To Be Truly Loved

Just sitting down to write this I have tears streaming down my face. The past 24 hours have been some of the hardest/most moving hours of my life.

#1 - Yes it Sucks

#2 - Every time I get another text message I just start crying again by how much love/support we have.

My Father-in-law drives in my mother in law from boston so she can be with us then drives back to boston. My other father in law calls me just to check in. Both step sisters text me together to say they are here for me. Adam drives to the hospital just to give me a hug. My parents are emailing me at 3am to see how we are doing. Mindy emails me just to let me know she is there. I think the entire five towns is making shabbos for us (Mommy will be collecting all the food and serving it every shabbos straight through rosh hashanah). Suri jumps in her car to try to bring us breakfast. Rabbi Cohn shows up at the hospital at 1:30am to talk to us till 2:15. And the text messages and offers can take up pages and pages.

Rabbi Feiner likes to quote winston churchil "When going through Hell just keep going". We are still going through hell (Elisheva is sleeping now High on a ton of drugs) but to say how much easier it is to go through hell when you have hundreds of people holding your hands, words can not even explain.

Thank you everyone for everything you have done and may we zocheh to celebrate only simchas.

Tati Curts Questions

Tati Curt is writing a Poem and asked me a few Questions, Here are my answers (there was no proof reading).

Chaim, 

1. How would you describe yourself growing up?  Outgoing?   Reserved?  Witty?  Sarcastic?  What did you enjoy doing?  Interests? Any cute, funny story(s) are always welcome…whether self-deprecating or not!

2. How would your friends describe you growing up?

3. What did you always want to “grow up and be”?

4. In your words, please describe your parents to me

5. Describe what you were (or thought you were!) looking for in a wife

6. Describe the day and circumstance meeting Kellie for the first time.  If you know the date, that would be great as well.  What was the date you got engaged?

7. What did you think of Kellie the first time you met her?

8. If you wouldn’t mind repeating the story (in writing) of how, just to get your sister out of your hair, you agreed to go out with her.

9. When did you decide you were ‘in love’ with her…and is there a story behind that?

10. What qualities do you most admire about Kellie….and you can expand if you want!

11. What things about Kellie do you find quirky, funny, annoying?  Be specific if you can. Maybe a funny story or two?

12. If there was one thing you would want Kellie to know or hear on your wedding day, what would it be?

Chaim, I know I am asking quite a bit of personal info, but the poem will be very personal!!  Thanks so much for your contribution…and I am so looking forward to seeing the both of you “tie the knot”! 

Love you!

0. First of all I just wanted to thank you for doing this. Hope my answers are good enough and if you want any follow up just let me know.

1. Growing up I was socially awkward and quiet. In camp I always had friends but in school it was a lot sadder story. I had three best friends Shmuel, Rick, and Elefant (Daniel Elefant). They always knew me as out going and fun but to everyone else I was just the weird and quiet nice kid (No one ever hated me, just quiet). In 11^th Grade my parents got me a car it was a real self esteem booster. Probably starting senior year I started to get more friends and by the time I came home from Israel I actually had friends who were cool. I was a pretty boring teenager, never really did anything so bad, the most famous story was when I almost killed Elefant (but everyone knows that one, its overused at this point. I was always very close with my family growing up. That was also part of why I didn’t have so many friends. We all liked hanging out with each other a lot and had more fun than when we were with our friends.

2. A lot of my more recent friends would think I was crazy growing up. I probably didn’t get to be “crazy” until senior year. Also I don’t see myself that way at all. I still se myself as the quiet awkward kid. If you ask my highschool friends they will probably say im just the quiet nice kid. My friends from Shaalvim would probably say I’m a little on the wild side. I don’t think I was so wild, probably one story that people remember is that my second year I was obsessed with Israel food called krembos. It’s a cookie with crème on top and covered in chocolate and they come wrapped in this silver foil. SO I collected more wrappers than you can imagine and made them into a superman costume. But I didn’t want anyone to know so we did it in the upstairs bathroom and regular glue wouldn’t work so instead we used liquid cement. Yada yada yada… After getting high on liquid cement, 2000 wrappers and an all nighter I won best costume. (for your own enjoyment). If you want more stories from those faithful years I can supply them. I probably have more from Israel than High school.

3. I went through stages. First a Firefighter, than a veterinarian (I feel like everyone goes through these first two stages), than I planned on taking over my pops business, than an economics major because I wanted to have fun in college (and I did) (I don’t think an economics major is a profession, sorry for sharing it with you).

