Torrey View

Delayed on the Ice

2009-03-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

While at the King David Lounge in JFK, we learned that the flight would be delayed about an hour. We were told that there was an ill passenger on the inbound flight and the delay was due to dealing with that. Not too bad, we thought, an extra hour in the lounge was no big deal. We were even assured that the jet, an El Al Boeing 747, would likely make up most of the time.

While most premium class lounges have alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and snacks, it takes El Al to serve classic parve kiddush food in the lounge. Tuna salad, hummus, salad, breads, spreads, and some soup were the highlights. Coffee came out of a fancy machine with lots of button choices for espresso, latte, cappuccino, etc. My biggest complaint was that all the good coffee choices were caffeinated. For decaf you got instant. I'm no fan of instant coffee, but if you are going to board a jet for an overnight flight I'm not going to start off caffeinated! Combining 2 packets of decaf coffee mixed into the premium hot chocolate from the machine was the best I could do. We avoided most of the snacks in the lounge thinking that a good premium class dinner was only a few hours away. That turned out to be a mistake.

We did board about an hour late. It was the usual zoo at the gate; El Al special security, no special business class boarding line, lots of babies and children, lots of strollers, "black hats" with big hat boxes, pushing, shoving, too much carry-on luggage, etc. I was comfortable and unsurprised, but there were a group of clearly mid-western Christian tourists who were more than a bit put off by the zealousness of the Jews hurrying to their seats to Israel. Religious fervor, no doubt :) .

There was a long delay in the Jetway for some reason or another but we had the good fortune of spending our time adjacent to a security officer with a sniffer dog. The dog was exceedingly well behaved and quite tolerant of the little kids who were captured by this. I don't know if the dog was looking for drugs, bombs, or treif, but it didn't do anything exciting during the 15 minutes we stood in its vicinity. Naturally, there was no explanation for the delay in the Jetway.

We took our seats in the lower level business class section a few rows behind the first class bulkhead. We had a good view of the kitchen on our right and two nice windows on our left. Clearly, this El Al 747 was in need of a face lift. It looked worn, there was duck tape on the legs of the seat in front of us, the surfaces were a bit grimy.

As we settled in, played with our seat buttons, and got generally comfortable we noted a large cardboard box being loaded into the belly of the plane. It was a coffin; another Jew was returning to the homeland, if only for burial. Presumably, the shomer and family was somewhere aboard as well, though there were plenty of regular passengers prepared to recite psalms throughout the flight.

The El Al flight attendants took good care of us. Plenty of water, offers of refills, and even some pleasant, chatty conversation. We were soon buckled in, buttoned up, gate retracted, and some bumpy maneuvering as the tractor began to push us back from the gate.

All this long while, at least since our landing in NY, it was snowing steadily and presumably, some of the snow was mixed with sleet. It was well below freezing outside and evidently, the tarmac was slipperier than it looked. We spent the next 90 minutes trying to be pushed back far enough to start the engines and proceed. It didn't work. A snowplow was called in, and finally another tractor. Evidently we were in a slight depression and we would be pushed for a few feet and the plane would slide back. We were assured this was not "dangerous" but the flight attendant how checked on us repeatedly owned up to the fact that he had never been on a plane with this particular situation and had never heard it being discussed. Eventually we were able to turn, start the engines, and then spend about an hour deicing and taxiing to the runway. It took so long that I thought we were on the grand tour of Jamaica Bay!

We took off, finally, four hours late and, according to the in-flight map, we headed northeast along the Atlantic Coast, crossed Cape Cod, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, along the Turkish coast and into Israel.

The seats were roomy and comfortable. They flattened out to almost a bed and I slept a while. The in-flight entertainment was deficient; I didn't care for any of the movie choices, but then again, I don't like most movies.

Food and beverage service was professional. Glenn Morangie was my single-malt Scots Whiskey of choice. The first course salad, fish, appetizer was tasty. The main entree was mediocre. It certainly didn't benefit from the 4 hour delay but I'm not sure it would have been more edible even if it was right on time. El Al has good fresh bread and rolls. Dessert included lots of fresh fruit. With enough of the Glenn Morangie, I was feeling no pain and drifted off to sleep.
I awoke once during the night and peered out the window and thought I saw Paris. I awoke again later and had mostly clear views of the Adriatic coast.

Breakfast was served with good fish, good coffee, and a lousy omelet. Finally, we were asked to prepare for landing and saw the Israeli coast, crossed Tel Aviv and landed at Ben Gurion airport.
Once you deplane at Ben Gurion your trip has only started. It is a VERY long walk through the modern terminal to the baggage claim area. El Al was cognizant of our delay and put out a spread of juice, water, and cookies at the baggage carousel. That was unusual and a nice apology.
Baggage was not long in coming and we began the rest of our trek through

Immigration/Passport Control and a cursory glance in our direction at Customs. We finally emerged in the Arrivals area where we were met by a joyous Zachary who was clearly delighted to see his Mother, and perhaps me as well. After all, we were only 3 hours late!
Zachary said he was not aware the flight was going to be late, so he arrived early to on time and had a lot of time to kill at the airport. He had taken the bus from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion, but didn't know there was a shuttle bus for the 2-3 kilometer walk from the bus stop to the terminal.
We took a sherut (shared taxi van) from the Airport to Jerusalem. There was a lengthy traffic delay on the highway near Bet Shemesh but this was not unexpected. The driver decided it was too much trouble to go down Agron Street because there was no place to turn before Jaffa Road so he let us out across the street on King George street. Zachary had shekels and paid the fare, I don't know if he tipped for this special service. With Zachary's help we shlepped all the luggage, checked in at the hostel.

We took some time to unpack, give Zachary all the things we brought for him, visited his room, met his madrich (staff) and then went out for a walk. It was dark and chilly so we bundled up. We walked down to Ben Yehuda Street by cutting through Independence Park, stopped at the bank to get Shekels from the cash machine, and found a Schwarma shop for dinner. It was mediocre Schwarma; but it was a place we could sit down which was important as we were stiff from all the sitting and hadn't gotten used to the walking.

We then walked up Ben Yehuda street to King George Street and back to Agron to the hostel. We tried to go to sleep to get our bodies onto Israel time but it was challenging and we didn't sleep well until quite close to morning. But that, as they say, will have to wait for the next post.

Visiting Zachary in Israel

2009-02-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

This series of blog posts will review our recent visit to Israel to see Zachary and have an interesting vacation. Zachary, as my regular readers will know, is participating in the United Synagogue NATIV program during his college freshman year. This program spends the first semester studying at Hebrew University or the United Synagogue Yeshiva (Zachary chose Hebrew University) and the second semester doing volunteer work on a kibbutz, in a development town, or in Jerusalem (Zachary chose to do his volunteer work in Yeruham, a development town in the Negev desert, southeast of Beer Sheva.

We planned our visit to coincide with Zachary's winter break between his Hebrew University semester and his time in Yeruham.

We departed San Diego on Sunday, January 19, 2009 on an American Airlines flight to JFK in New York followed by an El Al flight from JFK to Ben Gurion airport in Israel. Through careful planning and management (and a little luck) we accumulated enough air-miles to acquire 2 business class tickets from San Diego to Israel and back. This allowed us to fly First Class from San Diego to New York and Business Class from NY to Tel Aviv and then back home to Los Angeles. There was only "economy" class on the flight from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Without question, it is a fabulous treat to fly "premium" on long flights. Our American First Class seats were the most comfortable of the entire trip; superior to El Al's Business Class on both the 747 and new 777. The "neatest" feature was the motorized slide forward and back which was very accommodating to those of us with "girth."

We began our trip by driving to a friend's house who then drove us to the airport and looked after our car for the duration. (Not surprisingly, a High School guy will do almost anything to have a car at his disposal for a few weeks.) He was even awake for our early morning drive!

We had a very substantial amount of luggage with us on our way to Israel. Zachary had made numerous requests of "stuff to bring for me" including a carton of sci-fi books, push-up enhancement devices, electronic goodies, towels, tee shirts, etc. I packed in a very large duffel bag and a capacious carry-on. I was worried a bit about oversize and overweight luggage. In addition I was shlepping another suitcase (donated unknowingly by my Mother) filled with toys and letters and photos from our synagogue and community to donate to the kids in the Shaar Hanegev region of Israel to occupy them in their extensive missile shelter time. Monica packed sensibly, of course, in our large suitcase and a comfy carry-on.

We were challenged to fit all the luggage into our sedan, and uncharacteristicly, I used a red-cap to help bring the luggage to the check-in counter. (Thinking back, the $5.00 I gave him was probably insufficient).

First Class check in on American was smooth and professional and our luggage passed muster. Because of the operating agreement between American and El Al, our luggage was checked through to Tel Aviv. We had been cautioned that this wouldn't actually work (due to El Al security concerns) but it did work. I was carrying a letter (in Hebrew) from our Federation Israel Shaliach about the toys to give to El Al security, it either worked or was unnecessary!

We had time to hang out in the American Airlines Flagship Lounge in San Diego before our flight. It was comfortable, had good coffee, and was well equipped with magazines. We loaded up for the flight. First Class boarding was a breeze; I wish I could fly like this all the time!

The flight to New York was great. Plenty of room in our comfortable chairs, decent in-flight entertainment, not bad breakfast, and attentive service. We arrived at JFK on time and made our way through the maze of the renovated American terminal to the tram to the International terminal. Happily, our luggage took another route and we never saw it in New York!

El Al Business Class check-in was polite but thorough. I turned over the letter from the shaliach and answered all sorts of questions about our trip, purposes, packing, luggage, etc. More thorough than US airline security but one certainly understands El Al's concern for security even though it is a bit intrusive. After checking in we found the King David Lounge and started enjoying the first of what turned out to be over 13 hours of El Al hospitality. But that is the subject of my next post!

