IF07: More Snow + More

Two things I forgot to mention yesterday.

1. More snow has been falling. We got another two to five inches a few days ago and after plowing, melting, and refreezing our main road is now mostly covered with ice. Requires walking with a vertical consciousness so I don't slip and fall.

2. I had my Neshamah internship interview with Kvod on Friday afternoon. He was quite impressed with my application and my wide range of professional experience and skills detailed on my résumé. We chatted for about 20 minutes, during which I mostly answered Kvod's questions by repeating thoughts I'd presented in my application. Before I asked a few more questions, Kvod happily offered me a place in the community this summer. In short time I was on my way, so he could get to his next call.

IF07: Housekeeping Galore + Special Project #1

Monday afternoon through Thursday morning this past week were filled with housekeeping duties, from sweeping and taking out solid waste to sweeping and mopping, to sweeping, mopping, and bathroom cleaning. There might even have been some more sweeping and mopping. But of course I did it efficiently as ever and had time to offer other activities, like scraping tape off bathroom walls in Scheuer (left over, I think, from the last time the ceilings were painted, perhaps 10 years ago).

Also, since Wednesday afternoon, I've been consulting with Ben (bookstore manager) about new software. He's been suffering without easy ability to receive new products and document sales in what has become primarily a consignment store than a traditional retail gift shop. I found one point of sale application, Checkout, that seemed a good fit, particularly its simplicity and ease of use. However, I've determined it's a bit too simple and doesn't yet have the range of capabilities the store needs or soon will. In particular, as a relatively new package, it doesn't have a Web store module, which will soon be a necessity.

So, yesterday, I stumbled across another application, also developed exclusively for Mac OS X: Xsilva LightSpeed. A new version 2 is due out later this month—what's left of it—and it's far more complete and configurable for different kinds of businesses. It's also more in the price range Freedman was expecting to pay. However, it will require a much faster computer than the bookstore currently has, so I've recommended the purchase of a new (refurbished) iMac, along with the other sales accessories the counter will need—barcode scanner, cash drawer, receipt printer—all compatible with each other and the software.

Ben and I will be forming our timeline tomorrow, which is fast paced as Adam has now unauthorized him from ordering any new items until the new software is in place. I plan to contact Xsilva on Monday to ask more questions about our needs and calling some of its users and find out about their experiences so far. Hopefully by Tuesday afternoon, Ben and I will be pitching the package to Adam and Ari who will make a decision by close of business Wednesday. Then, we can proceed with ordering and I'll be setting everything up within a week, starting to learn how it all works together, and training Ben. Welcome to Super Ben's first special project of 2007!

Also, I received in the mail this week three books I'd ordered, which will provide a basis of content for my sabbatical learning process. I had found Jill Hammer's new Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons and decided it would be a great beginning. I also had at home Dave Smith's (of Smith & Hawken) To Be of Use: The Seven Seeds of Meaningful Work. Beyond these, I also purchased The Better World Handbook: From Good Intentions to Everyday Actions and The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, by E. O. Wilson. I just discovered, though, that this edition of The Better World Handbook is six years old and somewhat out of date, so I might return it in exchange for the brand new edition, subtitled, Small Changes That Make a Big Difference. Finally, I had bought Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century when it came out during the fall, and that too is on my shelf as a prime resource this year.

So, since Ben's first name is already taking that isabellafreedman.org address, I will soon have a new email alias, as recommended by Adam: superben@…. And Adam has officially informed the staff that I am the go-to guy for any computer issues, before calling Yosh.

Finally, more people are discovering the full range of my skills and my ability to integrate and bring productivity and effective action to different parts of the community, and they seem to agree that hiring me full time with a fuller, contract-free salary would be a worthy investment for Freedman. Time will tell as the year pushes on.

IF07: First Shabbat; or, when 2 + 3 ≠ 5

Yesterday morning after breakfast, I joined Naf in the greenhouse to check out the current operation and learn how to water some of the plants this weekend while he's away. He's having so much fun creating effective systems and I'm so looking forward to working together with him this year, seeing how similarly we think. He showed me some of his new simple technologies, too, which brough smiles to my face. One of the most immediate projects in there has us cleansing, bleaching, and purifying the whole inside space to eliminate bacteria and spores that have contaminated it, since one side has been filled with dirty grease containers for biodiesel production for the diesel furnace.

The rest of the day, flanking lunch prep and cleanup, Al and I put up tarps around the hot tub which would be used for the Mikvah (pre-Shabbat cleansing ritual) if anyone was actually polar bear enough to go in and be willing to come out in the cold, windy weather of the day. (I don't think most retreaters realized that these facilities aren't indoors ... until we told them and they said, "Oh, well, we're definitely not doing that.") And we moved furniture removed from Cedar down to Kaufman for winter storage.

There would have been more work together for us, but some folks showed up to lunch really late so cleanup seemed to go on for hours. However, I did have one good opportunity to receive kind feedback from Al about how wide my skill set is and how Adam shouldn't have to struggle to find a long term, salaried position for me here. I was also talking to Rose and Jenna about the prospect and have received no shortage of smiles and hugs and expressions of people's love because I've come home.

I'd been looking forward to this Shabbat for some time, curious about how DLTI participants' Kabbalat Shabbat service would be. It was fun because there was no shortage of singing together, which is what pleases me most in Jewish circles, and because the DLTI educators (whom I know my Jewish Renewal affiliation of old) all sat in the back to observe. The DLTI schedule is quite repetitive, though. It's almost entirely either eating or praying. Well, as Shir-Ya'akov pointed out at dinner tonight about the latter: "That's what the 'D' is for!"

