(no subject)

OK, why is banking in this country so primitive? I don't want to do anything unusual; nothing I can't do at home - and by the way, asking me to recite my credit card number so that I can log into the bank is unbelievably stupid - why? why? why? I want to do something perfectly simple, why do I have to go to the bank to do it? (and on the subject, why does the bank close at three o'clock?) Why can I not do it online? or even by phone? And this is supposed to be one of America's leading banks. I might as well live in a cave and do all my trading with dead birds and pieces of moss. O to be in England.

ETA: Crumbs. The easiest way to transfer money from my account to a friend's account was to withdraw the cash from my bank and walk it over to his bank. So there was me merrily trekking round Riverdale with $3000 in cash in my bag. With Smile you can do that online and it takes two minutes.

(no subject)

My spy in Israel has been to a shop in Meah Shearim; he has ordered the klaf for my Torah (it's a couple of inches smaller than the standard size, so it had to be done specially); he has gone back to pick it up; he has packed it all up into a package; he has dealt with FedEx in Israel.

Thank you, spy!

Endearingly, FedEx gave him a discount on the shipping when he told them it was Torah materials. Israel can be cute like that.

It's In Transit, and due to arrive on Shavuot itself, which is peculiarly appropriate, given that Shavuot is the festival on which we celebrate the giving of the Torah. I shall have to reschedule the delivery to the following Monday, but that's okay.

Celebration details to follow, watch this space :)