To Save the Planet

Blog Location Switch

2008-01-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

As noted a possibility in my previous entry, I've decided to change to iWeb and .Mac for my blogging, which I've restarted as a photo journal of the Seasons of Lake Miriam and also an opportunity to share personal news. You can find To Save the Planet here, accompanying the photo journal and possibly more to come.

I'm sending an email in this regard to some folks. Please help spread the word of my move.

Thanks for reading!

- Ben
Alive (and Kicking) to Save the Planet

Kitchen Recognition + Photo Journal Preview

2008-01-01T21:08:00.001-05:00

I suppose if I'm going to do a photo journal, writing about it might be a good idea. But first, a word of unrelated news. At the beginning of his fundraising spiel Saturday night, Ari told a story about Isabella Freedman's team-based work philosophy that appeared in the kitchen last week:

"We have a number of non-Jewish staff and we decided to give them time off for Christmas so they could celebrate with their families. Our executive chef is one of those people. Also, last weekend, our sous chef's grandmother passed away and she was headed home, too. After I received this news, before I even made it over to the kitchen to find a solution, one had already been formed. And so, the potwasher, the dishwasher [me], a dining hall intern, and your yoga teacher/retreat manager were your chefs this week. And Adam (potwasher) was up until 5 am Thursday night baking challah for Shabbat."

Adam, Jonas, and I were in attendance and received great applause. Adam truly didn't leave the kitchen until 5 am Friday, after a 19 hour shift. Ahron and I happened over to the kitchen Thursday even in search of snacks and found Adam in a bind, not having touched the pots and pans from dinner but still over 100 challah rolls short. He'd only just found out earlier that day that the silent retreat needed two challah rolls for each retreatant to make an individual motzi, and by 11 pm there were 140 out of an ordered 260. So, we volunteered to help make dough for the rest. And the tablespoon extra yeast I added (compromising between a written recipe and the math I thought it got wrong) turned into a monstrous amount of dough and brought the total production to 366 rolls.

Anyway, Celena, our executive chef since Pesach, left us on Thursday and now in charge are Jen (previously sous chef), Merav (previously dining hall intern), and Adam (still potwasher extraordinaire), with me popping in occasionally when I'm not washing dishes, taking out the garbage, organizing cookware, or testing a new green cleaning product. The kitchen has turned away from a one-person-barking-orders led department to a flatter, team-based organization with vastly improving operations. Oh, and Julie's back as baker again and we're all joyed at that!

• • •

Two months ago, I took ownership on my first digital camera, at the same time completely changing my perspective on photography, especially of people. I'm still not fond of staged/posed people photos, but most of the pictures I'm taking are still scenery and people in various types of motion. I got a really good deal on a Nikon Coolpix P5100, Nikon's current top-of-the-line point-and-shoot camera, one I expect will last me many years. Some features I'll use right away; others will take me time to read and learn about.

Together with the latest version of iPhoto that came out over the summer, I'm revolutionizing the way I share my life with you. iPhoto is now event-based, meaning it follows the natural tendency to take a bunch of photos of a particular event and separates them from photos of other events. I've submitted a couple dozen of my photos so far to Isabella Freedman for potential inclusion in the 2008 program catalog.

Now, I've decided to journal the changing seasons at Isabella Freedman with focus on Lake Miriam and the life on its banks. I only just sparked the idea a couple days ago, and was greeted by the beauty of falling snow this morning to begin the journal. I took a couple dozen photos of it today, though only a few scenes will officially be part of my daily journal.

I haven't decided if this will be my last post to Blogspot, as I might switch to using my .Mac account. I might stick to writing in MacJournal or I might switch to iWeb. I'll let you know, but in the meantime, you can view Seasons of Lake Miriam 2008.

Environmental Energizer: New Director Envisions DC as a Green Giant (DC North)

2007-11-03T15:44:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I missed out on this excitement, but by over a year. Maybe I'll have another opportunity in the future to consult for DDOE.

DC North, Capital Community News — DC Green
Environmental Energizer: New Director Envisions DC as a Green Giant
by Elizabeth McGowan

About every waking moment, each cell of George Hawkins’s entire being is dedicated to reinventing his newly adopted city as a model of environmental efficiency and innovation.

In fact, during the few hours he reserves for sleep, the 47-year-old probably even dreams in green.

And that’s just dandy with Adrian Fenty. The mayor has hired a cabinet full of visionary, engaged, energetic and e-savvy leaders who reflect his own up-at-5 a.m. rhythm and go-go-go ethic. And Hawkins, an Ivy Leaguer hired to head a nascent DC Department of Environment, is no exception.

“We’re just getting our sea legs,” Hawkins, donning a low-key green tie, says during an interview. “This is the most demanding of all the demanding jobs I’ve had. But that’s good. I’m anxious to be in a city that’s taking off.”

His fiscal year 2008 budget rings in at $65 million, and he’s still hiring to flesh out what will become a 295-employee strong workforce.

“That’s a lot of firepower,” the former Environmental Protection Agency employee continues, but in line with a department tasked with executing city, county and state initiatives because of the uniqueness of the nation’s capital.

His sixth-floor corner office is a mere stone’s throw from the New York Avenue Red Line Metro Station. From the window, he has a view of Dunbar High School and can trace much of the route he walks daily from his Shaw rowhouse on French Street to his headquarters in a run-of-the-mill red brick structure on a hardscrabble block of N Street NE.

Of course, he also eyeballs acres of flat roofs and asphalt parking lots. The former he eventually wants covered with power-generating solar arrays, and the latter should be mitigated so pollutants aren’t washing into waterways.
However, first things first. Before Hawkins’s arrival, the energy office – now absorbed into his department – was a clunky, hit-or-miss outfit known mainly for trying to offer energy savings to low-income residents. His priority is assembling a nimble, strategic, pro-active staff that is self-assured, well-informed and connected to all city departments – not functioning in isolation.

His monumental “to do” list is daunting but appealing to anybody with an advanced environmental agenda.

Here’s a taste: Cleaning up the forlorn Anacostia River; initiating low-impact stormwater runoff standards within the next six months; advancing a residential and commercial “green” building movement that promotes energy efficiency and encourages the planting of living roofs; removing lead from problem residences before children are poisoned; encouraging tree plantings; accelerating litter pickup; and stepping up energy audits so more residents are purchasing efficient appliances and weatherizing their homes.

Commerce that embraces eco-friendly principles, he emphasizes, can remain robust. That’s why he’s elated by Fenty’s September creation of a Green Collar Job Advisory Council. The idea is to coordinate an effort to train residents as the scientists, architects, horticulturists, landscapers, construction workers, river restorers, energy efficiency experts and lead paint abatement technicians to enable an impending boom in sustainable living.

“We want to reach out to people so they know who we are and why we matter to them,” Hawkins says about his autumn proposal to visit each ward with its respective DC Councilmember.

Hawkins is no naïve rookie, nor is he a stranger to DC. He’s aware that residents of many neighborhoods are suspicious of government’s motives.