140 hours, and counting

2009-01-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

The big countdown and mad rush has started, and in about 140 hours I'll be aboard an American Airlines jet enroute to JFK and then El Al #2 to Israel. And the rockets and bombs and mortars and bullets are still flying in and around Gaza.

I'd be lying if I claimed not to feel the pressure to cancel or reschedule our my trip. I did give it serious consideration but, barring worsening developments, I'm eager to go.

We have several reasons to go and go now.

Most importantly, Zachary is there. We aren't pulling him out (there is no need to) and he is loving his experiences there. We and he decided months ago that we would join him in Israel for his winter break rather than having him come home to San Diego. In hindsight, he might prefer the change of scenery, the absence of responsibility, and spending time at home. However, we decided this months ago and he didn't ask and we didn't offer to change our plans.

We want to visit Israel. I've gone a few times in the last 15 years, but Monica's last visit was 35 years ago. Americans should visit Israel. Jews should visit Israel. Tourists and vacationers should visit Israel. It is a top-notch destination. The physical beauty, the history, the cultural variety and the religious heritage all count.

I want to express my solidarity with Israel. I want to be supportive always, but even moreso during these difficult times. I want to spend my discretionary vacation dollars there and know that in my small way I'll be helping to employ lots of Israelis, especially service workers, be they Jewish, Christian or Muslim.

I want to see some cousins and friends. Regrettably, it is very unlikely that we will see my friend Avi Kadosh at Kibbutz Nir Am as it is a front-line community on the Gaza border. Hopefully, we can connect and visit someplace and sometime he feels is convenient and safe.

I'm doing an errand for my synagogue and my community. Our shul has collected small toys and gifts for children who are spending far to much time in bomb shelters. It is a small gift but we hope it will help. I'm honored to be the "shaliach" the emmisary and agent on this tzedakah mission.

I want to continue to explore the idea that spending more time in Israel is part of my future. Could I make aliyah? Would I enjoy living in Israel, working in Israel, or retiring in Israel? Full time or part time? Could I learn enough Hebrew? Would I live in an "Anglo" community like Netanya, a Tel Aviv suburb, make a home in Jerusalem? Find a small town or rural community? Am I too old to become a Kibbutznik? Would a kibbutz want us? Do we identify as Masorti, "religious (code for Modern Zionist Orthodox," or secular? Could we make new friends there? Would our Israeli cousins welcome us or come to resent our frequency and dependency? Would Zachary like his aging parents in Israel or in the US? Does Israel want American retirees (who may be modestly well off by Israeli standards but are far from the stereotypical rich Americans). Where is the better place to become old, aged, frail, and ultimately die? Does my wife share my interests in making Aliyah? Will we ever be grandparents and if so, where will the little darlings live?

"But aren't you taking on risk?"

Yes, there is a certain risk. Not much risk, after all, far more people are killed by random traffic accidents than are injured in terrorist attacks or missile explosions or even military collateral damage. Nevertheless, if the Israelis are living with this day in and day out, I can certainly live with it for a couple of weeks.

Well, blogging takes longer than you might think. I'm down to 139 hours. I'd better think about packing...

Nervous Parent?

2009-01-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

After a week of aerial bombardment, the Israeli army has entered Gaza in the hope of terminating the ability of Gazans to launch missiles into Israel. A secondary objective, I presume, is to destabilize the Hamas government in the hope that a more moderate Palestinian group will take over; perhaps rapprochement with the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank.

This, of course, is news you can read in almost any media, I mention it because my son is in Jerusalem preparing for his final exams at Hebrew University. Monica and I are also preparing to fly to Israel in mid-January to visit him during his vacation.

While Jerusalem is out of range of the Gaza missiles, and I can control my touring to stay well out of range, the nervousness comes from the ongoing fear of an isolated terrorist incident which could occur anywhere in Israel. Too often, the targets are in Jerusalem.

My son's program has applied sensible security rules, restricted travel to riskier areas, and, for a while, even restricted riding on the public bus. However, anything can happen anywhere and even if it is unlikely, it is certainly possible.

Both my Mother and my Mother-in-Law have expressed concern and asked me to bring him home and not go myself. I'm determined to ignore this well-intentioned advice. It is important to me that our behavior is an expression of solidarity with Israel. Most Israeli's can't and won't run away. Other Jews shouldn't either.

If things get out of hand, Israel will send my son home and tell us not to visit at this time. I don't expect that to happen. We will go forward as planned and we pray that the Gazans do the two things required for a cease-fire; end the missile launching and release the captive Israeli soldier. Until that happens, Israel has every duty to protect its citizens and visitors.

I must believe that peace is possible and the current Israeli military activity is a necessary part of the process. I pray it will be both successful and brief. Express your support of Israel. Inform yourself of the real issues, don't fall for the propaganda, and plan to do what you can to be a partner with Israel in the pursuit of peace.

None of this means I'll be less nervous about my son, my wife, or myself in Israel. However, I think the physical risk to us is quite modest, but the symbolism of our solidarity is profound.

Exercising the Franchise

2008-10-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

While it is an unusual turn of phrase, exercising the franchise is exactly what I did today as I spent some time with my California Official Voters Ballot. I have gotten into the habit of voting early by mail as to avoid the polling place on election day. I prefer to sit with the ballot and my resource materials and the Internet at hand to work my way through the ballot.

As a Californian, I'm blessed(or cursed) with a large number of propositions in addition to the regular candidates. Choosing elected officials is relatively easy compared to evaluating propositions. You can't always tell whom is the best candidate, but it is always clear whom should be voted against. The propositions are deceptive. Sometimes the yes means no, other times the no means yes. Purposes are hidden behind confusing names. Bad stuff sounds good.

Today I supported high speed train transportation, against mandatory free-range poultry raising, for improving Children Hospitals infrastructure, against mandatory parental notification of abortions for minors, for sentencing reform for non-violent drug offenders, against shifting funds to law enforcement agencies, for renewable energy generation, against a ban on same-sex weddings, against further consideration of victims in sentencing, for alternative fuel vehicle bonds, against the redistricting initiative, and against the Veteran's housing bond proposal.

I feel it is too easy for interest groups to put proposals on the public ballot in California. While I support broad democracy, much legislation is too detailed and too complicated for the broad public to decide. Many such items should be left to the legislative process. Because of this idea, I opposed some voter initiatives even though I tend to support the idea. I don't think the general citizen can properly evaluate the details of the initiative so I only support those items that are both clear and meaningful to me.

I also voted for a President and Veep, congressperson, state legislators, city council, city attorney, school board officials, etc. I don't think there was a county dogcatcher on this year's ballot or I would have voted for that office as well!

I don't know that I made all the "right" choices, but I gave the matters considerable thought, due diligence, and used my best judgment. I had my say and I retain the right to complain about my government since I chose it. That may be the most important "right" an American citizen has.

Get out there and vote. As my old boss, Lou Powsner used to say, quoting Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, VOTE EARLY (and often!)

Catching Up on the News

2008-10-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Autumn is the best time of year to visit New York. I returned recently from a 10 day trip and had a wonderful time. My purpose for this travel was two family B'nai Mitzvah. The first, on the Shabbat following Yom Kippur, was Jacob Lurie, son of my first cousin Michael. This simha was in Bellmore, Long Island and I had a nice time. The second simha was of my niece, Eliana Dresher, my sister's daughter, in White Plains. This was also a splendid event.

Visiting NY for me is a time to reconnect with family. I stayed with both my Mother and my Brother. With my mother and uncle I visited the family cemetery to check on all the relatives there. While it wasn't easy to find everyone, we managed after a long hunt. Interestingly, my Mother's maternal grandparents are buried in a section of the cemetery where men and women are buried in date of death order but separated by gender. I guess that is the ultimate mechitza.

At the first Bar Mitzvah, and the day following, I spent time with my cousins Donna and Michael and their families. Donna and Michael are in the enviable position of having settled only a few blocks from each other in Bellmore and essentially raised their children more or less together. Zachary has spent his entier life (and Monica and I have spent most of our adult lives) living far away from extended family. While living in Kansas City, Dallas, and San Diego have been interesting, I am internalizing the angst of living apart from relatives. It definately has its drawbacks.

I spent some quality time with another niece, Fanya Hoffman, my brother's 7 year-old daughter. We spent two wonderful days together in New Jersey and she was just a charmer. Fanya tends to be clingy and shy when her parents are around to cling to, but with just me she was wonderfully outgoing, cooperative, and cute. On our first expedition Fanya took me to her riding stable and we met the dozens of horses she befriends. We went through a few pounds of carrots and she was scrupulously fair about their distribution. Unfortunately it wasn't a riding-lesson day for Fanya but it was a nice visit anyway. Once done with the horses, we took a meandering drive on local streets south to Metuchen so Fanya and I could see the house where Zachary first lived. It was a lovely day with spectacular weather and New Jersey looked about as beautiful as it could. Trees, lakes, changing leaves, etc. The only problem we had was finding a place for lunch as Fanya decided she wanted "only salad." By the time we got around to it, it was quicker to get home than to stop for salad late in the afternoon, so we finished the carrots the horses didn't get.

The next day Fanya took me to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. We walked up all the stairs, visited every single exhibit and even had time for Mad Scientist Fanya to do a lab experiment including lab coat, test tubes, goggles, etc. Perhaps we have a future Dr. Hoffman in the family. We lunched at the Science Center and Fanya finally got her salad. Mustard is her favorite condiment so we experimented with what is edible after you dip it in mustard. The list inlcuded cucumber, asparagus, lettuce, and couscous. The important part was the "soda mix" from the dispenser.

Monica flew in to NY a few days after me so we had one day in Manhattan to play tourist. We took the subway and visited the South Street Seaport to pick up Broadway Show tickets from TKTS, dim sum lunch in Chinatown with her old KU chum Judy, shopping at Macy's and cocktail hour at the Marriot Marquis lounge overlooking Times Square. We saw Avenue Q on Broadway and took the subway back to Coney Island. It was an exhausting but fun day.

