Kiwi under fire

[margo49]

Dang -
I had planned to go to town tomorrow and buy a new helmet and get the bike fixed and checked over. Now there are missiles falling in/on the town!
So I guess I'll just have to stay inside and do my new physical therapy excercises on the busted fingers and spend time in front of the mirror memorising my new beak.
Good thing I got that ride along the Border in *last* week!!!!

[DirtDiva]

Hell yeah! :eek: I've been wondering how far removed or not you were from the current goings on. Take care, eh.

[crazycanuck]

Hey there,

Take care, keep safe!!!

How far are you from the jordanian border??? (what's the name of your nearest town so i can look it up!!!)

c

[margo49]

The lbs is in Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee
We are 9 km south of there - the name of our settlement is Kinneret which is a kibbutz (collective or commune ).
32 deg 42 min 51.54 sec North
35 deg 33 min 34.93 sec East
that is my actual house co-ordinates on Google Earth

[crazycanuck]

OH!!! I know where you are without having to go to google earth!!!!

You just had to tell me the golan heights & i gotya!!! My dad spent time there on the Canadian UN contingent wayyyyyyy wayyyy back!!!

Again, please take care!!!

c
ps-
If anyone wants to know where margo lives here's a good map from wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Golan_92.jpg

look to the bottom left, right hand side

[Selkie]

Margo - Take care of yourself! Let's hope this is all resolved very soon so everyone over there can get back to their lives.

[maillotpois]

Good luck Margo. Very scary going on right now. Between what's going on there and the little scary dude in N. Korea (and the big scary dude in Washington DC), these are tough times.

[margo49]

c
ps-
If anyone wants to know where margo lives here's a good map from wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Golan_92.jpg

look to the bottom left, right hand side

Yeah - just where the Jordan River is flowing out . I am waving a big towel
and wearing my kick-a#*- lipstick coloured sport-y nylon dri-fit "apres ride" shorts and you can see my wonderful tan-lines .

[Trek420]

and...what maillotpois sed

Margo, even though I have family in Israel it's funny (well not funny haha) that when I saw the headlines first thing I think is "there's a TE gal there, hope she's ok"

Let's hope somehow there's peace soon.

Don't make me come down there and say "I don't care who hit who first, all of you, all sides just sit down, take a time out, kiss and make up. Have some chocolate, we all like chocolate, right?*"

*apology to the New Yorker cartoon

[Lise]

Margo,

Thinking of you with every news report. My heart aches that this level of hostilities has started up again. Stay safe and sane if you can, and know that we're all thinking of you here on TE.

Lise

[kelownagirl]

OMG, how scary! Stay safe Margo...

barb

[bikerz]

Margo - everyone else has put it so well - just know I'm thinking about you - stay safe!

Maybe it's a good time to sink your new beak into a good book! Got any good ones lined up?

[margo49]

What a man!
The SO said lets go into town real early b4 things hot up,. So we load the bike and get to the lbs at like 9.15 am.
Have a chat to the couple, tell my crash story (in my inimitable style), a few laughs and buy a new helmet (giro). She gives me a purple aluminium water-bottle with their shop name on that they have just done and I say Oh where was that in June? and tell her about you all and the Secret Sisters (She was not in the shop the days I bought SS stuff for Susie and Patty)

Then we go to the bakery and the word goes out for people to get to the shelters. So we find DD (17) who is in a *cafe *:eek: (a chip off the old block- not :o )
and drive back safe and sound but bike-less in the interim .

Injuries healing, resting and waiting for Eurosport and Le Tour ...

Huge thanks and TE hugs for all your good wishes for *all* of us In The General Region

[Lise]

all your good wishes for *all* of us In The General Region
That's exactly it. Everyone. Glad you got at least some of your mission taken care of at the LBS Keep us posted. We're all around the world, trying to hold you all safe in our hearts. L.

[PAP103]

Margo,

I've been thinking of you and sending thoughts of peace your way.

Stay safe and keep us posted!
Patty

[eclectic]

WOW !

After reading your posts the news became reality :(

Keep us posted on yours and your loved ones safety

[margo49]

Good night ladies...

without getting too religious
I do not think
*this*
is what God had in mind
for humanity

off to bed now
hoping for a quiet night
and a new world in the morning

[Lise]

Margo, my heart is aching as I watch the news reports. Have you and your family thought of going south?

My nephew will be old enough for the Israeli army in 10 years, my niece in 14. My sister and brother in law made the decision to raise the kids here, but have every intention of sending them for mandatory army service, as they are also Israeli citizens.

No answers, no solutions, just an aching heart and desire for peace and safety for all.

Lise

[margo49]

Evacuate? Me?

My bike is in the LBS - I *told* you a few posts ago

Seriously... We are in a tiny place of no strategic significance - apart from my presence of course!Only danger is the same random chance as anywhere else in the north. Or someone miscalculating the angle of refraction (or whatever it is) on the missile launcher. Now *that* is the reason you should have paid attention in trigonometry class and physics lessons!

Love you all...

[Lise]

Oh, well, of course, you wouldn't leave your bike! :rolleyes: I get it.

Do you think they study a lot of physics and trig in Hezbollah? Do you think I can even spell that? I guess somebody has to learn how to aim and fire the rocket launchers. ARGH.

My sister and I used to have "discussions" over who was in greater danger, her living in Tel Aviv, or me in Chi-town. You can imagine how those talks went.