“It’s hard going,” Hawkins says. “We have to overcome that. I want more citizens to see us more, and let them know we’re on their side.

“This is a city of such diversity. Housing and jobs included in this green infrastructure need to be set up so people who have lived here for years, with traditionally low incomes, can be part of it.”

Every job on the Ohio native’s resume has prepared him for this stimulating position. After graduating from Princeton University, then earning a law degree from Harvard University in the 1980s, he was an environmental attorney at a law firm with Boston and DC offices.

Hawkins later served at the EPA’s regional office in Boston before moving to DC at Vice President Al Gore’s behest to help streamline the entire agency. Before accepting Fenty’s offer, he spent nine years successively directing two New Jersey nonprofits – Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association and New Jersey Future – that collaborated with local governments to streamline zoning and environmental practices, and advocated for revitalizing communities by generating jobs, providing transportation and housing choices, and protecting natural landscapes. He pops back to the Princeton, NJ, region on as many weekends as possible to squeeze in time with his wife and two children.

Of all the ambitious municipal leaders Hawkins has encountered, he classifies Fenty as “off the charts” on the excellence he invokes. And he’s prepared to exceed the mayor’s expectations.

Soon, DC might be uttered in the same breath as environmental beacons such as Seattle, Berkeley, Calif., and Portland, Ore. Perhaps by then the city’s traditional red and white flag also will be sporting a green stripe to note that monumental leap.

“The environmental bar is moving up,” Hawkins says. “We want to be transparent and upfront. I’m very excited about it. It’s a dawn-to-dusk job, but it’s a worthy one.”

Best Leopard Features

2007-10-17T01:05:00.000-04:00

I've read through the entire list of 300+ new features in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, the new version of the Mac operating system that will arrive next Friday, and I've picked out my choices of the best among them that will be most useful to me. In their order of appearance on Apple's page (alphabetical by category/application):

        1.        Automator — UI Recording and Playback
                Add even more capabilities to your workflows. Use a new action called Watch Me Do that lets you record a user action (like pressing a button or controlling an application without built-in Automator support) and replay as an action in a workflow.
        2.        Dashboard — Web Clip
                Clip out any portion of a web page and turn it into a Dashboard widget. Just click the new Web Clip icon in Safari and select the portion of the page you want, then click Add to see your Dashboard spring to life with a brand-new widget. The widget is “live” and will update as its page of origin does. You can even customize your widget’s frame.
        3.        Desktop — Spring-Loaded Dock
                Items in the Dock are spring-loaded. Just drag a file, hover over any application in the Dock, and press the Space bar — the application opens instantly. For example, to add a picture to your iPhoto library, just drag the image file and hover over the iPhoto icon in the Dock. Press the Space bar, and once iPhoto opens, you can drag the image into your iPhoto library. If you drag a file and hover over a stack, pressing the Space bar opens a Finder window showing the contents of the stack.
        4.        DVD Player — Scratched Disc Recovery
                Smoothly play back even DVDs that may be damaged. New technology in Leopard can locate and avoid scratched areas of the disc.
        5.        Mail — To-Dos
                Create to-do items directly from email messages or notes in Mail. Simply highlight text in an email, then click the To Do button to create a to-do from a message.
        6.        Networking — Self-Tuning TCP
                Let Leopard adjust TCP buffer size automatically. Get optimum application performance, especially in high-bandwidth/high-latency environments.
        7.        Preview — PDF Manipulation
                Re-create your PDF as you like. Move individual pages around, or remove pages altogether. You can even combine PDFs with a simple drag and drop. [Eliminates need for Combine PDFs app.]
        8.        Printing — Printer Drivers via Software Update
                Make sure you always have the latest printer drivers. Download directly to your system using the familiar capabilities of Software Update.
        9.        Quick Look
                Look inside any document without launching an application. Use Quick Look with documents, images, songs, and movies and get a large-size preview of the file. Flip through multipage documents, preview movies, even add images to Photo. You can use Quick Look in Finder, Mail, and Time Machine.
        10.        Spaces
                Organize your activities into separate spaces and easily switch from one to another. Make a space for work or play. Choose from a number of convenient options that make moving from space to space fast and easy.
        11.        System — Live Partition Resizing in Disk Utility
                You may be able to gain disk space without losing data. If a volume is running out of space, simply delete the volume that comes after it on the disk and move the volume’s end point into the freed space.
        12.        System — Guest Log-in Accounts
                Allow anyone to surf the web and check email as a guest on your Mac. When they log out of the guest account, Mac OS X purges the account, removing any trace of their activity. So each time someone logs in as a guest, he or she gets a fresh, unused account.
        13.        System Preferences — Advanced Account Options
                Make changes to the user ID, login shell, and home directory for any account. Just hold down the Control key and click an account in the Accounts pane of System Preferences. [No longer a risky process requiring third-party Change Short Name utility.]
        14.        TextEdit — Autosave
                Ensure that your edits aren’t lost. Have TextEdit automatically save copies of your document at a specified time interval.
        15.        Time Machine — Back Up Everything
                Automatic backup, built right into your Mac. Never worry about losing a file again. Time Machine stores an up-to-date copy of all your Mac’s files on an external hard drive, personal file sharing volume, or Mac OS X Server. That includes system files, applications, accounts, preferences, music, photos, movies, and documents.
        16.        UNIX — Wide Area Bonjour
                Access your Macs, at home or on the road, with a single consistent host name. Use this host name whether you’re behind a NAT gateway or hopping across DHCP servers. [Eliminates need for DynDNS utility.]

Day Three with a Smile

2007-07-19T08:07:00.000-04:00

Spent my third morning at Avodat Lev with ADAMAH, followed by breakfast. Smiles all around. And oatmeal. Now I have to remember to bring another Dobie over for dishes; the previous one has been downgraded to a floor sponge.

Lynn offered a class this morning on nonviolence, "Kabbalah of the Margins," and a preview on Lamentations in preparation for Tisha b'Av, a day of fasting and mourning, which is early next week.

I spent far too many hours yesterday and today trying to update the firmware of Shir-Ya'akov's printer and failed to connect to it by FTP, per HP's instructions, by all possible methods. Then, I ended up turning to the simplest of instructions to do a direct file copy to the printer using shared network printing in Windows. I set up printer sharing and opened a DOS command window, entered the command, and it said it copied the one file. Without any feedback from the system, I soon discovered that the printer was busy updating itself with the file I offered. Who knew?!

Tonight, after a brief learning with Ellen Bernstein and checking out the awesome art show opening of the last two weeks of seniors' art projects, I headed to Beit Adamah to help prep ginger for tomorrow night's Japanese Shabbat meal. I'll be back after work tomorrow afternoon to help cook more.

