After three holiday weeks in New York, I returned to Bloomington Sunday night. And naturally - just because I was looking forward to getting back - and I had forgotten just how annoying this particular commute can be - there was a mildly annoying adventure in store.
Traveling on Sunday nights is almost always problematic - as is flying all the way to Bloomington (taking a connecting flight from Chicago, as opposed to just driving the 133 miles from Chicago) - as is also checking bags. That's why I avoid doing these things. But naturally - this week, I scored the hat-trick.
My flight from New York was delayed over an hour... and it landed naturally in a different terminal from my connection. I hustled across the airport and really should have made the connection, but unfortunately they decided to "close the plane" 10 minutes early...so I missed it. Naturally it was (almost!) 9:25pm and this was the last flight out. The gate attendant wouldn't help me - she just directed me to customer service (repeatedly... I almost asked if she could say anything else or if her needle was skipping). The United customer service was annoying too... they're like "you are rebooked on the first flight tomorrow morning". I had no desire to stay overnight - and I told her I was going to drive it. United naturally won't reimburse for a hotel or a rental car - and getting the one leg of flying to be refunded requires calling an 800 number that I've had to call before, but is literally *never* answered by a human being - and I'm convinced it's impossible to get a refund from them...but that's all they can do from the airport side...
Of course I did have this one checked one bag to contend with. Tee-hee. (I hate checking bags!) My bag missed the connection too...but the lady said to go downstairs to the United baggage claim and I could pick it up. Turns out that it's back in the first terminal where I landed - so I had to schlepped all the way back there... and waited on line for 20 minutes... only to be told by the grumpy dude behind the counter that they don't release bags at night - so I actually CANNOT pick up my bag. He informed me that it would be on the first flight to Bloomington the next day I could claim it at that airport... Waste of time. I don't know why the customer service person told me to go there when I could have left the airport 20 minutes sooner...but whatever...
Blah blah - this hole thing wasted oodles of time....I also had to stop at the Hertz place in Bloomington early the next morning to "return" the car - and check it out again (the same car!) - just so I wouldn't get one-way rental charges on the car everywhere I went all week...
One nice thing from Sunday night is that I met this really nice couple who also missed the same flight for the same reason... They are psych professors here at the university (ISU) - and they were coming back from visiting their families for xmas & new years... and we were commiserating at the gate and ended up renting a car together for the long drive. So - for the first time, I got to do this long drive WITH company (didn't turn on the radio once the whole way!). And they're really cool - we had lots of fun chit-chatting the whole way here. We all met up again (unplanned) at the Bloomington airport when claiming our bags Monday night. I believe these are my first non-work-connected friends in town...and cooler than that...I now know two Normal psychology professors! (yes - the puns are intended)
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Announcing "Meals By Marc"!
My brother-in-law and good friend Marc Sessler just launched his own personal chef business in central New Jersey.
Marc has always been a huge whiz in the kitchen. My larger family has exploited these talents for years - using their house for holiday dinners and parties and gatherings, etc. He can bake an awesome cake. He makes a yummy (kosher!) fish chowder. And he even makes sure that everything he makes is pretty healthy.
My sister Lynn (his wife) is actually also a really good cook, but unfortunately for her, whenever any of us is there for dinner and tastes something amazing - we always automatically assume that Marc made it (even if it's really something Lynn created) because everything he makes is so awesome.
I LOVE his new website - over at mealsbymarc.com. Marc wrote all the content and figured out how it would be organized, but the photos are all by his cousin Jon Roemer and the website itself was designed and implemented by my friend April Greenberg's company Spring Thistle Design
Marc has always been a huge whiz in the kitchen. My larger family has exploited these talents for years - using their house for holiday dinners and parties and gatherings, etc. He can bake an awesome cake. He makes a yummy (kosher!) fish chowder. And he even makes sure that everything he makes is pretty healthy.
My sister Lynn (his wife) is actually also a really good cook, but unfortunately for her, whenever any of us is there for dinner and tastes something amazing - we always automatically assume that Marc made it (even if it's really something Lynn created) because everything he makes is so awesome.
I LOVE his new website - over at mealsbymarc.com. Marc wrote all the content and figured out how it would be organized, but the photos are all by his cousin Jon Roemer and the website itself was designed and implemented by my friend April Greenberg's company Spring Thistle Design
Monday, December 11, 2006
The Torahs Have Left The Building...
After 53 years, Congregation B'nai Israel in Fair Lawn, NJ closed yesterday. Well - technically 'closed' is the wrong word - we merged with the Fair Lawn Jewish Center.
