#BlogElul 5777: Intend: A Haiku

I did not intend
To get caught up in late work
Oh, those kvetchy Jews

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima , this #BlogElul post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Elul, which precede the Jewish High Holidays and traditionally serve as a time of reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year.

No, I Haven't Forgotten About You

Dear Blog,

No, I haven't forgotten about you...I've just been Biennial busy.  In fact, I hope your ears were ringing yesterday when Ima (who was off the bima at the time) and I presented a 20-minute learning session about congregational blogging for beginners.  Take a look at the presentation here.  If your ears were ringing, get ready for them to ring again tomorrow when the dcc and I will do a similar presentation for advanced users (in Chesapeake J at 9:45 a.m).

Here are a few other things keeping me on the go:

• Arranging housing, making adjustments and ironing out challenges for staff members, musicians, speakers and VIPs
• Catching up with Frume Sarah and meeting ZaydeGiraffe and Syl, both from her world
• Counting Shabbat lunches 
• Hugging my mom's friends and reminiscing with them about how much she loved Biennial (and all things URJ).  We all concur that she's here in spirit and is, we know, smiling down on what she sees. 
• Caffeine, caffeine and more caffeine

That last dose is wearing off, though, and so it's time for me to say lailah tov.  I'll be in more regular touch again when I get back home to New York, but in the meantime, I miss you and hope you're taking good care.

xoxo,
JanetheWriter

Letter From My Blog

Dear JanetheWriter,

Usually when you’re really busy and can’t post to me, your blog, you send a letter to fill me in and let me know what’s keeping you out of the blogosphere.  In an effort to ease even that burden from your shoulders, let me try to write it for you…

I know that you’re up to your eyeballs with school work…you’ve got a paper due tomorrow and a group presentation next week.  But look on the bright side:  the paper’s finished (you submitted it via email tonight) and everyone in your group showed up for today’s 5:30 p.m. meeting to divvy up the work for the presentation.  Good progress on all fronts…

At 633, where you became the foursquare mayor yesterday and unlocked the local badge today, you’re busy doing preliminary research for a new article for Reform Judaism magazine.  You’re also writing lots of correspondence for your boss and for the upcoming Biennial (when does the countdown clock start?), as well as random proofreading and editing “on demand” for others.

In between work and school, you’re managing to fill your time with tons of other things.  Last night, you checked in at temple for an Adult Education Committee meeting and next week you’ve got another one—this time the Festivals Committee.  Between the two committees, the minyan and kabbalat Shabbat services when you’ve got a yahrzeit, you’re getting to be quite the regular up there at 79th and Second. 

And there’s plenty more on your plate, too.  You’ve got to register for the FORCE Conference, make flight and hotel reservations, schedule a haircut (you’re starting to look like what your grandmother used to call a vild Indian, well before that term was deemed less than politically correct), get all your tax paperwork to the accountant, water your orchid, back-up your hard drive, arrange for pre-certification for your upcoming MRI, and place an order with freshdirect.

Whew….no wonder you haven’t got time to write to me.  In any event, I hope you find some time soon.  I always like to hear from you, and I miss you.  I’m sure you’ll get everything done in good time and that the tight grip on your time will ease up shortly.

I hope you’re well and that we’ll be able to connect soon.

Very fondly,
Your Blog

Executive "Sweet"

After lunch today, my sweet tooth started calling my name.  I don’t generally hear from it, so when I do, I usually listen.  I wandered over to a colleague’s office and was disappointed to find that the bowl located there that's often filled with M&Ms was empty.

Returning to my own office, I posted this status update on Facebook:

Me (Writer to the President):  JanetheWriter is very disappointed that the M&Ms bowl is empty.

Over the next few minutes, this conversation ensued among a few of my colleagues:

Data Management Director:  Go to MUM. They usually have a good supply in the bubble gum dispenser :)

Writer to the President:  Yeah, but Elliott usually has peanut M&Ms. I ate a clementine instead...a better choice all around.

Data Management Director:  OOOh PEANUT M&Ms!!!!! How was the darling-clementine??

Writer to the President:  Not nearly as darling as peanut M&Ms!!!

At this point, I was interrupted by the Executive Assistant to the President, who asked if I wanted to know where the “stash” was.  When I answered in the affirmative, she showed me, and then used it to refill the bowl, sending the jangling sound of M&Ms through the executive suite.

And then, the Facebook conversation resumed:

Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Board:  Thank you, @Executive Assistant to the President for refilling!!!!!!

Executive Assistant to the President:  All is right with the world.  The bowl has been replenished.

Web Editor:  If it’s empty, don’t look at me.  I am swearing off them!

OK, everybody, now that we’ve had our afternoon break--with or without peanut M&Ms--let’s get back to work!