Yaakov Called!

Sim and David may be wondering what is so excited about Yaakov calling b/c I speak to the two of them on avarage of 15 times a day, but Yaakov called! I think he was calling b/c I was awake and he was awake and he wasn't sure who else in the world was awake, but no complaints here...Yaakov called!
So, there I was at the Ashkalon bus station waiting for the bus to Kfar Darom, when Yaakov called! There were about 4 busses worth of people waiting for the bus to open it's doors. Finally the bus driver appears, and lets us on the bus. Well, most of us. 3 busses of people were not allowed on. Included in that 3 busses of people were two girls I was traveling with. Myself and one other girl had made it on the bus, but the driver wouldn't let the other two on. Predicaments...do we give up the bus and throw our lot in with theirs, or wish for the best and be glad we made it. We called our hosts, who told us not to worry they'd find them a way in. So we deserted the others, stayed on the bus and sat on the floor all the way to Kfar Darom. The other two girls showed up about 1/2 hour after us, after having taken a taxi service to the main intersection and then our hosts borrowed a car to pick them up.
Kfar Darom is very interesting. There are about 70 families living there now - 45 real Kfar Darom families, and the rest there for the "special situation". (people have moved to Gush Katif to boost their numbers and show solidarity). Most of the house surround the shul that is still being built. Our hosts have lived there for over 11 years. They have 4 little kids, 3 girls and a boy. They are both originally from NJ - although they met and married here. They speak to their kids only in English, and their kids respond only in Hebrew. There is a garden right outside the yishuv called "Gan Hamitzvot" and a Museum about all the Mitzvot that are dependant on living in Israel. The Museum was closed on Shabbat, but we walked around the gardens.
One of the new residents moved from Maon - in Harei Chevron. Her sister and family lives in Kfar Darom. She brought her horse. I was thinking...what would my nephews/neices tell their friends...my aunts visiting and she's bringing her horse! Reason enough to get a horse....
On the way out, I didn't want to wait for the bus. The other three girls had bought round trip tickets from Ashkalon to Yerushalayim, but I assumed I'd get a "tremp". I caught a ride out, and when I saw the bus pass me about 20 minutes later I called the girls to tell them they had just passed me. They were a little surprised b/c the bus had never showed up... They are sleeping in Kfar Darom again tonight and catching a morning bus out.
Soon afterward I got a tremp to Efrat, and immediately from there I caught a ride straight to Katamon..
So now, I'm home...
Shavua Tov!