4. I love my Parents. I think my Parents are the best people ever. I think im probably most like my mother. I have a dry sense of humor like her. She doesn’t work but she says she is busy all day and we have no what she does all day. My Dad works like a dog. I don’t think there is anyonein this world who works harder or sleeps less than my dad. To throw on top of that that he is the head of the volunteer ambulance organization in our neighborhood is insane. As I am writing this he is leaving at 4:30 am to Florida because my grandfather isn’t feeling well. I cant have any better rolemodels than my two parents. If you need more examples I can go on forever about them.,,,

5. The joke I always used to say to my friends when they would ask me what I was looking for in a wife I always used to say “I wanna hang out with someone that I have more fun hanging out with, than hanging out by myself”. Looking back on that answer I guess it was a little immature. I guess I was looking for someone that balanced me. Someone who I can have a great time with as well as have a serious conversation with. Another big thing was I needed someone I was able to respect for who they are. I guess it was/is a little selfish but I wanted someone who I was able to look up to, and someone I can admire.

6. I met her a few days before Pesach. I was at my sisters house when she came to meet my nieces and nephews. (sorry I don’t know the exact date). Throughout Pesach we would hang out. My family didn’t like to be social and we also didn’t want to keep Kellie stranded upstairs by herself so we would all hang out upstairs on the floor outside the rooms with her. She wouldn’t talk much but she had a great laugh. I remember one time on Pesach where rumbles had an accident in the girls bathroom and he refused to come out. So I ended up just going in there and grabing him and laughing about it together.

7. Even before I met her it is important to quote Adam my brother in law “she is too cool and pretty for you” (I guess he underestimated me :) ). The fist thing I remember is that she had a great laugh. We would all be hanging out upstairs and instead of rolling her eyes like the rest of my family she actually laughed at my jokes. She also was legitimately nice to the extent that it almost came out fake. I just remember one time when Zev (my youngest nephew) was crying and she just rode up and down the escalator with him for hours.

8. I really thought she would never want to go out with me (see the beginning of #7). That really was my biggest hesitation. I thought she was too religious for me (still think it a little bit now). Shoshana was insistent and I said yes and thank God I did.

9. I think the moment I knew was when we were sitting on a park bench outside of Starbucks in Washington heights. We were just talking, hanging out, and I realized we were at this comfort ability level where we were just going to be able to work everything out. Sometimes you feel on dates that you need to speak every detail out and discuss every minute detail. ON that park bench I realized we were both commited enough and that this was going to work and last forever.

10. Oh wow. What a douzer (not sure if that’s a word).

      10A. I think she is the nicest person I have ever met – I don’t think that needs to be expanded on.

      10B. Great Laugh – I mentioned this above. She has one of those laughs that when it happens its     contagious  Everyone in the room cant help but smile and laugh along.

      10C. Really frum (religious) with inappropriate tendencies – I think she has one of the best relationships with God that I have ever seen. She always tells me how Hashem loves her and how he speaks to her (not sure that I believe that last one). Although she is so committed religiously we have a great time and can still crack a great joke (when necessary).

      10D. Makes you feel like you’re the best guy in the world – Who wouldn’t like that. She has this ability to be encouraging, supportive and always there for me.

11. This is a fun one

      11A. She actually thinks that Hashem (God) speaks to her.

      11B. She always tells me how she does not listen to English music with the exception of rascal flats but all we listen to in her car is rascal flats.

      11C. How she speaks out songs and complains its my fault she cant sing

      11D.She always tells me how she is really bad on the phone. Its just funny. Not that anyone is good or bad at “being on the phone”. Then she tells me its not only her but Nicole as well is bad at being on the phone.

      11E. Lezbehonest she loves the movie pitch perfect (the first word is a quote from the movie)

12. You Just have to wait to see :)

A Sick Joke

I think God has a sense of humor. Ma and Ta decide to give me the hardest jewish name of all time to pronounce and I am marrying into a family who (some) cant pronounce it. Soooooooooo the night before I leave to LA I get a voice memo from Sister Kelsie (no she is not a nun) of her and the rest of the family getting ready for me.

When preparing for a new guest, some prepare the house, others pick up food, Kelsie decided to learn how to pronounce my name.

