Long Hiatus, but I'm back!

2/6/12
12:41 AM

So... It's been a very long while since I have posted anything, and here's my excuse: My computer battery died, I caught a REALLY bad sinus infection, and then it was Midwinter vacation, during which I was in good, warm Florida with Chaim... And then I procrastinated.

Yeah, so I admit it, I have a hard time keeping to a schedule in writing a diary (or in this case a blog).

I guess I just like writing when inspiration strikes. Which it has, thankfully.

So to elaborate, since my last post from January 1 (wow! has it been that long???), I had laryngitis, which a week later became a really horrible sinus infection, with a fever of up to 103 degrees. I was hardly able to move. But let me tell you, Amoxicillen is really a miracle medicine. I started taking it on a Thursday night, and we flew out to Florida on Monday morning, at which point I had a slightly raw nose (from blowing so much), but overall felt quite good!

So that leads me straight into the Vacation talk. Our flight was on the 23rd, at 11 AM. We left the house at 8, (Totty gave us $100 of "pocket money" when I mentioned I needed to find an ATM) got to the airport safely, went through security (they took my cream cheese!) and got to the gate with 2 hours to spare. As I said, better 2 hours early than 5 minutes late, no?

When it got closer to our boarding time, I took a look at the screens saying what gates which flights were, and found that we had walked to the opposite side of the terminal, because they had changed the gate. And boarding time. We were delayed 30 minutes, and we had to catch another plane an hour after our scheduled landing time. Eeeps.

Thankfully, we were actually allowed to take off, (they were saying that there were limited planes being allowed to land in Philadelphia (our stopover... $100 cheaper). It was quite an interesting flight, as it was a very small plane... and when I say very, I mean very. There was one stewardess, around 40 seats, and 35 passengers. At most. That's less than a coach bus! We also boarded from the tarmac, so I was feeling a bit weird. I really thought that they didn't do that anymore.

So the flight was kinda uneventful, besides for the itty-bitty fact of the (cute!) guy sitting next to me. He was wearing a sort of sweater/shirt, and was reading a romance novel. If I weren't Jewish, and actually thought I had a chance, I would probably had worked up the courage to say "hi"... but I'm SO glad I didn't. I stood up to the test.

Anyway, that wasn't even the most of it... I took out my book (LotR:RotK), and started reading. Around 15 minutes into the flight, I put down the book in the pocket of the seat in front of me, and see him take out his iPod. Being uber sneaky, I peeked at what he was typing. He wrote "Reflections on a flight: a short story," skipped a few lines, and then wrote "Ethelbert B. Cranford," which he then fixed to say "Crawford." When I saw that, I thought "Gosh, this guy has a really weird name!" and then my eyes slipped down to my book... on the top of it was stamped the name of the library I had taken it out of a few years ago... Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library.

I seriously had to bite my lip to keep from laughing! He was doing the same thing I was! Taking sidelong glances at me while I wasn't looking! And I thought I wasn't interesting.

I wish I had said something, anything to him, to let him know I saw what he wrote. I am dead curious to know who he is, and what he was going to write. Because it's totally what I do! Open my iPod, and write down something random to be expanded upon in a story later on!

Oh, and he had a pocket-watch. Come on. How is that not awesome?!

*sigh*

Come on! Sarah Dina! You're a Frum girl!!! Stop thinking of that one goyish guy you saw on a plane! He may just have been anti-semitic!

Ok... I'll stop trying to fool myself. I'll always wonder who that guy was. If he was some well known author, or if he was just a regular joe-shmo (with a pocket-watch).

Anywho... we landed, and Chaim and I ran and caught a shuttle to the other terminal, where we were due to be quite soon after we landed. We missed the area of the shuttle, so had to double back, loosing even more time. We quickly disembarked the shuttle, and found our way to the gate, which was, oddly, empty! Suddenly, we heard the man by the gate ask, "Orlando?" We answered affirmatively, and he said that the plane was about to leave! Eeps!

