In My Spare Time

Wow. Things have been crazy. I've been working at the Golan Heights Winery for the past month. It's a temporary job and it's hard. The shift starts at 7 am and goes until either 4:30 or 7. At least there is a ride to and from. Sometimes I work in the warehouse filling orders and working on the lines assembling gift boxes. Other times I get pulled up to help with wine making and bottling. I needed to be checked out and certifed for that work. I've done a number of shifts in the champagne room. Champagne ages in the bottles, but the caps need to be popped off and the real corks put in. There is a maching to do this, but people need to run the machines and stuff. Also, when the machines break we need to fill in. I also help select the best grapes for the Yarden Pinot Noir 2009. It's going to be very good wine. It's interesting work. I get to learn bits about wine. But it's a long day at minimum wage plus lunch either for free or really cheap. And there is not much time for phone calls to potential full time employers. Worse still, I'm often too tired when I get home to do much networking and job searching.

But I am learning a little bit more. I have a chavruta with Noach, a new Katzerin resident. we are learning gemara Bava Metzi'a. Also, Ariel and I will hopefully resume our learning and I am trying to start a few other things as well.

Ayelet is up and about more now. She is largely recovered from the birth (she had close to the 6 weeks prescribed by Olivia at Odeliya's birth) and by necessity she is doing more since I am out of the house all day. Chaviva is still living with us and is a tremendoun help. Thank God for her. She is also making her plans for the year.

Netanel is doing really well in gan. He has friends and is learning stuff. Last Shabbat he came to shul with me and davened much of his usual davening. Then he and a classmate went scouring the shul for unclaimed candies from the Shabbat chatan. That friend is coming for lunch with her family tomorrow, which should be very nice. But I will need to get back to Shabbat prep in a minute, so I'll wrap up.

I have been learning a tremendous amount about myself while working at the winery. I am basically starting at the bottom, with a temporary job as a laborer. Hopefully I will be able to build myself up pretty quickly. I keep looking for opportunities Hashem will send me. As we go into Rosh HaShana I feel like this is the most prepared I've been in years, and it's not from learning Hilchot Teshuva (although that would also be good). I have been revisting healthcare in addition to efficiency and hi-tech. I am thinking about combining the two and I may go back to school for paramedic or nursing. Of course, we need income in the meantime.

The world is open to me (the world in the molusk of my choice). I just need to find my path and have the courage to follow it. If it means starting from the bottom, so be it. But it would be okay if I could jump a few steps on the fast-track too.

Shabbat Shalom to all. come visit us in the Golan Heights,
Yoram