In the evening I went to services at the conservative shul where the bat mitzvah led services and then came home for the night. I spent into the wee hours of the morning talking with Katrin. She is one of our two resident au pairs. She lives with the family in the main apartment – the Dubins. She has been one of my favorite things about this year and I will miss her terribly. Friday was our last night together and it was very bitter sweet. Saying goodbye is always hard, and this was no exception.
I fell asleep far too late, went to services – the bat mitzvah read from the Torah so beautifully. I really enjoy watching bnai mitzah. Most are nervous and stumble through, but then there are some that really own it, are proud of it, and understand its significance.
I went to the airport in the afternoon and after some major weather problems and being re-routed through NYC I ended up back in Syracuse. I got to the exhibition just as it was starting. My best friend Louisa graduated from SU on Sunday after finishing her 5 year program in industrial design. Saturday night was her thesis show. Jeremy, if you read this, you would have loved it! For her project she built a theramin, an electric instrument that you don’t have to touch. The closer you get the higher pitch it emits and the further you get from it (the antenna), the lower pitch it emits. The goal of her project was to explore the use of motion in design. It was well presented, she was amazing at explaining her ideas and it worked – lots of people came and played with it. She told me that one of the other nights a young girl had come up to the instrument and realized that she could just move her head back and forth and change the pitch. Her starting idea was that she wanted to encourage movement, motion. People are quick to say things like, “I can’t dance.” But by making music with the theramin they begin to experience free motion without realizing that they are engaging in what they claim they “could not do”. Expanding physical interaction with products, with design. I think that was the premise. In any case, I was pretty disappointed with the bulk of the projects – after 5 years of work this is all you could come up with?? But there were a few that were both well presented and supported with strong theory and research. I also got to meet Weeza’s best friend from when she lived in downstate and one of her sisters that I hadn’t met yet. We all went out for drinks – there was quite a lot of people, laughing, drinking. I had a wonderful evening. I am so proud of her – I have not met many people that work as hard or care as much about what they do, what they learn and how they treat others as weez. Once again, I know I say this all the time, but how did I get so lucky to have a friend like her???
I spent mothers day with my mom and pops. We went for a drive on back roads to Canandaigua – a small town between Syracuse and Rochester. There is an old mansion there that has several gardens and a few greenhouses. We walked around quite a bit, smelled some flowers, hung out with Buddha (see the pic…), and had some good laughs. We went home and watched movies, the daily show and just chilled. I won’t be with my momma for mothers day again for at least three years, so I was happy to be with her this year.
I called all my favorite mommas on or around the day, but here is a shout out all you wonderful ladies: Bunny Golden, Varda, Fancy Nancy, Mish Pish, Min, weeza’s moms, and to all those I forgot I am sorry I didn’t call you on that wonderfully commercial time of year where we buy you gifts, send you cards and flowers…OR ELSE!
While I was home I got my first lesson on how to drive a stick-shift in the wegman’s parking lot. Lets just say that a number of people gawked and laughed and a snow bird fresh back from florida completely bitched me out:
“What the hell do you think you are doing, learning to drive in a parking lot. You are gonna kill someone.”
“No, really ma’am, my foot is on the break, you can go – I won’t go till you are clear.”
“Are you &^%&^ nuts?”
Oh yeah, THAT’S why I don’t want to live in south Florida…
I got back to A.H.A. yesterday afternoon and was on for the evening. It was good to come home and see my girls. I brought them wegman’s cookies at the behest of one of my girls in my house. We had a short get together before lights out to munch them. At least cause they were packaged (although Nancy DID break into them when she picked me up at the airport to make sure they were “safe” to eat) I didn’t have to convince them that I didn’t bake them. I’m just not a baker, what can I say.
This evening I taught music for the last time at religious school. It has been neat to teach at essentially all of the institutions for Jewish education in Greensboro because I know most of the kids now – and whatever Jewish occasion I frequent I get lots of hugs from cute little people. Sometimes they even tell me cool Jewish stuff they have done or sing me a song I taught them. *she smiles at the thought of singing with children and all the joy they bring her*
Then I dropped in on a group of students I knew went for all you can eat pancakes at Tex and Shirley’s – a local cheapy but delicious diner. Two of the students got into a contest – one of my girls won (albeit by cheating slightly by hiding two pancakes in her shirt and then eating them on the ride home) – 16 to 15 - House 200 takes it!!!! My favorite comments of the night because they were either inappropriate or just plain ridiculous, both from my little champion:
“No, you don’t understand, I can stretch like no other.” In order to scare her opponent.
“If you can fit it in your mouth you can eat it.”
Oy. I work with teenagers who are inappropriate even when they aren’t trying to be.
That’s about it for now. L’hit.
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