In this season of Thanksgiving, it is appropriate to talk about all that I am thankful for. I also need to give a shout out to "Anonymous" whose comment on a previous blog post prompted this one. So... whoever you are... I am thankful for your suggestion, for starters. :)
The things I am most thankful for in my life...
- Chad - While I am thankful for all of my family, Chad is my heart and soul, the love of my life, and for those of you who know the word, my b'sheret. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I would be this happy. So I am EXTREMELY thankful for the love of my life and being able to grow old with him.
- Family - When all is lost, you always have your family... and mine is the best. We have always been a very tight clan, and that is just how I like it. I love the time we spend together and am very thankful for all of them.
- Friends - I know this is an obvious list, but it is who I am thankful for. My friends mean the world to me, and while I do not have hundreds of friends, I have a very small group of best friends and we would all do anything for each other. I am very thankful for them.
- Job - In this day and age, I am extremely thankful to have my job. And not only to have a job, but one I love as much as I do. Yesterday as I was leaving work, I was thinking about how great it is to love your job and enjoy the people you work with.
- Money - Okay, so that sounds petty, and the truth is, I do not have much of it, but the money I do have, I am thankful for. Yes, it allows me to take vacations and by things I need, but it also allows me to do for others and donate to my favorite charities, thus giving to those who cannot afford it.
- Health - While I am not the poster child for health, I am thankful for what I have. In preparation for my wedding, I have pledged that this is the year I am going to get healthier. I want to live a long, happy, and healthy life with Chad, so now is the time to get this body in shape. I've only got one body... time to take care of it.
- Freedom - We live in a world where not everyone is free. I am extremely thankful to live in the USA and have my freedom. While not all of us are free to do whatever we would like (i.e. get married legally), it is still a pretty great country we live in.
- Charley - My baby boy. He is the sweetest and cutest dog there ever was. No matter what, he loves me unconditionally and is always so excited to see me. He depends on me for things like food, water, bathing, etc., but I depend on him for all the love he gives back to me.
And now... a few silly things I am thankful for...
- DVR - I just got DVR a few weeks ago, and now I do not know how I ever lived without it. It is AWESOME!!!
- Reality TV - I have to DVR something. The Amazing Race, Survivor, and Big Brother top the list.
- Vacations - Anyone who knows me, knows that I live to travel and go on vacation. Next big vacation is mine and Chad's 10-night cruise in February.
- Internet - Hello?!?! This is obvious. How would we get by without it. And how would I shop and buy things?!?!
- Jake Gyllenhaal - Enough said!
And of course, a special thank you to all of my readers. I appreciate you reading my updates and always sharing your comments with me. Happy Thanksgiving everyone and please feel free to let me know what you are thankful for by leaving your comment below.
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Meeting with the Rabbi
So first of all... thanks to those of you who offered suggestions on what to write. I will use some of them coming up. Second, Chad and I met with the Rabbi last night... he apparently also reads my blog, so shout out to Rabbi Shavit-Lonstein!
Our meeting was great. We started to really talk about how the ceremony will look. As you know, Chad and I have been big fans of the Rabbi from the beginning of this. He has been in our corner 100% and has truly worked hard, not only on our behalf, but for other GLBT members of the congregation.
One of the things we talked about was the commitment piece of the ceremony. In a typical Jewish wedding, the man and woman are legally bound to each other and would need a "git" to end it. Because we cannot do that, the Rabbi wants to do a different type of commitment for us, saying that in the eyes of God, Chad and I are committed to each other. I hope I am getting this right. :)
Because parts of the shevah brachot are also specific to men and woman (such as Adam and Eve), in our next meeting, we are going to go through the shevah brachot together to determine if they are right for us, or if we should make some changes. The beauty of Judaism... it is constantly evolving.
For the circles, we will do it like every other couple at Temple of Aaron... one of us will do 3 circles, then the other will do 3 circles, and then we will do one together. We both want to stomp on the glass, so we will need to find a big enough, yet thin enough one to break. The week before we will do an auf ruf, so everyone can shower us with sweetness.
