Rebuilding Eilat

Today is the 45th day of the Counting of the Omer:

Never be in too much of a rush to stop and come to the aid of someone in need of help.

This morning, there were no tourists and few Eilatis on the tayelet:

Some rebuilding along north beach:

The Dan Hotel's umbrellas survived the storm; its board walks did not:

I saw Alessandra's mom and sat with her for a while. Alessandra came out of the sea like Bo Derick. (I guess a more high brow reference would be Aphrodite, but Bo Derick is who came to my mind.)

I walked in the surf for a while:

Below is a view of the Dan from the water. The storm waves reached all the way to the bottom of the red "rocks" beneath the Dan's water slide.

(I peaked through the gate and saw Ayoub, Pavel, Damien, and two other men I didn't recognize, cleaning up the pool area.)

A nice place to read and enjoy the views:

On my way back to the bus stop. I window shopped for a new burkini (SunWear was closed), actually purchased two pairs of harem pants, and chatted with workers at Misedet HaMifratz (The Gulf Restaurant)-- they will reopen on Wednesday!

In the news:

• Israelis are celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the withdrawal from Lebanon. That means 14 years of (relative) peace.
• The left and right are demonstrating outside the PM's residence, so loudly they drown out i24's reporter.

Tonight begins the 46th day of the Counting of the Omer:

Make sure the story you tell is one that speaks to your highest aspirations, and tell it regularly.

Gold Ray Quest - Descent

Pictures from the homework assignment that I just submitted.

Bright moments

Easy day because of a little help a friend had already offered me. Beautiful day because I'm in Eilat.
 
I was familiar with the bus stop and bus route to the doctor's today because Arlan had volunteered to come with me to that office the first time I had an appointment. (Bus 6 in front of the sefriyah.)

Today, I didn't know the bus schedule, but luckily arrived just seconds before the bus, and I didn't have to stand in the sun for an hour. After I got on the bus, Arlan texted me with a reminder of which streets and neighborhoods I'd travel before getting to my stop all the way across town. It felt good to recognize places in the city; the information he has been giving me on our walks has sunk in!

The last time, Arlan and I had gone to the mall from the doctor's office, so today I had to ask him which bus to take back home and where to catch it. I waited perhaps 60 seconds before it arrived. (Yay!) I could have gotten off on Yerushalayim HaShleima near WIZO, but stayed on much longer. The bus seemed to meander away from where I was headed, but eventually I recognized HaTivat HaNegev. The walk back to my apartment was short and the weather wasn't too hot.

The therapist's appointment was a big disappointment, not the chance to talk that I'd been waiting and waiting for. But when I returned home, I discovered that my internet had fixed itself. Thank goodness!

Poppy?

What a great day!

The full moon of Elul hung low in the sky as I walked across town to meet Arlan during his daily walk. We went up into the hills above Eilat as the sun rose.

When I returned home, I found a message inviting me to meet the girls for coffee this evening. This is how life's supposed to be! 

(Except for the part about income.)