Country Grammar

Spent a beautiful weekend in St. Louis - visiting Greta, seeing a little slice of her life, and hanging out with camp people at Wash U (Go Bears).

1. On Friday, we went to Beer School at Anheuser-Busch.'

That diploma was exceedingly easy to earn - all I learned was that Bud Light Lime and Wild Blue should never have been invented. Also, I still like Shock Top.

2. Lovely Shabbat dinner with Jessica Oynick, Jen Spielman, and Sarah Rubin. I still can't believe you're all grown up.

3. Sunday brunch and campus tour (how come no one ever told me Wash U looks like Epcot?) with Jess.



How gorgeous is this garden?

4. Greta told me about these last year. They continue to be awesome.

Good work on the environmental guilt trip, Wash U (The leftmost bin reads,"Landfill." The other two say "Recycling.")

5. Forest Park - giving Central Park a run for its community-building money since 1876.

6. Big Sam Deerson. One of my favorite members of the family.

7. Thanks for hosting me, GBD. I had a wonderful time.

...And Seven Reasons Why 5771 Will Be Even Better

As much as I loved my time in G-ville, I'm really looking forward to remembering what day-to-day life is like in the big city. Seven reasons why:

1. Living within walking distance of some of my closest friends. Because skype and gchat just aren't the same as hanging out in the same room.

2. Living near my family, for similar reasons. Bonus: Seffi at Columbia. I love being your neighbor, kid.

3. Weekend city adventures (the High Line and Sukkah City, so far)


4. Also, weekends in general. I forgot about those when I was a professional Jew.

5. Interviewing. While I would like to be gainfully employed (soon, please!), I'm actually enjoying being a full time office-visiter and shmoozer.

6. Having four seasons. Hello, fall. How are you?

7. It's New York, people. A wealth of cultural experiences like none other, in a city that actually doesn't sleep. Though the Starbucks in Library West was open later than the one on 93rd St...I guess Gainesville was more metropolitan than I realized. :)

Seven Reasons Why 5770 Was a Great Year

Yes, I disappeared for awhile. A long while. It was a combination of factors - I had gotten to be so entrenched in my unhappiness in Gainesville that the very act of finding seven positives each day seemed nearly impossible. More importantly, I think, I just got overwhelmed by the pressure of having to post every. single. day.

But I've been missing the blog. Missing the positive focus it enabled me to maintain. Missing the interactions it facilitated with friends - and even with some strangers.

So I'm back. I won't be here daily, but I'm going to try to be here a lot. And to start, let's have a bit of a (Jewish) year in review...


Seven Reasons Why 5770 Was a Great Year:

1. The climate in Gainesville. I mean, flowers grow there in February. That's a remarkable thing.


2. Wednesday Farmers' Market, I miss you.


3. Staffing Birthright - an experience I'll never forget (and hopefully, they won't either).


4. Gator Pride. Insane, but so fun to watch in action.


5. Alternative Spring Break - beautiful city, committed students, memorable week.


6. So many smachot...



(This video of my cousin Abby's husband Isaac serenading her will probably make your day.)

Mazel tov everyone!

7. My amazing students at UF. I learned more from you all than you could possibly imagine. I hope I taught you a little something as well. Miss you!