What else has happened? Well I went to six flags with my youth group had a blast. BUTTON MAN!!
I kept the Rabbi's dog while he was away. The rabbi has a pool and I like to swim BUT it was not the right temperature. in fact it was bloody cold. I wanted to wait till after school hours to go swimming but fell asleep and didn't go till four or five in the afternoon. It was extremely chilly outside and I was shivering in my Bathing suit before I even got in the pool (I get cold easy) any normal person would have turned away but I was determined and I knew my sister would rib me for chickening out. I got on the far side of the pool and readied myself. It took a long time to build up the courage to jump into the icy water, I stood at the edge of the pool what felt like an hour but it was probably only five minuets. When I gathered the courage I jumped! and ladies and gentlemen let me tell you it was cold. The breath was knocked out of me as soon as I hit the water and I felt like an eternity before I surfaced again and even longer to get across the pool. It was a lot of fun and what not and now I am tired of posting. Good bye.

Well, well, well, I think I have set a new record for longest time without posting. Oh well I shall bring you up to date.
My brother and his wife came down for Sukkot and we went camping played an awe inspiring prank on Marli (my sister in law) involving dark woods a clown mask and a little bit of planing. The moment of inspiration was when I beheld a "scary" clown mask in wally world I bought it and waited till the camping trip. I asked my brother if I could play a prank on his wife he yes and further more he said he would help me. We waited till it was dark, I pretended to go into the woods to urinate my brother asked Marli to get a bottle of water from the tent that I was hiding behind. When she got close enough I ran out from behind the tent and passed her roaring. she screamed and cursed at me, (ha ha very funny but I wasn't done she didn't notice the mask) As she was having her fit I snuck up behind her and got as close as I could. When she turned around we were face to face. Now one thing you must know is that Marli is terrified of clowns so the effect was incredible. She did not scream (at first) she gasped a look of shear terror crossed her face, she turned so white she practically glowed in the night. although Marli is afraid of of clowns she is a big fan of the Joker from the dark night movie, so after the completely terrified stage, when she started screaming I said that cute little quote from the movie "Why so serious" oh it was marvelous fun but it gets better.
After she was done pounding me in the chest she went to my brother for support. I slipped him the mask and he put it on then put his head in his lap so she couldn't see the mask. When she went for comfort she got another scare. My brother and I laughed our heads off.
Later my brother and I got lost and thought we were on the appilation trail halfway to Georgia. we were actually only about five or six miles from camp but it gave us a good scare.
It was a fun trip and I hope we do it again soon.

I will update more later.

Ian

Here are some compleatly random pictures.

So here we are again, the high holidays are approaching and its almost time to start looking back on what we've done, or haven't done. This year has been a big one, well, at least for me. I started my Jewish journey by converting, I had my tonsils removed, I loved, fought, lost and prevailed, I've done good and bad, been happy, enraged, confused, and sad. I think over all its been the most insane year I have had (but I am positive I'll have many more to come) its had its ups and downs but never a dull moment.
Now as I look back I think of every time I hurt, or offended someone. In the weeks leading up to Yom Kippur your supposed to ask forgiveness of the people you've hurt. This for me is hard, my pride and anger get in the way and I think "That wasn't wrong he deserved it." Pride is a pain in the butt, but that's what Yom Kippur is about looking back at the wrong things you've done and making sure you don't do it again.
May G-d be with us all as we work towards making this coming year better than the last.

I know its a little early but it was on my mind so what can I say.

hey, hey, hey. whats going on my cronies. I must admit it has been a while since I have even been on my blog. why?
work. Yes Ian has entered the realm of the responsible, working, adult, world. or maybe I have just stuck my head in the door.
beyond that my weeks have been pretty full.
on the fourth we went to an old Friend of my Dad's house. He built a half pipe and we skated it all week end. my knee caps are still scraped. Thanks David!
other than that I got in front of every one at shul and gave a teaching/speech thingy last Friday.
I am off to work now so keep it cool. I leave you with a heart felt poem.

Good bye so long but hopefully not for long

I shall return for I know you yearn

for what I have to say

wow I need more sleep

Tefillin

I put on my Tefillin for the first time this morning and it was amazing (shout out to my boy Rabbi Kramer for getting me and Dad each a pair, thanks). The Tefillin came with a DVD, it had people talking about what Tefillin meant to them. Each person said something different, but the one thing that was said that stuck with me through out my whole morning prayers was that, the act of putting on the Tefillin is literally bonding yourself to G-d, and before I put them on I didn't understand but it is the most profound thing. When you wrap the Tefillin around your fingers you say "I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you with righteousness with Justice, with love and with compassion. I will betroth you to me with faithfulness and you shall love the Lord." In doing this you are betrothing your self to G-d every morning. Like I have said in previous posts you can't just read about it you have to experience it.
Another thing the DVD talked about was that the first thoughts in the morning are the most important. When you put on the Tefillin you kind of set the pace for the rest of the day. And there is no better pace to set than that of bonding you self to G-d.

Jew Boy out!

NEW POST!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while I've been out. (Nothing serious just surgery)
So what to talk about... Ah the light of my life, the life preserver that keeps my head above water, the food and water for my soul and mind. Yes the magical substance I am talking about is religion. The thing that keeps insanity at bay and clears away the confusion of the world (or at least part of it).
Now not all religions can do this in fact in my opinion only one, the one, you guessed it Judaism. Oh-yeah!
Judaism is a full body religion, an experience, you have to live Judaism to understand it, books are good, great really. but when it comes to certain things you have to experience them in order to understand them. And oh how I am experiencing Judaism!
Every time I turn around there is something else to love about Judaism. Holding the Torah, an Alliah picking fruit, yes even picking fruit is an experience. There is something about, having a certain prayer for every thing that makes life that much more meaningful.
Every morning, every night, every meal, it all has meaning and its wonderful, fantastic.
Well that's enough of my raving for a while.

Oh I almost forgot, my surgery was very minor I just got my tonsils removed, and I don't want to hear anyone telling me that its bad or that the doctors just do it for the money. I don't care its already been done. More on that later.

Live long and prosper.