Working Backward to Move Ahead

2007-07-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

This morning I went to Adamah House for Avodat Lev ("work of the heart"/morning practice) for the first time in my two years at Freedman. Today felt like a good day to be spontaneous, surprise a few souls, and remember how amazing sleep cycles can be. Yesterday, I assembled a standing shelving unit in the Bookstore. I spent most of the last two weeks in there, while Ben was away, and completed the receipt of our large, annual book order from Ingram. Saturday morning, Anna, Tali, Devorah, Jeanette, and I picked blueberries at Thompson & Finch, an organic berry farm about half an hour west of here. The low-bush blueberries on our mountain here at Freedman I expect will be ripe for picking in a couple weeks.

So, about a month ago, we members of the Neshamah internship program had expressed that our non-work programing seemed largely nonexistent. So, Rabbi Lynn Gottleib, who was already scheduled to be here for a couple retreats in August, agreed to show up right away to be our Rabbi, mentor, and program core for the rest of the summer. Lynn is one of a group of women who collectively were second in rabbinic ordination of women to a female rabbi in the first half of the 20th century. She's been a great friend so far, particularly because she and I share humor style. (Thanks Dad!)

Two families of Canada Geese were born about a month ago. I don't stop in my tracks very often to express how cute I find something. The baby geese were an exception when I spotted them from the dining hall balcony on the grass below. I've enjoyed watching them grow, and now seeing the two families interact together after segregating themselves for the first few weeks.

The summer Senior Adult Vacations program (senior camp) began three weeks ago. Not much to say about that. There have been joys with seniors being here and there have been frustrations with how this property sometimes doesn't seem properly equipped to provide a safe environment for them. Three more weeks before the second half of Elat Chayyim summer retreats arrives.

Dirty Tennis vs. Clean Fuel

2007-06-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

Work today was a lot of shoveling, raking, and sweeping. The subject: dirt. Topsoil, really. We were spreading it on the edge of the newly paved road atop which the sod guy will soon spray grass seed. Yes, I've gotten really good at shoveling over the months, as you may recall, but it got old today and quite tiring. Adam and I quit around 4:15, having gotten to a reasonable stopping point.

On my way home, I was approaching Seth (who's in silence this week) and he was expressing interest in playing tennis soon. At 5, we played tennis silently for over an hour until dinner. I found myself uncontrollably groaning a few times when I missed a shot, but mostly I kept the peace. Seth was amazing at sticking to the silent, contemplative, meditative game. We scored by hand with our fingers as much as we could keep track of the score and had a great time overall.

This evening, Shamu gave his seasonal talk about biodiesel to ADAMAH and invited Neshamah as well. Ruhi and I showed. I've heard it before, but it evolves each season; this year, Shamu and Jamie have a new car. They replaced their old VW that broke down one too many times with a 2002 VW wagon whose previous owner had converted it to run on grease. Being a newer vehicle upgraded with a better kit, the veggie oil monitoring system, fuel switch, and general internal setup are much cleaner and sexier. As per usual, I offered relevant feedback a few times during the discussion, including notes about electric vehicles and cellulosic ethanol.

Destruction! (for starters anyway)

2007-06-11T23:29:00.000-04:00

This morning, Eden, Anna, Bec, Adam, and I helped Jeff part of the roof of Elm. Apparently, guests have been complaining for months about the smells of mold in the shower room. Well, no wonder, the entire roof was rotting away under the shingles and rubber edging. It was quite gross. Tomorrow, Jeff plans to reshingle it.

After lunch, I sat at home and followed MacRumors' live coverage of Steve Jobs' keynote address at Apple's annual WorldWide Developers' Conference. Someone also made a live audio feed available, so in low quality, I also listened to the show, which was pretty cool. MacRumors continues to provide the best, auto-updating, live coverage of these keynotes.

Steve demoed some previously unseen new features of Leopard, the next version of Mac OS X (10.5) scheduled to be released in October, offered developers a taste of games to come "back to the Mac" from big name developers EA and Id, and released a beta version of Safari … for Windows! With the success of iTunes, particularly since its release for Windows, Apple thinks it can also grow its browser market share significantly, currently holding about 5%.

The rest of the afternoon was pretty quiet, with time spent watering the recently seeded new lawns. Finally, clouds were offering some shade for this, so I didn't feel as guilty as when 80% of the water was evaporating before it drained toward the grass roots. And I helped Tamuz backup her computer and walked her through a few frustrations-turned-smiles. This evening, I helped Annie put the goats to bed and, later, watched the second half of Hitch with Ruhi, having watched the first half a week or so ago.

Even in silence, the food continues to be excellent. Actually, most of the staff are sitting in a room designated for soft talking. As much as I can appreciate silence some of the time, I prefer eating in the company of people talking, even if I don't actually spend much time participating in their conversations.

IF07: Seeking Sharing Through Silence

2007-06-10T22:28:00.000-04:00

As Isabella Freedman enters the first of two weeks of silent meditation retreats this evening, I find myself with energy and focus enough to write about some of my recent experiences. In the seven weeks since I last wrote, an annual folk festival has taken place here; I moved into a different room in Brown House, which I shared for a month with Bryan, one of the most peaceful souls I've ever known; our dear rebbe, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, founder of the Jewish Havurah and Renewal movements, spent his first 10 days at Freedman (and he publicly announced his desire to be buried here); and I've transitioned from full time staff to participating in the Elat Chayyim summer internship program, Neshamah. And unhappily, I have gone two weeks in Neshamah without more than a peep to the outside world about my experiences so far.

The first week was hard, with a lot of sitting in learning spaces, not much open discussion nor movement, and not enough free time either. Topics during the week included cultivating sacred community and sharing stories of personal spiritual journeys. This was also the first week of the summer ADAMAH Jewish Environmental Fellowship, as well as the arrival of the first five of 11 summer international staff. So, in about 12 hours, the size of the residential staff skyrocketed from a quaint dozen of us to about 40.

The second week (just past) was much better for me, with more work hours—maintenance and Super Ben, as usual—balancing learning spaces. It was my first summer Elat Chayyim retreat since 1995, when I first and ever visited the old EC property in Accord, New York. I spent a few mornings in Rabbi David Cooper's class, which he graciously scheduled last minute after Rabbi David Zeller died a just few weeks ago. Most interesting to me were his thoughts on God in unity with Universe and all existence, and a reinterpretation of the first line of Genesis, which suggests that if one translates the words in order, God becomes the subject instead of the object of the sentence: "In beginning (with beginningness), it (a universal force/divine energy) created God, the heavens, and the Earth."

I'll keep my post brief for the moment and start logging my daily activities to keep you up to speed. Today, I helped assemble new BackJack chairs, unpacked new yoga blankets (which were far overpackaged for a bulk order, with individual plastic sleeves and fabric ties), and rode back and forth quite happily on our newly paved main road as we moved furniture and yoga/sitting equipment into the correct rooms for the week. The beautiful weather has made for lots of fun cycling. The summer will also be filled with Ultimate Frisbee, tennis, ping pong, billiards, and more! Oh, and since Chef Celena finally has enough help in the kitchen, meals have drastically improved, gotten really creative, and been especially delicious and well presented at every meal. Yay Kitchen!

