April 14, 2008

Just To Let Anyone Who Comments Or Emails…

…tomorrow or the day after know, any lack of response on my part will not be due to neglect, lack of interest, death, incapacity, abduction, meeting with foul play or failure to pay my Internet bills, it will be, quite simply, that I’ll be travelling and may not have Internet access in the process.

This particular trip will be an hasta la bye bye to Chicago (nothing against the Windy City, I think it’s a great town), it’s just time for me to be moving on. I’ve spent a year here, at least double the amount of time I’d intended (a sojourn in the Carribbean for the winter had formerly been on the menu, but I’ve simply enjoyed being here too much to leave as and when planned) and other experiences await.

But in the meantime, I am embroiled in packing, finishing up my taxes in time to meet tomorrow’s mailing-in deadline, packing, settling my affairs here in Chi-town, packing, and… yes, also some packing.

Did I mention packing?

And then, of course, there is the appetite thing. As soon as I publish this post, a very large ham, cheese and red onion omelet with from-scratch hash browns and 7-grain toast (I’m going through a bored-at-normal-bread phase just now that will probably last the usual few days, which by then will be time for Passover, which will mean no bread at all for several days) kind of meal will go into production. Breakfast for dinner, a novel idea! Brits I know do this all the time, and I applaud them for it.

And then, well, while I’m not a major fan of crunching on dry matza, I love matza bry (a fully cooked/ scrambled matza, egg & cinnamon dish) and also the simple expedient, going back to my days as a wee lad, of breaking up egg matza in a large bowl, pouring hot milk over it and then adding a ton of sugar. Mmmmmm………. Just no humotz (leavened bread or leavened bread products) on the premises, let alone eaten, coupled with the rememberance of why (upon leaving Egypt and slavery therein, the Children of Israel had to do so in something of a hurry –that tenth plague really convinced the CEO of Egypt that G-d meant business, but it wasn’t deemed a good idea to hang about and afford him the opportunity to change his mind — and there was simply no chance of waiting around for their bread to leaven — hence, matza) we Jews don’t eat leavened bread during Passover (Pesach, in Ivrit — Hebrew) Yum, matza! At least consumed as described above, or also devoured with a generous coating of jam — yum!

Digression aside, however, any lack of response on my part over the next day or two will be compensated immediately afterward.

Now, I think I need to do some… how do you call it? Packing…

by @ 5:39 pm. Filed under Travelling
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19 Responses to “Just To Let Anyone Who Comments Or Emails…”

  1. atheling Says:

    Seth:

    I love matza! When I was a little girl, I read and fell in love with a series of books called “All of a Kind Family”, which was about a turn of the century Jewish immigrant family in New York. In that series, there were great descriptions of Jewish holidays and food. I was curious about the food, and asked my Dad to buy some matza and gefilte fish, which he promptly did. I loved the matza, but didn’t like the gefilte fish, so my Dad ate it. I also remember being enchanted by Sukkot, because they built a little hut and I always had a childhood wish to see one in real life.

    Now you’re making me want to go out and get some matza - I love it with homemade blackberry jam (I have one jar left in the cupboard).

    Have a great trip, and Happy Passover :)

    P.S. - So what are you doing tonight? Oh right, PACKING! ;)

  2. Seth Says:

    Atheling –

    I grew up with gefilte fish, big time, except it came out of my grandmother’s kitchen and was infinitely better than the store-bought variety, and we ate it with red horseradish — Yum to the ninth power!

    Packing? Packing? Where did you get the idea that I am pack… oh…. Yeah, I guess I am. :-)

    Matza and blackberry jam are a match made in Heaven! Blackberry jam was the leading jam in my grandparents’ house, where I grew up for the most part, and certainly spent most of my pre-adolescence.

    Now you have me drooling with hunger, LOL, and this after I just ate…

  3. BB-Idaho Says:

    Whaa? The spring thaw finally comes, and you desert the place?

  4. Ken Taylor Says:

    Thanks Seth. I was all set to have shrimp for lunch and now you have sent my taste buds in another direction and I don’t know what to eat!

