Y"K report

Pound Hall was set up facing east, which was good. It was very full; by the end of Kol Nidrei, the co-chairs apologized for not having enough chairs or enough machzorim. It didn't seem to be a problem over the rest of the day, though it was rather full.

I took the same seat I had had for R"H, which was now the front row, outside. It gave me access to davening in front, without dealing with having people all around me (plus the top of the upright piano as a machzor-rest; I saved a lot of wear on my wrists)(and had the added benefit of a large potted plant in front of me, which was just interesting enough to look at without actually taking attention away). Even so, at times I could hear a couple of women in the second row talking. I couldn't hear words, but the dominant sounds of English and Hebrew are reasonably distinct. It frustrates me at the best of times, but really gets to me more on Y"K, when I assume people are a bit more focused.

Perhaps because of the new policy about having tickets or ID to get in, there was no "schick gelt"¹ talk. Just as well; this year's co-chairs are two undergraduates, whose public speaking skills may not have been up for a carefully crafted speech like that.

( Services )

Torah reading was a bar mitzvah. He read the whole parasha and haftarah, and did a very good job, though his voice was a bit small for that huge space (it meant people were very quiet :-). Afterward, everyone said "mazal tov!", without the usual throwing of candy. And that was that, except I assume that there was a very nice breakfast for the gaggle of visiting boys....

I was too tired to stay for any of the talks in the evening, but I tend not to go home for the break, so I was there when the rabbi gave his short class discussing issues in sefer Yonah⁴( Yonah geeking )

On the physical side, my feet/lower legs hurt after a while, but other than that, I was ok⁷. I'm always amazed at the energy that everyone gets towards the end, with the songs getting stronger and stronger, building and building, despite everyone's tiredness. I think Aveinu Malkenu⁸ being said only at Neilah (due to it being Shabbat) made it all the stronger in intensity. Then the repeated sentences (1-3-7), and the long long shofar blast, and it was done.

Note to self: even if I have lots of energy at the end of the fast, eating dinner tends to make me tired. Don't plan to put the sukkah up then...

( notes )

Sunday: Art Deco; Sukkot prep

I got my sukkah up yesterday morning (Note to self: goggles would be useful.). It took longer to clean up the porch (take out all the ex-plants, stack containers, move things around to use less space) than to actually get the schach up. Still to do: put the light out (find a timer if there isn't already one on that outlet), and rig up a sheet along one wall for shade in the afternoons. Oh, plus cook, and pick up the lulav and etrog tomorrow night.

Also yesterday, I got to see the Art Deco exhibit at the MFA. It was interesting, showing how many influences were used, and how the movement spread. There were so many lovely things, though I was surprised that there were definitely a couple of pieces I thought hideous. And alas, I do not have the figure to wear any of those lovely clothes. It's not as if I have any, but even so. I suppose I shall have to daydream about Empire dresses instead, but oh, such pretty clothes and hats. A couple of other pieces stuck in my head. One was a mix of drawers and shelves, with a fold-down desktop, that catered to my everpresent need for storage space, in a way that was nicer than most, since the spaces were all different sizes. There was a huge circular radio that fascinated, and a chair that seemed to be wearing slightly pointy slippers on front, perfect for an armchair traveler.
(Thanks to ButRachel and BubbleBabble.)

Plus much Catanification, punctuated by chocolatey croissants and dinner.