Weekend of Amazement

I went home to Hell's Kitchen this past weekend, and I can't say enough about it. The entire weekend was truly amazing. I don't mean, simply, that it was a fun weekend, although it was that. Nor was it merely a diversion from life in Myrtle Beach, however much that was needed. It was a truly amazing weekend.
Firstly, the reason for my trip, a Shabbat dinner with Rabbi Steven Greenberg, was almost everything that I'd hoped for. He's a truly gifted speaker, and for those of you who haven't read his book Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition, his subject matter is interesting for Straights, Gays, Goys, and Jews. Click on the title to today's blog for a link to buy the book at Amazon. It's 30% off. The dinner was great. The BJ melodies really made me feel at home. Rabbi Greenberg wants me to write out my story, so I'll be joining in the tradition of leaving the world a better place than I found it. I wish that I'd had more time to chat with him. That's the "almost everything" that I'd hoped for, but there were many people and I'd have felt bad monopolizing his time.
I had lunch and hours of conversation with a beautiful, and what's more, interesting, intelligent, and funny man. To top it all off, he has an accent! What more could I ask for? His name's Jeremy, and alas...he lives in NY. Of course, I'll only live a few hours away when I move to Boston. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
An Israeli film, Planet Blue, amazed my friend Katya and I, not by it's quality, but by the fact that it had sell-out crowds for 6 years. While not a horrible movie, I can't imagine it having one weekend of sell-outs, let alone 6 years. It's gotta be a drug thing. I just don't get it.
I attended Afterbirth:Kathy & Mo's Greatest Hits. If you're going to be in NY before July 11, go to http://www.secondstagetheatre.com/after.html and buy tickets NOW. They're both incredibly talented actors and writers. I literally cried laughing. Multiple times.
Speaking of crying, two films which I saw in NY made me cry. Saved made me cry laughing. I howled for most of the film. It was also touching. I expected quality acting from Jena Malone and Mary-Louise Parker, but Mandy Moore and Macaulay Culkin suprised me. The Notebook I had to see. Ryan Gosling is so beautiful that I'd watch a film of him reading the phonebook. It was definately worth my time. If you have any interest in "Chic Flicks," then go and see this movie. I've never been in a theater with that many running noses before. It was also a hoot to exit the theater to ushers with stacks of napkins in their hands for the patrons.

Grumblings 6/22/04

Of course, as I get closer to my trip, I get more anxious. When this happens, many of the things that normally bother me no longer seem important. They become transitory. Of course, some things still do. Probably the best "sparring partner" for hashing out gripes that I've found is my ex-roommate Rayna. When we're chatting, it sounds to outsiders like we're attacking one another, but we're really just having a good time. Most of the time. Occasionally, someone slips, or one of us is overly sensative, and that's where the trouble begins.
Tonight, after work, we ate at a bar. We split the bill, and disagreed over the tip. Our totals were close, her's around $16.50, and mine about $20.50. Basically, I was leaving the girl 19.5% of my part of the bill. Rayna was leaving almost double that. She expecte me to as well. Rayna was upset that our checks were together. I was "riding on the coattails of her tip." I was charging the bill, so I gave her some of the cash back and told her to tell the waitress that I "was a cheap bastard," and to give it to her as specifically from her.
I consider the service mediocre at best. 15% was sufficient for me. There was no way that I was leaving %40 for bad service. I'm a server, and I wouldn't do that. It's true that those in the service industry often overtip. A friend who's a bartender (and P.H.D. candidate in African Studies, so you can believe she's a smart cookie!) has a policy of always asking the server to add 20% to the bill. She says it actually saves money.
It's all behind me now anyway, so "No worries!" I'm NY bound in 2 days!

S.A.M.E.

If you're straight, click on the title above. Join the organization. If you don't support the right of same sex couples to marry you shouldn't be reading my site anyway. Sure, you're entitled to your own opinion in a free society, but if you think me undeserving of marriage, I can think you undeserving of civility....So get the *#@ out of here!
The link leads to the Straight Alliance for Marriage Equality. I LOVE these folks...standing up for what they believe is right with little immediate benefit for themselves. Immediate is in italics because there are benefits to the entire world of legal Gay Marriage. Unfortunately, these are not easily identifiable to everyone.
I've been moving up the date of my move to Boston. I'm actually looking at mid-July, which is when I was originally going to do the move. It may be fate!

Shabbat Shalom 6/18/04

I got my shifts covered for next week, and my flight booked!!! I go to NY Thursday the 24, and return Monday the 28. That's Pride weekend, for those of you what don't know! I've got my ticket for Rabbi Greenberg's appearance at BJ (I bought it just in case I could go. I figured that if I didn't make it, it was a nice donation to BJ). It's going to be a great trip!


Much love to you all, and peace on the Sabbath!

Bobby G

Mission Accomplished

I've conducted my first Torah study as a Jew. I taught/questioned/moderated the Korach portion tonight. It was a blast! I feel sorry for anyone who isn't a Jew. We have the life! LOL. Now I'm working on getting to NY next weekend to meet Rabbi Greenberg. If you're at all interested in his book, follow the link above to Amazon, where you can buy the book with 30% off. I Strongly reccommend it.

Much Love,

Bobby G

Korach's Rebellion

Follow the link in the title above to a fantastic D'var Torah on Korach. This really resonates with me, as I'm discovering just how much and how fast the world can, and should, be changed.
In addition, I just discovered that Rabbi Steven Greenberg will be speaking at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun next Friday. If I can get my shifts at work covered, I'm going!

Typical me...dancing, excited, sweaty... 

Into the Blogasphere!

I've joined the Blogverse!! And those of you who know me were wondering how such an opinionated man could wait so long for the perfect venue for my rantings. Of course, now I have to figure exactly how much of my space will be used keeping you all updated with events in my life and how much goes to attacking George W. For now, let's reiterate that I'm at war with the man, and leave it at that.
Over the last weekend, I've been busy. I attended a friend's birthday party, which turned out to be a hoot. The high point of her gifts was a sign which read "Gas, Grass, or Ass: No One Rides For Free!" I gave her The Corr's "Forgiven, Not Forgotten." She's close to a ringer for Caroline Corr (and alas, for you straight guys, not single).
I'm still in the process of quitting smoking, which really colored my weekend. Using my mutant ablility to enter into far-fetched situations (Ta'veren?), I managed to get the gummy part of a nicotine patch into my left eye on Friday. Flooding the poison out with visine managed to compound the chemical burn. My eye swelled enormously, as my friend Greg introduced me to Matt,a cute Marine Biology student, who has yet to call me. We did talk for about an hour, so there's something. Of course, I was pulling puss out of my eye the entire time. Monday led to a doctor's visit, 2 days out of work, and a prescription for antibiotic, steroid eyedrops, but I'm feeling much better.
In the works: The move to Boston...When?

A bit more edgy a look.... 

That's me, on a typical day, in the HRC gear.