Swirling Thoughts #61 – The path from deprivation to appreciation is a dusty one – best have a vacuum cleaner

When will they open the November appointments? Patience… patience! (Do they know how patient I am being? Will this somehow help me in the long run?)
Each time I pass my computer now I compulsively check the “Appointments” webpage of the US Consulate in Jerusalem for November availability. It’s the middle of October. This is NOT like when I would wait in August for Jet Blue to open up its Florida fares for mid-winter vacation. November is barely two weeks away! But what can I do? With that humbling knowledge (absolutely nothing), I wait. And I compulsively check.

I may not have a passport appointment but…
I got a new trash can!!!!!!!! It’s lovely and beautiful and (for the most part) functional and I’m telling you it has to be the most appreciated piece of plastic ever purchased in Jerusalem.

How we came to be trash can shopping today (yes, I played hooky from ulpan)
We brought with us (on the lift) a few area rugs to help ease the transition from wall-to-wall carpeting to wall-to-wall stone. On the one hand, it’s nice to step on carpet sometimes, especially when getting out of bed (how much more so when the temps drop and we bring out the down comforters!) On the other hand, the carpet sweeper (aka Shabbos Vaccuum) we’ve been using to clean the area rugs is a pitiful substitute for a real vacuum. When I look at the black feet prints on Becky and Rosie’s pastel area rug I start to think that maybe there’s a reason for stone floors and what are we trying to do here with these area rugs – maybe it’s one of those American things that just doesn’t belong here (like Tide – doesn’t work well with limestoney water).

And so, just a few hours after I contemplated getting rid of all the area rugs and being true to my stone floors, I saw my neighbor moving something that looked eerily like a brand new area rug into her house. I quickly shifted gears. Maybe we just need better area rugs! And more of them!

We bravely ventured into Jerusalem with 3 errands in mind and a scant 1 hour to complete them. (Usually the ratio is reversed – we allot 3 hours to every one errand). First the area rug store. When I had seen my neighbor with the area rug I nearly knocked her down, asking in disbelief, “Is that an area rug? Where did you get it? They sell area rugs here?” Not only do they sell them – they were half-off today! From area rugs we got to talking about vacuum cleaners – I desperately need one (to clean the area rugs!) and then I took a chance and asked her about garbage cans. She recommended I stop in the Keter plastics store after the carpet store and the vacuum store. They have lots of trash cans, she said.

And so it went. First the carpet store. Two area rugs purchased at half-off. Then the electronics store (across the street). The vacuum cleaner I want was out of stock but will be in tomorrow. I have every intention of getting it tomorrow. And then, the coup de grace…the Keter plastics store for a garbage can. We walked in and all you could see displayed were the fancy stainless lined cans with the clever (NOT) pull-out handle (which has been the bane of my existence since August). Bob asked if they have any other trash cans. The guy shrugged and pointed and said, “We have regular plastic ones over there.” Yes! Regular plastic ones! So just to give a little history, once in the Gush Center I saw a regular plastic Keter trash can and I told Bob, “Let’s get it!” He said sure and then he said, “But I don’t think you’ll be happy.” He went on to give a little demonstration. If you step on the step with any kind of force, the top doesn’t just open up. It flies off. He had me laughing so hard in the Gush Center I had to walk out. When we saw the very same Keter plastic trash can today in the Keter store, Bob asked the salesperson to demonstrate how it works. This guy definitely knew the limitations of his product. He stepped on the step mechanism oh so gingerly and demonstrated how the top opens up. I said I wanted a turn. I stepped a little harder and the top simply opened. So far so good. Then I told Bob to give it his all. He stepped with some force and the top went flying off the can. This time, amidst uproarious laughter, I authorized the purchase nonetheless.