We quickly ran down the boarding area, and found that we were going to have to check our bags, because the carry-on areas, as well as the flight, was full. We ran to our seats, (Chaim was sitting in the row behind me). Amazingly, the woman who was sitting next to me asked if we were together, and when I said yes, she offered to switch seats with Chaim so that we could sit together.

As soon as we both got settled in, the fasten seatbelts sign went on, and the stewardesses (and one steward) started going through the safety mime. (I always wonder whats going through their heads when they're doing it. "pick up fake seatbelt. click it in. Pull it out. Smile." Gosh... must be so monotonous.)

Amazingly, the person who was supposed to be sitting by the window in my row seemed to have missed the flight, and so Chaim and I had the row to ourselves! He put his hat down on the seat in middle, and halfway through the flight, we switched so that he could see the landing through the window.

It was a 3 hour flight, during which I mostly listened to my podcasts... We landed, and got off the plane to a BEAUTIFULLY warm Florida breeze! Even in the walkway into the terminal!

We got our luggage, and called a cab, only to be told that they had a stand there...

We walked a bit, and got a cab to our hotel, the Westgate Palace. The cab cost $44! (the cab driver automatically took a tip of $6, to make it $50)

It took a bit of a while to get to our room (because they were doing some "cosmetic surgery" to the front of the hotel, we had to find a roundabout way to get into the check-in area.) We checked in, I got our room keys, and we were ready to go! The man who brought up our luggage was really nice, but I only had one single in my wallet to tip him! (the cab driver rounded up his tip, remember?)

So we were in the Hotel Room at about 4:45. It was absolutely beautiful! There were two bedrooms with King sized beds. I wanted the room with the Jacuzzi. In fact, I called it, but I gave Chaim a chance to win it with Rock-paper-Scissors. I won, so I gave him a chance two out of three, which I won, and then gave him a chance three out of five... Which I won.

But I still let him have it. What in the world happened to be being assertive?

I guess major part of my vacation, which trumped a relaxing bath in a Jacuzzi was not fighting with Chaim.

So I had the room with the adjoining bathroom with the shower area. The bathroom itself was bigger than my bedroom at home. And as angry as I was about the Jacuzzi, I actually enjoyed the showers!

Anyway, I unpacked while he watched TV, and then we sat down and watched Evil Dead 2 with the commentary together. We ate a real "TV dinner" in front of the TV. I definitely don't think that it's the way to live, but when you're on vacation, go ahead and watch TV all day and eat your meals in front of it. Go on, enjoy yourself!

After we finished the movie and some channel flipping, we both settled into our respective rooms. I watched some FRIENDS on the TV in my room, and then fell asleep.

(The adventures continue in the next post! For now, I am going to sleep!!!)

Good Night!

Sarah Dina Schiff

1:33 AM

Computer breakdown!

1/1/12
6:05 PM

My computer is currently in critical condition. I don't know exactly what is wrong, but I know that I need a new battery. I just bought a new plug, and it's working pretty good... except for the fact that my battery is constantly at 0%.

So besides for that, I went to my High School's fundraiser, and ran into a person who I kinda look to for advice and things, and mentioned to him about the Lab-band, and he practically shouted at me in middle of the crowded room to "just shut my mouth," and I'd lose weight.

I love how people who aren't in my position go all judgmental and controlling. It happens to be that he's the main person pushing me to stay in Seminary.

Aaaargh! I feel like I'm going out of my mind!

Gotta shut my computer now because it feels quite warm... I don't want it to overheat. I can't need to buy anything more to repair it.

signing off for now,

6:13 PM

(this is being posted on a different date because I saved it as a draft instead of posting it)

Seminary Rant, 2012 Rant, and more!

1/4/12
7:32 PM

I don't understand why a girl can't decide not to go to Seminary without being considered a bad girl. I have a very busy schedule, what with teaching a Regents class to SERIOUSLY un-educated girls (they came in from Public Schools). Just today I was talking to my students about Nuclear Energy, and mentioned the Atom Bomb. I mentioned Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and I had one student ask me, "Is that Japanese?"