PS: The movie from the previous post:

Ta's dream.... rain

It rained the whole shabbos and the Galandauers weren't home.  We survived.  We ate in yeshiva Friday night.... the kids love "tatties yeshiva."  Now they think when tattie goes to yeshiva all he does is dance (simchas torah) or eat (last night).  I havent heard from Elisheva lately, does she read the blog? Chaim, fix the video.  OK, thats it, BJ

My First Trip to LA 2012/2013

5:20 AM - I wake up to pack. This is when I realized I had no pants at home and all my pants were in the heights.

5:30 AM - Find a pair of white pants (yes white pants, BH I am already engaged) on the floor of my closet. Throw them on and throw a bunch of stuff into a bag to pack.

5:40 AM - Get lazy and throw white shirt and black pants in bag instead of taking extra carry on hangable bag.

7 AM - Leave for the airport leaving myself plenty of time for all the new years travelers.

7:30 AM - Get to airport

7:31 AM - through security, waiting at the gate, asking myself why did I get up sooooo early.

9 AM - 11:30 AM (California time) Flight (not sure if you know this but I have a hard time sitting still for long periods of time.

12PM - Kellie (in LA shes kellie) picks me up from the airport wearing a pair of red toms and a jean skirt (no comment necessary).

1 PM - We go to visit aunt Cathy. Aunt Cathy says that Kellie needs a "mini" facial so Kellie and I go to pick up Nicole, and Nicole and I drop off Kellie at Aunt Cathy's shop to get a "mini" facial, and Nicole and I go to meet the rest of the family.

1:15 PM - Pull up to Tati Curt and Lydias house. BH I was not able to shake anyones hand because my palms were so sweaty. We pull up and Kelsie hung up signs on the door to welcome me (Kellie tipped them off that I love signs).

4 PM - Were all hanging out having a great time. We hit it off right away. Nicole and Kelsie give me a quick tour or the house. We go down stairs with Tati Curt and he shows us the dance floor on where the partie is going to be. Corey (Kelsie's boyfriend) comes over and we all just hang out for this "mini" facial to be over. (I think im a little off with the times but the facial was around an hour and a half (Thank God Kelsie and Nicole like me or it could have got really awkward really quickly)).

4:30 PM - Elisheva comes back, we all go to the hotel together.

5PM - We have diner in Kelsie and Corey's room. 

5:30PM - Try to sleep

6 PM - Cant sleep

6:30 PM - I know im gonna be tired later

7:30 PM - Whats before part B .... PART A 

7:30 Pm - 2 AM - The party was a lot of fun and really chilled. I got to meet a lot of the family. Kellie and I hung out with tyler (Kellie cousin) and Corey a  lot (corey is the one wearing my Yalmuka in the picture). Tyler was my new years high five. 

2AM - Went back to the hotel and Nicole, Kellie and I had chips and salsa in the lobby. 

7:30 AM - Woke up because jet lag is stupid. 

9:30 AM - Elisheva and I went out for coffe and breakfast and walked around an outside mall near her house. 

12PM - Came back to Tati Curts house, had Breakfast #3 (also ate in the hotel before we left). Aunt Cathy said she never saw me without food in my mouth all 36 hours I was in LA.

1PM - Opened presents with Tati Curt (forgot to give him mine)

3:30 PM - Watched Drumline down stairs.

3:35 PM - everyone fell asleep watching drumline downstairs.

4:30 PM - we all woke up to watch the last half hour (with constant commentary from everyone not just me). 

7PM - Tati Curt, Cory and Kelsie, Kellie and I went out for chinese food

10PM - got to the airport

11:53PM - Got on the flight

11:54PM - Fell asleep

Sum Up: Its amazing how sometimes within 5 minutes of meeting complete strangers everyone just gets along so well. Thats exactly what happened when I got to LA. I wouldn't say I was nervous to meet everyone but more that I didn't know what to expect. From the minute I walked in they really made me feel right at home. After 36 hours in LA I feel like my Family has grown to include a bunch of new members (I guess its a good thing because I would be stuck with them anyway). 

PS - A video for everyones enjoyment. 

Thanx TA

I bought for the mishpacha (including Zaidy Melvin in Florida) restaurant coupons..... hundreds worth for $20.80! Now thats kollel! I dont know how to get it off my email to send it out... more technical info to follow.

Swimming in tomato soup

4 carrots
4 onions
16 tomatoes
was able to dilute 1/2 the soup.
MC just told me after three bowls he thinks hes allergic to tomatoes, how convenient?