Overall, my trip included three synagogues (two Shabbatot for the B'nai Mitzvah and Sukkot with my Brother), a visit to the venerable Fountain Pen Hospital, 2 meals at Diners, one meal in Chinatown, about 22 cousins, 2 pizzas, 3 bagels, 2 sukkot, 1 cholent, 1 beer and several mini banannas.

Our air travel was uneventful except for the ususal hassles. Flights were crowded, we had a long layover in Dallas, and we got home late. As much fun as it was to visit NY, it was good to get home.

Is there such a thing as a "small" terrorism incident?

2008-09-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I now feel even closer to Israel.

I was at work and Zachary sends me a text message on the computer "I'm OK."

Naturally, I'm alarmed and I type "What?" and he told me about the car and the gunshots and the ambulances and getting the cell phone calls from his madrichim and being locked down in Bet NATIV, etc.

Someone ran a car into a crowd of pedestrians in a busy part of Jerusalem near the Old City.

I asked him where he was getting his news and he told me he could hear it outside. I went to the HaAretz website and kept checking updates. A "small" incident as far as these things go. (what a horrid thought) ONLY 19 hurt! Soldiers, no less. Someone shot the perp.

Well, as you could imagine, I called Monica right away, then my mother. Thankfully, neither had heard about it on the news yet. The NATIV program shortly sent an email that all the students were OK and accounted for.

What a feeling! And Israelis live with this all the time?

I suppose I can't say I was scared since I knew Zachary was OK even before I knew something had happened. But I did feel, in a different way than I have felt before. I always knew I "had skin in the game." Now, my skin was very personal.

And I've got 34 more weeks of this? And I'd love to live in Israel? Am I crazy or what?

Zachary was a champ and just kept working on an essay for class. It is about some aspect of the challenges of peace between Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Go figure.

A bit more about adults on Facebook

2008-09-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

Andy is personally active on Facebook and Twitter. See the links in the column on the left.

Move over Generations X and Y - Grandma’s on MySpace | Feeds | ZDNet.com: "Don’t be surprised if Grandma sends you a Facebook gift for Christmas this year instead of a package of socks.

The NPD Group, a market research firm, reported yesterday that its “Entertainment Trends in America” report shows that in the U.S., 41 percent of baby boomer Internet users (age 44 to 61) surveyed are spending time on social networks such as LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook.

Move over Generations X and Y - Grandma’s on MySpaceThe survey data, which was based on a sample of more than 11,000 consumers, also showed that 61 percent of these baby boomers are using streaming or downloadable video sites, as well.

“There’s an ongoing misperception that certain Web activities are the exclusive domain of young people,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group, in the research firm’s report. “That misperception could cost the entertainment industry, in terms of lost opportunities to target valuable consumers.”

As social networks continue to grow and get more mainstream airtime — my 58-year-old mother was just talking about CNN’s Twitter feed — it makes sense that more and more baby boomers would get on board.

The NPD Group also makes the case that advertisers, which often market to those 40 and below on social networking sites, should consider that much of the online buying power remains with the baby boomer generation."

Jennifer Leggio

On the road to the White House | Up to Speed | Los Angeles Times

2008-09-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

On the road to the White House | Up to Speed | Los Angeles Times

Now that the presidential fight card is set, we at Up to Speed decided to check out the candidates' transportation choices.

Barack Obama (D): Drove a Chrysler 300 with a V-8 engine (18 mpg) until last summer, when he switched to a Ford Escape hybrid (30 mpg) after getting bad press about driving a gas guzzler.

John McCain (R): Cadillac CTS sedan (19 mpg). Reportedly, his first car was a 1958 Corvette (no mpg rating — it predated the rating system — but probably not too great).

Joe Biden (D): Although his main vehicle of choice is the Amtrak Acela from D.C. to Delaware, he is known to drive a 1967 Corvette (again, no mpg rating).

Sarah Palin (R): As governor, she drives a Chevrolet Suburban (16 mpg) owned by the state of Alaska. In July, she was involved in a multi-vehicle accident on the way to work. The SUV sustained several thousand dollars in damage. She also has been known to drive her husband's snowmobiles.

These are going to be a hard-fought couple of months. But there's clearly one thing both tickets can agree upon: If you want to run for high elected office in the U.S. of A., you'd better drive an American car. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) drives a Toyota Prius, so we know why McCain passed him over.

Then again, with Secret Service escorts, none of the candidates will be doing any driving anytime soon.

—Ken Bensinger

Getting Back to Normal

2008-09-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Things are returning to what passes for normal in the Hoffman household. Zachary has landed in Israel and is beginning this new phase of his education. Monica and Andrew are back to being empty-nesters. Public school resumed so the neighborhood is a bit quieter. Work is...

I'm continuing to enjoy staying in touch via Facebook and Twitter. They are still big time-wasters, but wasting a bit of time in order to increase "relationship" seems to be a worthy exchange.

I've started studying with an on-line group that is doing daf yomi (page a day) of Sefer Ha-Aggadah, "The Book of Legends" a compilation of midrash aggadah by Bialik. Not as much fun as studying and discussing with a group, but interesting in its own right. There is a link to the study blog in the right column should you be curious.

Emotionally and spiritually I suppose I'm beginning to think about the Yamim Noraim, the High Holiday season. Each passing year feels a bit different and as I age, the question of the day "who will live and who will die" feels more and more like an important question.

I'm beginning to think that my focus for this year will be to reconnect with folks I've known and enjoyed. The computer and Internet thing allows for meaningful contact across vast distances. Hopefully, with a little effort, this year will be a meaningful resumption of important relationships.
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Now playing: The Turtles - Happy Together
via FoxyTunes

The Last Night Zachary is Home

2008-08-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

Zachary leaves home early tomorrow morning. He is flying to Newark and then on Labor Day he is flying to Tel Aviv and will spend the next nine months in Israel. As a parent, I've got very mixed emotions about this. I'm proud of him, I'm excited for him, I'm optimistic for his success, I'm worried about how he will handle his challenges, I've a nagging concern for his physical safety, but most of all, I'll miss him. In some ways, I miss him already.

He returned home from a summer job in Georgia as a camp counselor. He is quite tall, mostly adult-like in look and manner, and has a self-assurance I've not noticed before. No doubt the goofy kid will make an appearance every now and then, but Zachary is quite grown up. He has a lot to learn about the world and wonderful experiences, but he is already a well-knit personality able to meet most of his own needs and make his own decisions. I still tell him what to do (out of habit, I suppose) but mentally I've cut the apron strings and he will be able to succeed or fail based on his own choices.

I'll miss him. I know I wrote that in a prior paragraph, but it is really hitting home and it hurts. Viscerally. Life as I know it is changing. Empty nesting. Spousal focus. Wondering what to do with myself. Trying not to live my life through my son.

I suppose it wouldn't have been quite so traumatic if Zachary was going off to college somewhere he could visit home from time to time or we could visit from time to time. But going to Israel is a big and expensive trip. We plan to do it in January.

We will remain in touch, of course. Skype, text messages, ICQ, AIM, GoogleTalk/Chat, and email. But I know I'll be looking forward to each contact, and when it comes I won't know what to say.

It isn't that adult children don't need their parents. They just need their parents differently. Parents, on the other hand, need their children. 30 years of jokes about sons not calling their parents come to mind. Frankly, it is terrifying.

Monica will deal with it in her own way. From the outside, it will be easier for her. Internally, I'm not so sure.

Yet, I wouldn't have it any other way. Children grow up, leave home, acheive independence, and establish their own families. I knew it was coming. I ought to be more ready.

I'll be blogging about Zachary's experiences from a Dad's perspective throughout the year. Far more interesting will be Zachary's experiences from his own perspective, as shared on his blog. You will find the link to his blog in the left column and by clicking on the title of this article. Give it a look. Follow it. Comment on it. Encourage him to keep at it.

A few days ago Zachary and I watched a movie together. It was American Graffiti which is about some teenagers on their last night before their "group" breaks up and goes off to college. I think it is a fine move, a classic. Zachary enjoyed it (but couldn't see the point of driving around in circles around town with all the other teens in town doing the same thing.) I suppose it isn't all that exciting compared video games. :) But an important point about the movie is that the parents have insignificant roles that night. For sure, they raised those kids, bought the cars, and provided the gas money and college money. But in all the action of that last night at home, the parents are immaterial. They appear to say goodbye at the airport but they aren't a part of the action.

I'm the parent trying to let go. The most fun, exciting, interesting, and important experiences in Zachary's year abroad won't involve me. He begins the journey to be on his own, build his own life, search for his life's companion, make his own way in the world. I'll be a part of his life for as long as I live, but I know I'll have a secondary or tertiary role.

I guess I'll just have to get used to it.

A
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Now playing: The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
via FoxyTunes

Carrot Soup

2008-08-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night we had two of Zachary's friends and their families over for Shabbat dinner. The boys have been busy saying goodbye for several days as this gang of good buddies splits up to go off to college. We were a group of 10 for dinner and I made carrot soup based on a recipe from Epicurious. It was a hit and the subtle flavors of ginger, curry, mustard, and coriander were quite special balanced against the sweet carrots.

You will want to try this, especially as it is so inexpensive, nutritious and very low calorie.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly; I used double the amounts of the seasonings; curry powder, ground coriander, dry yellow mustard powder and olive oil. I used water with some soup powder instead of stock. The original recipe also calls for a dollop of yogurt as a garnish but as we were having a meat dinner, no yogurt! I garnished with a sprig of fresh picked oregano from the yard.