I was honestly shocked! Not one girl in my class knew what Hiroshima was! Only after some prodding did one 9th grader perk up and remember that the pilot of the Enola Gay didn't know what he was really doing. (She didn't say Enola Gay, and neither did I. Remember, these are Public School kids. They would immediately descend into laughter, as they did when I collected their reading comprehension homeworks on the planet Uranus.) I told her that they actually did know, and that that was an Legend. I gave them a Homework assignment to read about Hiroshima. I doubt anyone will actually read anything substantial. I am sure though, that they will find the plane's name.

Anyway, back to the Seminary issue. I'm very busy. I'm going to college. I'm going for a degree so I can support a learning boy. Why do I have to have a nervous breakdown for some preconceived notion of a "proper frum girl?" I'm very frum. I'm very strong in my beliefs. Granted, I watch movies. I see some TV. But going to Seminary isn't going to change that! Why do I need to pretend to be something I'm not.

Obviously, I'm worried that I, as a girl who watches movies, wont "click" with a "pure learning boy." But you know what? I refuse to worry about that at this point. I have tried to "quit" them quite a few times, and I will be trying again soon. Perhaps this Blog will help me stick to it. here's to hoping!!

Yeah... So that rant was in response to all the people trying to force me into staying in Seminary.

Now, life.

So it's 2012! The Mayans have yet to be proven wrong. We have one year to prove that the world wont end.

And here are three reasons about why no one should be going all crazy about the 2012 business.

1- How many times have people said "The world is ending!" and been proven wrong?

2- The Mayan Calender doesn't even end in 2012. It RESETS. As in the *Pattern* restarts. Not the world. The pattern. Kapeesh?

3- Since when do we depend on Mayan prophesies??????

Ok. So that's done.

I called and confirmed my appointment for the information session about the Lap band.

I'm just terrified. I refuse to pull back again, though.

Otherwise, I have recently become obsessed with the music of the late '30s, early '40s. Frank Sinatra specifically. Gosh, does that guy have a voice! Plus, the music is SO unlike what the non-jewish "music" is like now. (I listen to a bit. Only a few specific groups I know are clean and "not rocky")

I saw a really nice Record player + CD player + Tape Player on Ebay, and I'm seriously thinking of buying it... but I don't know exactly where I would fit it in my room. (It's quite small.) If I put my garbage-can under my desk, I can put a little stand to keep it on in it's place.

I'll have to see.

I also recently decided (after that conversation I had with my brother about dating) that I should focus on Sign Language Interpreting for now, putting Psychology as an "end goal," as opposed to complete overall stop-goal.

Now I really have to get back to work on a research paper I have due for college tomorrow.


Sarah Dina

8:28 PM

At Day's End

12/28/11

11:59 PM

So I just calculated how long it would take to watch everything on the Extended DVDs of LotR. It comes out to 5,477 minutes, or 91 hours, 12 minutes. That's not counting the rifftrax, theatrical cut, or regular dvd special features. That's nearly 4 days. Without sleep. Who needs webcomics or podcasts to Archive Binge? And as for Star Wars? You wish they had that much footage. 

So today I had a bit of a discussion with my students about how the Earth isn't 4 billion years old. We discussed why the Mabul (Great Flood) was needed, and I connotated sitting in a bathtub for three hours makes you look old to the world being submerged for 40 days and 40 nights. Obviously it makes it seem older. We also discussed how the younger things are the quicker they age. We discussed The Bermuda Triangle, in connection with the Ten Tribes. All this from a simple reading comprehension exercise about the Earth and Mars.

I had many students come over to me apologizing for not coming. I told them they should be apologizing to themselves, because when I realized that they weren't coming, I invited my friends and cousins! (I "forgot" to mention that everyone turned me down except for one cousin.)

Well, I'm off to bed, going to sleep early tonight. I'll see ya on the flip side!

Good night!