Congregation B'nai Israel is the place where my Jewish journey began. In so many ways, it has been a second home for my family. My sisters and I were bat/bar mitzvah'ed there. I said Kaddish for my father there every day for a year back in high school. My parents were active members and volunteers - at one point, my father was on the board and my mother was the Sisterhood President. The men and women who ran that place have always been a lot like extended Uncles and Aunts. As I grew up, I took on some fun and interesting Jewish jobs...I led the Junior Congregation for a time...and more recently, I've been the shofar blower.
Back in the day, I remember two overflowing sanctuaries on the High Holidays (we had to rent an extra Rabbi). There were babysitting services, and there was Junior Congregation and Shabbat for Tots. The Hebrew School had a music teacher that every class would visit once a week. There was a totally awesome Purim carnival and dancing on Simchat Torah.
But in these last years, the shul had become a shadow of itself. The congregation has been dwindling and the financials have been in deficit. My family established an award in my father's memory, to be given to a graduating Hebrew School student every year. Things have been so bad, that for the last two years, there were *no students* in the graduating class - so we could not present it. Many factors led to the decline...Fair Lawn's Jewish population has been steadily becoming more Orthodox (there are a LOT of Orthodox shuls in town now...at least 7 I think...) We have not been able to retain a Rabbi for more than a year or two - and sadly (I'm sorry gents if you're reading this), the last two were just not dynamic enough to attract young families. Years ago, B'nai Israel disassociated itself from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism to save on dues - that was a mistake. B'nai Israel never switched over to become Egalitarian - that was a mistake. We never upgraded from the old Silverman siddurs, machzurs, and other religious books - again a mistake. And then there's just the competition factor - the other two Conservative shuls, Fair Lawn Jewish Center and Beth Shalom, had nicer buildings and more money.
When I heard that we were going to parade the Torahs from the old shul to the Fair Lawn Jewish Center building,
I was expecting a sad, depressing day. I suppose it was sad, but more than that, it was really quite moving and uplifting. Hundreds of people showed up at B'nai Israel (from BOTH shuls) around noon Sunday. We took the Torahs out of the ark - many congregants were each given keters and yads and other Torah accoutrements to carry. Beautiful white Chuppas and lace umbrellas were opened and one or the other was held over each Torah courier. A trumpet player played traditional Jewish wedding music - right from the beginning it was clear that I had misread the day; this was no funeral march; it was the marriage of two congregations. The police closed off streets - as the whole congregation followed our Torahs out the door, into the roadway, and around the block.Several of the people who ran the shul all these years, the Gabbis, Ritual chairs and officers climbed onto a flatbed truck, holding the Torahs - and a procession of cars followed them in a parade across town. The police estimated over a hundred cars participated...I can't even begin to guess at the number of people who showed up...
So we arrived at our new shul. The Fair Lawn Jewish Center Torahs were taken out of their ark. There was dancing and singing...and suddenly there were no more CBI Torahs and FLJC Torahs - there were only "OUR" Torahs. Once they were put away, we heard some decent speeches by Rabbis and layleaders. Lots of FLJC people randomly approached CBI people to shake hands and say "welcome".
The President of the Fair Lawn Jewish Center Lenny Kaufmann announced "This morning our ark was half empty. Now it is full."
Congregation B'nai Israel is the place where my Jewish journey began. In so many ways, it has been a second home for my family. My sisters and I were bat/bar mitzvah'ed there. I said Kaddish for my father there every day for a year back in high school. My parents were active members and volunteers - at one point, my father was on the board and my mother was the Sisterhood President. The men and women who ran that place have always been a lot like extended Uncles and Aunts. As I grew up, I took on some fun and interesting Jewish jobs...I led the Junior Congregation for a time...and more recently, I've been the shofar blower.
Back in the day, I remember two overflowing sanctuaries on the High Holidays (we had to rent an extra Rabbi). There were babysitting services, and there was Junior Congregation and Shabbat for Tots. The Hebrew School had a music teacher that every class would visit once a week. There was a totally awesome Purim carnival and dancing on Simchat Torah.
But in these last years, the shul had become a shadow of itself. The congregation has been dwindling and the financials have been in deficit. My family established an award in my father's memory, to be given to a graduating Hebrew School student every year. Things have been so bad, that for the last two years, there were *no students* in the graduating class - so we could not present it. Many factors led to the decline...Fair Lawn's Jewish population has been steadily becoming more Orthodox (there are a LOT of Orthodox shuls in town now...at least 7 I think...) We have not been able to retain a Rabbi for more than a year or two - and sadly (I'm sorry gents if you're reading this), the last two were just not dynamic enough to attract young families. Years ago, B'nai Israel disassociated itself from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism to save on dues - that was a mistake. B'nai Israel never switched over to become Egalitarian - that was a mistake. We never upgraded from the old Silverman siddurs, machzurs, and other religious books - again a mistake. And then there's just the competition factor - the other two Conservative shuls, Fair Lawn Jewish Center and Beth Shalom, had nicer buildings and more money.