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (preferably Madras)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
5 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Grind coriander and mustard seeds in spice mill to fine powder.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground seeds and curry powder; stir 1 minute. Add ginger; stir 1 minute. Add next 3 ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 5 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick. Stir in lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
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Now playing: iba - CastUP: LiveAudio4
via FoxyTunes

Dark Meat

2008-08-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Another view of the Kosher Kontreversy, this time from an Orthodox perspective. Yasher Koah to Rabbi Herzfeld for taking this stand in the face of a general Orthodox hesitancy to demand ethical kashrut. Andy

August 6, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
Dark Meat
By SHMUEL HERZFELD

Washington

ACCORDING to the Jewish calendar we are now in the month of Av, a period of increasingly intense mourning that culminates with a total fast on the Ninth of Av, which this year coincides with Sunday, Aug. 10.

One of the customary practices in these nine days is the avoidance of meat: it’s the way we commemorate the destruction of the Temple, where daily animal sacrifices were once brought.

Refraining from food is symbolic, of course. The idea is not just to avoid meat but to limit ourselves so that we can better focus on the spiritual.

Unfortunately, this year kosher meat has become a different type of symbol, one not of mourning and spiritual devotion but of ridicule, embarrassment and hypocrisy. In May in Postville, Iowa, immigration officials raided Agriprocessors Inc., the largest kosher meatpacking plant in the country.

What began as an immigration sting, however, quickly took on larger dimensions. News reports and government documents have described abusive practices at Agriprocessors against workers, including minors. Children as young as 13 were said to be wielding knives on the killing floor; some teenagers were working 17-hour shifts, six days a week.

This poses a grave problem and calls into question whether the food processed in the plant qualifies as kosher.

You see, there is precedent for declaring something nonkosher on the basis of how employees are treated. Yisroel Salanter, the great 19th-century rabbi, is famously believed to have refused to certify a matzo factory as kosher on the grounds that the workers were being treated unfairly. In addition to the hypocrisy of calling something kosher when it is being sold and produced in an unethical manner, we have to take into account disturbing information about the plant that has come to light.

The affidavit filed in the United States District Court of Northern Iowa, for instance, alleges that an employee was physically abused by a rabbi on the floor of the plant. If true, this calls into question the reliability and judgment of the rabbi in charge of making sure the food was kosher.

What’s more, two workers who oversaw the poultry and beef division were recently arrested for helping illegal immigrants falsify documents. If they were willing to break national immigration laws, one could reasonably ask whether they would be likely to show the same lack of concern for Jewish dietary laws.

Unfortunately, the responses of the leading Orthodox organizations, the Rabbinical Council of America and the Orthodox Union, have, in my opinion, fallen far short of what is needed to be done and have done little to diminish the extent of the desecration of God’s name. I am a member of both groups, but I am dissatisfied with their stance, which asks us to sit back patiently and wait for the results of a federal investigation. On some level, this might be prudent, but on another it is unacceptable.

What is needed is for the Orthodox Union to appoint an independent commission whose members have not in the past been paid by either the Orthodox Union or Agriprocessors. Such a commission would select a team of rabbinic experts to spend an extended period of time at the plant and then make suggestions and recommendations. This independent team would make sure the plant upholds basic standards of kashrut and worker and animal treatment — and that it is in full compliance with the laws of the United States.

Hebrew National used to run a commercial that said: “We answer to a Higher Authority.” Well, we do. We need to express shame and embarrassment about the reports coming out of Iowa, and we need to actively work to change these matters. Then we should ask ourselves if our behavior and our values need improvement. Only if we truly think about these issues will we truly be keeping kosher.

Shmuel Herzfeld, rabbi of Ohev Sholom-The National Synagogue, is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America.

Three Jews, Four Opinions: Rubashkin's, Ethical Kashrut, etc.

2008-08-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

Three Jews, Four Opinions: Rubashkin's, Ethical Kashrut, etc.

(I've thought about this issue for a couple of weeks. This article, from a very interesting Blog, covers right about where I am. Andy)

How should we think about the appropriate Jewish response to the allegations about Rubashkin's?

In addressing this question, I write as a lawyer, a (mostly) vegetarian, a Jew, and a person who cares about human rights and the rights of workers. I'd like to think those perspectives don't contradict each other, but they certainly are not the same.
As best I can glean from news reports, the "scheme" taking place at Rubashkin's involved falsified employment papers for mostly Guatemalan workers. Because the falsification involved using identity documents or numbers of actual people, the government is treating the offense as "aggravated identity theft" -- even though there appears to be good reason to believe the workers in question had no real idea of what was going on. The prosecution of these workers is itself problematic in all sorts of ways -- so much so, that the translator hired by the government, in a possible breach of his own professional ethics, has acted as a "whistle-blower" to talk about what has gone on. The long and short of it, for our purposes here, appears to be that these workers were inveigled into an illegal employment scheme by Rubashkin's, got "caught" and are going to be punished for it (by deportation, at least).

For me, if there is reason to believe (and there is) that anyone in management was behind this scheme -- knew about it, planned it, and of course, benefited from it -- I don't want to do business with these folks. Period.

Now, as a (mostly) vegetarian, perhaps such talk is cheap. I hardly eat meat from one end of the month to the other, and went more than a decade without eating it at all. So let me try to imagine that they were, for example, my favorite ice-cream manufacturer....

Again, I think the solution is just as easy. BUY ANOTHER ICE CREAM. The idea that indulging my mere preference, when there is reason to believe it is coming at the cost of significant wrong-doing, is somehow OK, seems to me indefensible. Rubashkin's is not the only game in town, for goodness' sake. (The biggest, the cheapest, the easiest, maybe. But not the only.)

But none of what I've said so far has much to do with Judaism or kashrut. So let's turn to those topics. It is possible -- I'm no mashgiach -- that absolutely nothing Rubashkin's is accused of, would implicate the kashrut of its products. I'm willing to grant that may be true. If so, that demonstrates, at best, the incompleteness of kashrut for exhausting the moral dimension of eating. For those chafing under the yoke of kashrut, it might seem that being asked to impose still additional requirements (but is it organic? but is it fair trade? but are their workers unionized?) is just too much to ask. For those serious about halakhah, they would then appear to be choosing certain laws about food, over other, equally serious, laws about treatment of workers and more general morality. I think that's a bad choice -- and I could say a good deal about why -- but that is the choice. But for those to whom the purpose of kashrut is supposed to have something to do with "You shall be holy," it's just ridiculous to suggest that the demands of that do not encompass everything that bears on how a particular food ends up on one's table. "Halakhic man" (or woman), who will inquire into the holiness dimension of every activity in which it is possible for a person to engage, cannot be indifferent to whether the chain of events that bring a food product from earth to table includes unfair labor practices or the abuse of the earth. Putting blinders on by asking "but is it kosher?" and nothing more, is just ridiculous.

Which brings me to the last point -- one I tend not to make in very many contexts. And that is shanda. This entire episode is a classic "shanda for the goyim" (pardon my broken Yiddish) -- that is, a scandal that makes Jews look bad before the non-Jewish world. I don't think Rubashkin's is the worst meat-packing plant in the world. Probably not the worst in the U.S. But I don't care. They are Jews, and they are holding all of us up to ridicule and derision. They are making Jews appear to be people who care about ridiculous, archaic, hyper-technical rules (is the animal standing up or lying down?), while tolerating the most egregious, abusive, illegal labor practices. They make me ashamed to be a Jew. They make a travesty of our deep moral traditions, which have put Jews on the front lines of every battle for fair labor practices, for ecologically-sensitive agriculture, and so on. And they do so under the mantle of "Orthodoxy." They play into the hands of every anti-Semite and Jew-hater anywhere. And for that -- unless they are completely exonerated in a way that seems quite impossible at this point -- they should be roundly condemned and put out of business by the Jewish community acting as one.

Adults on Facebook

2008-08-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

It's just for kids, isn't it? I don't think so. In this age of "Bowling Alone" the internet provides a way for adults to maintain connections over distance and time. Sure, Facebook has lots of kids (including mine who thinks it is embarrassing that Dad is on Facebook), but kids have lots of close connections through school and activities. Adults may connect through work, civic groups, religious institutions, etc., but most modern Americans are disconnected.

Most adults won't admit to the impact this disconnect has on their lives. We are socialized (men even more so than women) to tough it out, go it alone, etc. I admit it. I miss my friends who are far away, I miss my former colleagues and classmates, I miss the connections.

I'm playing with Facebook to see if it reduces the pain of psycho-social loneliness. So far I feel pretty good about it. I'm also playing with Twitter to see if the same idea, sped up to real time, helps as well.

One twist is that I've proposed "Facebook befriending" some of my young cousins (My cousins kids). I'm curious to see if they are weirded out or if they even "friend" me. While I'm not terribly curious about the details of their social lives, I don't think this social technology needs to separate the generations. Hopefully, their parents will reassure them that I'm not a predator.

What do you think?

Can't forget about Alzheimer's

2008-07-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Alzheimer's runs in my family. It is the health risk I worry about most. My most personal experience is with my grandfather. I watched him deteriorate and I watched how my grandmother went above and beyond to care for him personally for as long as she could and to be intimately involved in his care at a nursing home after she could no longer manage to care for him herself.

I remember the nights I would get a call from my grandmother that my grandfather had fallen, or was giving her a difficult time, or some other illness, combined with the Alzheimer's was of concern. I remember the night we loaded my grandfather, took him to his doctor, drove him to the hospital, argued with the admissions and ER staff, spent the night, etc.

My grandfather's Alzheimer's was studied, he was part of a NYU research project. Unfortunately, there is no cure, the disease is progressive, and in addition to the toll it takes on the patient, the impact on the family and caregivers is extreme.

I'm horrified that I might develop Alzheimer's and my family would have to deal with me with it.

In addition to my grandfather, his sister, my great aunt had it, as well as my grandmother's brother and sister-in-law. While they didn't know it at that time, they just called it "senility", apparently my grandfather's father had it as well.

