America and other stuff
We celebrated America’s 250th birthday this year. I never get political, but I was thinking how our grandparents and great-great grandparents thought America was THE place. They came from Europe, with nothing, less than nothing, saw the Statue of Liberty, went through Ellis Island, and started living the American dream. They had to learn the language, some had to work seven days a week to make ends meet — but they were living the dream.
My political statement is that I feel the dream of America has been diluted over the years. And that I will not be around when America turns 300. Those are my two thoughts on the situation. I have got nothing else. Also, my grandparents and I think even some of my great grandparents all were born in America.
My daughters-in-law’s families have different stories. I know for sure that one daughter-in-law’s grandfather survived the camps and another daughter-in-law’s great grandfather survived the camps, and every time they have a baby (thank God and should be in good health) I feel proud that my sons are helping repopulate what was lost. Is that weird? I look at it as an actual blessing, for so many reasons, but that one in particular.
Ok, enough serious stuff.
Let us talk air conditioning. Like other great inventions that help us live better lives, I am convinced that air conditioning was invented by a woman who was going through menopause. I am not even going to look it up for you, because that is how sure I am.
Almost 26 years ago, at Son #3’s shalom zachor, it was so hot. We did not have central air at the time, and my father-in-law, of blessed memory, said, “That’s it. I am getting you central air.” So when we learned during the most recent heat wave that we were going to have to replace part of it, I looked up toward heaven and thanked him (I did thank him many, many times while he was alive) for improving the quality of life of the Ganchrow family of Teaneck. When you have a third floor that used to be an attic but was converted to bedrooms — before my time — it gets so hot up there you can see the steam rise from the carpet. It is a great science experiment.
Over the past few weeks, I was beginning to wonder why, when I was walking down the block, I could still hear the outside ac unit chugging away. I couldn’t really hear anyone else’s unit, so I figured that was a bad sign.
As I am leaving Husband #1 to fend for himself for a few weeks, I could not leave the situation like that. We had to replace the unit. It’s only money, right? Takes so long to make it and five hours to say goodbye to it. As my grandmother would say, it should be a kapara.
And while we are on the subject of Husband #1 fending for himself, don’t feel too badly. We have wonderful friends who have/will invite him for Shabbos meals and he has, really and truly, the best wife in the whole world. Oh, wait, that’s me.
If you look in my freezer, you will find individually frozen and labeled meals for almost every night that I am not here to give him leftovers in person. Don’t worry, there are dairy meals for the nine days. And I froze some ashes because he said he needed them for his hard-boiled egg on the eve of Tisha B’Av.
Wait, Husband #1 can make a hard-boiled egg? Nope. But Wife #1 learned from google that a hard-boiled egg can stay in the refrigerator for about seven to nine days, so if I make him said egg the morning I leave, it will still be good when he needs it. Best. Wife. Ever.
The pantry has been stocked with Stella Doro cookies and parve sandwich cookies. There are pretzels. There is Fanta. There is toilet paper. We had a tutorial in using the dishwasher. We still have to go over the washing machine and dryer situation, but I have a feeling he will just use his emergency supply of underwear.
We should only have good health and peace, and then everything will be perfect.
Banji Ganchrow of Teaneck is very grateful. Hoping you are all enjoying your summers!!