Can I get you something to drink, cuz that's all we have, suckers!

I've been eating exclusively at kosher restaurants for the better part of 10 years now. There are always some ups and downs when it comes to service at kosher places, but I don't think I've ever experienced this type of disaster before.

It's a Sunday night, and everyone eats out. We were expecting the place to be packed, but by the time we got there at around 8pm, the place was 70% full, and we didn't have to wait to be seated. So far, so good. The good stops there.

The waiter comes by, asks if we're ready yet. No, we replied, a few more minutes would be good, but while we wait, can we have some water and a bowl of pickles please? (Apparently you need to request the bowl of pickles to get them for free.) The guy comes back, water and glasses in hand. No pickles. "Are you ready yet?" No, a few more minutes please, and can we please have a bowl of pickles? Sure, one moment. One minute later, the guy comes back to refill half of the glasses with water, slams the pitcher down on the table. How about those pickles?

2 minutes later, we're ready to give our order. The waiter quickly scribbles it all down. May we please have a bowl of pickles? Sure, one moment.

So we continue along with lovely conversation. Almost 10-15 minutes later, a different waiter returns with four out of 5 dishes. I look down at my plate, and notice that there are 5 onion rings in place of fries. What happend to my fries, I ask. Waiter #2 says, "We're out of fries." OUT OF FRIES? How is that possible, this is a deli, isn't it?? Um, ok, so can I have more than 5 onion rings, please?

The waiter comes back out with a small plate of onion rings. "Are you happy now?", he asks. Um, yeah. Thank you.

2 minutes later, another waiter comes back to the table and looks at my friend who has still yet to receive her food and says, "I don't know if the other waiter told you, but we ran out of chicken." RAN OUT OF CHICKEN?? "Yes, no more chicken." Um... so after looking through the menu again, she reluctantly orders a pastrami sandwich.

Guess what? Yep. A minute later, the waiter returns and says, "We don't have anymore pastrami." I put down my food, and look at the guy, and plainly ask, "So what DO you have in the kitchen?"

No fries.
No chicken.
No pastrami.

My friend was so frustrated at that moment, she didn't order anything.

To all the Jewish DC natives, this is what you call "pulling a Stacks." To everyone else out there, you call it "typical. It's a Jewish place."

Sure, for all intents and purposes there is only one kosher place in the District (JCC lobby notwithstanding). But why does that mean the service has to suck and that you can get away without having even a semi fully-stocked kitchen?? Why treat us like crap?

Why, you ask? Because they can. Because nobody is going to complain, and even if people do complain, they will keep on coming back because there simply is no place else to go. So any change that will come of this complaining will probably be minimal at best.

We don't have a choice, we're held hostage. We've been screaming for years for a kosher place to open nearby, and we got our wish. And we'll keep on going back. Because we're blinded by the food, and we'll complain while we're eating it.

So sad. So very very sad.

PBTH.

Oh, yeah. We finally did get the pickles.

Sorry, but...

So how does one tell a guy friend who is obviously asking you out on a date that you're not interested?

No no...stop, right there. We're not talking about me. A friend of mine received an email from a guy she knows asking if she had time to get together this weekend. This is the second overture this guy made. These two are friends as in, they know each other, speak when they see each other at shul, but don't usually hang in the same crowd.

Any suggestions?

Black hole. Or not?

So maybe it's not a black hole afterall.

I just got a phone call from an organization I applied to last week for a job. Set up an interview for next week. The job isn't one which I am dying to have, but who am I to turn down interviews when they are offered??

Here I am, sending out cover letter after cover letter to humanresources@companyname.org, being all sad believing that my application is just sinking into a black hole anyways. No one really reads those resumes, do they? You gotta know someone, right?

But then again, maybe you don't.

Hmm...

BHYY

Last week, my aunt found a small lump in her right breast. Since there is now a history of breast cancer in my family, the doctors were taking no chances and decided to remove it right away. She went in on Monday for the surprisingly out-patient procedure, and they tested it to find out if it was cancerous. Results came in today: negative. We're thankful.

When you add this on top of all the other medical maladies in my family, it's a wonder we're not a depressed, non-believing bunch. My grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease almost 8 years ago now, a year or so after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thankfully, we've been able to keep him at home, with my grandmother. He has an aide come to the house and take care of him for 12 hours. He's bed-ridden now, doesn't really talk, and is fed thru a feeding tube. The weird thing is that his grandchildren have become so much closer to him; before, we were all too afraid of him to love him as freely as we do now.