Overall, as we have said from the beginning, for the most part, the ceremony will look like a typical Jewish wedding. Yes, there will be some subtle differences, but overall, we are extremely excited as our 10-10-10 date is now less than a year away.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Our meeting was great. We started to really talk about how the ceremony will look. As you know, Chad and I have been big fans of the Rabbi from the beginning of this. He has been in our corner 100% and has truly worked hard, not only on our behalf, but for other GLBT members of the congregation.
One of the things we talked about was the commitment piece of the ceremony. In a typical Jewish wedding, the man and woman are legally bound to each other and would need a "git" to end it. Because we cannot do that, the Rabbi wants to do a different type of commitment for us, saying that in the eyes of God, Chad and I are committed to each other. I hope I am getting this right. :)
Because parts of the shevah brachot are also specific to men and woman (such as Adam and Eve), in our next meeting, we are going to go through the shevah brachot together to determine if they are right for us, or if we should make some changes. The beauty of Judaism... it is constantly evolving.
For the circles, we will do it like every other couple at Temple of Aaron... one of us will do 3 circles, then the other will do 3 circles, and then we will do one together. We both want to stomp on the glass, so we will need to find a big enough, yet thin enough one to break. The week before we will do an auf ruf, so everyone can shower us with sweetness.
Overall, as we have said from the beginning, for the most part, the ceremony will look like a typical Jewish wedding. Yes, there will be some subtle differences, but overall, we are extremely excited as our 10-10-10 date is now less than a year away.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Writer's Block
Oy... I have no idea what to write. I have been racking my brain, trying to come up with a blog topic, and I've got nothing. I have even asked other people to give me a topic... they have nothing too. I feel bad. I know I have a loyal following of readers, and I truly appreciate that. But I know I let you down each time you log onto my blog and there is nothing new. So... what should I write about?
I could drag this blog out and talk about how I have nothing to talk about. But that is boring, annoying, and somewhat redundant. So, the blog powers now shift to you. I need you to give me some ideas. I will gladly impart my wisdom or share thoughts and offer opinions on almost anything. But I need ideas. So... leave me a comment by clicking "comment" below and offer some ideas of what I should write about. Those whose ideas I use, will get credit in the blog.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
I could drag this blog out and talk about how I have nothing to talk about. But that is boring, annoying, and somewhat redundant. So, the blog powers now shift to you. I need you to give me some ideas. I will gladly impart my wisdom or share thoughts and offer opinions on almost anything. But I need ideas. So... leave me a comment by clicking "comment" below and offer some ideas of what I should write about. Those whose ideas I use, will get credit in the blog.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
So Soon?
Things are starting to happen earlier and earlier. For example, while Halloween was still going on, all of the stores started to hint at Christmas. It's like they let it slowly creep in. They would start with just one rack of red, white, and green lights. Then they added ornaments, then big balls, soon Santa was appearing, and finally we had full blown Christmas. Literally, on November 1st I was in stores, and Halloween was gone as if it meant nothing to all of those kids last night, and BOOM... time for Christmas.
Have we no respect for Thanksgiving? What about Veteran's Day? And don't even get me started on Chanukah! I just cannot believe that we not only start to bring things for Christmas out in October, but come November 1st, it is all Christmas, all the time. We are still mourning the loss of summer... hell, I want my fall back. But to just jump into winter like that is mean, thoughtless, and down right rude!
Today the Mall of America started putting up their holiday display and getting ready for hundreds of kids to sit on Santa's lap. I really think this needs to hold out until after Thanksgiving. one holiday at a time people!
Along with that, another thing that is getting earlier is the start time for Black Friday. Door busters used to be at 8:00am, then they moved it back to 6:00am, and not long after it was a HUGE deal to open the doors at 5:00am. Well, we always have to out-do ourselves, so now the doors are open the night before. When you are still stuffed with turkey and well, stuffing, you head off to get in line for the stores that open at 11:00pm Thursday night. First, it is not fair to your employees, second, it is not fair to those people who are trying to digest and just want a good night sleep. There is nothing wrong with door busters at 8:00am... the same crazy people will still be in line.