Sarah Dina

12/28/11

12:12 AM

Party and LotR

12/27/11

1:26 PM

The party last night was amazing! I spent time with my nieces and nephews, as well as cousins and their kids. I really got a laugh out of my oldest nephew (10), who was wearing a bow-tie and suspenders. I told him that the next time he comes to visit us in Boro Park, he needs to wear them. After all, Bow-ties are cool! (Doctor Who reference)

Additionally, my grandmother came along, and she brought a Piniata, as well as a stick. I was watching my nephews having fun playing with the stick, and I went over to my Grandmother, and told her "The stick is a bigger hit than the Piniata!" And then did an immediate facepalm when I realized what a pun I accidentally said. 

Otherwise, I just finished (for maybe the hundredth time) watching LotR:FotR (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings) Extended cut, after seeing it in spurts. Now on to LotR:TTT (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers). I had all three (extended) movies playing on my computer overnight (in a queue.), and when I woke up, it was only halfway through the third one! Overall, if you watch all of the movies in a row, you would be sitting for around 11 and a half hours. And don't get me started on Commentaries and the Appendices. Let alone the regular extra features. Also, I may as well mention the Rifftrax versions, of which I have the first two.

I just tried to calculate how long it should take to watch EVERYTHING contained in the LotR dvds (extended and not) but I can't seem to find any record of the combined length of the appendices online. I guess I'll have to pop in my dvds at some point!

So, overall, if you're a geek like me, (people seem to think geek is a derogatory term, and I disagree. A geek is merely someone who really likes one or more topics to an almost obsessive level. Well, some people may see it as an insult, I see it as a compliment of dedication   END RANT)

As I was saying, if you're a geek like me, you really need to have a lot of time set aside if you want to "archive binge" on LotR.

It's quite funny, actually. I think that people who don't know much about LotR think "It's just three movies! Star wars has 6! What's the big deal?"

Well first of all, it's not just three movies, it's three amazing books. And there is so much in them that wasn't put into the movies. Second of all, there an unbelievable amount of "behind the scenes" glimpses, that it makes the viewer feel like they actually worked on it! Which is awesome. Third of all, it's soon not going to be three movies, but four! The Hobbit is coming out next year! I honestly can't wait.

I'm just wondering why they're calling it "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and not just plain "The Hobbit". Ah. I just looked it up, and GREAT NEWS! It has extra words to differentiate the two movies! They're making two movies out of The Hobbit! The second one will be called "The Hobbit: There and Back Again." Which I'm really happy about, because that's the name of Bilbo's book.

Anyway, I need to run to teach.

I'll probably do another post tonight if anything eventful happens.

Sarah Dina

2:01 PM

Party? Not really.

12/26/11
1:35 AM

Well, that was quite a day... only not in the way I expected.

Remember how in the previous post, I said, as an afterthought "I hope they show" (to the party)? Turns out I had the right idea. No one turned up. Out of 25 girls, not one came.

I had a whole party set up, a program, games, and a speaker. I waited for the two and a half hours the party was called for, and I even hoped they would show up after.

No dice.

Not one person even thought to call to say she wasn't coming!

I am very disappointed in my students. They are most definitely NOT having an activity on tuesday in honor of Chanukah.

After a while, I texted some friends and invited them, but no one was able to make it. I ended up driving over to my cousin, picking her up, and we had our own little party in my house.

We saw two movies together, Bridge to Terabithia, and Megamind.

I just got back from driving her home. It took much longer than I expected, because I went to fill up on gas... where I got stuck. I was very addled after a day of waiting for no one to show, that I forgot to put my car in Park before trying to take out the key! Obviously, it got stuck.

I got very worried, nearly freaked out, and I ended up nearly calling AAA... but first I called home and woke my parents. My father, very wisely and expertly, asked me to check that it wasn't still in drive. To that I responded with turning the key, and telling my father "good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed-bugs bite"

Overall, today was quite uneventful, which was in itself an event. So while I haven't really done anything (except for frantically set up for a party that wasn't), I am quite exhausted!

So my plans for tomorrow are basically preparing a lesson for Tuesday, making an appointment for the Lap-band, and enjoying my last day of vacation.

As for now, I think I'll re-watch some Lord of the Rings before I get ready for bed.