I support and encourage support of Alzheimer's research, and the ribbon below is in honor and memory of my grandfather, Louis Lurie, the other members of my extended family who suffered from it and provided care. Thankfully, my mother doesn't seem to have it, nor her brother, so who knows? Odds are that it will catch me, unless we can find a cure or treatment.

Death stinks, but Alzheimer's appears to be a particularly horrid way to go. Join me in supporting Alzheimer's research. Click on the ribbon for an easy way to do that.

In honor of My grandfather, Louis Lurie

Is it Alzheimer's?

Get a Web Ribbon

Earthquake Today

2008-07-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

I certainly felt this one in San Diego

Magnitude	5.4 - moment magnitude (Mw)
Time	Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 11:42:15 AM (PDT) Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 18:42:15 (UTC)
Distance from	Chino Hills, CA - 4 km (3 miles) WSW (240 degrees) Diamond Bar, CA - 7 km (5 miles) SE (135 degrees) Yorba Linda, CA - 8 km (5 miles) NNE (16 degrees) Pomona, CA - 12 km (7 miles) S (184 degrees) Los Angeles Civic Center, CA - 46 km (28 miles) ESE (104 degrees)
Coordinates	33 deg. 57.3 min. N (33.955N), 117 deg. 45.9 min. W (117.765W)
Depth	13.6 km (8.5 miles)

Twitter

2008-07-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with Twitter for a couple of days and will keep it up for a while longer. I'm intrigued to learn more about the mundane details of the Twitter denizens I follow. I presume the Twitter denizens who follow me are similarly amused.

I've played on Facebook and MySpace (mainly to irritate Zachary) but this bit of technology is a marvel. I'm even contemplating adding SMS messaging to my cell phone just so I can Twitter and be Twittered at when away from my PC.

Frankly, it makes no sense. It isn't useful. It wastes time. It is distracting. But it does provide a sense of connection, a different sort of linkage. I'm short of close friends right now so I'm happy to leverage technology to increase my sense of connectedness. Is it the same as going out for a beer with a buddy? No way. But it is something. My closest emotional connections (besides family) are still thousands of miles away. I've haven't made those sort of connections in California. So I'll Twitter away for a while.

If you want to experiment yourself, or if you are a Twitterer and you want to follow me and be followed by me, just click on the link in the left column and tell me what you are doing in 140 characters or less.

Till next time....

Regulatory Research Analyst, Liquid Environmental Solutions

2008-07-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

I've gotten several questions about what I do in my job. In some ways, it is easier to list what I don't do and what I'm not.

I'm not a plumber
I don't clean sewers
I don't work in a wastewater treatment plant
I don't drive a truck
I don't sell
I don't "do deals"

I do research. In an office. Mostly on the computer. I have a cubicle, a magnetic white-board, and a telephone. Plus my fountain pens.

Primarily, I research the city, county, and state regulations for grease interceptor pumping, manifesting, record-keeping, and competitor research. Most folks have no idea what a grease interceptor is, so the brief explanation is that it is a large delay in the waste discharge line between a kitchen and a sewer that allows the wastewater to separate into its major components, FOG (fats, oils, and grease) food debris, and water. The FOG floats to the top, the food debris sinks to the bottom, and the water passes through into the municipal sewer. Periodically, based on the regulations I've researched, the grease interceptor needs to be pumped clean to remove the accumulated FOG, debris, and water. The interceptor is scraped and flushed and the stuff pumped from the interceptor to our trucks is delivered to a facility equipped to safely process it.

There has been a lot of interest of late in using the grease waste to make biodiesel, boost production of industrial methane in anearobic digestors, or even process it into animal feed, cosmetics (yuck), and chemicals. While my firm has some treatment and processing facilities itself, mostly we deliver the effluent to other processors. Some we pay to take it, others pay us for it!

While this sort of work is a very new career experience for me, I do appreciate that it is a "green" industry and our basic function is to keep the fats, oils, and grease out of sewer lines where it causes clogs, sewer spills, overflows, and pollution. Keeping beaches clean has always been important to this Coney Island boy!

I've got some great photos of grease interceptors, sewer clogs, spills, etc., but I'll have to figure out how to provide adequate warning before posting them!

Back on the Blog

2008-06-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

It has been about 8 months since my last blog-post in the throes of the San Diego wildfires. I thought I'd post a brief update and try to post more frequently going forward. So, what of significance has happened in the last 8 months?

In no particular order:

Zachary graduated from High School at the San Diego Jewish Academy
Monica installed hearing aids
Zachary "organized" and executed an effective fund raising campaign that yielded significant scholarship assistance for his year of study in Israel next year with NATIV
I started a new job
Zachary has left home to work a summer camp job at Camp Ramah Darom in Georgia
I researched and fell in love with the idea of acquiring a dog. I thought we should adopt 2 retired racing greyhounds (it makes more sense for us than you might think). We were approved by the adoption "agency" but Monica has put the idea on hold for now. My stealth campaign proceeds apace.
Zachary was admitted to Cal State University, San Marcos and San Diego State University. SDSU was his first choice school!
Monica and I went to the Del Mar Fair and Monica won a ribbon for her Salsa. I also entered the same contest (condiment, not dancing) but didn't win anything.

What is coming up?
Monica is making an extended visit to Kansas City this summer
Zachary arrives in Israel on September 2, 2008 and returns on May 25, 2009
Monica and I will visit NY between October 10 and 19 for two family simchas, the Jacob Lurie Bar Mitzvah and the Eliana Drescher Bat Mitzvah.
Monica and I intend to visit Zachary in Israel during his gap year there.

I'll post more about my job soon. Meanwhile, enjoy your summer!

All Clear,, we hope!

2007-10-26T10:28:00.001-07:00

It seems all clear now. What remains of the active fire is pretty far away in the back country. We have lots of cleaning up to do. Lots of soot on all flat surfaces in the house. Fabrics smell like campfires. School reopens on 10/29.

Our thanks to the firefighters who worked extremely hard under difficult circumstances to keep us safe and save as much property as possible.

Southern Edge of evacuation area is 1/2 mile from us

2007-10-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Huge swath of evacuations west to I-5

6:24 a.m.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for a huge swath totaling 100 square miles and ranging from Interstate 5 on the west across Interstate 15 to the east, and north from state Route 56 to Lake Hodges, said San Diego fire department spokesman Maurice Luque.

Flames penetrated Rancho Bernardo from the northeast beginning around 3:30 a.m., and have jumped Interstate 15 at Carmel Valley Road, Luque said.

An undetermined number of homes are burning and there are reports of people trapped in their homes and cars, Luque said.

The flames are threatening to burn into Rancho Santa Fe, Luque said.

Residents can seek shelter at any of the designated high schools or Qualcomm Stadium, Luque said.

A force of 240 firefighters with 60 engines are trying to stop the blaze from advancing farther through the area. Ambulances are in the area to help the elderly and ill who cannot evacuate themselves, he said.

Flat Stanley Visits Dallas

2007-04-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Fanya's Flat Stanley

Waterman needs repair

2006-12-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

2006-12-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

Andy's Fountain Pens

Photos of Sanctuary Construction at Beth El

2006-11-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

CBE Construction

Palm Canyon Desert Resort

2006-11-27T13:01:00.001-08:00

Palm Canyon Desert Resort
Originally uploaded by Andy3030.

Thanksgiving '06 Hide Out.

First time we were away from home and/or family for Thanksgiving.

Bolt Member Emmy's Video : Don't mess with the elderly

2006-07-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

Bolt Member Emmy's Video : Don't mess with the elderly

2006-07-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

Some of my tiny Fountain Pens. Two are also pencils.

More Fountain Pens

2006-07-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

Andy's Page of Foibles and Follys

2006-04-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

amh210 - Andy's Page of Foibles and Follys

Some photo's of my fountain pens and my desk

Purim was a blast!

2006-03-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Had a swell time for Purim at Congregation Beth El in La Jolla. Once again, the old lady in the babushka and too-tight dress made an appearance to push the drink cart and serve the infamous etrog vodka. The photo is post-megillah reading, while the "put your photo on a chocloate bar" people were packing up to go home.

Zachary did a fine job reading megillah and Monica enjoyed helping with the makeup.

On to Passover!

Most of a Weekend Away

2006-02-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

Most times, Monica, Zachary and I are home each weekend and spend most of our time together; Shabbat Dinner, Shul on Saturday Morning, afternoon hanging out, TV Saturday night, etc. Zachary often has some sort of activity on Sunday, and we also use it to catch up on chores (at least Monica does), shopping, etc. I like to spend Sunday afternoon cooking something more than a little time consuming or labor intensive with leftovers to eat once or twice the following week.

This week was different. Each of us had our own out-of-town agenda. Zachary was in Salt Lake City at a Skinus. Skinus is a combination of a Ski trip and a Kinnus, with Kinnus being a sort of weekend retreat or gathering for his USY Synagogue Youth Group. They flew in on Friday, spent Shabbat with a USY group there, Skied on Sunday and headed home on Monday (3-day weekend IHO Presidents Day).

Monica spent the weekend in Dallas helping to celebrate the Aaron's Bar Mitzvah. She also had time to catch up with her friends, see cousin Oren in shul, and just relax.

I spent the weekend in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles International Pen Show. It was held at the Manhattan Beach Marriott, day after day of Fountain Pen discussion, show, seminar, etc. It was an unusual experience for me on two counts. One, that folks are crazier than even I am about Fountain Pens (Pens worth thousands of dollars were bought and sold) and two, having such a non-shabbasdik Shabbat. I didn't have to travel or buy or anything, but I didn't go to shul either. I thought it might be a weekend away from Judaism, but it turns out it was just a different sort of Judaism. By non-scientific analysis based on names, looks, accents, and comments, probably half of the traders were M'sOT. However, they were much more comfortable with the mercantile atmosphere than I was.

I did go to 5 pen seminars on Saturday. Three were related to handwriting and two were related to pen restoration. Muksor - yes, but I didn't have to actually write. I did learn an awful lot, though.

