I Am Large, I Contain Multitudes

I started my Russian class tonight! It's just a 6-week mini-course, but should be enough to wrap my brain around some stuff. Tonight was all about learning to decode the alphabet. That will provide plenty of fodder for practice (the instructor suggested half an hour every day if we want to make good progress). I left with that delightful "my brain is full" feeling.

This coming weekend is my Brandeis reunion. I am going in with medium-low expectations, which I think should mean that it's a good and low-key time. (Worst case, I can hang out by myself and read/write/explore/chill, all of which are fine things, and maybe call some folks in for auxiliary socializing as needed.) I also signed up to read Torah for egalitarian Shabbat morning services, which it finally occurred to me to find amusing (because when I was there, literally half my lifetime ago, I couldn't even begin to imagine being able to read). I'm actually a little out of practice, with how little leyning I've done in the last year and a half; I'll be cramming on the bus.

Since I'm not going with justom to Santa Fe the following weekend, I am going after all to Newport with the Blue Hill Troupe. It's their "Out-of-Town Show" (one reprise performance only of this spring's Mikado production), but it sounds like it is basically a Troupe retreat, complete with beach party (oh yeah, and set build and strike), which I think is going to be smashing fun. I'm riding up with my friend Michael, who is driving, and then returning Sunday afternoon in time for the matinee of My Name is Asher Lev.

There's a G&S "Sing-Out" marathon in Rockville, MD, over Labor Day weekend. My buddy Sam is encouraging me to sign up. It sounds fun -- especially remembering what an awesome time I had at the marathon at Brown that Adorable David took me to a few years back -- but I have this nagging feeling like I might need or want to be somewhere else over Labor Day. (I need to sign up in the next 2 weeks if I want to apply for any principal roles.) Anyone have alternative suggestions? Or should I go for it?

Happy birthday, jweiss!

Only 200 e-mail messages to sift through at work. Of course, 30 of those were spam (the spam that *didn't* get pre-filtered out), so even easier.

Things I learned at Saturday night's most fabulous and life-affirming party:
(1) Apparently, and despite all campaigning and common sense, I am still not entirely over [deleted]. Dammit, dammit, sonofabitch.
(2) But I have wonderful and supportive friends, old and new. (This is not a news flash, but still noteworthy.)
(3) There are other, less destructive crushes that still persist 12 years later.
(4) The roozle-sunspiral estate numbers among its marvels a Room of Requirement. (Bet you didn't know that, eh, guys?)

Things I learned yesterday from eesti:
(1) Divan, chemodan, sakvoyazh, Kartina, korzina, kartonka...
(2) Russian lessons before bed do not promote restful sleep.