I'm tellin ya, though, the guy's got 9 lives. Everytime he goes to the hospital (be it because of pnemonia, extremely low or extremely high blood sugar, high blood pressure, etc), his condition deteriorates so badly that we all start planning his funeral arrangements. Last time this happened, my mother made sure to renew her passport expeditiously (my grandparents have burial plots in Israel). I gave my boss notice that I would probably go away for a week. And then, like a miracle from God, he got better. The bone cancer that the doctors found during a full body scan a few days earlier had disapeared. His blood pressure dropped to normal levels and his lungs cleared. He came back home to us.

Then there is my uncle (same side of the family). The story is too long and detailed to go into to give you the background. Let's just say he's a man who for some reason could never get over the hump and actually succeed in his various ventures- be it business, marriage, his relationship with his kids, extended family, and his health. Like my grandparents, my uncle suffers from diabetes. He was never able to control his sweet tooth, though, and at the end, it all caught up with him. A few amputated toes and a semi-massive stroke later, my 56-year old uncle now lives in a nursing home in Israel, because he is semi-paralyzed on the left side of his body. His antics have driven my mother, aunt, and grandmother crazy, because they're always left to pick up the pieces. His kids don't care anymore. He's divorced 3 times, and his first ex is out to get him. Unfortunately, we don't have much to do with his family anymore, not that it was our choice.

Of course, every family has their stories, their drama, their soap opera. This is mine. Thinking about it though, I am amazed at the strength of my extended family- my parents, my siblings, my aunt, uncle, and cousins [the good ones ;o) ]. We're all still so close, and we laugh about this stuff, because we can't cry about it anymore.

But it all happens for a reason, right? If my grandfather were lucid enough to know what was going on with his son (my uncle described above)... let's just say, there would be a lot more drama to write about! :o)

I'll have what she's having

"Men and women can't be friends because the sex always gets in the way."

Famous quote. The discussion's been had a million times over since Harry Burns and Sally Albright tied the knot in 1989. But no real definitive answer has been given, so the debate lives on.

So, my question of the day...

Can a man be friends with a woman he finds attractive?
If the answer is "no," then if a man is friends with a woman, does that mean he finds her
unattrative?

You realize what this means. If your answer to the above question is "no" then it just proves the obvious: that all men care about is sex. And what about women? No one tries to even argue that women can't be friends with a man she finds attractive, because it's simply not true. Women have a tremendous capacity to think of things other than sex, and to not build a relationship with someone based solely on their fantasies. Which just proves that women are the superior race. But, we knew that already.

Back to the above question. Astute movie watchers will note that Harry answered the second question as well. Guys pretty much "want to nail" everyone, attractive and unattractive women alike. So what does that say about the friendships we think we have with members of the other sex?

Ennui

I'm bored. All by myself at work with nothing to do. The good news is that I'm skipping out early to drive up to NJ to spend the weekend with my nephew. Again, you ask? Well, yeah. What else is a new aunt to do, but see as much of her nephew as possible? Of course, I'll come back with more adorable pictures.

Nothing really all too exciting going on in my end of the world. I don't even have anything smart to say. By the way, has anyone noticed that daylight savings time will now start earlier and end later? As the ever-so-insightful Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) reminded us, "the beauty of daylight savings time is that it just makes everyone feel sunnier." Duh? What the hell? I hate DST. Ruins my summer weekends. Phooeey.

DC Desert

So what are the chances I will find a job during the month of August, when everyone and their second-cousin leaves DC?

Supreme thoughts

So after much anticipation, fanfare, and off-the-mark (duh!) guesses from the not-so-entertaining pundits in the beltway, President Bush announced his nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. His choice? John Roberts. As you may already know, Roberts is a Harvard Law graduate, respected among his peers (Democrats and Republicans) as one of the smartest lawyers of his generation, and he's argued from the well of the Court 39 times- winning 64% of those cases. 2 years ago, he was confirmed to serve on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Circuit, and even wrote the decision in the now-infamous case regarding a girl who was caught eating a french fry on the DC Metro. Not much is really known about his personal opinion on many issues, which is probably why Bush chose him. All we know about are the cases he's argued for and against as a successful lawyer, and he has already said in a previous confirmation hearing that his personal opinions would not find their way into his decisions from the bench.

