Fifth Day of Hanukkah!

Mood:

Wow, it's the fifth day already! It's going by fast!Went to the Hanukkah party last Saturday afternoon. It was nice to see people, and get to know the hostess a bit more. We chatted for a bit while eating some of the appetizers. Most of which I didn't care for.The 'blintzes' she made didn't look or taste like them. More like a noodle kugel, which I hate. There was a cheddar that had chocolate mixed in. Thought it'd be amazing, but turned out not to be a good combo. Basically the only thing I liked of the appetizers were these toast things with a bit of garlic and salt. 

After chatting, we had an early dinner. There were a lot of latkes (also spelled as 'latkahs', they're potato pancakes), sandwich rolls, turkey, brisket, homemade applesauce (to go with the latkes), sour cream (also some prefer this on their latkes, I think it's nasty), homemade coleslaw, and something else. For dessert, we had homemade rugelach, and some homemade biscotti. (The biscotti were huge!) She made a lot of the desserts, and wanted us to take a lot of it home. So, now we have a nice big bag full of desserts.

After dinner, they decided to play a game of Apples to Apples. I wasn't very interested, and ended up falling asleep on the couch next to where they were playing it. All the guys, except for the only teen that came weren't interested in it either. I tried talking to them, but it was like walking into a men's club meeting or something. So, kind of awkward. Again, another reason to fall asleep.

Also, went to another Hanukkah party Tuesday night. I was very disappointed. It was cool that the LGBTQ Jewish organizations were celebrating that R-74 passed. The speakers were interesting too. But, it wasn't really planned out. Everyone just wanted to stand around downstairs. Where there's not many places to sit. There was only one other guy who eventually sat upstairs close to us. It was pretty empty up there. Not many latkes either. Thought it'd be very interesting. They did light the candles, and each speaker said a blessing of some sort for everyone. I liked that.

Before we went to this party, we got some jelly filled donuts at a cafe. That's one of the big things to have during Hanukkah. It's much bigger in Israel, but it's quickly becoming very popular here in the states as well. It was a huge donut! I'm surprised I could eat it all. But, I didn't have that many latkes, and they were snack-sized. So, I grabbed a burrito at the market after we got home, to feel more 'balanced'. 

Tonight, there's a Current Jewish Issues Forum Hanukkah concert. But, just before that is my dad's school psychologists' holiday party (which they also invited family members). It's going to be at a pasta/pizza place. The concert won't have food, other than a few snacks at the end. But, it's closer to home, and I wouldn't have to go all the way out to Seattle. Hmmm...They both have the same pros and cons for me. I'm also debating whether I should just stay home or not...I have plenty of awesome things to eat here, and we can light the candles. I don't know. (Looking more and more like I'll stay home.)

I've been feeling sick for the last week. I think I talked a little about how it started on my last post. Was feeling a lot better a couple of days ago, and thought it'd be gone by now.I might be making it worse by worrying about things, and taking things a little too seriously. But, kind of hard not too when you're sick. I can tell, and may even laugh a little, when I'm not sick. But, it turns into something weird when I hear the same thing while I'm sick. I guess my mind messes with me or something. Anyways, it might be why this cold or whatever it is, is sticking around for so long. I just need to focus on getting better, and not worry about other things. Easier said than done... Also, having a really scary dream that shakes me up during the entire next day, might have a little to do with it too. (Feeling a lot better again today. So, maybe it's on its way out.)

I felt so bad yesterday, that people could actually hear it in my voice at the cafe I go to every Wednesday. It was weird. I actually didn't have Nyquil for a few days, but for some reason yesterday was so bad I had to take it again. I thought I was done with the stuff!At the cafe this time, I got a cherry hot chocolate. Turned out really tasty! That helped me feel a little better. 

Read some of the December issue of You Maga while I was there. Tried out their crossword puzzle and Sudoku section. I actually got some of the answers to the crossword puzzle correct. I don't do Sudoku that often, but managed to fill it out correctly, without looking at the answer. I always forget that I like to figure those out. Also, drew a bit. It was from a scene in my story. That was interesting. Also, drew a bit more of what Akanoesco's sign might look like, and some of their food and drinks. Transcribed an Irish tune, as well. 

At home a few days ago, we tried some frozen latkes from Trader Joe's. They actually were pretty good. Thought just having those wasn't a very balanced meal. So, I roughly chopped up the rest of the roast chicken we had a couple of weeks ago, and poured tomato/red bell pepper soup over it. That turned out pretty good too! It added some more protein and vegetables to the dinner. Also, had some applesauce, of course, with the latkes. So, a little bit of fruit too. 

Dad and I are thinking of going to the movie theater for our Hanukkah presents soon. We might see the same movie at the same time, but most likely different movies at the same time. Not really sure. Although, a lot of the movies we want to see overlap on both our lists. So, we'll see. Sounds like an interesting idea, and nice presents for it. Some of the ones I'd like to see are Lincoln, Cloud Atlas, Skyfall, Hitchcock, Looper, and the Hobbit. 

I've also decided to exercise more. I'm doing 10 sit-ups when I wake up, and 10 just before I go to bed. I was hoping to do a very long walk. Longer than what my 'long walks' used to be. But, managed to only do maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of it on Monday. It ended up being about a 25 minute walk. So much better than my 'usual'. Which used to be 10 minutes.

Last night I watched Arranged. It's a very interesting and funny movie. It's about an Orthodox Jewish woman who befriends a devout Muslim, and how others viewed them. Also, about how much they share in common. One of those things was arranged marriage. They do it slightly different, but there's still a lot of similarities. It was kind of weird how the principal, of the school they both work at, looked down on them so much. That they should become more 'modern', that they're being 'oppressed' by their fathers, etc. She had so many preconceptions that were so wrong. They chose to be religious, and they can be as 'modern' as they want like every other person. I like how Rochel (the Orthodox Jew) stood up to her. She did it so well, the principal became very flustered. When Rochel brought Nasira (the Muslim woman) to her home so they could prep for their class, the community around her weren't sure what to make of it. They thought something was wrong with Rochel, and that it would affect her marriage 'prospects'. Nasira's family was a bit more open to Rochel when she visited to prep some more. Although, there was some awkwardness. Ended up that Nasira helped Rochel find her soon-to-be husband. They stayed close even after their own weddings. I really liked this movie! It depicted them both as people, and in a positive light. Very nice to see. It was an independent film, and won many awards internationally. The film is partly based on the story of Yuta Silverman, an Orthodox Jewish woman from Brooklyn, and her friendship with a Muslim woman. 

Also, watched a very sad, yet touching Japanese movie called Quill. About the life of a guide dog named Quill. (He had a very distinctive mark on his belly, some thought it looked like a bird, and some a quill. So, they called him Quill or Qoo/Kyuu for short.) Had some hilarious moments at the beginning. But, once his owner gets very sick, it gets depressing. I actually cried towards the end. Hard for movies to do that to me. It was very well acted, and the dog they used did a pretty good job. (Probably had to use a few dogs to mark age groups, so all of them were good.) This was based on a true story. 

deviantART faves: Shield Menorah I did not make these! First, is an amazing pic of a Star of David (Magen David) with bubbles around it. The Magen David really means the Shield of David. Second, a pic of an interesting menorah. 

Youtube:
A Hanukkah-themed vid. The song's a parody mashup of Some Nights by Fun, Die Young by Ke$sha, and Live While We're Young by One Direction: