(no subject)
So many things have happened.
My sister and her boyfriend visited. That was pretty great.
Lisa visited! We drank a lot for her birthday, during which my manager (more on that momentarily) appeared by magic and said hi.
I quit my job. This has been in the works for a while now and is pretty good. I am a little concerned about the short term impact on my coworkers, but they will do ok.
Lisa and I then drank a lot that night.
Then Akiva was there. We hung out and ate all the food with all the people, including (food at) Farina, where I later went with Chris & Zoe.
That week consisted mainly of errands. Also, Kempy and I locked Akiva's parents' (who were there) car in her garage at one point. At some point I had lunch with Carmen!.
Kat H. moved to SF with Dom, and we had breakfast!
Then (Sunday) I flew to NJ. In doing so I flew up the coast from Charlotte and watched amazing storms.
The next day I waited for my bag, which got left in Charlotte. I also met up with Bill Kanawyer in the evening and talked a lot.
My dad was the only one at home, as my little sister (Kat K.) was working at a camp and my other sister, Emily was in Germany with my mother.
The next day my father and I drove up to Storm King, which is a giant sculpture giant garden in upstate New York. It was like 85 and we walked around and looked at things. On the way back to NJ, we stopped at a neat park under the George Washington Bridge.
The next day we went to the Franklin Institute to see some Dead Sea Scroll fragments, which they there had in a temporary exhibit. It was pretty excellent. I saw the name of God written in premodern Hebrew and could read Genesis 1:1. More interesting was the rest of the exhibit which was kind of a "Look what ancient Israelite artifacts we found in the basement". There were a lot of nonTemple religious artifacts, especially those related to Asherah.
The next day, Firday, I went to New York, kind of for HOPE. I stayed in Akiva's, and hung out with Akiva, Sarah B., Ed, Creidieki (!!!!!!!), jcreed, Gustavo, Gwillen, Wes, Marty and others.
I also met Akiva's girlfriend, Nikki, but did not get too much of a chance to talk to her. She seemed good, though.
Sunday after HOPE, I out with CTYers: Jon, Lee, Reuven and Reuven's girlfriend Ellen, who is famous on the Internet. WE got Korean food and beer.
Monday, I wandered up Manhattan (including Central Park) for 104 blocks and then back down 50ish. Then I had dinner with Akiva at Smith, where I ate with Granger's family several years ago.
The next day I met up with KatieMac for ice cream. This ended with ice cream all over me. We tried to go to the Brooklyn museum, but it was close. Then we went through Prospect Park and go lemonade and iced tea. This was several hours outside in 95 degree weather. Then dinner with Dannel and Sarah B., and then to Dannel's where I was to sleep. Then (good, German) beer with KatieMac and Merry (same number of parentheses as above). A good time was had.
The next day I ran errands and then flew to Berlin.
After three forms of public transit and getting lost in a thunderstorm, I found the hostel where my Mother and sister were staying. Since it was full, I was staying in hotel down the street. We went out and got lunch (felafel), and then walked to the river and Reichstag. Along the way, we saw the Holocaust memorial, which was interesting, but had issues that it was too good jungle gym and people were climbing it. Then we went to the insanely tall radio tower and Alexanderplatz. We tried to go to the Museum of the German Resistance, but it closed too soon to see the main exhibits, so we resolved to come back the next day. Then I went to my hotel and slept.
Today, I got up at seven and we went to Pottsdam to see the palaces there. Highly recommended. We ate there and trained back to go to the museum. Since today (July 20) was the anniversary of the Stauffenberg plot (did you see "Valkyrie"?) to blow up Hitler, there a cermony in the morning and all kinds of security, and the museum was surrounded by police. After the several attempts by my mother to get by several police, eventually she asked one if the museum was open (in German). The cop looked at her and said in English, "You want to go to the museum? Ok.", and let us in. So we went to the museum. After this, my mother and Emily trained away. I went back to my hotel, and then trained to Prenzlauerberg to go the Maurpark, at Akiva's suggestion. It was awesome. It was full of people cooking and dancing and there was a great jungle gym. Also, the neighborhood was great. I walked around a bunch and got some kofta. Then back to the hotel.
Now bed.
ETA: Bill Kanawyer, Gustavo, Holocaust memorial.