I'm to exhausted to go to sleep just yet.

Goodnight, and A Freilechen Chanukah!!!

Sarah Dina

1:53 AM



EDIT: 3:19 AM

I realized that I actually do have more of a plan for tomorrow night: Family party in Lakewood. :)

We'll see how that goes!

Sarah Dina

3:20 AM

Happy Chanukah! (and other stuff)

12/25/11

1:56 AM

A Freilichen Chanukah! 

Over Shabbos, I had my oldest brother and his family over. It was great! I love my nieces and Nephews, and had a blast spending time with them. There were only three things that happened wrong over Shabbos: 

1: On Friday night, the youngest girl in the family, Shani, fell off of a chair, and bit her tongue. Badly. She was bleeding for about 5 minutes. B"H she stopped, and they didn't need to take her to someone for medical "intervention". She was over it remarkably quickly, and didn't complain about it at all past a half hour after it happened. 

2: My Nieces and Nephews didn't really let me sleep late, as they were outside of my bedroom door, banging and shouting. But you know what? I didn't really mind, because I LOVE them all so much!!!

3: My Sister-in-law brought up the idea of the Lap-band surgery.

Now here's something you should know about me. I currently weigh about 266 lb. (last time i checked) It's a VERY sore point, as I know that it's unhealthy, and I have tried all kinds of diets. The most annoying thing is that I know people seem to think that I'm not trying. It's recently rubbed off on me that I'm not trying hard enough. I feel like I'm just failing. 

A large (no pun intended) reason why she brought it up, in fact I think 99% of the reason, is that she wants me to start dating. 

Here's a fact I didn't say. As she's my oldest brother's wife, I know her for more than half my life. She's basically a sister to me, and in fact, (don't tell my sister) I feel closer to her than my sister! So she wasn't intruding, nor was she prodding. I know she's just worried, and I know she just means the best for me. But she actually made me cry on Shabbos, which I really usually don't do. I've seriously cried more than I have in a year in the last two weeks. (the day that prompted me to start the blog, which I haven't told you about yet.)

Anyway, back to the "dating" thing. Late Friday night, after the meal, and after all the kids went to bed, I stayed up with my mother and oldest brother, (Tzvi Hersch) talking about "what kind of boy I'm looking for". I kinda felt like I should have walked out of the room, because, as the youngest, I was always sent out of the room when such a conversation was going on. But this time, the conversation was about me! What it boiled down to was that I want a boy who has a "Shaichos" (Connection) with Ha-Shem. I honestly would want a learning boy, but I have heard from many a person that "learning boys" don't really want girls who are going for Psychology. Which is funny, because a majority of the reason I want to go into Psychology is that I have a good income to support a learning husband and family. It's like a cycle, wherein you must earn a little money to marry a boy who needs you to earn a lot of money in order to support his living style. 

But here's another truth... As you can see from my earlier posts, I watch movies and some TV. Which I can assure you, doesn't "click" with most Learning Boys. I guess I'll focus on losing the weight, and then on what kind of boy I want. 

Now, to talk about the happy, Chanukah things I hinted towards in the title; I will talk about my Chanukah plans and parties. 

I got home from a Family Chanukah party around 3 hours ago. I went to my aunt's house, and hung out (hanged? hunged? is there even a proper way to say that?) with my cousins. We played some "Jewish Dance-Dance Revolution"/Step It Up, and started watching The Newsies. I astounded them with my knowledge that Christian Bale is Australian, and really enjoyed myself, until I realized that it was getting kinda late, and I needed to get home to prepare for the party I'm throwing tomorrow night (tonight).

I'm having my students over for a party, and to show them how my father "tzinds" (lights) the menorah. They are kiruv students that joined the school basically straight from public school, so I don't know who knows what. I think I'll leave the description of the party for after it actually happens, but right now, the plan is Nosh, Speech, Step It Up/Dreidle Tournament, Menorah, Pizza, Ice-cream. 

I hope they enjoy! (I hope they show!)

A Freilichin Chanukah!

Sarah Dina

2:24