Mixed Feelings

I have mix feelings about going away for yom tov. I want to go away. I don’t want to have the hassle of cleaning up my home. I don’t want to figure out what to cook for all the days of yom tov and how to entertain everyone. I do want a break. I do want to relax as much as I can.

I don’t like living out of a suitcase for two weeks. I don’t like living in cramped quarters. I don’t like the kids to be off schedule. I don’t like the fact that it is not my home or my rules. I don’t like the way the others are mechaneich the kids and in turn how they deal with mine.

I don’t like that I can now eat gebruks but where I am they do not. I don’t like the fact that it is not my food. I don’t like location of where I am going. I do like to be with family for a short period of time. I don’t like being with everyone for so long. I don’t like that I don’t know what the weather is nor do I know what to pack. I am not sure if I even have enough to pack. I don’t like that if I do something that is correct it is frowned upon because they just do not know if it is right or not, and assume it is not. I don’t like when people pick and chose their halachos and if you don’t agree with them you are more modern. I don’t like that even if it is black and white, you still changed because it is different than the alte heim.

I don’t like that you never know the minhag from one year to the next. Each year you get more stringent than the next on some things, and lax on others. I don’t like that when you clean you do things just because my momma did it and you have been doing it for so long that you just don’t feel right not doing it. But things that must be done are not done as carefully. I don’t like thinking bad things on family.

I do like when everyone gets together. I do like talking to them. I do like the way everyone is more or less relaxed and the weather is nice so things can be moved outside. I do like that yom tov is not on Shabbos, therefore allowing us to carry. I do like the nice weather so the kids can go to the park. I don’t like that it is usually one adult who is dumped with all the kids.

I do like. I don’t like. Which is going “like” is going to win this yom tov? The do? Or the don’t?

Milk

I bought a bottle of milk the other day and as usual I checked the expiration date. What bothers me the most and I cannot seem to understand is why are there two expiration dates? If you live in New York or neighboring cities, have you noticed this as well? NYC gets an earlier expiration date. And I want to know why!

Do New Yorkers have a more delicate stomach and therefore cannot handle milk that is a few days older? Does it spoil faster in New York than in New Jersey? It’s on all my milk and not just the Cholov Yisroel ones. I don’t understand this dating system and would really like to get to know the ins and outs of this phenomenon. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I can understand expiration dates on items like milk and bread. But why are there expiration dates on bottled water? Does bottled water really go bad? Is it really going to turn sour if you use past the expiration date? Is it going to spoil? Does water really spoil?

Another thing while I am at it, does medicine expire? Why do we have expiration dates on everything? Is it possible to pick something up that won’t perish? Is there?

My peeve is still on the milk. It still annoys me after all this. Where can I find how the expiration dates work? Is there a way a mathematical equation? Or they just know when milk is going to turn bad and date it for that day to be the last day?