As I wrote about last week, Purim was this past weekend. Yeah, I was feeling pretty grumpy about being a divorced mom who also happens to be a working mom, and I was pretty bummed out that I missed my sons’ homeschool Purim carnival and baking hamantaschen because of my hand and other such Purim festivities.
Now that the weekend has passed, you know what? I’m still pretty grumpy. But I am also feeling a bit better about the whole thing, I promise. Seeing my sons for Purim was great. The wedding we went to went great, despite First Born getting ketchup all over his shirt and tie before the wedding. Here’s me cleaning it off. Why am I laughing about it when I could have been annoyed and upset? A) Because it’s no big deal. B) The Mai Thai I’d had helped. (Sorry! It’s just true!)
The work I did in New York with De Vry University went really well. I was working with them for the second year in a row on National HerWorld Month activities and initiatives to encourage high school girls to learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers. The programs specifically focus on giving girls hands-on experience and allowing them to meet women with successful STEM careers in order to foster mentorship relationships, such as the one I had when I was 15, which ultimately led to my pursuing my PhD in Neuroscience. It was a wonderful couple of days with De Vry University and if you are curious about what I did or for more information, feel free to visit the website.
Of note on this trip was that the Fast of Esther fell on a day I was working with De Vry University and I did five hours of press interviews with only a few breaks to run to the bathroom and run back while eating no food and drinking no water. I like fasting for Jewish holidays (as I wrote about here). I find it enlightening and empowering and fascinating, even when I am working. I know that Judaism would not want me suffering for the purpose of this fast and that if I was feeling sick or faint, there are things I could do to not be sick or faint. But I also have enough experience fasting that I know the signs of sickness associated with fasting and I can manage them well. I have learned to conserve energy as much as possible when I fast even when I have to work, and it went pretty well.
Here’s me checking my make-up during one of my breaks from the press tour.
Here’s me in the bathroom on one of my breaks. I don’t know why I like bathroom selfies, I just do.
Here’s me with some of the HerWorld girls.
I filmed an appearance on the Katie Couric show which will air in April and it was incredible. I have loved her for so many years and really respect her journalism and her intensity. We sort of had a love fest. She offered to be my “wingman” if I want to start dating and need her support. I think showing up for a date with Katie Couric by my side is an amazing image for so many reasons. Anyway, here’s me before I went on. Yes, it’s another bathroom selfie.
And finally, here’s me with my favorite Yeshiva University Maccabeat. Yeah, I became friends with my favorite Maccabeat. He’s not a Maccabeat anymore but he works for AlephBeta.org, the Jewish learning organization I keep raving about. He’s a very dear friend of mine and he said he doesn’t mind me posting a picture of us in his office. And yes: I’m still totally freaked out that he was my favorite Maccabeat and now we are friends. It’s still totally exciting.
Finally, here’s me really really cold in Central Park.
It was a great trip start to finish. I ate some wicked good vegan food at Cafe Blossom and Candle 79 as well as kosher vegan Chinese BBQ pork that seriously tasted so much like BBQ pork that I wanted to eat it always every single day it was that tasty.
I walked a lot and I honestly truly enjoyed the chilly bitter cold because I come from sunny California. And change is good. Even though Purim was not what I expected, it was still a beautiful Adar full of change I can learn to handle.
So far, it’s been a beautiful if complicated month that has me excited for Passover and whatever change and complications it brings.
Onward. Always onward.
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