IF07: April Reflections Bring May Cycles

2007-04-27T00:16:00.000-04:00

Finally Freedman is quiet for a moment and I have some time to reflect on recent weeks. Most importantly, I'm sure you're wondering how went the Ride this past weekend. It was fabulous. The weather was sunny and gorgeous, the route beautiful (go me!), and biking between them was great.

Highlights include spotting foam tubing on the side of the road, picking up banana peels to compost, hearing a mockingbird cycle through seven distinct bird calls in repeated sequence, trying to put fenders on my wheels only to find that I need to make some other improvements before they'll fit well enough, sharing the van ride down from New York City with Hazon last Thursday night and back up Sunday night, camping in the gazebo at Am Kolel Sanctuary Retreat Center, all vegan kosher catered food tiding us from Friday evening to Sunday morning, pointing out a rusty razor blade on the street and wondering why someone was busy shaving in the car and how bloody his face was trying to do so while driving, … not necessarily in that order.

Also story-detail-worthy, Sunday morning I ate breakfast as soon as it was available and then got pulled into ride prep work until it was time to go. At the last minute, I was still trying to find extra cue sheets for a couple riders, hoping to get my luggage in the van, and then Cheryl shooed me out. The important bit was that I didn't have enough to eat just before riding, so my blood sugar was low between the first rest stop and lunch. In experiencing this, I discovered that coughing and dry mouth, even while drinking plenty, are symptoms of low blood sugar for my body, and by the time I arrive at lunch, I was almost ready to take a nap. I wasn't feeling so sick, but I wanted quiet and a bit of rest. Eventually, laying on the grass in the sun, Mom offered me cranberry lemonade which, started to wake me up. I didn't end up eating much for lunch, but between the sweet Honest Tea beverages and the yummy cookies, Rabbi Fred Dobb reminded me that all my body needed was a little time to metabolize. And he was right. I was seriously considering SAGging to the next rest stop, but after about 15 minutes more, I was ready to get back on my bike and pedal on.

I rode 50 miles on Earth Day! completely from memory (without a cue sheet) and led the critical mass of 50 riders from Judiciary Square three blocks to Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. I'm satisfied with that accomplishment. Now, I'm looking forward to the New York Ride just four months away, featuring a new route, new midpoint accommodations, and more financial support to accept in between. Hazon is still accepting your contributions in my honor until July 1 for the DC Ride and until October 1 for the New York Ride, but please send them sooner than later so I can get my body into some of the cool incentives. I was really hoping to wear one of the DC Ride jerseys and I still can if I raise another $900 in the next two months. Can I find three $36 donations a week by then? Please help Hazon fund awesome Jewish environmental projects, like 10 CSAs and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, among many others, and continue to envision new ones, like the new Jew and the Carrot blog connecting the Jewish community to sustainable food production. Of course your support is always tax deductible. Thanks!

* * *

In other news…

About a month ago, before the Passover retreat began for 150 seniors, Freedman staff got together for an organizational development retreat. While we didn't actually go anywhere physically, we had opportunities throughout the day to connect with each other, learn about our joys and frustrations in working here, and propose ways to initiate change in our systems of doing business to improve the satisfaction of staff and also of guests. There were many successes and also some failures over the course of the day, but overall it was mostly a fun and productive use of my time. Next week, there's a followup meeting for residential staff to discuss some additional concerns with administrative staff to try to improve our living conditions and more.

Passover was a crazy but fun 10 days. There were so many people here, but somehow we managed to pull through, supported by a healthy set of interns and the occasional humor associated with senior citizens' thoughts and behaviors.

Since then, there have been Elat Chayyim's first retreats of the year, a weekend of actually two EC retreats and two IF retreats. And before the full-swing-ness of summer programs begins in a month, there will be two of perhaps EC's biggest retreats of the year. The latter is Shavuot, the barley harvest celebration also associated with receiving the Torah, which in our case is also Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's first visit to Freedman. Zalman is the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement and presently its spiritual director. I had my first opportunity to learn from him last May at the Heavenly Days Right Here on Earth retreat in Philadelphia. This year's excitement will also include the appearance of a number of old friends and fun times shared around.

Well, I'm still feeling a little unsettled since my return to Freedman Tuesday evening. I haven't cleaned up my room fully yet and doing so before Shabbat will set my mind at ease, I think. But other excitements can begin as I now have my bike with me and can start riding around the neighborhood alone or with company and enjoy this beautiful spring that has finally arrived after a weekend of post-winter summerage. Yay!

Okay. Time for bed. What's new with you?

Hazon 2007: Two Rides is Better Than One

2007-03-22T22:45:00.000-04:00

The following letter I wrote 3 March 2007 22:02:37, titled "IF+Hazon 2007: The Next Live+Work Steps for Super Ben." I continue my request for your support as I prepare for not one but two Jewish environmental bike rides with Hazon this year, one for which I am the route planner.

Moments ago (when written this afternoon), while reading To Be of Use: The Seven Seeds of Meaningful Work, a recent title by Dave Smith (cofounder of Smith & Hawken), I derived the inspiration to write this letter to you. I have been lax about sending news out to friends and family for a long time. Sometime last year, my hope was that my next message would be an announcement of my full-time employment in the DC Government, where I spent three years on contract, working on a variety of environmental programs. But that never happened. In the end, a week after I returned to Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center last fall, I was abruptly asked to stop working because DC no longer had a means to pay me. Well, the story is much longer, but that is in my past now and I'd rather tell you of the exciting moments in my life since.

After a second season working for the Teva Learning Center and Isabella Freedman, I returned to Takoma Park to housesit for Michael and Esther, close friends next door to my parents, for three weeks; I continued to live in their midst for another five. During those two months, I deeply missed the friendships I'd formed and the community that became part of me at Freedman, so I set out to make an agreement about work and compensation to continue my career there. Well, there is now here, and here is where I have decided to spend 2007.

Returning as the super hero who proved his variety of skills and ability to complete tasks effectively, quickly, and without hesitation during two seasons past, I have been also named Director of Special Projects. So you'll also discover on the staff list in Freedman's 2007 Program Catalog, which will be published soon. I will continue to support the core divisions (housekeeping, kitchen, maintenance, office), offer ongoing technical guidance, and monitor energy consumption on retreat center property—which saved 30% of energy costs in 2005 over the previous year, due to my Energy Man responsibilities. In addition, I will take on any number of other projects, as assigned by Adam Berman and Ari Weller (Freedman directors).

Special Project #1 has involved the Bookstore, a second generation to the gift shop at Elat Chayyim, the Jewish Renewal retreat center that merged with Freedman last fall, becoming the Elat Chayyim Center for Jewish Spirituality. Bookstore manager Ben Appelle (ADAMAH fellow, fall 2006) and I researched half a dozen point-of-sale software packages and found one with enough features and a usable visual interface that we determined would best suit Freedman's needs of accounting, sales reporting, and general store management. We'll be setting up the store with new electronics and a working software application this week. And so begins again Super Ben's contributions to Isabella Freedman, a community that has become dear to my mind, body, and spirit.

In addition to all this, I will be participating in Elat Chayyim's summer Neshamah internship program, a Jewish Renewal learning seminar and service opportunity. And overall, I have defined 2007 as a sabbatical year for my career, during which I will be reading such books as To Be of Use and Jill Hammer's new The Jewish Book of Days, discovering new connections between environment, faith, and the paths I wish to follow in life.

You can read more about my adventures this year on my blog, To Save the Planet. [Oh, wait, that's what you're doing now, isn't it? Funny thing.]

As you probably know, bicycling has become a vital component of my local transportation. Back in the D.C. area last year, I started commuting to work daily and getting most places in the District by bicycle, spending far less time using public transit. During summer 2005, I upgraded my bicycle to Xtracycle so I could safely transport my office to work. Another repercussion was my new ability to buy a full load of groceries and prevent my consumption from being so limited anymore. And in 2003, I started participating in Hazon's New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride, a two-day 120+ mile ride ending in Manhattan. (The 2004 Ride introduced me to Isabella Freedman and the Teva Learning Center.)

Well, just a few months ago, discussions began about having a similar ride in the D.C. area, and after many weeks of planning since then, I'm thrilled to inform you that I will be riding with Hazon not once but twice this year!, because the first DC Jewish Environmental Bike Ride will take place on Earth Day, Sunday, April 22. And you are now hearing from the route planner!

This one-day, 54-mile ride will wind its way from Am Kolel Sanctuary & Renewal Center and quiet country roads of western Montgomery County, Maryland, to urban bike routes of the District of Columbia. It will include paths following the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers and their confluence at Hains Point, and an approach to the U.S. Capitol before ending at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.

Even though we Ride planners have such crucial roles, we are still riding, and we also need to fundraise. So, in the next seven weeks, I need to raise $800. And four months beyond that, I need to be up to $1800 for the 2007 New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride, which will feature an entirely new route this year, between Freedman and Manhattan. Shouldn't be hard, though, with someone special like you in my life.

Half of your donation will support Jewish environmental projects in the D.C. area. The rest will go to Hazon, based in New York City, to fund other domestic and Israeli programs and help Hazon on its way as a visioning Jewish environmental nonprofit foundation. Every day, my work is bringing meaningful change to people as part of our environment, and guiding them toward new change for others yet. Because of this ongoing opportunity, and the community that surrounds it, I am happy.

Only 22 donations of $36 will bring me over $800; I need 50 to meet $1800. Will you be one of the first 22? Will you give more so others feel justified in whatever amount they can afford? Choose one of the amounts offered on my donation page or enter your own. Just know that however much you give will be a worthwhile investment in your own future. (Of course it is a tax-deductible contribution, too).

Smiles & Thanks to you for your support and love! (Chag Sameach to those in drunken celebration.)

- Super Ben
Alive (and Kicking) to Save the Planet

IF07: Snow Patrol

2007-03-22T22:07:00.000-04:00

Like the rest of the East Coast, we've been experiencing unusual weather conditions, alternating between blizardous snows and warmth in the 50s and 60s. Last Friday afternoon I was out shoveling snow, trying to ready the property for 100+ women arriving from B'nai Jeshurun in NYC, and I could hardly tell where I had shoveled only an hour or two before. And I was out again Saturday morning, clearing paths for them to get to breakfast. The temperature was in the 20s. Skip ahead to this afternoon, though, and I was again shoveling snow but in short sleeves. In the sun, the air was at least 60° and it was easing my process of clearing walkways for this weekend's retreat.

Community life has been exciting of late. Two nights ago, the women went to Julie's room for a Rosh Chodesh observance and we four guys were left spontaneously deciding to form a men's group. I expressed my past distaste for these groups, but the context had been men much older than me, whose personal issues didn't appeal to me. This would be different, I figured, given the age similarity and the nature of our existing friendship in the context of Isabella Freedman. So, we moseyed into Bryan's room and spent 10 minutes writing (journalishly) and about four minutes each sharing.

One of the main thoughts I offered about myself was my perspective on many of the tasks I've worked on this last month. Some would consider them menial, but I make only positive, opportunistic conclusions about them. I see how a challenge builds character, deepens my sense of self, and makes me happy simply because of my progress that benefits the community. After our individual sharing, we opened to discussion and I had more than one chance to offer my optimistic wisdom to lead others to greater happiness in light of their present situations.

As I was saying, our community has improved drastically in only the last couple days. There has been wide frustration about a variety of issues, including Passover housing constraints, organizational communication (or lack thereof), and cleaning supplies. A lot of this seems to repeat a root cause of the way Freedman operates and manages staff. However, a Mishpocha (family) meeting Monday evening was an opportunity to speak from the heart and check in personally and communally about our issues/fellings, etc. It resulted in a possibly groundbreaking beginning of new, positive change at Freedman.

In the meantime, I've been hard at work in the Bookstore. Tuesday morning, we started a manual inventory of our entire stock. It's taking far longer than we originally anticipated, but it's necessary to make sure we have what our database says we have before we can order more stuff. Good thing we only have to do this once! We finished the entire "warehouse" (basement of the Synagogue) by Tuesday afternoon and as of this afternoon the audio/video section is done, too. I stayed late today to continue the books, which are probably two-thirds complete and I intend to finish them before guests arrive tomorrow afternoon. That will only leave jewelry, art, and clothing for early next week.

Also tomorrow, besides finishing the walkway scrapage, I have a meeting with Ari and Rose to discuss credit card processing. I've been corresponding with a sales rep from Axia, one of two card processors compatible with LightSpeed, who has helped me understand how the credit card industry works and whose services should help Freedman consolidate its card processing operations rather than complexify them. Rose has been reluctant to open an account with yet another of these companies as she already deals with three. Adding Axia to the mix may actually reduce that number to two, by replacing the systems used for donations and retreat registrations. So we'll discuss in the morning.

So, we had about 18 inches of snow here between last weekend's blizzard and a second storm earlier this week. And Friday evening's Shabbat service practice was really special as six of us stood together in a circle in Brown House Kitchen. The group started in L'cha Dodi and worked backward, selecting Kabbalat Shabbat tunes out of traditional order and enjoying the sparks of creativity and vocal harmony that resulted. And the weekend that followed was not terribly relaxing given the shoveling and other constraints, but still fun nonetheless.

IF07: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2007-03-06T08:39:00.000-05:00

More to tell but just a quick update.

Woke up this morning to partly cloudy skies, windy conditions, and a temperature of –7°F (–21°C), and a windchill of –28°F (–33°C).

And don't you worry. I can hear all the wind out there. (I even have frost on my windows, from condensation after running my humidifier last night.)

IF07: More Snow + More

2007-02-25T14:52:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-18T00:23:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

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.

Help WorldChanging Hack the Publishing System

2006-10-30T10:02:00.000-05:00

"Here's how the system is supposed to work: you write a book. If people think it's good they buy it. If enough people think it's good it becomes a bestseller and widely read, spreading new ideas into the public debate.

"Here's how the system actually works: you write a book. Unless your publisher spends large sums of money on marketing and promotions to convince booksellers that you will be a blockbuster, your book remains obscure, often quickly sinking out of view, and few people have a chance to see it, let alone encounter the ideas it contains."

WorldChanging, a site dedicated to visioning and building a better future using tools, models, and ideas, has just published a groundbreaking book. WorldChanging: A Users Guide for the 21st Century is a compendium of the most innovative solutions, ideas, and inventions emerging today for building a sustainable, livable, prosperous future.

Unfortunately, the state of our publishing system makes spreading news of important new books like this quite difficult without gobs of cash and big publisher advertising budgets. There is another way, however. The WorldChanging Team requests that we buy the book from Amazon.com at the same moment and push the sales ranking to the top. Amazon's ranking system is explained in a WorldChanging blog entry from Saturday.

Here's what they're asking:

On November first, at eleven minutes after eleven a.m. (Pacific time), please go to Amazon and buy the book.

Better still, go to Amazon and buy the book on the first, and in the meantime blog, email, talk up the book and do whatever you can to encourage everyone who you think cares about sustainability, innovation, and social change, everyone who wants more solutions in the public debate, to join you on buying the book on 11/1 at 11:11 am PST [both WorldChanging and Amazon are based in Seattle]. Please help spread the word.

We can do this. We can make the corporate publishing system pay attention to us—IF we work together.

So mark your calendar. Set an alarm. Tie a string around your finger. 11/1 at 11:11 am.

Show up on November 1st and let's show the blockbuster machine that people who care about ideas are smart enough to hack their system.

Saturday Fun

2006-10-30T09:45:00.000-05:00

A week ago Saturday I took a most challenging hike up to the overlook. Rather than the normal route, I instead hiked to the peak, which is no more than a hundred paces to the overlook. Then, I cut off to the right and walked down and around to beneath the rocks that form the overlook cliff. And then what did I do? I hiked crawled up the cliff. It was the type of rock climbing thrill where there were times when I said to myself, "There's no turning back now. I have to find a way to the top." This was normally after moments when I had to propel myself up to a new handhold, using momentum and trust.

About halfway up, Jonathan, Naf, and Benjy appeared to my right, on their hike down the backside trail. Then, about 30 feet from the top, I looked up to see Tamuz, Kristen, and others looking over the edge and calling me crazy. I lost no confidence in my destination and continued to squirm my way up. There's a small pine just beneath the top that I was able to use as a foothold and push my self up to peak over the edge and surprise Casey and Aaron, the only two left to see. So, I rested there for 30 seconds before reaching over and pulling myself up to the surface.

I stayed only for a moment before I left to catch up with the guys, who were planning to check out the caves Jonathan and I had discovered a month before off the blue trail. Two weeks before this return visit, I helped JR reblaze some of the trails and we used yellow CAUTION tape to mark an unworn trail to these caves.

This past Saturday, organized by Shir Ya'akov, we had our first Freedman music recording session in the Bet K'nesset (synagogue). As a first experience and a pilot run for Shir, it was really somewhere in between jam and recording, and Shir realized that he or someone needs to be seated at the mixer with the headphones to monitor the recording full-time. Otherwise, voices too far from microphones get lost. It was a fun time, though, with lots of great songs sung. And there will be followup sessions to sing more songs associated with ADAMAH and Teva.

First Kvutzah for Ben

2006-10-18T15:04:00.000-04:00

Ben had his first group of kids this afternoon.

Nili asked me at breakfast if I'd be willing to take a group of students up the Red trail this afternoon. And so, after lunch, I led a dozen fourth graders from Beit Rabban and their two teachers to meet the film crew at the peak to head with Nili and Pesach to the overlook.

On the way, a few of the faster hikers among them took a different side of the trail, forgetting what landmarks would show them where to turn. I fetched them and we got up a few minutes more to find Pesach, who'd come in search of us. I was thrilled to find him taking over, not knowing we would see him up there.

Eventually, Nili took over, introduced the latest challenge to the kids, and led them blindfolded in a single file line to their destination, where they would sit at the overlook, remove their eye-coverings, and bear witness to the awesome view. And at that point, I spent eight minutes hiking back down to see if there was any maintenance work to do. Not much more than putting tarps up around the hot tub for the weekend mikvah. Now, need to catch up on news of the day and then bike down to Kaufman to get my laundry.

Teva Fall 2006 - New Beginnings

2006-10-16T18:51:00.000-04:00

"Rice cakes depress me." That's what Eli said last Tuesday night when I offered him the last few bites of my rice cake–PBJ sandwich, which was especially funny because a couple nights before, JR, Chelly, and I had watched the new version of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Hey, at least it wasn't the PBJ on sesame tamari rice cakes that I made a few nights later. That was actually kind of interesting, because my tongue on the edge about to take each bite I tasted the tamari, and then there was no other flavor but peanut butter the rest of the way through.

A month ago, someone was telling a story about the need to journal about experiences before forgetting about them. I took this as a final reminder to share my first three weeks of Teva fall 2006 with you. Then, I promptly got sidetracked and continued to neglect this need. Now, I'm ready to force myself to begin again.

Backpacking
Less than 24 hours after Casey and I arrived in August, the group departed on its annual backpacking trip (which was missed last year due to the timing of the chaggim). We spent four days hiking, working together, cooking, teaching and learning from each other, and having a blast. Wednesday, we hiked over Bear Mountain, the highest peak—but not highest point—in Connecticut. On the way and at the top we met with several groups of freshman orientation hiking groups from Yale and Smith.

Thursday afternoon, we dined, packed up camp, and hiked to the turnoff from the Appalachian Trail to Paradise Lanes, which would lead us to the bottom half of the Undermountain Trail (I hiked this route up and back last year for Rosh Hashanah). We did our last togetherness activity (Negotiating Squares) and then, around sunset, started our hike down the mountain. Yes, this would be a night hike, without artificial lights glaring until space was too dark to walk with night-vision alone. We made great time, so we stopped for an extended snack and rest near the end of Paradise Lanes where we also waited for Eli to make his second descent. He had hiked out a while ahead of us to support a girl who'd injured her ankle (she also left Teva), and returned to camp to get his stuff. Soon enough, he joined us and we hiked the rest of the way down. Arrived at the trail head at 11:15, so far ahead of our midnight pickup time, so we napped and chilled in the parking area, trying not to get run over when the vans finally arrived.

Bike Ride
After a good night's rest, we switched gears in a flurry to get ready for the Hazon Ride weekend. The ride was fantastic as always, with a new route on the first day. I saw enormous pumpkins on Sweet Corn Lane, narrowly avoided a Rusted Bark salamander that was moseying across the road, and nearly ran over a snake was squiggling the other way a while later. I rode the century again and was the last rider to roll in at the end of the day. However, I made better time than last year, arriving about 45 minutes sooner.

I offered moral support to one flat tire repair on the first day, got frustrated that Surprise Lake Camp staff considered "regular plates" to be those made out of 100% virgin paper compared to my Frisbee, and supplied my pump to two flat tire fixes on the second day where two riders hit nails in the same place along the Manhattan Greenway. There was rain during the Shabbaton weekend but after only a bit of drizzle Sunday morning, the rest of the ride was greeted with gorgeous weather.

Thanks to all who supported me through my training and sponsored my ride. If you'd still like to donate, I'd really appreciate your help getting my total sponsorship up to my $1800 goal (I'm at $1200 so far). You can do so for another couple weeks.

Work
I've developed quite a routine working for Teva and Freedman this season. I've got scheduled hours for each and I'm spending most of my time uploading photos of kids to Teva's Web site and assisting Freedman's maintenance staff with various projects. There's been painting, pine needle blowing, and lawn mowing, along with dishwashing, food prep, pot washing, sukkah construction and deconstruction, and much more. Plus, there's my tech support for both offices, including Elat Chayyim, which moved in early last month. And, I'm Energy Man again, monitoring thermostats, turning off lights, checking for air and water leaks, and trying to save Freedman some money on its bills.

I've made myself available for almost anything and many more people than last year are noticing and asking me, "Is there anything you can't do around here?!" In truth, the one thing that could stand out is that I don't drive, but I'm validating the nickname, Super Ben, they gave me last year and proving that it's the best title I could have.

People
Other than that, life is great! Would be nice if the weeks didn't seem to fly by as fast, but at least there's no shortage of stuff to do … which obviously has kept me from writing for so long. And the people are so wonderful to living. Back from last year: Casey, Eli, Jonathan, Risa, and Sara; new faces: Pesach, Mati, Chelly, Miriam, Yona, Shira, Annie. And Simcha, who was an educator some seasons ago and is back as Program Director.

Casey was my roommate last year. He, Eli, Jonathan, and I decided to switch up our rooming arrangements to keep life fresh, so Eli and I are rooming in his old room, a wide room with a wall of windows facing the lake. The other two are upstairs in the largest bedroom of the house, which has become known as the B&B, because it has an extra bed space and then some. The main hall of Brown House is full of all the girls while the back and upstairs plus one room in Cedar contain the guys.

More
Recent highlight before I publish for the night: I spent this past weekend, Simchat Torah, the last of the autumnal chaggim, in New York City. Like last year, a bunch of us went to B'nei Jeshurun, an unaffiliated congregation somewhere between Reform and Conservative in the Upper West Side, for an evening of dancing and singing with their 14 Torahs. It was as crazy a night as last year, though I wasn't as much in the mood for the dancing, but the experience peaked when Shir Ya'akov, Elat Chayyim's techie, started beat-boxing during the last round of dancing and the rest of the jam session that followed the service. He and songs he'd taught the Freedman community earlier this season, along with Tamuz' always-amazing voice, were the best of the night, one-upping last year's Teva-led jam.

Other features of the weekend included Friday evening's Shabbat pot-luck party at Chana and Kevin's apartment in Park Slope (Brooklyn). Chana is the sister of JR, who was a Teva educator last fall. JR visited Teva for Sukkot (all last week) and joined those of us who headed to the City for the weekend; he's headed home to Toronto later this week. I stayed at Noam's place in Brooklyn again and also connected with one of his housemates, Jon Lev, who was one of Mike Tidwell's first interns when Mike was getting Chesapeake Climate Action Network started five years ago.

Saturday morning, I decided not to wake up uber-early to head uptown to Romemu, a new Renewal congregation formed by Rabbi David Ingber, as was my original desire. Instead, Noam and I headed back to Chana and Kevin's for an afternoon of brunch, singing in the sukkah, a walk to Prospect Park, some Frisbee and disc golf in the park, and a while just chilling and singing in the sun and wind. Eventually, we left to head toward BJ for the night and after that we went to Jay Michaelson's new apartment, above which there was a rooftop party. And who just happened to show up? Ilan Glazer!

Sunday was filled to the brim with a noon lunch at the Veggie Dim Sum House in Chinatown, the first half of Noam's street hockey game, a walk down East Broadway where a street festival was taking place, and one more party to close the night … a pot-luck-turned-pizza party at Yoni's apartment back up town with great company, great falafel (which we'd picked up at the street festival), and lots of smiles. We wished we didn't have to leave.

So, perhaps this year I'll make the time to regularly log my sights and sounds. A weekly post couldn't hurt, I suppose.

a fun weekend time, for a change

2006-02-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

After a string of less than exciting weekends (at least two), I had a fun time last night sharing space with Alex' girlfriend, Bex, and her friends who were all in town for a Kesher (Reform Judaism) convention. I met them last evening at the Korean War Memorial, which I hadn't seen, and we walked back past the Washington Monument, where we met up with a few more, and to the White House. Bex' old friend Adam met us there and walked us to Bertucci's, introducing us to the buildings, government functions, and business districts on the way.

We ended up chatting another half hour or so, waiting for a table to open up for the seven of us. Apparently there was a group of sorority girls who were done eating but still chatting away, but they left soon enough. Bex and I shared a Marguerita pizza and the waitress did a fantastic job with my "water, no ice, no straw, with lemon" beverage order! Conversation was fun around the table as was the food. I had a chocolate torta for dessert and was filled and happy. We sat and hung out a while longer while we also waited for the waitress to return for our payments.

Together we headed to the Foggy Bottom station where we said our goodbyes to Adam. Continued the wishes to Ali and Nate, who were headed to a hotel room near the airport. The opportunity for this get-together sprung out of this group being stuck in D.C. because their flights were canceled due to snow. Ali kindly shared how warm her ass was, compared to the rest of her body, after having slipped on ice and fallen on it a few hours before.

Then, Bex, Chase, Fish, and I were on our way to Metro Center, where we all missed our respective Red Line trains moments before rising to the platform. So, upon such discovery, I walked my normal fast pace to an escalator to spend another 17 minutes with them. Meanwhile, they were busy staring at the status sign, wondering why it was blank, and then soon seeing that 18 minutes also awaited them—so busy they were, that they returned to center and started wondering what became of me…. And a moment later, there I was at their side, expressing my boredom at spending another 18 minutes alone, which I compared to waiting for matzah to bake. So we had another good conversation about I can't remember what before I raced back to my platform to wait for my train, and an otherwise uneventful ride and walk home.

Work has been quite busy lately with GreenDC Week planning galore. The biggest news of the moment is that we will be participating fully in African American Family Celebration at the National Zoo on April 17, 2006, the kick-off "Think Green D.C.! Day" of GreenDC Week. And we will be doing a press conference to start it all. The first round of speaker scheduling inquiries are out and we await responses from most of them, including the Clintons, Gore, and several other senators and congressmen.