In conversations with friends and coworkers over the last few weeks, I said that the most I could hope for, as a relatively liberal person, was a nominee who would judge cases based on their merits and his interpretation of the Constitution. I would reluctantly be satisfied with a strict constitutionalist, a judge whose decisions are not based on social ideology and personal religious/moral/ethical beliefs. What else could I hope for, with such a president occupying the White House these days? The sad truth of the matter is that Bush is a conservative president, and just like President Clinton was able to nominate and confirm liberal judges to the Court, so should Bush have the right to nominate a conservative judge. But I draw the line at ideologues who try to legislate from the bench and force their personal beliefs down our throats. Roberts is not that type of judge.

Now of course this doesn't preclude him from going through a rigorous confirmation process. I am looking forward to the hearings to learn more about him and his views. I'd like to know how he feels about federalism and states rights and how far federal powers should go. I'd also be interested in finding out his opinion on individual privacy and personal rights as they pertain to survellience and increased scrutiny because of the terrorist threat. Of course I'm interested in his views on Roe v. Wade, but I honestly don't believe that will be overturned anytime soon. The bigger question is how he deals with abortion issues when the states are involved.

Roberts should prepare himself to answer the tough questions- there is no doubt that his term on the bench will span decades (he's only 50 years old), and the impact his vote will have on the future of this country and especially my generation. Oh, I'm sure the Democrats won't let him get off easy, even though they know Roberts' confirmation is almost a sure-fire bet. But despite this, the citizens of this country have the right to these answers before his term begins.

Here's hoping Renquist doesn't croak for 3 more years...

Fantasy world

I am always amazed at some people's lack of civility and respect amongst friends when it comes to game-playing. I always gave my friends in DC props for playing games well and not necessarily focusing solely on winning. And the truth is, most of my friends fall into the latter category. But then there are those select few who will stop at almost nothing to win and stoop to the low level of name-calling and embarassing others just because they don't agree with others, aren't getting what they want, or because their potential win is being threatened. That just makes me angry.

I play fantasy baseball because it's fun, and because it's a great and easy way to keep up-to-date with what's going on in the majors, outside of the Mets. I'm not the best fantasy player, I don't spend hours analyzing stats and matchups to field the best lineup for that night, and I usually stick with most of the guys I drafted before the season started. I made it to first place for a few days in April, and now I am fully entrenched in fifth. I hold no illusions of winning the league I'm in with my friends in DC, and it honestly doesn't bother me much.

A few days ago, a friend in the league decided that his team wasn't going to win, and so he wanted to trade all of his players, but make sure that the trades would be fair and somewhat balanced- i.e., a fire-sale but not at rockbottom prices. I have no problem with that. Apparently, a bunch of other people do. And boy, did they make it known that they were upset. One person even went so far as to call the other "immature and spiteful" and a "three year old." WHA??? Another went on a tirade, lashing out at those who traded with this guy, calling people cheaters. Yep, here you have a bunch of people with college and graduate level degrees, acting like kids in kindergarten, instead of dealing with this situation like the adults they play on TV.

It's frustrating, because it doesn't seem to me that either of these guys actually voiced their displeasure with the one who was putting his team up for sale. Their gut reaction was to go into a tirade, and insult others. Where's the decency in that? One of them tells me that a friend should be allowed to call a spade a spade. That's fine. But really- if you're friends with someone, you should first think about HOW you're calling the spade, and think about the bite and offense in your words.

Suffice it to say, I probably WON'T be playing with some of these characters next year.

Grr.

Gabe!

The long drive up to NY on Friday afteroon, the parking lot traffic on the BQE, the annoying date that made me wait 2 hours for him on Saturday night, and everything else strange and bizarre that comes with a trip to NY was all worth it, if only because I got to spend 3 hours with my beautiful 1 month old nephew, Gabriel Aaron. It turns out that while he grew so much from the last time I saw him (3.5 weeks ago), I was still able to recognize him and kiss him a million times during those 3 hours. How can anyone resist those delicious cheeks??

You might think that there is not much one can do with a 1 month old baby. All they do, after all, is eat, sleep, and poop, right? Yep. But with sleeping baby, you get very pliable arms and legs, and you can make 'im do all sorts of funny things while you pose with him for pictures! Nah, it's not mean. He won't even remember it, and I'm positive he slept peacefully thru the whole thing. How could I resist? So precious!!

My sister tells me that she's starting to plan his first outing to Shea Stadium to see the Mets play. As a side note, my brother, cousins, and I tried to convince my sister and brother-in-law to name the boy Gabriel Pedro, or Pedro Aaron, in honor of the great Mets pitcher, but they would have none of that. Too bad.

