I should be writing a paper right now.

It could be a coincidence, 

but yesterday when I was walking around I kept seeing heart-shaped graffiti everywhere. 

The bleeding heart.

Happy V-day from militant lego-men.

I wear my heart on my wall.

I just thought this guy was funny.

And look what else I saw! Idiots. 

I told you it happens a lot. I've decided to document Israeli parking skillz.

This is my new favorite park to walk through.

There is trash everywhere.

Trash collection services are striking.

It's getting nasty.

Thanks to Alex Griffing for the photos from his fancy iphone.

I never want to forget this.

This morning I walked from my apartment for about 10 minutes and was at the Mediterranean Sea.

I met my friend Rose (Libbie's mom) for coffee and breakfast at a seaside cafe.

We chatted, drank coffee, watched the surfers and soaked in the warm sunshine.

After breakfast we walked along the tayelet (boardwalk), joining with scores of Tel Aviv-ians and tourists to enjoy the lovely shabbat afternoon.

Along the way we stopped and listened to a trio of older (Russian?) men sitting on folding chairs and playing music on two violins and a cello. 

I wish more than anything I'd had my camera with me to make a hard copy of this memory: 

the musicians playing skillfully and sweetly, the Mediterranean glistening in the sun behind them, children, couples, friends gathered around to just stop and soak in the beauty of the moment.

It's a moment that I will carry with me always.

אני אוהבת שבת בתל אביב
(I love shabbat in Tel Aviv)

this happens more than you might think.

Parking FAIL.

weather.com FAIL

It might not look as good in a photo but yesterday I thought it was foggy or overcast,

which was a disappointment because weather.com called for "abundant sunshine".

Evidently, this is what "abundant sunshine" looks like in a sandstorm.

Yep, we're having a sandstorm

...and I was just thinking about how I'm no longer feeling surprised by

 foreign realities (like recycling cages) as often as I used to be.

In any case, 

this time of year, the weather I'm used to looks like this:

Here- sandstorms are still a WIN.