Family

Look Both Ways - Ely Sheinfeld

When I was younger, Abba would drag me all the way to Shul every Shabbat morning once I learned to walk. Oftentimes I would throw a tantrum on the way home because I was tired or crappy or difficult (or all of the above), so I decided I wouldn't walk any further. I would sit down on the sidewalk and Abba would try to convince me that it would be in my best interest to continue walking with him. I wasn't having any of it. So Abba decided the best way to motivate me was to leave me. He announced that he was going home whether I was or not - and would proceed to continue walking home. Being the difficult child that I was, I decided not to let that deter me. However, considering I was not allowed to cross streets by myself yet, he wouldn't have to get much further than the next corner before I realized if he made it across the street without me, I was stranded. So I would jump up and race after him. (He even waited for me sometimes.)

Out of Gas - Yaakov Sheinfeld

We were taking a family trip to Florida, and we were driving there. Early one morning in northern Georgia as we were driving along, for what had to be the sixth time, Yudy looked up and said "Abba, we need gas." At this point, Mom looked over, saw the needle on "E", and also chimed in that we needed gas. Abba decided he could squeeze at least a couple miles out of what we had left. Abba turned out to be wrong. As we glided to a stop on a bridge in heavy fog, Abba said he was going to walk to the next exit and get us some gas. Abba got out of the car, and started walking down the side of the road. At some point further down we saw a red pickup truck pull over to the side of the road, and we see Abba get in. As the truck disappears into the fog, Mom turns around to us in the back of the van and says "Wave goodbye to your father, kids. It may be the last time you see him." (Things did turn out just fine, but we were pretty scared for a little bit.)

Best Flanken - Sam Lipshitz

One time we all went out to eat, along with Marsha's grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Weiss. We went to the Siegel Kosher Hotel. Mr. Weiss ordered the flanken and Mrs. Weiss ordered the chicken. When the waiter brought the meals, he mixed them up, giving Mr. Weiss the chicken and Mrs. Weiss the flanken. Mr. Weiss then said something like, "This is the strangest tasting flanken I ever had." and Mrs. Weiss said "I don't remember what I ordered, but I'm not sure However, they both continued to eat their meals.

Pony Tail - Shayna Sheinfeld

I have never felt more a part of the family then when Abba pulled my pony tail for the first time. It was then that I knew that he accepted me as his own.

The Envelope - Marsha Sheinfeld

Stewart used to bring me money in plain white envelopes to take care of the household. He always gave them to me at the most inconvenient times, like when I was cooking, with no pockets. One time Stewart gave me about $600 while I was busy in the kitchen. I set the envelope down on the counter so I could finish what I was doing. The next morning, Stewart saw the empty envelope sitting on the counter and threw it away. When I went to look for the envelope to take the money out, it was gone. I called Stu on the phone and asked "Where is the envelope?" He answered, "I thought you took the money out, so I threw it away." Well, I hadn't taken the money out before he threw it away, and the garbage man had already come and gone that day.

Computer Crash - Yaakov Sheinfeld

One time right after we got our original Windows 3.1 computer, the hard drive crashed. Having a warranty, Mom went to CompUSA and they kindly restored all the programs, all the while Abba kept his mouth shut. Only after all of this did we learn that it was Abba who had erased the hard drive, even after the computer asked "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" He claimed the reason that he didn’t tell anyone was that if he had told us, he didn't think Mom would be able to keep a straight face in the store.

Ten Wonderful Years - Ronnie Masliansky

At Stewie and Marsha’s 15^th wedding anniversary, Stewie thanked Marsha for the best 10 years of his life. That comment cost him an expensive piece of jewelry.