    BTW GET PACKING!!!! Good luck on the move. Looking forward to your return to the web. You know a good time manager would be able to pack and type at the same time ! LOL

  5. ABF Says:

    Damn… now I’m hungry again…..:(

  6. Seth Says:

    BB –

    You’re not kidding, thaw. Late this afternoon, back there in Chicago, it suddenly deigned to be 71 degrees!

    It was really time for me to move on. While, as I said, I think Chicago is a great town, for someone of my serious taste in fast, big cities (while it is a lot of other things, Chicago isn’t very “fast”, at least not in my book) and I felt sort of like I was in a state of slow stagnation from being there for too long.

    Desertion was mandatory.

    Ken –

    I once had a seafood omelet that included shrimp, and it was pretty good.

    I tried the simultaneous typing/packing thing, and the only problem was tossing folded clothes over the back of my computer chair and getting them to land exactly where in the suitcase I was aiming for. They often overshot, but then maybe I should have been typing with my left hand and tossing with my right, instead of the other way around. But then, on the other hand, I might’ve missed some of the letters.

    This multitasking ain’t what it’s cracked up to be, let me tell you! :-)

    AB –

    I’m not: I had a really simple dinner this evening, two immensely fat slices of Sicilian pizza with a generous sprinkling of crushed red pepper and oregano on each, and it was like heaven. Also as filling as a complete steak dinner.

    And it had been so long since I’d last had this — if only they knew how to do Sicilian pizza in Chicago, they might be the First And A Half City rather than the Second one.

    After this, I’m taking a walk over a few blocks on the upper west side, a block from the park, where I’m going to spend a few hours checking out some of my old hang-outs…

  7. atheling Says:

    Hey Seth, guess what I’m eating right now?

    (It’s thin, and crispy!):)

    So did you have a slice of pizza for me? I used to go to Ray’s, which was voted the best pizza in America. Now that was a long time ago… my college days…

  8. Seth Says:

    Atheling –

    Sounds like matzah to me, LOL!

    I went to Famiglia, on 96th between Broadway and Amsterdam. One slice had your name on it. However as you weren’t there and I couldn’t see allowing such a great slice of great pizza to go to waste, I was forced to make the ultimate sacrifice and consume it myself. :-)

  9. atheling Says:

    Lol!

    Well, sir, I appreciate your attention to duty. Indeed, crushed red pepper is how I like it too.

    Btw, looks like you’ll be around the crush of people who will be in NY because of Pope Benedict XVI - hope you like crowds! :)

  10. Seth Says:

    Atheling –

    The cab driver who drove me to the hotel and I were talking about that (not the crushed red pepper, LOL — BTW I also usually like to sprinkle on some garlic powder, but in the excitement of having my first Sicilian pizza in quite some time, I forgot), the Papal visit, I mean.

    There was something major (I forget what — some terrorist VIP or other being given official diplomatic status, I think) happening at the U.N. when I was here about 3 years ago and I’ve been in DC when stuff was going on that involved major foreign presences, and there are always a bunch of traffic complications involved due to security, like major streets being blocked to traffic, police checkpoints all over the place, etc.

    I often stay at the Benjamin when I’m in N.Y., which is closer to the U.N., so I’ve seen that first-hand.

    The cab driver recommended that I expect a few moving-about setbacks while the Pope is here. Luckily, there is a nearby subway station that hosts the 6 Train, which will take me directly to places I plan to visit downtown and also stops at 42nd Street, a major hub from which one can get trains to pretty much anyplace else one wishes to go.

    Speaking of whom: This Pope is spot-on in his conservative views, and while I’m not a Catholic, I hope his message reminds U.S. Catholics who have subscribed to left-leaning dogmas of their church’s views on moral issues upon which the leaders of American Catholic congregations and the congregations themselves seem to be growing lax, such as abortion, homosexual marriage and church participation, as to where the Catholic Church stands on those issues.

    I can only say that I am appalled at the leftism, political stupidity and anti-semitism that seems to pervade among so many of my own fellow Jews, and I’m not even a leader in the Jewish community. I can just imagine how His Excellency must feel. :-(

  11. atheling Says:

    Seth:

    It really burns me to see Nancy Pelosi and John Kerry kissing the Pope’s ring and going to Mass, when they support abortion and gay marriage. There’s already a buzz about whether they will go for Holy Communion at Mass when it’s apparent that they shouldn’t when they are not “in communion” with the teachings of the faith.