Best news of the weekend: the family (baby included) will be visiting in 3 weeks. WHOOHOOO!

:-D

Family ties

I'm heading up to NY in a few hours to spend some good quality time with my family. Living away from home makes you really enjoy and savor the little time you get to have when you're in the same city for a few days. And not just from my perspective either. It's amazing to see the look on my father's face when he opens the door for me at home. After a nice embrace, he takes my bags out of my hands and proceeds to carry it upstairs for me and places it in my room. And then when my brother and sister come home to complete the triumverate, he gets all giddy. Parents spend all these years raising their children, looking forward to the day when they all leave home, and then they bust your chops everyday asking when you're planning to come home. Ironic, ain't it?

The highlight of my trip this weekend will be seeing my 1-month old nephew, Gabe, for the first time in 3.5 weeks. I spent a total of 3 days with him last month, and as soon as I left him to return to DC, I started to miss him terribly. And everytime I speak to my sister or brother-in-law, I can hear Gabe cooing in the background, and my heart jumps, missing him more. How is it possible to have so much love for someone I've only known for 3 days? I'll make sure to post pictures of the little cutie when I get back.

I'm sure I'll be back with some interesting stories to relay. That's NY for ya...

A Dream, Deferred

Ever since highschool, I have always dreamed of making aliyah. It was at the same time that I found my "calling." I was going to help bridge the gap between religious and secular Jews, and Israelis and Palestinians. Where else can that be done, but in Israel? And of course, there is no denying my undying love for the land itself. Forget about the religious significance- the country is the most beautiful place in the world!

Many people have asked how I got turned on to conflict resolution. While the story itself is a bit personal, I can tell you that it was always second nature to me to put myself in someone else's shoes before making decisions. I'm quite helpless to it, actually- and to a fault at times. (There is a reason my mother always said that I was born with the word "sucker" imprinted on my forehead!) It affects most of the decisions that I make on many levels- interpersonal, communal, etc. So the answers to the questions on a larger scale, i.e., international and interethnic, seemed pretty simple to me. And if the answers seemed obvious to me, then it must be what I was destined to do.

So, putting it all together, making aliyah seemed like a no-brainer. I would graduate high school, spend a year in Israel, return to the United States and get an undergraduate degree, then move. That plan got pushed back so I could get a master's degree. Then that got pushed back so I could get a few year's experience working, to make myself more employable in Israel. And now, 4 years after the first deadline extension, I'm still in Washington, DC, looking for that experience (and maybe a partner to go along with me) and pushing off aliyah indefinitely.

Why indefinitely? Honestly, I don't know. No- that's a lie. I do know. A year and a half ago, I entered a semi-crisis mode, because I was seriously dating a guy at that time I thought I would one day marry, and aliyah did not seem to be on his radar. What to do? I had these two conflicting priorities, and I honestly thought I was selling-out if I gave up my dream of living in Israel. Crazy, I know. After sharing these thoughts with friends, I realized that I was being ridiculous. Finding love can be once-in-a-lifetime; my dream, on the other hand, could be fulfilled in plenty of other ways. In fact, I am doing it in some fashion now, by working in the CR/international development field, and focusing my efforts on the Middle East.

So that's the philosophy by which I've been living my life the past year or so (in case you were wondering, the guy ended up not being the one I am going to marry...alas). But every so often, aliyah gets pulled back to the forefront, reappearing from behind the curtains of my heart, and ever so slightly, throwing my world off kilter. I start to question myself again, and really wonder if I should take the plunge and go down the path that Jessica has so far successfully plowed thru. I'm comfortable here. I love my community. I have wonderful friends. I'm already 250 miles away from my adorable new nephew and the rest of my family. What would making aliyah to do all that? Is it something I'm ready to give up?

And again today, reading Jessica's letter (copied for you in the previous post), these questions present themselves to me. And to make them even more poignant, I realize that my life is now at a crossroads, yet again, because I am in search of a new job. Maybe I should just take the plunge and do it. What's the worst that can happen? When was the last time I took such a risk, anyways?

A Dream, Undeferred

A very good friend of mine made aliyah last year, and today she celebrates her "first birthday at the age of 25." She periodically sends out email updates to her friends and family, and I'm always struck by her poise, confidence, and drive. I'm posting her latest email below, and will shortly write more about my own feelings about making aliyah.

