Facebook Fetish and other Pursuits

I am loving Facebook! I've reconnected with some old college friends and am keeping in better touch with other friends.

Had a great weekend. On Friday we went to the newcomers dinner and service at our Temple and on Sunday was the first day of religious school with a bar-b-que afterward. I'm really feeling such a part of that community, much more than I did at our Temple back in Chicago. I don't want to imply that the people were less friendly or the temple wasn't as nice...I think that it is just because there are fewer Jewish people here and so the Temple is much more a central to everyone's social lives.

On Saturday we explored Nebraska by going south of Omaha. Our first stop was historic downtown Plattsmouth at the confluence of the Missouri and Platte rivers. And lucky us, it was Kass Kounty King Korn Karnival. It was like when we stumbled on to The Mustard Day Festival in Mt. Horeb, WI.

A lot of the buildings were really cool looking. If I were a film maker I would totally set a movie there.

Then we continued south to Nebraska City, NE home of Arbor Day. We went to Arbor Day Farm to go Apple Picking, but they have tons more than just that and not the usual overpriced inflatable junk either. They have a great nature walk and you get to bring home a baby tree.

We picked about 10lbs of apples. They are Jonathan apples and really tart. I made some applesauce yesterday. I'm going to buy some sweeter apples to mix with them and make a pie.

On our way home from our adventure we went to Pudgie's Pizzeria for authentic Chicago style pizza. It was like being home. (Chicago home that is). We even met Pudgie, aka Phil who despite being a White Sox fan was really nice. He had a fantastic Chicago accent. His wife also makes a killer cheesecake.

Anxiety Love

Today I played in my new league for the first time. Even though it was just a beginner 2.5/3.0 league I was really nervous because I hadn't played all summer. Last night I dreamt that I couldn't find the kids' school and that I was going to be late for tennis, then there were already 4 people and the two sets of partners were wearing identical tennis outfits. Then there were all of these people playing and I was just terrible. Actually, I won today!

The beginner league here is much different. There is no coach (I miss Dorothy). They just send you out with three other women and you play 3 sets playing with a different partner for each set. It was really fun, they also have a tennis-fit class (cardio tennis they call it here) that I might sign up for in November.

I'm also doing a yoga class. It is really small just 5 or 6 people, so there is a lot of individual attention, which I totally need. I think that I've never really done a downward dog the right way. The class is all older women (I think in their 50's) plus me and one husband. They are super nice and make me feel really young!

Tomorrow is curriculum night at the school and on Friday is the volunteer meeting for classroom help. It seems much more egalitarian here in terms of the PTA, etc. Every parent is automatically a member of the PTA, the meetings are in the evening, and the classroom help sheet comes from the teachers rather than from the PTA picking a room parent. Also this year the PTA has decided to forgo the big fundraising drive and tell everyone that they need 14K dollars and to donate what they can.

Tomorrow I'm meeting a woman from my temple for coffee.

I feel like I'm really starting my life here.

I Just Know McCain is Going to Win

Between a conversation I overhead yesterday about this guy excitedly telling this other guy about this mysterious spot where gravity doesn't work the way it's supposed to and the ad on television showing a mom concerned about high fructose corn syrup was just plain dumb I just know it's going to happen. People don't care about facts, they just want to feel good.:

Here is an article explaining how the chemical composition of HFCS differs from sugar. I'm afraid to break it down, but what I would say if I were the mom on the commercial is that HFCS has a greater percentage of fructose (55%) than glucose (45%) compared to sugar which is 50/50. Fructose is metabolized in the liver and which leads to insulan resistence (read diabetes) and an increase in triglycerides (read heart disease). I guess we haven't seen an increase in those things since the 1970's when HFCS was put in our diet as a cheaper alterntative to sugar. By the way, love your top!

Although, I wouldn't have been involved in the conversation in the first place. I hate the way the ad portrays people concerned with what their children eat as rude enough to say something like, "I guess you don't care what your kids eat." It is indicative of the combative nature of our society.

I Need a Palindectomy

I'm totally distraught over last night's Palin speech. I had to turn her off mid-hockey mom and turn on Project Runway instead. I can't even listen to my beloved NPR this morning without hearing her voice! Of course there is no one to talk to here since all the Nebraskans are in love with her.

I feel like I know her from my own PTA, she's the one who is super hyper and involved and who everyone secretly hates even as they're asking for her mooseball recipe. Of course, now I feel guilty because after all she is a woman, and I feel like I'm totally playing in to the whole mommy war thing...

Hypocrisy

Why is the right wing media praising Ms. Palin for having a pregnant teen-age daughter as something that we can all relate to...and kids will be kids...when they had a field day when Jamie Lynn Spears announced her pregnancy.  

Also, I'm sick and tired of the media focusing on her motherhood issues, when there are real reasons that we as women and people should not vote to put Ms. Palin a 72 year old heartbeat away from the presidency.  

She has a terrible record on environmental issues.  

Mining

Polar Bears

Whales

Wolves and Bears

ANWR

She is also opposed to abortion except if a mother's life is in danger, she is against stem cell research, she wants creationism in the schools and she is for an amendment to ban benefits to same sex partners.  

The only positive is hearing these right wing pundits say that her having kids shouldn't preclude her from running for office (I can't help but wonder how their tune would change if Ms. Palin were a democrat though).

Having Palin as VP scares me.  If something were to happen to McCain I would not feel comfortable with her as president.  I think it might even make me miss Bush.  (shudder)

Back from Hiatus

In the past month I've come to the acceptance stage. As symbolic of not feeling imprisoned in Omaha, I've decided to stop numbering the days and to give my posts proper titles.

Labor Day Weekend was full of ups and downs.

On the down side Zach (who is just fine now) had a really bad headache with vomiting and a fever. We took him to the emergency room (which I wasn't happy about I think the doctor on call at our practice should have seen us at his office). We were there for 4 hours until 1:30 in the morning. Five minutes of which was actually with a doctor. Apparently, Zach just had some sort of virus, which Piper seems to have picked up today, so she didn't go to school.

On the up side, we went to a potluck Shabbat dinner at the home of a family from our Temple. I had a great time. Everyone there was really interesting, and very liberal. It was so nice to be able to speak freely about politics.

We also found a halfway decent Chinese restaurant just a mile away from us. It wasn't anywhere near as good as a good SF Chinese place, and I think it was not quite as good as Szechuan North in Northbrook, but for here...I'll take it.

School is going well for the kids. I'm happy with our decision not to put them in Jewish Day School, but today I found out that they have to skip recess if they forget their homework. It seems a bit harsh to me...But, I guess it is good to teach them to be responsible to remember their own homework.

I miss my tennis group. I start a league next Monday and I'm super nervous because I haven't played all summer except for once with Barry and he kicked my butt.

I also miss my book club. I read that Darin Strauss book, More than it Hurts You, and it was amazing. A perfect book club book because it has real discussion potential.

Not reading anything now. I have a huge stack of Harper's and some NYT Magazine to go through.

Miss you all!

Kelly

Day 99

Sexy 19 year old soccer coach called me, "Mum". ouch.

Must. Have. This. Shirt. Saw it in North Shore Magazine which I'm still getting. I'm not sure whether it makes me feel better or worse to read it.

--Kelly