Happy Endings

I don't really believe in the adage "things happen for a reason." However, the last several days have really been fascinating in terms of their orchestration by whomever, whatever, or just by coincidence.

So last I wrote, my purse was "stolen" and Wrote some top 10 list about it to be witty and try to cope with being very upset about my trip being delayed and losing so much money, although my parents generously offered to help me recoup it.

After posting I decided not to mope. I went on a long walk in the 30 degree weather. I called one of my best friend's, Amy, who I never talk to because when I'm out of work is her busiest time with her kids. We talked for about 30 minutes about our lives and did some nice catching up. I also talked to my friend Suzanne and saw her son Gabriel. When I came home I called the contractors who redid my kitchen and asked them to come over to see my place and maybe will finally move forward with some much needed work on my condo. That night I went to my brother and sister in law's and hung out with my nieces and just enjoyed being with them immensely and felt exponentially better after I walked in and Ava gave me a huge hug.

Saturday I went to the gym, had a great work out with Chris, then the manager at Bally's gave me a new card, told me he'd pray for me given what happened to my purse, and I saw my old trainer Bart and gave him a big hug. (I miss you so much!)

Afterwards I talked on the phone to another one of my oldest friends, Jeff, and had probably the first serious conversation we've ever had in our 30 year friendship. We spoke about how you can find value and truth in so many belief and scientific systems: medicine, psychology, homeopathy, and then we questioned whether there is value, given all of the fighting, hate, pedophilia and battles in religion.

We agreed that in religion there are truths and there are values that can, at times, be good. I'll get back to that later.

Saturday night I went out on a date. I won't say more about that, but sometimes I am too busy/too discouraged to date, and I went and it was good/maybe I'll never see him again. Don't ask me about it, please.

Sunday I went to Florida. I was welcomed with open arms by Melody, Dalia and her friend. We had a nice afternoon and evening. The next day was also great, although rainy, and I got in touch with another old friend Lisa, and chatted for a while, although we didn't end up seeing each other in Miami. Sunday night, Melody and I met a couple of nice guys from Spain who we hung out with and I spoke broken Spanish to.

And then Monday I got the call.

A woman in Bartlett, IL found my purse. The phone call was shocking because my purse had disappeared on Friday. I didn't ask her how she found it or why she waited four days to call me. I called my parents and brother to let them know and then I posted on Facebook about it. I wasn't sure how I was going to get out to Bartlett, IL, and was a little wary of going to some one's place, when my friend Heather, who I met sophomore year at IU and reconnected with several years later in Chicago, said she worked in Bartlett and would pick up the purse for me in the mobile home park where the woman lived.

On my way home from the airport, sunburned, I picked up my purse from Heather (Heather gave the woman $100 at my request) and was reunited with the money, the purse and my driver's license. (The credit cards were there too, but I had already cancelled them).

The woman gave Heather a card to give me. It had a picture of an angel and a quote on the back of the card by Billy Graham (!!!) that said, "Look up, take courage, the angels are nearer than you think." Inside she wrote me a note that said:

I found your purse at the airport - I pray you didn't have a delay because of it - I am returning it to you because the Lord says "Do unto others as you would want them to do to you." I love my Lord and hope you can trust in him also - He is faithful-

Best wishes from a friend.

Thank you to this friend and to the many others and my family who get me through each and every day. And whatever you believe or don't believe, it's nice to know how much good there really is out there.

Happy Passover, Easter and Spring to all of my Scarpeta readers.

Top 10 Reasons Why It’s Good My Purse Was Stolen From O’hare Today and I lost $400 and can’t go to Miami until Sunday Morning

10. Too much sun is bad for your skin and I burn easily.
9. I probably would have gone out tonight and tomorrow night, therefore my liver will be in better shape.
8. The road to the airport is so nice that I get to see it more.
7. I got to file my first police report.
6. I confirmed my policy never to carry cash.
5. 30 degrees is the new 80 degrees.
4. I can now just bring a carry on bag.
3. Maybe I'll hang out with Ava and Lila.
2. I had to renew my license in June anyways.
1. That purse was so last season.

Thank you to the lady from United who sat on the phone with me for about an hour and rebooked me for Sunday morning. Thank you to Melody for being friends with me and listening to me sob. Thank you to my brother and sister in law for loaning me $80 and listening to me sob. Thanks to Marisa for handing me the $80. Thanks to Ravit and Gabe for sharing a cab with me this morning and to Gabe for getting Lady Gaga in my head. Thanks to the cab driver for listening to BBC News so I heard about organic farming in Gaza. Thanks to the Chicago Police at O’hare for being nice. Thanks to Visa and Citibank for cancelling my stuff. Thanks to the thief for not using my Visa.

Off to get cash and a new driver’s license. Hope you too have a good day!

Wrigley to host concerts on Yom Kipur; I'm already hungry

According to media reports, this September, Wrigley Field will host two concerts: one will begin on the eve of Yom Kipur and one after sundown (when the holiday is over). They are the only two planned concerts of the season.

About a mile east of Wrigley Field sits two of the biggest synagogues in Chicago: Temple Sholom and Anshe Emet Synagogue. Slightly farther south is the smaller, but vibrant Anshe Shalom. The main concern with the concerts has been over parking, with the Cubs offering to open some lots for the synagogue goers who drive on the holiday.

However, no one from the City cares that I can’t go to the damn concert or that it will distract from my spiritual cleansing. Just kidding. I don’t really care. If I did, I’d live in Israel.

Because although you won’t be able to hear the concert from Temple Sholom or Anshe Shalom, Anshe Emet, where I attend services, is a different story. It will be weird going from Kol Nidre to walking home on Broadway to hear “Eat, Drink and be Merry, for tomorrow we die.”*

Dave! We can’t eat, drink or be merry. Way to rub it in. Maybe he can change the song to, “Fast, pray and atone, or this year you will die.” Not as catchy, but Jewish holidays rarely are.

The artists that might be playing include Phish, Dave Matthews Band, and Paul McCartney.

Although Phish should not play on Yom Kipur (the night of the 17th). Mike Gordon(bass) and Jon Fishman (drums) better be in synagogue. What would be cool is if they sang Kol Nidre at one of the synagogues and performed their show the next night.

The show could start with Havdallah and the blowing of the Shofar.

*Coworker Gabe Axler helped with this joke

Too Much? Not Enough?

This is an Israel Advocacy Campaign. Watch it and comment on what you think.

What do you think?

Here's an article about it, and another one.