Ashdod

This morning we decided we'd try to free our belongings from the evil clutches of the shipping company. So I got in my car and drove out to Ashdod. It was a nice and quiet drive. I got to see the beutiful tracts of farm land, some looking very green and pretty, while others were brown and dryed out due to their owners keeping shmittah. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me, and we could've shared the moment.
Meeting up with the shipper was an OK experience. I did find out one interesting fact (which is related to my rent as I'll explain later). People in this country seem to base a lot of things on the dollar - even though now it's becoming a bit less due to the steep drop in the dollar. But that isn't my point. Even though the dollar ahs dropped, people still like to link the dollar to some past imaginary rate. My shipper had a "Congestion charge" (which just means that the port workers really want to strike, but legally aren't allowed to, so they just work slow) which they converted to me in shekels at the 4.0 rate - which hasn't been since Dec 17, 2007. So I asked them, can I pay in dollars, I have dollars, why not use them where I can acctually save myself something. But alas, they said
"Haha you silly American, you think you can try to save yourself a mere 70 shekel (which btw is now worth about $21) just because you come here and wave your funny looking green money around here. I laugh at you. Ha!"

Anyway, the rest was unevenful, just going through customs with all of my junk in a 20' crate that as they go through each item, my stomach twitches as I think, how in the world will I find a place for that? Can it fit in the elevater so they don't have to shlep it up the stairs? Will it fit in the stairwell? Can that even fit in the apartment?
Oy vey. Well, there's nothing I can do about it now, but if anyone in RBS A' is looking for some furtniture, they might ant to hang out around my apartment when they deliver the goods, as you might find a good deal on some furniture that just won't make it.

On my way over there I realized I was passing my Kibbutz Yavneh where my Mom's cousin lives. And as it happened I had something to deliver to them, and I even had it with me, so I figure, "Ah, hashgacha protis!". However I was let down as the kibbutzniks tried in vein to find my cousins and I had to left empty handed.

And that was my morning. I even got back before noon!