We try to go the States once a year to visit our family, and when we do, it would be no exaggeration to say that we return to Israel ten times heavier than when we left. And I am not just talking about the effects of Krispy Kreme (spelling?) doughnuts on our weight. My husband and I are unabashed consumers, and we take full advantage of the great prices coupled with great quality, and buy everything from kitchen appliances and garbage bags to cosmetics and winter clothes, and everything else in between. While we were at my in-laws during our engagement trip, my husband and I teamed up against my sister-in-law and brother-in-law for a game of monopoly. My husband and I were really getting into the spirit of the game, and derived great pleasure from cashing in on our Park Place investment. My mother-in-law who was ensconced on the sofa with her romance novel, looked up and said to my husband and I, "Geez, you guys, you are SUCH consumers!" Well, I suppose she's right.

Anyway, I digress. One of the best parts of our trips to the US is our annual freeze-yourself-to-death trip to Barnes and Noble. (American stores really need to do something about the AC - I mean, I know it's August, but the air-conditioning is so out of control that I arrive at the store in winter garb - coat, sweater, the full nine yards.) My husband and I always set ourselves a budget, and we normally say that we can buy three to four books each, excluding the books that are for general use, such as cookbooks, How-To Books, and of course... bathroom books.

I won't go into too much detail, but considering the amount of time some family members (ahem! you know who you are!) spend in the bathroom, it is of no surprise that we should spend some money on bathroom material. I normally am contemptuous of bathroom reading, and marvel how anyone can spend such a long time in the bathroom in the first place to get beyond the first page, but I recently came across some words in one of our bathroom books that I admit I had never heard of before, so if you feel like improving your vocabulary, read on:

Joad: A migratory worker

Wanion: Disaster or bad luck

Erubescence: Process of turning red, blushing

Sudorific: Causing perspiration

AND FINALLY, MY FAVORITE:

Cachinnate: To laugh noisily