Turning One Year Old as a New Israeli:
Handling Aliyah as a Single Olah

This week marks my first birthday at the age of 25. Though it sounds a bit strange, in many ways I feel that the first year of aliyah brings so many new experiences and such new encounters that I had to learn some of the most basic life skills from the start. Examples like learning the skill of expressing yourself using words that you never knew before (i.e. in Hebrew), seeing familiar faces, sights and smells that you recall from that first visit to Israel so many years ago and simply encountering a new culture, all strike me as if I'm on a never-ending ride deja-vu. I have mentioned numerous times that flashbacks at random moments are not infrequent occurrences since I arrived in Israel. Set on building a new life and facing the challenge of starting from scratch at the age of 25, I frequently face life in Israel with an optimism, freshness and slight naïveté that only a second “childhood” would allow. I hereby turn an Israeli one year old, olah hadasha-style.

After a year of living here, I reflect back on those few individuals back in New York who actually tried to dissuade me from making aliyah as a single person (“not-yet-married,” “still searching”-- however you want to coin that one.) When I consider the complexity involved in making this significant move, I can now say openly and confidently, that I am so grateful I did this alone, without any partner by my side.

The primary impetus that drove my motivation to “take the plunge” alone was simply based on the fact that I found it a rare commodity, so to speak, to find similar Israel-guided individuals in the U.S., both for dating and social purposes. We are taught from a young age that as Torah individuals, we must surround ourselves with a good community; “make yourself a rav and buy yourself a friend,” says Pirkei Avot. In other words, find a community that will help you reach your potential; support and guide you along the best path for yourself.

In no way do I deny the incredible traits of my communities and friends in New York. However, there I was, living in the largest Jewish community in the Diaspora and I found that planning to live in Israel was more of a challenge than actually living here simply because the forces discouraging me, especially as a ‘single’ were so strong. Some people attempted to convince me to wait until I am married, while others blatantly told me that living in Israel should NOT be a top priority when looking for a spouse.

Although the search for ‘The One” does continue (don’t get too excited just yet), I am proud to say that aliyah as a single person is not only possible; it may even serve as an advantage. Having a high level of flexibility and independence actually facilitated the acclimation period and paved an open road for me to find the right niche for myself, both socially, community-wise and professionally. Without anyone dependent on me, I had the freedom to change what did not fit and find what did.

In other words: I needed this year to be single. I needed this time to accept and reflect upon my decision to move so far away from all that was familiar to me, all those whom I cherish and build a life for myself. I needed this year to overcome all those obstacles by myself. I needed this time to grow and develop into ME. Lastly, I needed this year to come to terms with the sublime inner-peace that comes along with knowing that I have fulfilled a dream that has been top priority since I was in high school!

Indeed, I am actually grateful that I made aliyah as a single person.

Many people that I have met admire me for coming here alone. In all honesty, I cannot imagine doing it otherwise. I do not wish to dissuade those couples and families who wish to make aliyah. On the contrary, you already have a built-in support system and another loved-one to share the experience with, so nu?Y’alla!

I just want to make that pitch to those singles who contemplate moving here, but hesitate or wait to find a spouse: it may actually be easier to make aliyah as a single person. Moreover, the likelihood of finding the “perfect marriage candidate” in the country in which you envision your future is A LOT HIGHER if you are actually living in that particular country (rocket science, I know.) If you have already taken steps to fulfill one dream to build your life, I humbly submit that it just may be easier to move onto the next step from then on.

Perhaps the concept of rebirth is a bit more clear now. Try spending a year restructuring every aspect of your life- ranging from the bed in which you sleep, what language you speak, the food you eat, your reactions to the way people treat you, the language advertisements are broadcasted in on the radio, in the bus station, in shul, in the theatre, how to explain common household issues, what traffic signs indicate and seeing different brands of shampoo and detergent in the pharmacy (even that is improving here). After all that, you will find yourself reassessing everything you know of life and yourself.

Even throughout those daunting changes, there is nothing to be compared to the sentiment you feel upon hearing children laugh and play together in Hebrew, overhearing two women in the gym locker room discover that they are from the same town in Hungary; one who came to fight in the Independence War, while the other arrived in the euphoric times post-’67. And lastly, there is nothing to be compared to standing in the airport welcoming two planes filled with new olim, young and old.

