another meta-meme

Taken from tangerinpenguin.

1. Why did you start your journal?

It's all ralphmelton's fault. He was starting a D&D campaign, and he suggested that a shared journal on LJ might be a good way to record stuff. That hasn't happened as much as we thought it would (especially lately), though I use it as a creative outlet. But anyway, the suggestion led me to check out LJ and it seemed nifty, so here I am.

2. How has your intended use of your journal shifted to where it is now?

I'm not sure I really started out with intentions, though in general it has not always been as deep as I would have liked. And I've found myself putting some things in friends-only posts not because they're secrets but because I don't want to put other people in awkward positions.

3. What are the things you don't post in your own journal entries because other people?

There's very little that I won't post, though I may protect it and I've been known to make the occasional private entry.

4. What would you like to make your journal become?

I'd like to have more of the meaty posts. I have been surprised by how long they can take to write.

Shabbat

I led services at Tree of Life last night. It rocked. This was the best I've done of the last few times, at least -- no mistakes, I was in good voice, and there was more kavanah (rough translation: appropriate intent/mood) than usual. I got lots of compliments, including from the person who leads the weekday morning service. (He's good and I look up to him to some degree.)

There are some logistics that I still have to work out with Rabbi Berkun. Specifically, he reads Hebrew much more quickly than I do, so during the parts of the service that are supposed to be silent, I know he is sometimes waiting for me. Last night he jumped in and started reading something (aloud) that I was about to chant, but I wasn't there yet. We need cues or something. I'm generally stripping these parts down to the halachic minimum because I know this problem exists, but it can be hard to judge pacing.

(Because, as chazan, I am praying on behalf of the congregation, there are certain things that I must say for the service to be valid. There is other stuff that one can say and that most people do include, and one of these days I'll be proficient enough to do so.)

This morning there was no bar mitzvah, so we were able to have a leisurely service with a Torah reading. The senior rabbi is still away, so the associate rabbi led. (The senior rabbi and I do this every year: he goes off to be a camp counselor or something for two weeks and then as he's getting back I go off to Pennsic for two weeks, so we go a month without seeing each other.)

This afternoon my reading lamp exploded. Bummer; it made the rest of the day more challenging. "Exploded" is perhaps too strong a word, but the timer kicked on, there was a flash and a loud pop, and then there was a cloud of smoke. I was concerned enough that I unplugged it right away. Later investigation showed that the base of the bulb and the inside of the socket had disintegrated, and the switch was also no longer attached. It was a good lamp (and one I've had for 30+ years), but I guess its time finally came.

Pennsic

That was fast. Arianna sent mail about 3:30 this afternoon saying that Johan was home, the house-trailer had been moved to our camp (last year this didn't happen until Sunday due to technical difficulties), and he had unloaded a bunch of stuff from it and put up our kitchen "house". And he ran out of gas on the way there. I wonder what time he actually got started.

We're heading up tomorrow to do more setup. (He was there alone today, as far as I know.) I'm then coming back and returning on Tuesday; I need a day in town to do miscellaneous prep, and the anti-hornet chemicals require 24 hours of human absence anyway. Dani isn't coming up until Saturday; he's not as into Pennsic as I am.