The Rabbi Guy

Well, the rabbinic candidate was actually very nice, and very friendly. I liked him mostly; he was funny and approachable, and didn't have the ego many rabbis are prone to. I didn't see him at services since my parents actually respected (a bit to my surprise) that I'd said I refuse to return to services at TRZ, but what I saw I was fine with. He could never be someone I'd consider "my rabbi," but I don't think anyone will be for a very, very long time.

After the service was over, they served a lunch so that congregates could ask him questions (which I went to because I wanted real lunch, and Passover's being so close means there's even less edible food in my mother's house). Someone asked, I assume mostly for politics, if he as a Rabbi would ever perform a commitment ceremony, and if he'd hold it to the same standards as a wedding.

He said, "Absolutely; I have gay and lesbian friends, some of whom are rabbis, and I respect them and love them dearly. I see no problem with homosexuality when it comes to halacha [Jewish Law], and would treat a couple seeking a commitment ceremony exactly as I would a couple seeking a wedding."

Great! Except that my semi-friend (mostly our mothers are friends) Arieh is sitting next to me and scoffing and fuming at this answer and cannot seem to believe that a RABBI would have no halachic problems with homosexuality, though trying really hard not to say anything because he didn't want to argue with me and knew he'd have to if he expressed his anger out loud (he's said before that he won't argue politics with friends, including me, since he's quite conservative and most of his friends are not). Well, good-bye, Arieh; this is not going to work anymore.

I hate this. I hate picking my identity day by day, and having to pretend one is not there. I think it's why the queer community is working for me so much better lately. It's a lot easier to be in the queer community as a Jew than in the Jewish community as a lesbian. But hate the Valley for always managing to bring it up every fucking time I come here. I almost got all the way through break without it being an issue.

Anyway, rocky Spring Break, from shows and hooka bars and gay clubs to car accidents and doctors appointments and Arieh. I will be very happy to be back in Santa Cruz tomorrow, and will need a break from this one before classes. Twelve units is sounding REALLY nice right now...

Eureka Part II

It’s really great to be back. Amanda and the kids were waiting for me at the bus stop and as soon as I sat down in the car, it occurred to me that the only change that has taken place here is time. The kids are one year older and they really show it. Benny is looking and acting less and less like a toddler and more like a little boy, and Maisy is loving Kindergarten.

Benny

Peter


Maisy

The happy hippe home


Amanda and Benny

Winter storms steepened the dune and ate the beach


Beach Yoga

Willow and Dunes Preschool

TigerHeat and Rabbinac Auditions

I went to TigerHeat last night with Ian, Ron, Jamez, Madison, Zach, and a few people I'd not met before. It was fun, and I actually let loose a little and danced sober (unless energy drinks count). I was a little disappointed that it wasn't as gay boy/lesbian mixed as I hoped (most of the girls there were allies), but that probably helped, too. The craziest occurrence of the night: IAN disappeared all night to a guy's nearby apartment, only coming back when we were ready to leave with wet hair. Evidently, he had a shower.

Today I got up to pack and clean my room again, though I'm not getting out of here until Sunday morning. My parents are hosting a Rabbi and his wife and son (age 5...yay...) for Shabbat while he auditions at TRZ. My mother volunteered my room for this purpose, on the one weekend I'm actually here. Thanks, Mommy.
I am being unfairly cynical about this, but I feel very awkward looking for someone to replace Steve in the congregation, and I am cowering in my room and avoiding giving this guy a chance. He does seem nice, and his brother is a Stevenson alum, but still. Hiding.

Eureka Part I

The fun part is getting there.

I love the trip up to Eureka. Everyone thinks I’m nuts, but I swear Amtrak to Eureka is the best way to get there. Sure, a plane ride would be faster, but I’d miss so much of the beautiful scenery. It’s really amazing to watch the climate change as you move north, I left the suburban desert known as Los Gatos, and arrived in the forest wonderland of Humboldt County.

Start Time: 6:00
2hr Train Ride, 6hr Bus Ride


Kevin: 6:00 am











After the train leaves San Jose, the tracks cross into the lower San Francisco bay. For some reason, there were large deposits of snow in the marsh.









