Lots of odds and ends to write about today:
 
A. Hey! Blogger now has one-click commands for

1. creating lists
2. changing text colors
3. and uploading images. Do I have to pay to upload images? It's one of those things I have no time to look into right now.

B. Yesterday I was sick. Again. Not the cough this time. Just throwing up and a fever. Not good. I basically slept for 36 hours, except for the throwing up, lying in bed shaking and moaning, and watching a few episodes of Sex and the City on DVD.  One of my girlfriends introduced me to Sex and the City the last time I was sick, and I'm forever grateful.  God, that is a great show. It is so excellent for taking one's mind off of throwing up and having a fever. Is it appropriate for a Nice Jewish Girl? Probably not. But at the age of almost-32, if watching a smart, funny, entertaining show about relationships (and sex) is my worst sin, I'm doing really, really well. I don't watch it for the sex (though it certainly is a fascinating and educational aspect of the show).  I watch it because it makes me laugh so hard my Sprite comes out my nose.

C. Speaking of Sex and the City, Chris Noth, who plays Mr. Big, is in Israel this week. I looked into getting an interview with him for the paper I'm working for, but someone else is already assigned to it. Damn. I'd give an arm to have a conversation with Chris Noth. So close and yet so far.

D. In the bittersweet news department: My stint at my current paper is coming to an end in a couple of months. The woman I've been covering for while she was on a temporary leave is returning. And just when I was getting used to the rhythms of the job, and the regular paycheck! Ah, well. The experience will open doors, I'm sure, when I go back to freelancing. Plus, now I'll have the freedom to make a long trip to the USA to see my friends, my family . . . and my house before my parents sell it. I'm glad about that, but a little stressed about where to take my career from here. I'm much more experienced in "hard news" than I was a few months ago, but I'm not sure how much I enjoy doing it. I'm thinking about trying to get more into travel and medical writing. I also have an idea for a book I want to write, but it would involve a lot of research time in New York, and I'm not sure I want to leave Israel for the few months I'd need to spend in Manhattan to do research. I might also look into teaching adult education courses in writing, journalism, or English grammar (my first love), since I miss teaching.  Lots of choices, but only Hashem knows which will ultimately work out. So far He's been taking good care of me. I'm sure it will all work out, but it's hard to be at a crossroads. It could be that I'm more stressed out about it than I care to admit, and that's why I got sick.

E. Some creepy news: On Saturday night I went out for coffee at Caffit, a cafe on Emek Refaim Street, to celebrate the 9th anniversary of my neighbor's aliyah (she got the idea from the aliyah party I threw a while ago). It was just me, her, her aunt, and our other neighbor. We had a great time talking about the aunt's 15-year-old daughter, who is a free-spirited child in a very right-wing (religiously) school, and all the ways she manages to break the rules. The mother is hoping to transfer her daughter to a school with more freedom in September. I had a Coke and then went home, not knowing that I'd soon be throwing up.

Anyhow, in today's paper we find out that Caffit was almost blown up a week ago by a would-be suicide bomber (sorry, I can't provide the link because my browser is acting funny. I think I need to reinstall it). The bomber changed his mind in the last minute and walked away. This is not as creepy for me as it is for one of my girlfriends, who was actually in Caffit on the night it was going to be blown up. She's going to the Kotel to express thanks to God for saving her. At least there was a whole week separating the almost-bombing from my being in that cafe.

But it is still very creepy. Going to the Kotel might not be such a bad idea for me, either.