I did my pen shopping on Saturday night and Sunday. I bought three pens, one a vintage Sheaffer that is an exact match to a vintage Sheaffer mechanical pencil I brought and had fixed at the show, and two new Fountain Pens. One is a Labelle with black and white swirl in the orange plastic and the other is a Trio Classic, a gorgeous pure white large pen with a fairly flexible nib. It's my first white pen and it is very pretty to look at. I wonder how you keep ink of it, though.

Saturday night I was at a pen party hosted by a fellow from my Fountain Pen Network who goes by the screen name of Winedoc. He is the distributor for Danny Trio (Danitrio?) a company that makes some extraordinary pens in Japan with hand painted Make-i gold powder and laquer designs. My $35 Trio Classic was less than 5% of the cost of some of those pens! I drank Saki and ate Sushi and talked pens for most of the evening with several interesting traders and collectors. It was a very fine time indeed!

I drove back to San Diego Sunday afternoon and picked up the mail from the neighbor who took it out of the box for us. AND THERE WAS ANOTHER PEN PACKAGE!

My cousin Pat (actually my Mother's cousin) Sachs, read my blog and sent me birthday wishes with two vintage pens she owned as a school girl. One, a lever filler, is imprinted with her (maiden) name, the other is a burgundy Sheaffer Touchdown. Both need restoration. I started working on the lever filler this morning as the Touchdown is beyond my current skill level. Both also need some nib straightening but I may start to learn that with these pens.

This was a really big surprise and although I sent a thank-you email to Pat, I promised a real thank-you with the first of the two pens I can get to write. A fountain pen with the Warkow name on it. After the next decade or five it may be the only Warkow left.

One of the things that happens to me when I'm home and Monica isn't is that I "forget" when to go to bed. It was 2:30am before it occurred to me last night!

I pick up Monica and Zachary from the airport tonight (Monday) about 9:30pm. I hope Z sleeps on the plane; he will be a bear to wake for school tomorrow!

Thank you to all of you who responded to the previous BLOG with birthday greetings. I enjoyed hearing from so many of you!

All good wishes,

A

Happy Birthday to Me

2006-02-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

50? Wow!

It's a milestone that is often marked with gala celebration. I'm planning something much more subdued. Sleep, go to work, come home, make dinner, and go to sleep again.

As I write this I'm about 20 minutes away from midnight and at midnight it becomes February 10 and February 10, 2006 is the 50th anniversary of my birth.

Of course, most of the credit for 2/10/56 goes to my mother, and some to my father. All I had to do was show up.

All in all, I've held up pretty well over the last 50 years. I'm a bit more introspective about this particular birthday and I plan to spend some time looking back on the things I've done, the places I've been, the people I've known, the opportunities I've squandered, and the successes I've enjoyed.

Naturally, I'm indebted to Monica and to Zachary. Monica has always been one of the most tolerant people I have ever met. Zachary, as it turns out, is a pretty neat kid (who had his braces removed this week!) who has gotten taller as I've gotten shorter.

While it is grand to look back, I can't help but to look forward to as much of the next 50 years as is permitted to me. I'm not foolish, actuarially I know I don't even have 20 years left, but who knows, maybe I'll beat the odds and have some fun doing it. And if I don't beat the odds, I'll try to have some fun anyway.

My sincere thanks to my family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances that marked this birthday. I certainly appreciate your good wishes!

A (After all, it is a red letter day!)

Jyllands Posten Muhammed Cartoons

2006-02-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

Jyllands Posten Muhammed Cartoons: "

Free speech or an insult to Muslims?

A link to the cartoons that are causing such a stir in the Islamic world.

If it were a Christian theme or a Jewish Theme some folks might be offended but I rather doubt anyone would be taking to the streets, breaking into newspaper offices shooting guns, or recalling ambassadors.

I don't like these cartoons, but I absolutely support the right of a free press to be offensive!

If you don't like it, don't buy their newspaper!

I've Repaired my First Fountain Pen

2006-02-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

It took guts, courage, a paper clip, walnut pick, hemostat, and a book but I finally repaired my first vintage fountain pen. It is an Esterbrook and it dates from sometime between 1945 and 1955. (That means it is older than I am and I'll be even older next week.) The one I repaired looks very much like the one pictured here, same sort of color and shape except mine is red all the way to bottom where there is a black "jewel" instead of the bottom of the pen being black.

I had to clean out the old dried ink and bladder, soak the nib to clean it out, take out the j-bar (which was broken) and swap it with a j-bar from another pen, replace the bladder and get the whole thing to fit back together. And it worked!

I've a couple of more complex pen restorations coming up; a Sheaffer Touchdown, A Sheaffer Vacumatic, and some old Arnolds.

Who would have thunk it. I have a new hobby!

All good wishes,

A.

Guilt, Age, and Health

2006-01-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

This past week has been rather momentous for my family. We thought all we had to worry about was getting ready for Zachary's 16th birthday but fate threw us a couple of curves. Monica broke a tooth and had to find a new dentist. Complex extraction and replacement made easier by nitrous oxide and Vicodan. More work to follow, it will be a multi-week operation.

I had my regular quarterly visit with my endocrinologist and got lectured about losing weight (again) and noted an increase in blood sugar levels. Coming on the heels of the huge New York Times diabetes series it was quite an upset. Third factor was positive, though, my blood pressure was way down, 120 over 72. My sister suspects it was a fluke!

Most important occurrence is that it turns out my mom had a heart attack. Evidently she was going through her normal routine and started feeling tired and achey. This was last Wednesday or Thursday. Must have been quite extraordinary for her since she decided to go to the doctor (if you know my mother you have an idea of just how unusual that is). Doctor told her she had better go to the hospital since he thinks she had a heart attack. Off she goes to Coney Island hospital and I get a call a few hours later from my brother.

To their credit, Peter and Tina dealt with everything very well and all I had to do was talk on the phone and feel guilty about not being there. They transferred her to a hospital in Westchester since that was thought to be a superior environment for her treatment.

Mother had an angiogram followed by an angioplasty which left two stents in her artery to open the blockage to her heart. Since it was such a long period between the actual heart attack and her treatment she had significant heart muscle damage. Mother is most annoyed that she now has something in common with VP Dick Cheney (the stent) but my right-wing brother probably thinks that is an improvement. :)

Mother is back home and under orders to take it easy. She is scheduled for periodic visits from a visiting nurse and something called a home health aide. (Tina told her she had to pick up the apartment a bit before the aide shows up.) Mother says she is taking it easy but Tina thinks she isn't really. She is also supposed to go on a low fat low salt diet and eat plenty of vegetables. Fat Chance! My mother doesn't eat green food.

Mother says she feels fine, is ignoring instructions not to make her bed (70 year habit is hard to break), take a shower, etc. I know she is hoping for good weather so she can get out and take a walk. Peter and Tina are making a good effort to keep heart-healthy food and meals around, but you can well imagine that she is pretty resistant to that as well.

I'm flying to NY on Thursday and will return on Monday. I'll stay with mother and the two of us will have lots of fun staring at each other. Oh well, I could use a break and she can use the company. My sister has a long list of things she wants me to convince mother to do so by the time I leave, mother will be glad to see me go. When I told Tina that mother and I would probably mostly go out to eat (I could cook but mother doesn't need the extra cleaning up) after her astonishment I received another long list of food instructions. Plain broiled fish will probably be good for both of us!

Regrettably, being away from San Diegothat weekend will cause me to miss Sisterhood Shabbat at Beth El. Monica has a major role so I will be very sorry to miss that. :) I also think Monica is going to invite her mom to visit while I'm in NY. I'm sorry I'll miss her as well.

If you read this blog and you know my mother give her a call. If not, you can email your comments to me by clicking on the little icons right below this post.

All good wishes,

Andrew

Despair, Inc.

2006-01-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Despair, Inc.

I'm in a bit of a funk after the holidays and I was wondering what I could do to excite myself and some of my staff as well. Was referred to this and it is exactly the kind of humor I'm in the mood for today.

Enjoy!

Introducing Demotivators®MOTIVATION. Psychology tells us that motivation- true, lasting motivation- can only come from within. Common sense tells us it can’t be manufactured or productized. So how is it that a multi-billion dollar industry thrives through the sale of motivational commodities and services? Because, in our world of instant gratification, people desperately want to believe that there are simple solutions to complex problems. And when desperation has disposable income, market opportunities abound.AT DESPAIR, INC., we believe motivational products create unrealistic expectations, raising hopes only to dash them. That’s why we created our soul-crushingly depressing Demotivators® designs, so you can skip the delusions that motivational products induce and head straight for the disappointments that follow!

The Fountain Pen Network : Community Forums

2005-12-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

The Fountain Pen Network : Community Forums: "Entry #5
Goldilocks and the Three Bears

A quartet of gratuitous limericks written in the insane desire to win a fancy new fountain pen
By Andy Hoffman

She was lost in the woods - poor Goldilocks
Dragging her feet like a pile of rocks
The night sky was like ink
Blue/Black just like Quink
"Aha! A door" - "I think I'll just give a Knock."

Momma Bear went to sleep in her den
Thinking of spring in the glen
Winter came on quite late
T'was time to hiber-nate
But first she would ink-up her new Marlen

Poppa Bear is anything but cheery
The truth - he's cantankerous and weary
Winter's come on again
Apache Sunset in his pen
Droopy eyelids - even eyeballs are bleary!

He practiced both cursive and italic
Chancery mode influenced largely by Gallic
Sighed little Baby Bear
"I must take even more care"
"My ascenders are looking quite phallic!"

Happy Hanukah!

2005-12-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Hanukah, Hannukah, Hanukkah, Chanukah, or whatever.