I really couldn't have picked a clearer day to make the trip







The Martinez Amtrak station

Everyone falls over backwards when they hear about the 6 hour bus ride. It's really not that bad.

Goody Bag!

So, the neurologist isn't ready to give me preventative drugs until he follows up with me (I get to keep a migraine journal til late June), but he did give me a whole goody bag of prescription meds to take when they happen so as to find the one with the fewest feverish side affects. Yay, progress!

I spent the rest of the day hanging out with Eddie and wandering about the Valley, which was fun. Also, it pointed out the lack of things to do in the Valley: First, we did our mothers' Costco shopping for them. Then we went to Target, then to 99¢ store, then to Subway. I did notice random things where I've changed--like, we used to exchange music a lot, but we've started liking less and less of the same music, or other small things. But it really was quite nice to see him. Also, I had discovered that I accidentally bought a full-screen copy of "Lost in Translation," and he had a wide-screen, though we both preferred the other, so we traded. Well, I'm glad I'm not rebuying. :-)

(btw, Kevin, we have 10 more glasses! Fewer of more designs (1 of one, 2 of one, 3 of one, and 4 of one), but I think you'll like them.)

Cars

Well, my parents weren't upset about the scrape from the stump after all; my mom said, "Oh, I've done that on my car. It really bugs me the gardener trimmed that bush so much." Hours later, my dad said, "It was bound to happen at some point, if not by you than by me; I need to tell the gardener to leave that plant taller the next time he trims it in."
...okay, we're all taking the "blame the gardener" route. Fine. At least I'm not being killed.

Anyway, neurologist tomorrow! With any luck, I'll get on some preventative migraine meds and have them less frequently and/or less intensely. I am excited.

Eureka

To Eureka I go!

Why Jenni has Joined the "I Hate Cars" Side.

So, I just went down to Cypress to visit Hannah and Megan. The evening was nice, we went for dinner and then to the hookah bar and just generally hung out.

It was getting there and back that sucked...first, on my way down, I was rear-ended on the 405, just next to LAX. I was fine, my dad's car was fine, but I still had to do the whole insurance exchange thing, and I was quite shaken up. I couldn't move for the first several moments. Then, on the way back, everything is totally fine, save that I'm a few minutes later than I expected, but as I turned into the driveway (a turn which I've been fine with countless times in all three cars), I accidentally scrapped a stub of a bush that had been trimmed and I couldn't see. So now there is a scrape and a bit of a dent next to the back wheel on the passenger side. I feel stupid, and like shit, and can't blame my parents for how mad they'll be in the morning. Also, yesterday the key wouldn't turn in the ignition of my mom's car after we got off the RedLine after the show (evidently the wheels were jammed). I am done with cars for this trip. If Ian wants me to go to Tiger Heat (assuming my parents still let me), he'll need to get me a ride. No more driving this trip. Especially night driving; that stump was too low to see in the dark.

I feel like shit and wanna go home, where I can walk to my friend's apartments and take buses to interesting things like shows.

Someone call me. I need a good voice.

Wicked

Well, the show was fantastic (which is good, seeing as it was the sole reason I came down). There is something to be said for live theatre; I've never had every nerve in my body quite as awake for the soundtrack as I did for the actual performance of my favorite song from this show.

Music Magic

So, yesterday I started to raid my parents' CD collection, since I was looking for the Men Without Hats album. I found not only that album, and lots that I knew (or expected) was there, and a few exciting things:
* the entire 4 Non Blondes album from which "What's Up" was taken (okay, so I'm not perfect)
* a Talking Heads album (I've been intrigued since reading the little factoid on then for Town Hall on Wikipedia)
* two more-complete Billy Idol albums than Limewire really allows for
* THREE New Order albums, one of which is on two discs.
* a few other things I'm a little embarrassed to say I was excited to find... :-)

I am "adopting" as many of these as I can get away with (Some I doubt I even have to ask--they NEVER look at what they've got in here), along with a small CD cabinet, since my collection has outgrown the one I have.

2001: A Space Odyssey

A great, great film. I shall keep this one through break so anyone who hasn't seen it may watch it when we return.