In case you've forgotten how good we've got it now, I want to tell you about three things:

1.  President Obama will be (tonight) the first sitting President to host a Passover seder at the White House.
2.  The White house is specifically allocating tickets to gay families for this year's Easter Egg Roll.
3.  Meeting with students in Turkey, President Obama promised to end the meeting in time before the Muslim call to prayer.

Hag Sameach and Happy Easter! 

Obama rulz.

Seriously, I am counting down the minutes until I can eat my mom's latkes tonight!!!

I am experiencing 21st Century Judaism. 

I didn't go to temple today.  The local synagogue wanted $150 for High Holidays tickets and wouldn't negotiate.  Ridiculous.

So I still took the day off, but I am at a local coffee shop, using their Wifi, and working on the two midterm papers I have due at the end of this week.  

I brought my headphones so I can listen to Temple Israel of Miami's live Yom Kippur service, which is being broadcast through their website.  

Pretty awesome.

Just don't tell anyone I'm having coffee.  I'm staying away from the baked goods.  Hashem understands caffeine addiction.

I had an almost five-day weekend, which was pretty much awesome.

Last Thursday, I went to a NEFLIN workshop on technology training.  I wasn't completely thrilled with the training.  I wanted more ideas on how to run my classes and the different skills I should teach people, but instead it was a lot of "how to be a trainer" basics.  I am new at all this, so that was good for me, I just wish I knew going in so I'd be more prepared with questions.  Still, it was fun, I learned some cool things, and I got caught up on all the library gossip.  Bonus. 

I did find out that I might be able to score us a projector.  It came to my attention that the two new branches got their own projectors, so the one we shared with their old buildings should in all fairness become ours.  I hope! I hope!

I wish I had the power to act out Powerpoint presentations.  Sadly, I'm not THAT talented.

On Friday, I spent the day shopping with gift cards left over from the wedding.  Free money!

We finished kayaking the Silver River on Saturday.  This time, we launched from Silver River State Park and made it to the spring head at Silver Springs.  It sucked having to compete for space with the glass bottom tour boats in the park.  And I thought the light jazz being broadcasted from speakers in the trees to be TOTALLY OFFENSIVE!  

But...

We found the monkeys!  About two miles up the river we found them on a small island.  I could see about eight of them, including one tiny baby monkey.  I nearly fell out of my kayak, I tell you what.  

On Sunday, we drove down south for Samuel Noah's bris on Monday.  That baby is so tiny and so cute.  I held him and I think he's the tiniest baby I've ever held.  During the ceremony, the mohel explained about Elijah's chair and if a married woman under 99 sits in it after the bris, she will have a baby within the following year, and that's a guarantee.  Michael asked if the mohel guaranteed boys, and the mohel said, he doesn't know, because he's only called when it's a boy.  He jokes! 

There was no sitting in the chair for this lady.  No way.  Not ready yet!

All is well, back in Ocala, back to work...

Next up, how to convince Michael's family to vote for Obama?  I need help!  Jews aren't supposed to vote for McCain, DAMMIT!

Today I was the Jewish Iron Chef:

I baked mandelbread and coconut macaroons. (Some with chocolate!)
I cooked a huuuuuge pot of delicious matzah ball soup.
I fried up some yummy potato latkes.

Chag Sameach!  Happy Pesach!

Too...many...latkes...

Happy Chanukah!

Saturday was Yom Kippur, so Michael and I drove South AGAIN to be with our families.  Mom and I went to temple and then to torture ourselves, came home during the break in services to make rugelach.  People, never bake while you're fasting.  It's no fun when you can't taste stuff! 

After sunset, my aunt and uncle and Grandpa came over to break the fast.  We all started scarfing down on bagels and lox and Mom offered Grandpa some blintz souffle.  He held out his plate and then my Irish Catholic grandfather looked at me very seriously.

Grandpa: "I'm a member of the NRA."
Me, swallowing: : "Oh yeah?"
Grandpa: "Yes.  Never refuse anything!"

So cute.  I love him. 

After dinner, Mom and I convinced Andrew and Michael to walk back to temple with us for Havdalah and the Shofar blowing to signal the end of Yom Kippur.  It was so cute, they shut off all the lights in the sanctuary and gathered all the kids out in the lobby and then they all marched in with glow sticks. And everyone sang Hineh Mah Tov. (The song in my icon up there.)

I hadn't been back to Beth Torah in probably five years, so it was nice to be home again.   

Happy New Year!

I stayed home from work yesterday (because we got a new furnace and air conditioner) to hone my skillz as a future jewish wife and mother.  I was charged with making vegetarian matzah ball soup and charoset for our seder. Both came out excellent.  My best ever.  The matzah balls were so fluffy, they were ridiculous.  I have the touch. 

I was going to write up a recap of the seder, but Alia did a good job of that at her blog. 

Anyway, after the seder, Michelle and I went over to the 9:30 to see Sebadoh!!!  It was a good show and not too crowded.  We went up to the second floor to get a good view and were rewarded by the view of a super fan down below who knew every lyric and danced like a maniac.  I want to invite him to every party.  I'm also convinced that Lou Barlow would have played for about five hours, but Eric and Jason looked too tired.  They did play a good hour and a half. 

Gimme Indie Rock!

Hi.  We're Safeway.  We're going to stock 45 different flavors of macaroons, kosher-for-Passover chocolate syrup, and inexplicably, a whole shelf of Chanukah candles.  But matzah?  Nah!!!

Thankfully, Trader Joes pulled through with the matzah and I made matzah lasagna for dinner.  Yummy!