In the depths of the dark winter nights, Hanukah shows up as a holiday that features light. This same concept is found in other cultures, the ancient Babylonians, Druids, Vikings, Indians, etc., marked the shortest days of the year with lighting lamps, bonfires, etc. Anthropologically, this is probably derived from ancient humanity's fear of the dark and ancient magic that had ordinary people act out what they wanted to see the "gods" do, i.e., show the sun how to shine longer again. Hanukah is part of this tradition and the story of the Macabbees and the oil lasting 8 days are probably just spin on an ongoing folk custom.

We mark Hanukah by lighting candles, eating fried foods, and,in modern America, by giving gifts. I've given myself a few gifts this year as I have become more and more addicted to an old hobby of mine, that of collecting fountain pens. I've accumulated about a dozen new ones in the last 3 months and acquired a few more to give as gifts. All of my colleagues at Congregation Beth El received a fountain pen from me for Hanukah. Few were surprised and some were indeed baffled I'm also stocking up on ink and cartridges to keep them re-filled!

I am playing at the cheap end of the fountain pen hobby. There are $3.00 pens and there are $15,000 pens. I've not spent more than $30 on a pen to date, though I am beginning to lust a bit for a pen in the $200 range. Most folks have heard of Montblanc pens but that brand is probably more hype than quality. I'm attracted to a German brand called Pelikan, and in particular their "Souveran" line, model 1000 catching my eye (picture above). [I wouldn't sneeze at an old Parker Duofold, either.] I don't think I'll actually buy one but I do look at it from time to time and , as Jimmy Carter said, "lust in my heart. I probably will acquire a Pelikan 200, perhaps with a custom nib, but that is only a small fortune for a pen, not a large fortune.

One of the side benefits of acquiring fountain pens is that using them has slowed my handwriting a bit and most importantly, improved my handwriting. Zachary is going to receive 2 fountain pens from me for Hanukah and I hope he both enjoys them and sees improvement in his handwriting as well.

If you run across any old fountain pens in your life and aren't interested in them, just send them my way. The best fountain pens of all are free ones that happen to work! I'm probably going to expand my hobby interest to repairing old fountain pens as well. The equipment isn't too expensive and many old pens can be reinvigorated with a good cleaning, new ink sac, and a bit of luck.

http://www.tryphon.it/catalogo.htm

I'm also become active on something called the Fountain Pen Network http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?act=idx which is an online group of crazy pen folk. Kind of fun and I even wrote limericks to try to win a new pen much fancier than any I would buy for myself. The limericks are pretty pathetic but maybe I'll get the booby prize.

I've also been increasing my supply of bottled inks in a wide variety of colors. Silly, I suppose, but it does make a certain amount of sense to have the brown ink in the brown pen, the green ink in the green pen, etc. Besides, it is lots of fun to fill pens from bottles of ink. I haven't had a spill-disaster yet or fun a fountain pen through the laundry but I'm sure it is just a matter of time.

This week is a pretty quiet week at work. With schools on winter break lots of folk are on vacation and nobody is scheduling meetings. We are between construction projects and actually have time to focus on other things. Biggest headache at work for me now is that two of our three custodians have left and I've only replaced one of them. On top of that, our lead custodian had a long-scheduled vacation during winter break so I've been trying to orient the new custodian and show him what to do and how to do it myself. I know the "what" but I sure don't know most of the how. No doubt we will muddle through but I'm looking forward to the return of our lead guy on 1/5.

Monica, Zachary, and I are all doing well. My sugar levels stay more or less where they ought to be and Monica has a new "boot" to imobilize her ankle and that has reduced her discomfort. She still thinks she may need surgery one of these days but she isn't letting it slow her down. Zachary still hasn't made any effort towards a learner's permit and driver's license. That may change when he turns 16 next month but I doubt it. He is a "chip off the old block" and I didn't get my driver's license until I was about 23. However, he lives out here in the California burbs and I lived in urban NYC. I could get around on my own, Z has a "mom chauffeur." I'd feel better if he demonstrated a bit more independence. For him, college (only 2.5 years away) is going to be a huge shock.

If you have read all the way down to the end of this BLOG, just click on the "envelope" and leave me some comments. It is always a pleasure to hear from you!

All good wishes,

\\\\////
________

Andy

There is much for which to be thankful

2005-11-24T15:06:00.000-08:00

Ah Thanksgiving, that annual orgy of football, turkey, and extended family. I avoided all three this year, though I do admit that the Cowboy game was on while I was preparing dinner. Zachary was absorbed by it and even though I couldn't avoid the noise, at least I didn't have to see it.

We avoided turkey, too. As only three of us were having dinner together, we invested in a standing rib roast. It is just too hard for 3 to eat a whole turkey and there is only a limited amount of time where the leftovers can truly be enjoyed. It is still Thanksgiving at the table, though. Cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, broccoli, etc. As far as I'm concerned, the bloody beef is an improvement over the big bird any day!

Zachary and I have struggled with colds all this week so we are thankful to be mending and feeling OK. We are also thankful that Monica avoided the cold and could nurse us both back to health. I presume Zachary was a more cooperative patient than I was.

Things have been active at work, too. Now that we have moved back into the offices we spent a lot of time unpacking and organizing. We redid the computer network and installed several new PC's. The paper files were completely reorganized, no wonder we can't find anything :).

We are also getting ready for the next step. Our permits are coming along nicely so we expect to be able to break ground for the new sanctuary in mid-April. Once again our facility will be a mess, access impaired, bar mitzvah parents on the warpath, etc. Construction is always a disruption and this next phase will be going on through the summer of '07.

Beth El has other concerns as well. I've got a ground-breaking ceremony with major community impact to plan and we expect to use that as the opportunity to kick-off our Endowment Campaign. I'll be a busy boy, that's for sure.

I'll be staying pretty close to home, too. I've got my synagogue executive's conference in Los Vegas coming up, but other than that no major travel plans.
I'll be here if you come on out to visit, so you ought to plan on it!

Merry Gobble!

Andy

Do you SKYPE?

2005-11-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

If you use the SKYPE internet phone system we could be in touch by voice by SKYPE-ING me at amh21056.

If you don't use SKYPE then you can just get SKYPE and then contact me at amh2156.

It works.
It's free.
Honest!

SKYPE was just bought by EBAY so if you don't like EBAY you could give me a free call on GOOGLE TALK. Same idea, just download Google Talk and talk to me.

Ingenious Israelis - THE CAR THAT MAKES ITS OWN FUEL

2005-10-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

IsraCast: THE CAR THAT MAKES ITS OWN FUEL: "THE CAR THAT MAKES ITS OWN FUEL
A unique system that can produce Hydrogen inside a car using common metals such as Magnesium and Aluminum was developed by an Israeli company. The system solves all of the obstacles associated with the manufacturing, transporting and storing of hydrogen to be used in cars. When it becomes commercial in a few years time, the system will be incorporated into cars that will cost about the same as existing conventional cars to run, and will be completely emission free.

Yes, I've Sinned. Enough Already!

2005-10-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

Yom Kippur has come and gone at Beth El in La Jolla as well as the rest of the world. It actually went pretty well on both personal and professional levels. Personally, I got a good spiritual workout, led the Shacharit service and stood on the bima for all of Neilah. Professionally, all the important things worked. We got the plumbing up and running in the new bathrooms, the parking and shuttle busses worked well without too much delay, the room comfort remained traditional, both too hot and too cold at the same time, our lecture during the break was terrific and nobody was kicked out for causing a ruckus.

A particularly moving part of the service was what is usually referred to as "the martyrology" where the traditional text looks back 2,000 years to the inhumane indignities inflicted by the Romans on the leading Rabbis of the day. Instead of the traditional text Beth El invites Holocaust survivors to speak, reminisce, sing, or cry from the pulpit. The ladies that did it this year are getting on in years and we recognize that we won't be able to maintain this custom for ever. One woman spoke powerfully about her Father who was a Partizan in Belgium and how her Mother was taken in by the Nazis as a gimmick to get the Father to surrender.

Looking past Yom Kippur we are getting ready for Sukkot. We built most of our synagogue sukkah today. We will cut palm fronds for the roof on Monday. It sort of looks like a big tiki bar when it is done! Our lulav shipment arrived today (the etrogim arrived separately last week). I learned that there was a lulav crisis this year as the Egyptian authorities were reluctant to cut the palm shoots for worldwide shipment to Jews (Egypt is the largest source of the palm shoots that make up the lulav). I don't know how it played out but our lulavim arrived and despite the desperate hinting of the wholesaler, we didn't have to pay "extra" to get our order.

Zachary is spending this weekend on a High School Shabbaton so Monica and I plan a lonely Shabbat dinner together. Nice dinner actually, (chicken, rice, zuccini, fresh out of the oven hallah) but it will be quiet. Unfortunately, with all the energy it took to get ready for RH and YK, we didn't get our act together to invite anyone over. We will have to plan more carefully.

With Zachary out of town we are planning a dinner-date for ourselves Saturday night. Maybe we will just celebrate our anniversary a bit early.

Enjoy!

Andy

Andy's Launchcast Radio Station

2005-10-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with this individuated radio station feature. Try it and see what sort of assorted music I'm listening to these days.
A

Today is the Birthday of the World

2005-10-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

And we had quite a party.

Rosh Hashanah at Beth El was quite a spectacle. We had about 1000 men, women, and children, most of whom had not yet seen the remodeled space. Everyone was delighted with the close-to-completed work, especially the expanded bathrooms. We grew from 2 fixtures to 14 fixtures and virtually eliminated waiting.

Until disaster struck.

Apparently, a few hours into the service we began to get reports of "won't flush." This was primarily in the ladies and we got help Johnny-on-the-spot. We called in the contractor who called the plumber and they worked from 10:30 to noon on the problem while we diverted congregants to the rest rooms in the school. At noon the plumber gave up and said he was coming back at 2:30 with new valves and such. This morning I learned that the late afternoon fix didn't work and we would have to do some excavation and pipe work to address the problem. Back to those school bathrooms!

