Shalom

Hey everyone,

Okay, so it's been a little bit since I posted last, but hey, it's not even a full two weeks. Last week finished up alright including my last shifts of "6 duty shifts in 2 weeks". Some of the shifts ended up moving to different weeks, but it still felt like a lot of time with the phone or at the desk.

This week... this week seemed particularly stressful. On Tuesday, I had a first draft of my research paper for HSci due, so I spent basically all of Sunday and Monday on that. It ended up pretty good for a first draft (there were some sections where I didn't have the research I wanted or wasn't quite polished), and it even came out to be 10 pages. Then, on Wednesday I had a cryptology assignment due. My crypto prof writes supplemental problems, which are good for exploring the topics more in-depth and giving us a taste of true cryptology... but it's so frickin' long! Plus, the method we basically had to use wasn't explained the best (or at least my comphrension of his explanation wasn't the best and I've been good in that class)... so that took all Tuesday after being done with the paper. Once I had crypto done, I quickly rushed home, got music stuff done, and then to the night class. Then of course, reading... Thursday was alright seeing as I didn't have anything immediately due that day, but classes weren't the best and I wanted to scramble to get all my loft checks done before Friday.

All of this was aggregated (not sure if this is the proper usage, but I at least I used a word that semi-works) by a situation that threw me for a loop emotionally. Consequently, I wasn't getting a whole lot of sleep, so when I was pounding equations on Tuesday, it seems like I had a lot on my shoulders.

Then Friday. It's nothing horrible, so don't worry. (I just decided to change the subject and move on.) After breakfast in Comstock, math, choir, and some time at the Cedar (including videotaping random stuff to start making web content), I performed via Chamber Singers along with Concert Choir at the Mount Zion synagogue. It was rather amazing! It was the first time I had been to a service that wasn't Christian (it was a Jewish service/synagogue). Even though it was a reform synagogue, I decided to wear a yamaka (in reform synagogues, it's not required for men to have their heads covered, but it is still respectful) and listening to a Jewish service was rather cool. The vast majority of it was the congregation, rabbi, and choral leader (I'm not sure if she had a formal title) all singing together in Hebrew and some English. At the first part, we all even had egg shakers to get more into the music. It definitely made me think about how people at Christian services can sit through a lot of it and not let it sink in; here, there really wasn't enough time to get distracted. Oh, and I'll admit that there were times at the beginning of the service or when we first entered the synagogue that I was tempted to make the sign of the cross (I resisted the urge though).

Today was on the other hand a very lazy day. With the exception of a cryptology midterm on Monday, it doesn't look like I have anything due/happening before Thanksgiving break. It was nice to sleep in, and then the residents I saw (the ones who didn't go to the Minn/Wisc game) shared the less-than-motivated mood I had. After not doing much, Kyle, Ben and I walked to the Wok and had a nice dinner with the three of us (including a very random word association game). After getting back and hanging with other CA's for a little bit, I watched the last part of Empire Strikes Back, played some Star Wars Battlefront 2, and then Halo 2 with different groups of residents. It was nice to spend time with residents again, even if it wasn't the grandeur of a planned program.

Oh, and another thing. My camera finally came in last weekend, and it served as my motivational device for getting the research paper done (aka until I printed the paper out and was ready to turn it in, the box stayed sealed shut). Now I've had a few days to fiddle with it and on Thursday, I started a 365day project on Flickr. Basically, the project is where you take a self-portrait every day for a year, and other than that, the pictures can be whatever (with a few basic guidelines of course). Three of my friends (two of which are fellow Middlebrook CA's, the third also being a part of last year's 5th floor now living with some friends including my old roommate in an apartment) already have 365day projects going strong (one's around 40, one's around 125, one's around 140), so I hope I can come to them for ideas/motivation/etc. The link to the site is http://www.flickr.com/photos/supersancho/ if you're at all interested.

So yeah, here I am. I'm a little video gamed out, and a little tired. I am planning on being productive tomorrow, so I should get some rest. As I said before, once the crypto midterm is done, I should be in the clear until after Thanksgiving break. I hope everyone has good plans lined up for Thanksgiving, whether it's with family, or even just good friends. I myself will be in Middlebrook for the duration of break partially because of a bad ride situation otherwise, and partially because I want to keep Kyle and Ben company (they are both on duty for two days each and therefore can't leave the building). Don't worry, I've already been told by two people that they will bring food to Middlebrook... but yeah, I should get some sleep now.

Have a great Sunday, talk to you all later, take care and God bless!

~Matt dB