Today, my head feels a bit better. There is still a lingering headache, and I am quite "swimmy" in the head, but I wanted to get out and try to be normal. Before I tell you about today, I will back up to Friday.
On Friday, Mark and I decided to be a little more low-key since we have been going everywhere and doing a lot. We took a taxi to the Damascus Gate, which is the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. There is supposed to be a good falafel place there, so we got falafel, wandered around, and were told at some point that only Muslims were allowed further on...apparently we don't look much like Muslims :) We backtracked and ended up at the Western Wall. I went on the "women's side" and took some pictures throughout the day. They are constantly doing new excavations all over Israel, and there are currently some happening within the Western Wall area. Apparently, when you plan to remodel your house in the Jerusalem area, they call in a special emergency excavation team to do a quick dig. It is amazing what they have found in these kinds of digs. It would be a little frustrating as a homeowner though. We then wandered around the Cardo and found the Broad Wall (see pictures). Afterwards, we looked around the Jewish Quarter a bit, found a good overlook of the Western Wall up higher, and then bought a good map book at a bookstore. We sat for a while and read through our travel book and looked at the maps. We then had lamb shwarma in the Jewish Quarter right before everything closed for Shabbat. We walked home, clocking another 5+ mile day. We have been averaging 5-7 most days. Friday night we watched the Three Amigos on our computer, but by that time my head was hurting a lot, and I fell asleep right before the end. As a side note, there are many different people that tote guns around Israel - all military (uniformed or not), police, and all kinds of armed guards. Anything from a grocery store to a restaurant may have an armed guard. Our grocery store downstairs does, as well as our post office, phone company, etc. You get pretty used to seeing them around, and you actually feel better about always going through basic checkpoints. Here are the pictures from Friday. I will make a new entry for today.
posted by Ruler of the Elves @ 8:21 PM
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Hey Aubrey, I haven't attempted to contact or reply in your past blogs/e-mails because I figured you were probably getting a gazillion. But here I am!! I just tried to call you from my cell phone but it wouldn't let me. Anyways, I am so glad that the move went smoothly and that you settled in safely. Sounds like it couldn't get much better for you. The pictures you have been taking are amazing and beautiful and I bet being there really makes you appreciate the common luxuries we experience every day here in the great USA. Ty and I hosted a BBQ today and Mom, Dad, Kyle, Charlie, Jacob, Sheri, Zach, Ben, Anna, Kort, Adrienne, Dan, and of course our family were here. So it was packed and hot but we had a great time visiting and the kids all played in the water and on the slip-n-slide. It was a great way to spend my birthday. It sounds like we'll be heading to Nebraska for Hayden's transplant because they are leaps and bounds ahead of any other facility in the country as far as intestinal transplants in pediatric patients goes. He has all his blood work and procedures scheduled for the next three weeks, and then we should be flying out for his evaluation. After that I may end up having to stay out there until he gets the organ, and then another six months after that. It's kind of depressing when I think about all the time that I'll be alone and being away for the holidays and everything, but I'm sure we'll make it through okay. I miss you guys so much and we all really enjoy the pictures and blogs. So trust me, it is not in vain (vein, vane???) that you do this. I'm sure I am one of MANY that checks this on a regular basis!!! Miss you lots. Love and hugs and kisses from all of us.
Mel
I, like Mel, tried calling 7 times this morn (June 26 here). I tried with the city code and without it and each time it says, "This call cannot be completed". Anyways, I need to know one thing before I get an MCI operator to try to get through to you. Do you have a land line or cell phone? The operator I talked to today said that if you have a cell phone that I do not need the city code (02), but if you have a land line I do. So I tried it both ways, but it didn't work either way. I need to know which type you have, anyways, so I can call them back and ask them to try for me. Thanks.
Yes, I got your message about the Outback Steakhouse gift card for Matt, but I haven't received it yet. Will keep looking for it in the mail.
I also called Cingular to pay your bill. I called the 800 number and the recorded message said you had a balance of $63.61 from a previous wire carrier. When I actually talked to a person (Darcy) she said you have no balance. Said this bill has been paid in full. Your last payment was $59.31 on June 12th. They cancelled your service as of June 16th. So, guess if I get a bill in the mail from some other wire carrier, then I'll pay it!
Received a check from PAC Properties (manager of your apt. in Newhall) for $55.00. Does that sound right? If not, I'll get you a copy of the paperwork that came with it. Let me know if you want that, okay? In the meantime, unless I hear otherwise from you, I'll deposit this into your account. I already deposited the $30.00 rebate check. I finally received my ATM/MC from Washington Mutual day before yesterday.
I had to look at all the pictures on your website at Mel's because our computer had a nervous breakdown trying to download all that on our slow connection and turned itself off!!
Mel just called me and asked if I can fly out to Nebraska with her on July 9th. They want to do all Hayden's tests out there with their own staff, etc. Guess that makes more sense with something as crucial as a small bowel transplant, but it is a long ways away! Pray about it with me. I guess if papa doesn't have a problem with it, I'm supposed to go. If he doesn't like the idea, Mel said LaQueita will go, but I think she'd really like me to go!
Well, I'm going to send you a copy of our latest church newsletter because there's an article in it on Kyle. He just happens to be the very first highschool graduate from New Hope Community Church.
Bye for now. I'll be waiting for info on your phone (land line or cell), then I'll try to call again.
Love,mom
P.S. If you get on the family website, you can probably see pictures of your new cousin, Noah Nathaniel. He's a cutie! Tim calls him the little guy and said he's beautiful and he is!
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