Summer continues

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I think I'm starting to be connected enough that July doesn't mean I'm absolutely high and dry with no social contact at all. Partly it's that most people in the lab aren't taking vacations this year, because they're right at the end of their doctorates and can't afford to, or because they took a big vacation at Christmas, or because they're not Swedish and do things differently anyway. But also partly it's that I know enough people that the few who are still around include some of my friends.

In contrast to previous years, I'm actually able to continue being sensibly productive at work, but the summer makes it a bit less pressured than it might be. Boss is contactable by email but not actually present. I left early one day last week and nipped in to the nearest decent sized town, where I bought a replacement teapot (one of those funky clear plastic ones), and a diary for 2008-2009 because trying to plan the next few weeks by scribbling on the back page of my expired diary was annoying me, and a replacement watch (rather elegant, old-fashioned brown and gold thing with nice clear numbers, but it's a little big for me; I generally like tiny watches) and some other bits and bobs I needed but never have time to shop for.

And I'm enjoying attending synagogue more as a consumer, with a break from the endless round of committee meetings and people who want me to do stuff for them. This week I went to morning minyan and ended up being the tenth, which makes me feel really valued. And the cantor asked me to read the section from the prophets today. I said I would do it, but follow the Progressive tradition of reading rather than chanting, not because I particularly want to impose my Progressive ideas on the Conservative synagogue, but because I don't have the musical ability to chant. Since it's the middle of summer, I could get away with this; today's reading is a very fun bit of Micah, and I got lots of positive comments on my reading with expression and every word clear, even though the style isn't what people are used to.

I have been seeing a bit of EBH who is staying in town to keep an eye on her disabled daughter. And SA and Joanna have decided to take short holidays only and are now back. SA and I have a plan to make a girly shopping trip next week, and I'm about to head to Joanna's for a third meal this evening.

Also appreciating lots of good connections with friends using telecommunication. I managed to talk to rysmiel on the phone earlier in the week; this is noteworthy because it requires so much organization to deal with timezones and so on that it only happens about once a year. But the rest of the time we keep up a lot by IM. Also I've been talking to hatam_soferet regularly (and she's coming to visit in August, yay!); on Thursday night she taught me some really cool stuff about exactly what aspects of holy texts are holy. I should post about that properly, partly so that I get it fixed in my head and partly cos it's interesting. And writing emails to lethargic_man and just about managing to touch base with compilerbitch as well as my beau.

Communication is good. Please do get in touch if you'd like to arrange some real-time conversation; I've started using VoIP again, but I'm happy with phone or IM if you prefer those media. I have lots of usernames in my profile. And I'm not so madly busy that long chats mean I don't have time to keep up with my life, at the moment.

Comments

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

I turn out to be too wimpy for my previous plan involving cycling round Denmark, so I'll be backpacking instead, and plan to be in Stockholm 9-12 August. Can I get you dinner sometime in that period?

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Thank you, that sounds lovely. I'm getting back from the UK late on the 11^th; are you actually in Stockholm on 12^th, or is that when you're travelling? If it does work out it would be great to meet up; hatam_soferet (whom I believe you've met in Cambridge a couple of times recently?) is going to be with me, so may she join the party?

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

My plans changed a bit, and now I'm in Stockholm from 2145 on 12 August to about 1600 on 15 August (at which point I get on a series of trains back to Cambridge - 27 hours, changing in Malmo, Berlin, Cologne and Brussels). Which gives two evenings on which it would be possible to meet up, though not sensibly the 12th.

hatam_soferet is fantastic, it would be great to see her too!

Parsha Balak

[(Anonymous)]

You are lucky. Balak was my Bar Mitzvah Parsha, although I read the Mah Tovu passage rather than haftorah.

I attended Thomson's Lane today to say farewell to R and T M****s (she taught your younger brother at Hills Road) and was honoured with an aliyah.

Southernwood

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Yes, I knew you read Balak. They do the traditional maftir-haftarah thing here, so I was called up for maftir before I did the reading, and hadn't realized quite how inappropriate that maftir is for a bar mitzvah. It makes much more sense that they got you to read a more palatable section in the middle! But the haftarah itself is really lovely, and much more closely connected to the parshe than many of them. It not only mentions Balak and Bilaam, but makes several allusions to the words of Bilaam's prophecies.

[ravingglory.livejournal.com]

Not being cut off is very good, also being productive. (I'll add you to my IM list when I get home on monday -- not sure I'll on at resonable time in your time zone for a while though)

[liv]

Sounds good to me, it would be lovely to chat to you. Timezones are a pain, though; I had a relationship fall apart because the time difference between England and California was just too awkward to deal with. But perhaps we'll speak when you're back in Cam.