Stay safe, get yer bike back. Keep us posted. L.

[salsabike]

The headlines are breaking hearts all over. Maillotpois said it exactly right for me as well. And believe me, we are sending you more of the good protective vibes.

[pooks]

This is such a tragedy on so many levels.

Sending all the good vibes a Texan can muster, and that's a lot.

[Lise]

Margo-- how're you holding up? Were you able to get your bike back? Thinking of you-- L.

[margo49]

Not yet
Officially everybody in town is s'posed to be in shelters
Even when I was there on Sunday there was hardly anyone about and most of those who *were* wore uniforms and were men

[salsabike]

Margo! Thanks for letting us hear from you. Had you much on my mind. Glad you're OK.

[RoadRaven]

Well, from one Kiwi to another... I have been thinking about you and hoping you can keep to "safe" parts of whatever town you find yourself in.

Get some #8 wire, fix the bike your self and ride on back here to Middle Earth...


(For those unintiated - Kiwis can fix anything with a piece of #8 wire and a 4x2)

Be safe and may all the Gods and Goddesses of that part of the world look kindly down and agree to cease fire...

[Denise223]

Margo -

Sending you and yours many prayers of peace!!

Denise

[margo49]

Shalom everyone!

Huge hugs of thanks for all the posts and PM's. Am off-line on Friday evening till Saturday evening so what a surprise to see everything and even a total thread - Anyone Hear from margo49?
Come on Pooks-ie -Me? In trouble? I *am* trouble!
I am sitting here with my fingers still bent up and my bike in the shop (not to mention the beak which tho' beautiful feels like it has been clobbered by a 4 X 2 RoadRaven).
I ain't goin' nowhere.

Neither of course is the government or the war. Every day more missiles over here, more bombs over there. (More as in an increasing number on yesterday, not more as in again). Massive Reserve call-up in process. And all over TV the politicians and generals are telling us we're making progress:confused: :confused: Now if everything was going so well would one not expect to see families having picnics in the summer evenings rather that deserted towns and military funerals???.
Another demonstration against the war in Tel Aviv last night - a coalition of radical politicians, feminists, anarchists, a Reserve call up refuser support group, Jewish-Arab co-exitence activists, Mothers.

Will post every day - so you all will know I'm ok and I will try to give you some feelings and info that you may not get from your usual news sources.
(Like how my new beak is and other things to do with No.8 wire)

Shalom shalom

[pooks]

Bless you, Margo. Stay safe.

And don't forget to DUCK.

[Lise]

Reserve call up. :eek: How might this affect your family?

Thank you for checking in. Wishing for all--shalom, salam, peace. L.

[margo49]

Reserve call up. :eek: How might this affect your family?

.
The SO is a refuser (imprisoned in 1989 and again in 1990 ) who then got discharged completely at some point in the '90's. (We *did * celebrate but have forgotten the details and never kept the papers either)
DS#1 has an enlistment date in November
DD theoretically has another year of school ( that starts in September)
DS#2 is only 14 but will probably have to do extra work on the kibbutz to fill in for guys who are called up to the Reserves.
A good thing - teenage boys must be directed into positive and constructive time and energy-consuming activities and any society that neglects its teenage boys is asking for trouble . The boys need to learn to channel all their energies and society needs to recognise that they are a tremendous resource just waiting to be utilised and recognised and provide them with opportunities to *shine*.And shine they will!

[Climbs down of soap-box and reaches for June SS water-bottle from Left Coast Cyclery]

The cat is too old (12) and very fussy about where she sleeps and the dog is too small (10 kg Foxy-X)

Shalom

[latelatebloomer]

We human beings have just GOT to evolve beyond killing each other. I can't look at the paper these days without my heart breaking. I keep praying for a world-wide ceasefire. Margot, be wiley and safe. By the way, my SO is a refuser in the US. He didn't go to prison, but could have. He paid in other ways. We weren't born Quakers, but their vision for the world seems the sanest thing I ever heard - and takes enormous risk and courage, too. Let's all pray peace and be peace.

Oh, and ride peace, too.;)

[Bikingmomof3]

Margo,
My prayers for safety for you and your family. Thanks for keeping us udated. Stay safe.

[eclectic]

Margo

Thanks for replying so we know that you are OK

You have been in my thoughts and prayers everyday

[margo49]

Well I've got the bike back.

Town is deserted, 80% of the shops closed and hardly anyone about. Those who are only do what they need to (like collect repaired bike from LBS) and go home. The whole shoreline is 100% empty when it is usually full of holidaying families.

Parade of European politicians here the last couple of days. Condoleezza Rice due tomorrow. We have a woman Foreign Minister here too.

Newest idea - a Multi-national Force on the Border and also on the Lebanon Syria border. Good thinking chaps (and chap-esses); just what we need - more soldiers and more weapons under the orders of more politicians.

On the positive side - tomorrow I ride! Repaired bike, new helmet, and the solitary experience of Nature at the dawn of a new day

Good night you-all

[margo49]

I refuse to be defined by this .
I have moved my daily post that lets you know I'm fine to the Daily Ride thread.

love you all

[DrBee]

Margo - I have been out of town and haven't had the chance to send you well wishes! I've been thinking of you as I watch the news. I'll look forward to seeing your posts in the Daily Rides thread. Be wary and stay safe :)