This and that...

ERG custom-made guitars

Yoram bought an acoustic 12-string Eko guitar from the late 60s through Yad2 a while ago. The guitar was not in mint condition, but needed some freshening up and adjustments, but he paid almost nothing when he bought it, so it was really a catch anyway. He went to a guy he knows who renovates guitars, but who also build custom-made ones. Today it was time to pick up the 12-string after its time spent in rehab and I joined him since we later were also buying wine in Zikhron Ya'akov. Ruslan (Mordechai) runs together with Eddie (Eduard) ERG Custom Guitars in Or Akiva, where they have their factory and showroom. Anyone who is a guitar freak should take a look at these guys work.

Ruslan showed off by playing on the 12-string and not only is it a great guitar, Ruslan is also a brilliant guitar player. Later he took us to the showroom and played a little on his favourite of their custom-made electric guitars, and walla, even an ignorant as me could sense the quality. The primary idea for Yoram was to fix and sell, but Ruslan told him that this guitar is too good to sell. They don't make them like this anymore, and although new guitars of today cost a fortune, the quality is not even near to this old gem, and people have not sense enough to pay for it. So... We now have a beautiful 40-years old 12-stringed lady joining the family.

Speaking of family, cats come and go in the neighbourhood and most of them are feral and very shy, and often plain aggressive. I love cats, and so does Yoram, which means that one of these days we will have a house cat that belongs to the family. The last few weeks one cat has spent much time just outside our house, which means that Goshen on several occasions has run after it immediately as she comes out of the house. Goshen is a good and obedient dog, but she has one weak spot that I have not completely succeeded to fix, and it is chasing cats, and if there is something that occasionally makes me crazy enough to consider both electronic shock collars and other terrible tools, then this is it. (You who know me well, also know that this would never happen.) We can basically pass any cat in the street or on the sidewalk without her charging after it, but when the cats show up very suddenly just in front of her nose, then I guess that the instincts just take over, which has been the case here. She would not know what to do with the cat if she came close enough to grab it and most of the time it is rather the cats that ambushes, chases and attacks the dog. Anyway, this cat is not completely wild, a bit careful, but curious, and above all extremely talkative. I really love cats that talk a lot, so we have had a few chats, the cat and me, and Yoram has talked to her too. Today we decided to try to bond a little bit more with her, in spite of Goshen's unfriendly behaviour, so we gave her some of Goshen's dog food. Let us see how far we can push it. I think that clearing Goshen's neurotic relation to cats would be easiest fixed if she would have to live with a young kitten, or an older cat that is used to dogs.

Not only am I trying to learn my Hebrew. The Arabic is also there poking for my attention and I guess that I will learn a lot from both languages ahead if I am lucky and hard-working, but now one of my most important Hebrew guinea pigs is lost. Ziv is 9 years old and has started to speak English to me instead of Hebrew, with a very funny Israeli accent and of course more enthusiasm than detail, which makes communication even harder than when we had only Hebrew. Inspiring though...