My sister and her boyfriend visited. That was pretty great.
Lisa visited! We drank a lot for her birthday, during which my manager (more on that momentarily) appeared by magic and said hi.
I quit my job. This has been in the works for a while now and is pretty good. I am a little concerned about the short term impact on my coworkers, but they will do ok.
Lisa and I then drank a lot that night.
Then Akiva was there. We hung out and ate all the food with all the people, including (food at) Farina, where I later went with Chris & Zoe.
That week consisted mainly of errands. Also, Kempy and I locked Akiva's parents' (who were there) car in her garage at one point. At some point I had lunch with Carmen!.
Kat H. moved to SF with Dom, and we had breakfast!
Then (Sunday) I flew to NJ. In doing so I flew up the coast from Charlotte and watched amazing storms.
The next day I waited for my bag, which got left in Charlotte. I also met up with Bill Kanawyer in the evening and talked a lot.
My dad was the only one at home, as my little sister (Kat K.) was working at a camp and my other sister, Emily was in Germany with my mother.
The next day my father and I drove up to Storm King, which is a giant sculpture giant garden in upstate New York. It was like 85 and we walked around and looked at things. On the way back to NJ, we stopped at a neat park under the George Washington Bridge.
The next day we went to the Franklin Institute to see some Dead Sea Scroll fragments, which they there had in a temporary exhibit. It was pretty excellent. I saw the name of God written in premodern Hebrew and could read Genesis 1:1. More interesting was the rest of the exhibit which was kind of a "Look what ancient Israelite artifacts we found in the basement". There were a lot of nonTemple religious artifacts, especially those related to Asherah.
The next day, Firday, I went to New York, kind of for HOPE. I stayed in Akiva's, and hung out with Akiva, Sarah B., Ed, Creidieki (!!!!!!!), jcreed, Gustavo, Gwillen, Wes, Marty and others.
I also met Akiva's girlfriend, Nikki, but did not get too much of a chance to talk to her. She seemed good, though.
Sunday after HOPE, I out with CTYers: Jon, Lee, Reuven and Reuven's girlfriend Ellen, who is famous on the Internet. WE got Korean food and beer.
Monday, I wandered up Manhattan (including Central Park) for 104 blocks and then back down 50ish. Then I had dinner with Akiva at Smith, where I ate with Granger's family several years ago.
The next day I met up with KatieMac for ice cream. This ended with ice cream all over me. We tried to go to the Brooklyn museum, but it was close. Then we went through Prospect Park and go lemonade and iced tea. This was several hours outside in 95 degree weather. Then dinner with Dannel and Sarah B., and then to Dannel's where I was to sleep. Then (good, German) beer with KatieMac and Merry (same number of parentheses as above). A good time was had.
The next day I ran errands and then flew to Berlin.
After three forms of public transit and getting lost in a thunderstorm, I found the hostel where my Mother and sister were staying. Since it was full, I was staying in hotel down the street. We went out and got lunch (felafel), and then walked to the river and Reichstag. Along the way, we saw the Holocaust memorial, which was interesting, but had issues that it was too good jungle gym and people were climbing it. Then we went to the insanely tall radio tower and Alexanderplatz. We tried to go to the Museum of the German Resistance, but it closed too soon to see the main exhibits, so we resolved to come back the next day. Then I went to my hotel and slept.
Today, I got up at seven and we went to Pottsdam to see the palaces there. Highly recommended. We ate there and trained back to go to the museum. Since today (July 20) was the anniversary of the Stauffenberg plot (did you see "Valkyrie"?) to blow up Hitler, there a cermony in the morning and all kinds of security, and the museum was surrounded by police. After the several attempts by my mother to get by several police, eventually she asked one if the museum was open (in German). The cop looked at her and said in English, "You want to go to the museum? Ok.", and let us in. So we went to the museum. After this, my mother and Emily trained away. I went back to my hotel, and then trained to Prenzlauerberg to go the Maurpark, at Akiva's suggestion. It was awesome. It was full of people cooking and dancing and there was a great jungle gym. Also, the neighborhood was great. I walked around a bunch and got some kofta. Then back to the hotel.
Now bed.
ETA: Bill Kanawyer, Gustavo, Holocaust memorial.