    Yes, I hope the Holy Father’s message will confirm the Church’s teachings on the issues - I think that’s why he is especially visiting with Catholic college leaders - whose straying (and subsequently leading students astray) from the teachings of the faith is almost as scandalous as the priest sex crimes. I really look forward to what he has to say to the UN.

    Seth, it seems that both leftist Jews and Catholics have allowed the “false prophets” of multiculturalism, political correctness and socialism to lead them astray from the truth. They’ve lost their moral compass, apparently. Makes me think of what Shakespeare said in one of his sonnets, “… lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds…” :(

    Well, any observations and experiences you wish to share during this time is very well appreciated!

  12. Seth Says:

    Atheling –

    There are observant religious groups that are urging the Pope to refrain from including such false Catholics from the Eucharist.

    Whether he will or not remains to be seen.

    Excluding the Kerrys and Pelosis would be a positive start in assuring believers that he is serious about enforcing Catholic doctrine and might give others pause for thought.

  13. Gayle Says:

    You’ll be missed, Seth. Have a great trip and hurry back!

  14. Your Jewish Master Says:

    And bring us all souvenirs of course!

  15. Seth Says:

    Gayle –

    Thanks. :-)

    I’m not near the computer that much, only when I’m back at the hotel — reconnecting with N.Y. takes up full days of getting out and about.

    Today, I covered the Canal Street scene; What an unholy mess, it’s like being in an overcrowded bazaar, about 85% Chinese (how many illegals there, one wonders), zillions of people, some with small, open shops, some with vendor stands, etc, hawking every kind of knock-off under the sun, from counterfeit watches to counterfeit “designer” items, the sidewalks packed… This one guy tells me, “Rolex”, so I hold up my wrist and say, “Tag” and keep walking, LOL.

    Then the east and west villages, lots of walking and looking, some shop and gallery browsing. On the upper west side, I had two (could only finish 1 & 1/2) enormous potato knishes at Alfie’s Delicatessen. Mmmmm, exquisite! They’ll be seeing me again!

    I’m awaiting a callback from a Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter who wants to question me re a violent incident I witnessed in her city the other morning, and afterward will be spending the rest of the evening in the hotel. Tomorrow, more exploration + a stroll through Central Park and visits to a couple of museums, then some Friday night NYC night life.

    I haven’t had this much fun in awhile…

    YJM –

    My only souvenir shopping here will be things to eat, LOL. You can’t even begin to imagine how much I’ve missed the pace, the pizza, the Jewish delis and the restaurants of New Yawk!

    Arabs have redefined the meaning of the word “deli” here (they are taking over that business), most of them know lots about falafel, but have never heard of a knish, lox, pickled herring or whitefish, so you really have to look around for real Jewish delis. Luckily, I found a website that will be a big help in that regard. :-)

  16. NH Meri Wido Says:

    Seth,

    Safe journey! I’ll think of you when I make Ama’s Matzo Brye…For the best deli and appetizing you still need to visit Orchard Street…pickles from the bottom of the barrel only (Pop’s shopping directive). Looking forward to you safe return!
    B.

  17. Seth Says:

    B –

    Matzo Brye, YUM!

    Orchard Street has become mostly clothing shops, though I know the pickle business of which you speak. I looked on the WWW, and there seems to be disagreement as to whether the store is still on Orchard or is now on Hester, or if there are two by the same name.

    I’ll have to explore more. I haven’t “crossed Delancey” yet. :-)

  18. NH Meri Wido Says:

    The Pickle place may be either on Ludlow or Hester…or on the corner of both…you know I’m directionally challanged…LOL
    When you do “cross Delancey” give my warm regards to Amy.

    I hope you plan to pay a visit to Ratner’s since it’s the best (and closest to the varnishkas and blintzes you grew up with).

    Safe travel and hope your Passover is Sweet.

    B.

  19. Seth Says:

    B –

    I assume the pickle place is Guss’s, right?

    Of course, Ratner’s is a must. :-)