Hey, the food's been great all weekend, too, and Shir made us a deliciously green smoothie after yoga this morning. Yep, I haven't found out yet where they found him, but Elat Chayyim has had the pleasure of Jonas offering Shabbat yoga sessions exclusively for staff. I haven't been on a yoga mat since sometime in the fall (I think), if not longer. So, it was great to be back to stretching and flexing. Jonas teaches Ashtonga Yoga, which is a breathing coordination practices with lots of postures but only two movements—inhaling and exhaling—with which all of the positions flow. Already, Jonas has observed (with my confirmation) that I tend to balance better vertically on my right side and am more flexible on my left, and he has ideas of how to address these imbalances and help me improve.

After lunch, I spent at least an hour finishing my unpacking and the reorganization of my room. It's now both habitable and presentable. I have my bed in the nook in the corner, where last year there was an ugly ceiling leak from the roof that Tony finally fixed before the end of the season. I've set up a long dresser as a desk with all my gadgets, and filled with non-hanging clothes and electronic accessories among six drawers.

My books are on the bookshelf with my bookend dividers, there's a nice new nightstand at the foot of my bed, which I formed with a box spring and two mattresses, and my hangables are in one closet and my Israeli flag hung at the head of my bed. I put the second box spring and mattress on the wall between the long dresser and the sink; it'll serve as a couch, facing the window, or a guest bed, or a place to watch movies with friends. And with this layout, there's a huge open floor space in the middle.

I need to be up for breakfast setup at 7:30 tomorrow morning and I want to shower first, so I'm off to bed now (or soon).

IF07: Day 1

Only 24 hours ago, I arrived home—at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, where I've decided (and arranged, with compensation) to spend 2007. In part as a sabbatical for myself to enhance my career, develop my spiritual practice, and improve the way I interact with others; in part for the benefit of every individual on this property who will appreciate my assistance—this is going to be quite a year, to say the least.

Today, I spent much of the day shoveling snow. About a foot of snow fell here in the last couple days and there were still a few walkways to be cleared. I began with the steps and ramp in front of the old yurt (there's a new one now, with a fancy new heating system that's hugely more effective than the old one). Later, I removed ice from the doorways of Brown House and Hillside, allowing each door to close properly and not waste so much heat. This afternoon, I shoveled the walkway down to Hillside, appeasing Tamuz, who lives down there (apartment under Adam's house).

The worst part of the shoveling was when, five minutes into it this morning, my fingertips were freezing and numb. The best part was how 15 minutes later, the blood was flowing and my fingers had gotten used to the cold and were feeling happy again.

I also took the initiative to visit Rose and retrieve (and fill out and return) the forms I needed to file so I can get paid. I'm also signing onto Freedman's health plan. Though it's a poorer plan than I have now, it'll save me $40 a month; I'll be paying 60% of the premium, or about $100. CareFirst has no problem putting my account on hold when I don't need it for a time and allowing me to pick up where I left off when I'm ready.

The trip up yesterday was exciting enough given the challenge of leaving when D.C. was facing so much snow and ice on the roads. But apparently we picked a perfect window—after most roads had been plowed and sanded but before the cold returned and froze the melting back in place. Mom dropped me off about 2 pm in Columbia, where I met Judy, one of this weekend's retreaters (Davvenen Leadership Training Institute). With a couple brief stops, we made great time and suffered little on the roads in between. We made it in under eight hours. Up here, the weather was not nearly as bad as forecast, and the town plows had apparently come through less than two hours before we arrived, so we really timed ourselves well.

Being back among my friends has been so wonderful. They appreciate my presence as much as I theirs. Annie and I watched House together tonight, Naf loves that we think alike (common sense, mostly) and foresees that I will become an even greater resource to the community, and everyone else is simply thrilled that Super Ben is back! Naf has also predicted that I will be the source of some crazy projects that will rival Clarkson's engineering genius in a different context. He also envisions a time when Shamu will be sending Adamah-niks to "go see Super Ben," imaginably for solutions to there process challenges and the like.

Well, I look forward to all of it. Tonight I closed up the pasture since Aitan left for the weekend and Ben had to make a train station run. And tomorrow morning, Naf will show the watering story in the greenhouse, which I will be taking care of while he's in New York this weekend. Really, the only person I haven't seen yet is Adam, who as I commented earlier to Ben is doing "who know's what … not here." I suppose he's working in the New York office this week. I wonder if he'll be back for Shabbat. We'll see.

Tomorrow, I plan to voluntarily do more shoveling. I want to make a path to the side door of Brown House closest to my room, and also somewhere else I mentioned this evening. I'll have to ask Jenna if she remembers where I was planning.

Also, when I arrived last night I started the new arrangement of my room, beginning by putting my bed in the nook between the closets and the windows. There's just enough room to leave between bed and window for the heating vent to peak through and keep the room warm. Also moved a dresser but haven't filled it with clothes and stuff yet. Might do that tonight. It's a work in progress at the moment and I'm happy to have a spatial challenge in the background, though I think I want to bring it to some completion before Shabbat. So, probably sometime in the next 18 hours, I'll have moved another dresser, bed, and bookshelf to create a couch space and more organization. Also have to move some bed framing downstairs so I can use my closets.

As I told Mom in the car yesterday, if I don't start journaling at the beginning, I'm more likely to continue doing so, lest I miss anything. So, desirably, this entry is proving my commitment to not having spent the last 45 minutes watching an episode of TV (I have several to catch up), and I'll continue these nightly entries as much as I can, so I keep all of us up to date and, as I said, so I don't miss any (un)important details. Because you know how much I love details.

Sweet dreams.