When I heard that we were going to parade the Torahs from the old shul to the Fair Lawn Jewish Center building,
I was expecting a sad, depressing day. I suppose it was sad, but more than that, it was really quite moving and uplifting. Hundreds of people showed up at B'nai Israel (from BOTH shuls) around noon Sunday. We took the Torahs out of the ark - many congregants were each given keters and yads and other Torah accoutrements to carry. Beautiful white Chuppas and lace umbrellas were opened and one or the other was held over each Torah courier. A trumpet player played traditional Jewish wedding music - right from the beginning it was clear that I had misread the day; this was no funeral march; it was the marriage of two congregations. The police closed off streets - as the whole congregation followed our Torahs out the door, into the roadway, and around the block.Several of the people who ran the shul all these years, the Gabbis, Ritual chairs and officers climbed onto a flatbed truck, holding the Torahs - and a procession of cars followed them in a parade across town. The police estimated over a hundred cars participated...I can't even begin to guess at the number of people who showed up...So we arrived at our new shul. The Fair Lawn Jewish Center Torahs were taken out of their ark. There was dancing and singing...and suddenly there were no more CBI Torahs and FLJC Torahs - there were only "OUR" Torahs. Once they were put away, we heard some decent speeches by Rabbis and layleaders. Lots of FLJC people randomly approached CBI people to shake hands and say "welcome".
The President of the Fair Lawn Jewish Center Lenny Kaufmann announced "This morning our ark was half empty. Now it is full."
Friday, December 1, 2006
The Ice Man Cometh
It's a winter wonderland today in Central Illinois. It's not so much that it snowed for 24 hours, it more like "iced".
Desperate to prove that I'm either dumb, crazy, or as we New Yorkers say "fearless" (and also because I left my laptop at work and could not work from the apartment), I ventured out to work. The office is of course closed. It's a huge complex - and entirely deserted except for me and a few brave and cold security and groundskeepers. (I wish I could post a picture of it, but I have this feeling that if I posted an image of this place - under any weather conditions - heck if I say the name of the company on this blog - they'll first shoot me and then fire me.) Truth be told, it looks a lot like I'm in the movie Fargo right now...there's no one around, and you can't tell the Earth from the sky.
There's a picture here of my neighbor Shawna cleaning he
r car (mine is on the right). She and I worked out there for the better part of 1 hour making them cars road-worthy... There was literally a 2 inch coating of solid ice over everything, and we immediately discovered that our ice-scrapers and snow brushes were entirely useless...it was like using plastic against a brick wall. This storm meant serious business.
Desperate to prove that I'm either dumb, crazy, or as we New Yorkers say "fearless" (and also because I left my laptop at work and could not work from the apartment), I ventured out to work. The office is of course closed. It's a huge complex - and entirely deserted except for me and a few brave and cold security and groundskeepers. (I wish I could post a picture of it, but I have this feeling that if I posted an image of this place - under any weather conditions - heck if I say the name of the company on this blog - they'll first shoot me and then fire me.) Truth be told, it looks a lot like I'm in the movie Fargo right now...there's no one around, and you can't tell the Earth from the sky.
There's a picture here of my neighbor Shawna cleaning he
r car (mine is on the right). She and I worked out there for the better part of 1 hour making them cars road-worthy... There was literally a 2 inch coating of solid ice over everything, and we immediately discovered that our ice-scrapers and snow brushes were entirely useless...it was like using plastic against a brick wall. This storm meant serious business.So we were actually out there cleaning the cars with HAMMERS. Sadly, my mine took quite the beating - and didn't make it. Over the course of my wanderings in these last 5 years, I have spent entire winters commuting every week to some notoriously cold places - and I've experienced some serious winter weather. There was Sioux Falls and Minneapolis (yes that 
one's hard to forget: 36 straight days below zero...I remember the morning radio DJ announcing excitedly "Folks we're having a heat wave! It's 16 degrees warmer today than it was yesterday! But it is still below zero."), Toronto, Boston, and Chicago - and in all these places, I have never EVER needed to resort to "man-tools" in order to clean off a car before (and I've never broken anything either). Those big cold cities are nothin'! Bloomington has now won an extra special place in this road warrior's heart.
one's hard to forget: 36 straight days below zero...I remember the morning radio DJ announcing excitedly "Folks we're having a heat wave! It's 16 degrees warmer today than it was yesterday! But it is still below zero."), Toronto, Boston, and Chicago - and in all these places, I have never EVER needed to resort to "man-tools" in order to clean off a car before (and I've never broken anything either). Those big cold cities are nothin'! Bloomington has now won an extra special place in this road warrior's heart.
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