Sphinx

It rained yesterday. It's a good thing we have little homes for our menorahs, 'cause otherwise it would all be very awkward. 

Indeed, the Holiday of Lights has been anything but awkward. It has been beautiful, inspiring, fun, fattening (okay, I only ate like five donuts...every day of Chanukah...hey, they're yummy...don't look at me with that tone of voice), and just all around awesome socks. We have class over zoom, so naturally I don't go to any of them. Because that would be way too responsible of me. And super nerdy, to boot. 

Before Chanukah was upon us, there were the dreaded midterms, one on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and one on Friday. Who knows how I did? All I know is that I have gotten so good at making up things that sound intelligent but make no sense to anyone who knows the slightest thing about math or computers (or really to anyone who has any brain). 

On Thursday night, I went to a wedding of a girl I had met literally two weeks before. She's friendly with some of my friends, so we're practically siblings at this point. It was the most interesting wedding. The chosson was Chassidish and Sephardi and Israeli, so there were many different things happening.

And there was the Shabbos at the Seibert's. Great news everyone: remember the Seibert girl who wanted her teacher to have triplets so that she would get maternity leave for an entire six months. Well, that teacher's pregnant!! We're really happy for her, and her students. 

Shabbos was great. I saw Mrs. Klestzick, and she brought me chocolate twizzlers, and it was so nice to see her. She ate Friday night with the Seiberts, so I got to really spend some time with her. 

Devorah made me a cake for my birfday, which was quite nice of her. It was delicious. It was lemon and I ate so many muches of it. 

Over Shabbos, I took a stroll about the park with some of the Seibert children. I also read a book about Chanukah, and I read "The Giving Tree" five times in a row to one of the kids. I think I could quote it by heart now. You would think the kid would get tired of hearing the same book over and over again, but no. I just kept hearing "again" and "again." But in Hebrew, obviously. 

And then Motzei Shabbos we had a lovely melava malka with some pizza (yes, I'm allowed to say it when I'm talking about the actual food). And then I went with Adina G. to a musical melava malka near Kever Dovid. We danced a bit, hocked it up with some Israeli peeps, drank some tea, stalked a random person, and watched the band play and the men dance and sing. 

And then Sunday night was when the Festival began. We're lighting outside right in front of our building, so hopefully we won't get kicked out or fined for breaking any rules. And it's all been super lovely up until now. 

I will now take a brief interlude to send up a short prayer for two people who are very dear to me who have the coroina. Please pray for their souls.

Back to Chanukah. On Monday night, Adina G. and I had quite the adventure getting to a super Chabad neighborhood in Israel called Kiryat Malachi. We got to a random bus stop in the middle of a highway, and realized the bus that was supposed to take us to our farbrengen was coming in two hours, so we frantically called our friend who told us to take a different bus to a different bus which would help us. So my friend and I bolted across a highway like the maniacs we are to catch the bus, which we made, and eventually we reached Kiryat Malachi.  

We had such a cute time there, speaking our broken Hebrew and laughing about it. The girls were super nice and sweet, and it was all very lovely. They are very Chabad, like very much so. And we sang some and ate some and talked a lot. 

On Tuesday night, there was a Maalot party at Avigial D's house. Remember that I didn't actually go to Maalot, even though I sometimes question myself in that regard. We had a grand time there, playing pin the candle on the menorah. I pinned my first candle on the light switch. I'm really good at that game, clearly. 

Today, I made some sfinge, which came out tasting pretty much like pretzels. So, don't think I did it right. Oops. 

And now for some Strange Snippets: 

My famous friend Tzip talking about phones: "If I ever get that phone"...she paused for dramatic effect..."I would get that phone." Hmm. I've got to dwell on that one for a bit. I feel like there's some hidden meaning in that statement. 

One of my dear roomies very late at night told me this: "Put on your snood and go to sleep." I was very tired last night and more dramatic than I have been in a very long while. 

Another friend (and I'm not sure in what context but pretty sure I was being annoying at the time, because when I am not?), said this to me, "Oh, you sphinx." Was that supposed to be an insult?

So, that's my life right now. Isn't is grand? Yeah. Hip Hip Hurray. 

Have a good rest of Chanukah everyone. 

Toodles from Hoodles!