Live Your Best Life!

There was time for some fun in Galilee -- the trip wasn't all done in a contemplative state. Thursday night after free time, we went to dinner to a restaurant caled Decks right on the Sea of Galilee. The town of Tiberias is a beach/resort town – restaurants, hotels, guest houses. The wine was flowing and the meat was being slung. (Poor Chip was still skipping dinner – he was the brink of health recovery, but not quite there year.). Dinner speakers have been great, but it was also nice not to have one that night – the group talked in clusters, and since I was at a key pass in between two groups, I bounced back and forth between a group of the guys and a group of the women.

(A note on Israeli wine. I enjoyed ever bottle I had there – and we drank a range. I guess I was expecting the Boone’s Farm equivalent of badly done kosher wine we have in the states. It will be interesting to find out if good Israeli wine is available in the states, or if they keep the good stuff in their country and send us the swill. A post-trip research project! I am not a wine snob – I’ve had plenty of good bottles under $10, and had some for much more that I didn’t care for. My motto is drink what you like – if you don’t like it, don’t drink it – and if you do like it, go for it. I found plenty to like.)

Anyhow, we headed back to the Maagan kibbutz hotel and gathered at the bar. The bartender said she wasn’t staying open much later. She was immediately tipped $20. More money flowed her way. So, when I went to bed a little after 1 am, the bar that was closing at 11am was still going strong. A group of political consultants had provided their own significant stimulus package to the Southern Shores of Galilee.

Apparently a number of folks, decided to stay up order more beer, and then wander down to the Sea of Galilee. Between Aaron, Tom King, Moira (who lost her purse for a while), and Ed (if missing anyone, that can be correct for the blog).

It happened to be the start of Daylight Savings Time in the country – so the group got even less sleep. Ed had breakfast while wearing sunglasses (yes, inside). We gathered like obedient children afraid of Marilyn’s wrath at the bus at the appointed time of 8:30 am. Except Tom and Aaron. Duffy and I gleefully went off to pound on their doors. After a bit, Aaron threw open the door – informed it was “8:35", he noted “you’re kidding me.” Gleefully I showed him my watch. "Expletive deleted," was his next comment. Thankfully hAaron wore his pink Izod shirt and boxers, or he’d have been even more comical than the dazed and confused look he pro-offered.

King was even harder to wake, but at least when he slouched up to the bus, he was making a strong statement about how he felt – wearing an “Oprah” hat with the slogan “Live Your Best Life.” Those of us who hadn’t part of the foolish 4:30 am crowd were partly relieved at our own good “discipline” (used in a relative sense given our night) and partly wishing we had been there. Kind of.