This week, I celebrate my first “birthday” or “anniversary with Medinat Yisrael” by welcoming more of her ‘children’ back home. Along with hundreds of others, yesterday we stood at Ben Gurion, waving flags and seeing North Americans kiss the ground of Eretz Yisrael, home of thousands of years of our history. Six planes filled with of immigrants from North America are expected this summer, with the unparalleled help of Nefesh B’Nefesh (I, too am a beneficiary.) Surprisingly, approximately five-hundred of these incomings are single (hmm, potentials, anyone?)

Collectively, we do not view life in Israel as a sacrifice. Perhaps that may have pertained to the situation a few decades ago, but today, living in Israel is becoming a prospect; a chance to fulfill the fantasy of millions of Jews throughout the centuries who never had such a golden opportunity.

There are those who compare the aliyah experience to a relationship where the up's and down's are inherent and expected. However, the commitment to the other encourages you both contribute to the relationship, being patient, flexible and giving. Giving and contributing as the way to show your love of the other person.

When we parallel this to aliyah, we will see the same. Ups, downs, frustration, euphoria…and giving.

This week, I gave back to the relationship. My life, Thank G-d, is wonderful here and I am grateful to be a ‘lifelong partner.’ Moreover, I feel privileged to welcome more of Israel’s children back to our country. It is as if together, we create a family; a network of North Americans, all who share similar backgrounds and wish to build a shared future together.

My life has indeed, come full-circle. Yes, my friends, living in Israel is back on the agenda of American Jewry and I can think of no better peer pressure.

To the singles, “not-yet-married’s”, “still waiting’s” and even for the couples and families, if you are considering moving to Israel and are up for an adventure that will leave you feeling more accomplished than ever, we await you with open arms. No one denies the challenge, but if we pass up everything that may scare us or pose a challenge to us, what would we accomplish in life?

On that note, on my “first birthday,” I wish to thank my family, most wonderful friends (if you are receiving this, you are one of them) who in so many valuable ways constitute a support system for me. In addition, you not only gave me the courage to actually pull this year off successfully, but continue to remind me that with all those obstacles and challenges, even your dreams can become a reality, if only you try. No one knows what the future holds for us olim- single and married, but at least we accomplished a dream without allowing anyone to hold us back.

Thank you for allowing me to fulfill my dream.

Happy first birthday to me… and many, many more.

No doubt whatsoever...

Just in case anyone was wondering:
(What, you actually thought otherwise?)

Your Geek Profile:

Geekiness in Love: High

Academic Geekiness: Moderate

Fashion Geekiness: Moderate

Internet Geekiness: Moderate

Gamer Geekiness: None

General Geekiness: None

Movie Geekiness: None

Music Geekiness: None

SciFi Geekiness: None

How Geeky Are You?

Downsized

My boss sat me down two days ago to relay some bad news: the well has gone dry. Of course, I wasn't at all surprised, since I'm very much aware of the exact dollar amounts left in the organization's checking and savings accounts. I saw this coming a while ago, but the sting was still strong. We spent the last 9 months writing a whole bunch of concept papers and answering RFPs, but so far, we have not struck gold. It's sad, because we have great ideas. If only we had the opportunity to implement them and attempt to change some lives...

I've been looking for a new position. It's frustrating though, because I'm in the same exact spot I was in last year, and I don't feel that I've gained a whole hell of a lot since then. It sucks. Plain and simple. I've been stuck in neutral ever since moving here 2 years ago, and I desperately want to move forward. I've known for years what I want to do, and I even thought I knew the path I would take to get there.

Man plans and God laughs so damn hard...

Point?

Ah, yes- quickly before I sign off. What exactly is this blog about, you're probably asking yourself. Well, I'm not sure. No particular theme really, just my online, for-all-the-world-to-see diary. I used to keep a diary, and then stopped writing. But my brain is getting too jam-packed these days with the important and mundane, and I dont want to forget what's important and what I've experienced.

Stay tuned...

First Post

My friend David has been trying to convince me to start a blog and I've been pushing it off for a while. Here's the dilemma- if I write, I'd like people to read it, but if I publicize it to my friends, then am I really free to share all my thoughts, no holds barred? But what are the chances some random person will just happen upon my blog and read it? Slim to none.

If you are a random person, and are reading this post, please leave a comment, even just to say hello. My laptop battery is actually running on empty (only 14 minutes left...) and I'm too lazy to get up and plug it in (oh, wireless internet, what have you done to me?). So I end this post here and promise to write more tomorrow.

g'nite.