So in the hustle and bustle and frazzle of the season... let's take a moment to slow down, and enjoy the time we have and the current holiday. Before soon, we will be frozen, covered from head to toe like a Muslim woman, teeth chattering, and warming up the car before we start to drive. Let's just enjoy our fall weather and holidays and not be so rushed to jump head first into winter.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Have we no respect for Thanksgiving? What about Veteran's Day? And don't even get me started on Chanukah! I just cannot believe that we not only start to bring things for Christmas out in October, but come November 1st, it is all Christmas, all the time. We are still mourning the loss of summer... hell, I want my fall back. But to just jump into winter like that is mean, thoughtless, and down right rude!
Today the Mall of America started putting up their holiday display and getting ready for hundreds of kids to sit on Santa's lap. I really think this needs to hold out until after Thanksgiving. one holiday at a time people!
Along with that, another thing that is getting earlier is the start time for Black Friday. Door busters used to be at 8:00am, then they moved it back to 6:00am, and not long after it was a HUGE deal to open the doors at 5:00am. Well, we always have to out-do ourselves, so now the doors are open the night before. When you are still stuffed with turkey and well, stuffing, you head off to get in line for the stores that open at 11:00pm Thursday night. First, it is not fair to your employees, second, it is not fair to those people who are trying to digest and just want a good night sleep. There is nothing wrong with door busters at 8:00am... the same crazy people will still be in line.
So in the hustle and bustle and frazzle of the season... let's take a moment to slow down, and enjoy the time we have and the current holiday. Before soon, we will be frozen, covered from head to toe like a Muslim woman, teeth chattering, and warming up the car before we start to drive. Let's just enjoy our fall weather and holidays and not be so rushed to jump head first into winter.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Update
To make a long story short... after threatening with copyright laws, the seller offered me a refund. Yeah!
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A Fake
So last week I was watching "The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" on TV and it got me reminiscing. Suddenly, I remembered one of my all-time favorite movies, "Race for Your Life Charlie Brown." For anyone who has ever seen it, it is awesome. It is a feature-length Peanuts movie about going to camp and this big boat race. Such a great movie. Well, my quest to own the movie began.
I went and looked around online. There were a lot of VHS copies, but not many on DVD. Finally, I found some on DVD. They ranged in price, but of course, I wanted the cheapest. I found a guy who was selling a "brand new" DVD for $7.99. I got really excited, and bought one. I actually tried to buy two, one for my sister, but he only had one copy. So, I bought it.
The DVD arrived at my house the other day... total knock-off. The guy gets an A for effort, but it is the fakest looking copy I have ever seen. He made the cover on his color printer... very poor quality. He burned a sticker onto the DVD... does not come close to looking real.
Clearly, I am pissed at this point. So, I go onto the website and I filed a complaint that this is a fake copy and I want a real one. Thus far, the guy has not responded... he has a few weeks to do so. My guess is this is not the first time someone has filed a claim against him. I will keep you posted as to what happens. I am a bit nervous that he could win this claiming that he never said it was an original copy. And he will be right about that. But if I threaten him with copyright laws.... we'll see what happens next. I will let you know once I hear from the guy.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
I went and looked around online. There were a lot of VHS copies, but not many on DVD. Finally, I found some on DVD. They ranged in price, but of course, I wanted the cheapest. I found a guy who was selling a "brand new" DVD for $7.99. I got really excited, and bought one. I actually tried to buy two, one for my sister, but he only had one copy. So, I bought it.
The DVD arrived at my house the other day... total knock-off. The guy gets an A for effort, but it is the fakest looking copy I have ever seen. He made the cover on his color printer... very poor quality. He burned a sticker onto the DVD... does not come close to looking real.
Clearly, I am pissed at this point. So, I go onto the website and I filed a complaint that this is a fake copy and I want a real one. Thus far, the guy has not responded... he has a few weeks to do so. My guess is this is not the first time someone has filed a claim against him. I will keep you posted as to what happens. I am a bit nervous that he could win this claiming that he never said it was an original copy. And he will be right about that. But if I threaten him with copyright laws.... we'll see what happens next. I will let you know once I hear from the guy.
Check back often for more Random Ramblings!
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