It is sort of amazing that after spending $3,000,000 on remodeling the Community Hall and the school the bathrooms wouldn't work. Apparently, we should have done more testing including repeated flushing of every fixture simultaneously. I'm confident the contractor will be able to get to the bottom of the issue and we will be in full flush on Yom Kippur. Of course, during a fast there should be fewer bathroom trips anyway!

The only other disaster was when a family came up to open the ark during services they brought their kids up to help open the curtain. One of the kids pulled down on the curtain puller and pulled the curtain down altogether. It was a bit embarrassing but at the same time somewhat amusing to see the President, Rabbi, Ritual Vice President and the Capital Campaign Chair standing on chairs in front of the ark trying to get the curtain back up. They were doing such a good job I didn't think there was anything I could do to help! During the fracas the Cantor disappeared for a few minutes and we went on with the service without him. Should be a good explanation in there somewhere.

The major things went well. Parking, shuttle busses, handicap valet parking (that is valet parking for handicap attendees, not handicap car parkers) kiddush, the sound system, security...all the things that Executive Directors focus on.

I did have a few spiritual bonuses, though. Yesterday Zachary read Torah, and led the preliminary service, and I led the preliminary service this morning. Best of all, Zachary and I were duet shofar blowers and we did a fine job. I even let him win the t'kiyah g'dolah contest. .... Twice.

Monica also did her part of the service well. She developed a dental problem though and had to make an emergency trip to the dentist to get a cap reglued to her tooth. Good thing we had a great dinner last night!

In many ways this harrowing experience of a major remodeling project opening right before the High Holy Days is coming to an end. Yom Kippur will be a bigger crowd and Kol Nidre night has the most intense traffic challenges but we now know 0ur systems work. Our congregants have been wonderfully complementary about the work we accomplished, the comfort and satisfactory coordination of the services, and the new facilities. The big job left is to move back into the offices after sukkot, get settled in, replace the computer system, upgrade the phone system, get the alarm system and elevator working, etc.

No rest for the weary though. We are about to begin planning for a $10,000,000 capital campaign using my friend Elliot Gershenson as the consultant. And, before we know it, we will be breaking ground for a new sanctuary. Construction to begin in April, completion by High Holy Days in 2007.

Warmest new year's wishes to you all. Lots of health and happiness and peace!

Andrew

Playing the Waiting Game

2005-09-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

On time?
Deadlline?
Evidently not for Jews.
You would think that today, less than one week before Rosh Hashanah, all the great Beth El members would have been all set. After all, we mailed High Holiday tix 2 weeks ago. 4 weeks ago we sent complete info, order forms, signup sheets, statements, and reminders. And if that isn't enough, the date of Rosh Hashanah this year has been available for about 1,000.

And still they wait for the last minute.

At the Beth El office we processed 5 new members today, worked with 20 families wiho were requesting reduced dues, and, best of all, processed about $70,000 in credit card payments for dues, fees, tix, lulav and etrog, babysitting, etc.

All this so that on Monday night and Tuesday morning about 900 of us can gather in our little shteibel on the Pacific to welcome the new year, 5766 to be exact.

With all the effort and expense gone into this little project including a $2.5 million renovation, come Tuesday morning they will arrive between 10:30 and 11am (even though we start at 8:45am) and by the time 12:30 rolls around they will be fidgety, religously sated, and thinking about leaving early (we will probably end about 1:15pm).

Tuesday late afternoon about 300 of us will gather at the La Jolla beach to dispose of a year's worth of sin.... by throwing bread into the ocean.

Wednesday morning even fewer of us will gather to repeat Tuesday morning.

And if that isn't enough, the following week about 1,000 of us will gather evening and morning to atone; to become "at one" with the diety.

A few days later, when we finally have a fun holiday, all about sex and fertility, few will show up and celebrate.

I just can't figure out us Jews... but thank God for all of us Jews who love, complain, pay, kvetch, and find some sort of meaning in a life of ritual, philanthropy, and committment.

And for this one synagogue executive director, 6 more days to finish the hall, hallways, bathrooms, bimah, sound system, and some new landscaping.

Oy Vey indeed! But I sleep well at night.

2005-09-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

A few more construction photos

2005-09-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

Getting Ready for Rosh Hashanah

2005-09-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that getting ready for the High Holy Days is the most intense part of the synagogue executive's year. For your amusement (and mine) I thought I'd share a list of some of the things we still need to do to get ready. Some I can control, but some are Contractor issues and I can only hope that they can finish what they say they will finish. So far they have been terrific, but it is about to hit the fan.

Complete remodel of the Admin Office
Receive and install new furniture in Admin Office
Receive 350 new chairs for Community Hall
Receive 30 new banquet tables for Community Hall
Community Hall lighting needs to connect to dimmers and dimmers need to be programmed
Hallway to bathrooms need completion
Installation of 9 pair of doors
Installation of monumental glass panel over main door
Installation of Mezuzah by major donor family (Jacobs from Qualcom)
Order floral arrangements
Clean 300 apholstered chairs
Move 60 apholstered chairs upstairs to bet midrash
Setup trailer for family services
Finalize caterer plans for Kol Nidre Campaign brunch
Finish Kol Nidre (pre) campaign
Write and mail invitations for Kol Nidre Campaign brunch
Air out 900 Mahzorim
Complete and print 1000 Rosh Hashanah booklets, 26 pages, containing service information, year's event schedule and year's adult education offerings.
Fill ticket orders for those who are late, delinquent payers, etc.
Call in Lulav and Etrog order
Set up sound system in High Holy Day configuration
Final check on busses, valet, caterer, golf cart driver, ushers, security personnel, cleaning schedule, tashlich permit,
Practice shofar with Zachary (he and I will alternate days as the master blaster)
Process new members (the more the merrier)
Solve dues problems
Fit 100 handicap parking cars into 60 handicap spaces
Finish paint job on Youth Lounge
Plant flowers and grass turf on construction area
Fight city hall about trailer permit
Keep the Beth El staff calm and happy as the phones ring off the hook.
Remind tenant schools about mandatory HH closings
Finalize new tenant lease
Meet with President to discuss Endowment program
Fix whatever!

There probably is lots more, but at least I got my haircut last week!

Andy

2005-09-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

While Dad was busy working Zachary had a fun time at Camp Ramah this summer

Allison, Emily, and Ariel, with Mr. Z

Still working

2005-09-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

2005-09-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

Beth El Office Demolition and Community Hall Interior under construction

2005-09-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

New Sanctuary Lobby

2005-09-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Beth El new Sanctuary rendering

Building Progress

2005-09-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

It's been another busy week as we get closer to the holidays. Thankfully, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel or at least the light on the ceiling. We installed the new lighting on the Community Hall ceiling and it sure is bright. Folks always used to complain it was too dim to read. Now they will complain it is too bright for comfort. Just like the HVAC system, (2 settings, too hot and too cold) there seems to be no happy medium. Until next week that is, when we hook to lights up to the dimmer system. And will that make those "stiff-necked people" happy? Don't count on it.

I'm posting a few photos and drawings of the project underway. Later on I'll show it finished. Ask questions and enjoy.

Monica and Zachary continue as normal. Monica goes in for a scan on her ankle on Monday. We are hoping to learn that the boot and physical therapy will be all that is required. I've developed a sympathetic pain; the middle toe on my right foot where it connects to the foot is very painful when I bend it or go down stairs. All together now... Ohhhhhhhhhh.

I spent my Sunday at the synagogue working on an endowment campaign, handling an ADL brunch with Stuart Schoffman as the speaker, and then our Sisterhood had a "Tea in the Trailer." Zachary was a waiter for the sisterhood and had to tolerate 60 minutes of boring speeches, singing, and whatever before they got to the food. They made "all gone" before the waiters got to eat. One more time.... Ohhhhhhh.

I must get a haircut this week. I'm truly shaggy!

A

2005-09-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

What I saw of the Gaza Strip

2005-09-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

Military Vehicle maneuvering near Gaza Strip

2005-09-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Is he really taller?

Something New

2005-09-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks. And I'm feeling pretty old :)

I've been emailing random musings, health updates, family doings, and shul sagas to about 100 friends and relatives over the past 18 months or so. My last one was July '05. Some savvy reader told me I ought to try it as a blog instead of a group email so I'll give it a try. Too cool or what? Mostly what.

Summer nears its end though you could never tell from the San Diego weather. It continues to be splendid. Autumn is nigh and Zachary is back in school. He is doing well and enjoying lots of socializing. BTW, he is taller than I am and he is quite proud of that. Comes in handy as we have some very very high up kitchen cabinets.

I returned from Israel in good health and good spirits. It was a fascinating visit as it was my first Israel trip that was primarily secular. This summer was an exciting time to be in Israel given the Gaza withdrawal and all that. We spent some time on a kibbutz adjacent to the Gaza Strip and one night during my visit the Kibbutz and the nearby area took more than a few Kassam missiles. My hosts told me I slept through the alert. I did see the craters, the damage, and even a souvenir missile.

Since my return I've been quite busy at work. We completed 100% of our school remodeling project on time and 95% of the Community Hall project is done. The rest should be finished by Rosh Hashanah. We are also remodeling our offices and this part of the project should be finished last. We hope to move in sometime after Sukkot or early November.

High Holy Day season is the busiest time in synagogue life. Besides the remodeling project we are doing lots of work with new members, fund raising, and High Holy Day arrangements. Frankly, I didn't work this hard at the BSA, AH, PU, NJCS, USCJ, CSI, or SSA (small prize to the first reader who gets ALL the acronyms). Doesn't feel bad, just busy.

Monica is busy at work as well. She has just started a Pilates class and has a lovely lavender Pilates mat. She also finally dragged herself to a podiatrist and has a foot in a cast-boot helping her to make a fuller recovery from an old injury.

I'll try to resume regular updates. Let me know what you think!

All good wishes,

Andrew or Andy, depending on which one of me you know best!