“Sometimes I think, when it gets too quiet up there, You say to Yourself, ‘What kind of mischief can I play on My friend Single Dad?’ ” ~apologies to Tevye

I am traveling for the first time since my ruptured disc. It is a big deal for several reasons. First, I have not believed that I could drive too far nor sit in an airplane too long. Second, I really needed some time away. As to the first, now I know that sitting in an airplane is still not good for my leg. I’ve been limping since I got here, a combination of the weakness that still exists from the nerve damage, the cramped airplane (and I did walk the aisle fairly often), and all the walking I need to do. I am on business in San Francisco.

So towards the relaxing part, I picked two museums nearby that I wanted to see. One is the Museum of the African Diaspora and the other is the Contemporary Jewish Museum. No doubt that I will have a dead on impersonation of Sammy Davis Jr. all set for Halloween this year.

I go to the Contemporary Jewish Museum my first full day here. I figure that they will have pictures of people from the last ten years or so with arrows towards the Jews, with a museum name like that. Turns out they had an exhibit called “Black Sabbath” … now I know Ozzy Osbourne belongs to the Church of England so boy am I confused. The exhibit was really cool (yes, this blog is about me and Pearlsky, and yes, I will be mentioning her soon, promise, just keep reading), it was about “The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations.” If you are saying “huh?” I’m with you.

I sit down with a set of headphones in this really cool exhibit. Remember Johnny Mathis (he’s still alive)? African American singer, real big in the 50’s and 60’s and beyond? Well, he recorded one of the most solemn and heavy Jewish “prayers” (not really a prayer, but moot for this discussion) that is only recited one night of the year (just so happens it is this Friday), it is so old it is in Aramaic (before Hebrew), Kol Nidre. Turns out that as a kid he went to synagogue with his Jewish friends and was influenced by the music. Amazing to hear. They also had recordings of Sammy Davis Jr. singing Hava Nagila, Cab Calloway and Ella Fitzgerald singing Yiddish, etc. So I was sitting back and listening, relaxing …

So, got the picture? Relaxing, away from home, listening to this really cool little known history … and my cell phone vibrates. Yep, the cell phone. And who is it? School.

We think Pearlsky has an ear infection.

Great. There is no one that can get her in the van … so they will take an ambulance to the ER?

Why do you think this?

Her ear is red, and she is cranky.

Me too. Give her some Advil and we will see when she gets home.

I left the museum, she’s been fine since.

Today I am on the trade show floor, running my booth, and I get a google voice text message. I guess I did not hear the phone ring, so it went to my google voice voice-mail which texts and emails a transcript of the message!

Call me as soon as you can.

My sister. She does not leave messages like that.

Mom is in an ambulance, I’m not sure why. They both fell, dad is home with mom’s best friend.

Well, there goes the mindless trade show not worrying about anything back home. Long story short, x-ray and cat scan were clear, lots of hip pain, sent home with a walker and some cool pills that she won’t take since she needs to take care of dad.

I’m afraid to go to the Museum of the African Diaspora tomorrow, what else will happen?

No more travel for me … something about hiding under the blankets at home that sounds wonderful right about now.

For your listening pleasure, I present the Temptations doing a medley from Fiddler on the Roof … (you will need to click through to YouTube, but it is worth it!)