So much to do, so little time

Wife and I have been so busy with prepping for our overseas move that I almost neglected to notice this spate of lower-than-usual air temperatures that has hit Long Island, drenching it with more than its usual share of rainfall.  Does it have anything to do with global warming?

As mentioned previously, we are staying with my wife's sister pending our departure in less than two weeks.  Their gracious availment of their home to us is eternally appreciated; they will, of course, be welcomed in our abode at such time as they come to visit Israel (which they have intimated may be relatively soon).  Various friends and relatives have been inviting us to dinner for one last rendezvous before we become geographically attenuated.  I will likely continue to work on one case I am now litigating, although I will no longer be the lead attorney for the party.

Meanwhile, I am spending most of my time at our temporary home, doing all kinds of paperwork, making and receiving all kinds of phone calls, and trying to get our load down to three suitcases each for me and my wife (total of 6 for those who cannot count).  Now is not the time or place for me to spill my guts about the various complications; we are focusing on looking forward.  My wife's new employer is very understanding of our situation, and has agreed that my wife will not officially start until four to six weeks after our arrival, provided that she comes in, unofficially, on a few occasions in order to (A) get her paperwork processed; and (B) attends a few seminars and workshops.  Inasmuch as they are giving her many perquisites not currently found in her present situation, my wife is quite happy with the deal.

And her "current" situation has all but totally wound down.  She stopped seeing new patients in March, has worked down her patient inventory to just a handful (who are in the process of being transferred to the newby physician in her department), and is assisting with some research projects.  Tomorrow is her last day on the job (though she will come in next week for a farewell luncheon); she will be taking the remainder as vacation days (which will give her an income stream during the first two months we are in Israel).  She now needs to think about when she will turn on her pension payments; she can start in as little as 3 years and change, or else delay it and receive bigger monthly payouts.  We'll see how we are managing and she'll make the decision.

I have just turned in my grades for the semester.  Nothing happened this semester that didn't happen in prior semesters; I had the usual gamut of students.  These included some jocks who were academically clueless, and one who is anything but clueless.  One uberleftist who had the good sense to not start up with me (though her grade would still have been in the A range even if she had).  I caught one student submitting a plagiarized term paper (and a poorly-written one at that).  But all in all, the average student was above average for me this semester.  I expect to some of them succeed in the future (one has already gotten a merit-based scholarship to a prestigious program).

But I am very, very busy.  It is very grating and tedious.  Sometimes I just need to take a break and write a blog post.

Oh, well, back to the grind -- After I grab a little belated lunch.

Thistles

I am not a Scotsman, and therefore, feel no need to coddle or tolerate thistle weeds growing in my back yard (though, in all fairness to the Scotsmen, it must be disclosed that I do imbibe their whisky, normally at least once per week.). Given my busy schedule, I have made relatively few visits to my own back yard during the past month or so, except to swim laps in the pool, when I normally do not wear my corrective lenses. And so, it only yesterday came to my attention that the beautiful pink flowers growing in the bushes by the fence were not just the minature roses, but were also the thistles going into bloom.

And so, today, after taking my wife's car to the shop and riding my bike home for the exercise, I decided to tackle the thistles before swimming laps in the pool. I put on the thick leather gloves, got the pruning shears, and proceeded. I was able to yank most of the thistle plants by their roots. I usually compost weeds, but these prickly nuisances were going to seed, so I placed them in an old cardboard box, which will go out with the trash and get burned in the municipal incinerator (which is run, under contract, by an energy-generating concern). I do not want those thistle seeds to propagate.

Then, after yanking out the thistles and some other weeds, including some Rhus Toxicodendron (commonly known as poison ivy), I dove into the pool and swam a few laps. My expeditious immersion into the pool no doubt spared me lots of itching from the Toxicodendron.

Where did the summer go? I was active, busy, and gainfully engaged in my profession, but this time around there was little opportunity to work in my garden.

And it looks like the pace will keep up. Once we get past the religious holidays, there is the distinct possibility of an excursion to Washington and/or Baltimore in late October and/or early November. Nothing definite yet, but things may have started to fall into place.

Rosh HaShanah is next week. I hope to be able to post again before then, but if not, let me wish everyone a good year. Shanah Tovah!