Also, I've drafted a new layout for the GreenList, our weekly environmental news distribution, so those of you who subscribe to it will have an opportunity to comment on the new look when you receive it this week. And for those of you who think you should be subscribed, just let me know. Or, as it's now blogged (as linked above), you can find it online or spoon-fed, too.

If You Had Me Alone

2006-02-02T12:18:00.000-05:00

As instructed by Tanya…

If you had me alone, locked up in your house for twenty-four hours, and I had to do whatever you wanted me to, what would you do with me? I'll screen the comments (no one but me will see them) so feel free to write whatever you want.

Then re-post this in your journal or blog. You might be surprised with the responses you get. They could make you laugh or even smile.

Harry Potter … Larger than Life

2006-01-22T23:47:00.000-05:00

Wow! Far too long since my last entry. Hopefully I haven't lost much readership. I just had a great evening with Casey, Laura, and Tanya. We went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in IMAX at the National Air & Space Museum on the Mall in D.C. Tanya had to get home for homework, so we drove her there, and then proceeded back to my place for dinner.

While Casey cozied himself for a nap on my bed—the kind that lasts 20 minutes but feels like two hours—Laura and I fixed a delicious meal. She was impressed how quickly we were done cooking. I had originally hoped to make lasagna, but there wasn't time. However, we did a pasta and sauce Ben-fry and she and Casey enjoyed hot tea to drink while I made hot cocoa for myself.

There was good conversation about clichés of our time, the quotes on the tea boxes, and Animaniacs. I had a blast just interacting with them as my guests, though I still much prefer others to "live" with me whenever they're in my presence, than to feel separate. Anyway, they appreciated my service and kindness, so all was good.

Now, I just need to get to bed soon so I can get up in the morning and start work at a reasonable hour. Tend to get so much more accomplished in the earlier hours of the day.

Oh, and Esther cut my hair today. Not quite the look I was hoping for, but I suppose I'll have to let it grow a few more months to move in that direction—having it hang down more on the sides of my head. We'll see.

To Crush a Tennis Ball is To Open a Lock

2006-01-06T17:16:00.000-05:00

The Keys to My Heart

According to Blogthings:

I am attracted to those who have a split personality—cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart.

In love, I feel the most alive when my lover is creative and never lets me feel bored.

I'd like to my lover to think I am stylish and alluring.

I would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

My ideal relationship is lasting. I want a relationship that looks to the future . . . one I can grow with.

My risk of cheating is zero. I care about society and morality. I would never break a commitment.

I think of marriage as something that will confine me. I am afraid of marriage.

In this moment, I think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Seduction Style

2006-01-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

My Seduction Style: Ideal Lover

I seduce people by tapping into their dreams and desires.
And because of this sensitivity, I can be the ideal lover for anyone I seek.
I am a shapeshifter—bringing romance, adventure, spirituality to relationships.
It all depends on who I'm with, and what their vision of a perfect relationship is.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

New Friendship

2006-01-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

So, I have a new best friend this week. Tanya I discovered on craigslist searching for friendship among "silly, geeky people" in the D.C. area. In reality, Tanya is an underage graduate student (after a somewhat gifted upbringing) at Georgetown University and with no doubt in my judgment so far a future Tevanik. Actually, she met Noam Dolgin on a bus a few years ago on her way home from a summer theatre gig and they chatted about Teva training her to work at a camp in New England the following summer—one at which her blue hair of the time wouldn't be a problem.

Anyway, time will come eventually for Tanya to make her way up to Teva. Maybe she'll get to work there fall 2007, after she's done with school. She's pretty excited about that. In the meantime, though, she's home in New Jersey after a vacation in southern California this past week, and will be making her way back to D.C. this weekend.

We're really excited to meet each other in person, after become just about instant friends, care of our Teva connections. Sounds like I'll be ice creaming with her shortly after she arrives and settles a home for a bit. And, assuming I can get the rest of the local Teva contingent together, we'll all be headed to the Air & Space Museum to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in IMAX! We'll either dine together downtown or come back to my house for a yummy home cooked meal. Looks like a fun weekend to me!

Last night, Larry and I spent an hour cleaning out the fridge and freezer. What a major job that was!, and so satisfying after we were done, because there's now extra room on the door and on the main shelves for lots of stuff, where old, outdated, and moldy items were for too long. And I had an opportunity to offer some new organization of the remaining items, as I'm trying to do with the rest of the kitchen as well, so we can find things always and cook in convenience.

UPDATE: Laura's planning to be glued to a computer screen this weekend (do you know how many times I've contemplated the challenge in doing so), preparing an application for the Dorot fellowship, that she might spend a year in Israel starting in June. We'll see if she's actually up for the movie Sunday or not until next weekend. If not, I'll postpone it a week, and Tanya and I will probably spend the evening together anyway. Fun times comin'!

More on renewed life at home

2006-01-02T23:27:00.000-05:00

Life at home hasn't been anything too special yet. Trying to grow my circle of friends, with lots of posts and responses through craigslist lately. Meantime, headed back to the office tomorrow to work there for the first time since August. I'll let you know how that goes. Certainly not as exciting as I'm sure my continued presence at Freedman would have been.

Well, I need to get to bed soon. Not planning to go in too late, as had been part my flexible schedule last year. I want to get paid more so I need to work more. Probably a full 35 to 40 hour week, instead of the 30 I was averaging before. Also desperately need to get paid for the last four months of work. (Long story not worth telling now.)

Self Assessment

2005-12-30T21:05:00.000-05:00

An activity during the two college courses I took with Mary Lou Kish, one of my favorite professors at Ithaca College, was a self assessment. Part way through the semester, we would write about our experiences so far and what we foresaw for the rest of the class. In today's entry, I've decided to lay out some similar text I composed earlier this week as part of a response to a craigslist post. I figured you'd also enjoy a catchup to where I am today in my life.

Part of my passion is in the technical industry. Specifically, it lies with the Mac, and I spend much of my time following this realm. Part of my work is also committed to a handful of local individual users whose computing experiences I help improve with patience and guidance. Another passion is for environmental awareness and Earthly care. This clashes somewhat with my Mac interests due to the toxins and heavy metals used in computer production so far. However, I do my best to balance the two.

Two of my other jobs engage me environmentally: Part of the year I work for the DC Government on green programs; the other part I've started spending with the Teva Learning Center, a Jewish environmental education program for day school students in New England. The latter is the better because it keeps me outside a lot, hiking trails and talking to people about cool, green possibilities and more, and because I get to engage with an awesome community.

My third deep interest is in effective communication, which guides my work described so far. My fourth job, meanwhile, is at the Adams Morgan Farmers Market; I feed my desire to be fed numbers—in addition to delicious food—and speed customers through the line, and I get to prove my Tetris skills while loading the truck at the end.

Free time? Sure, I've got that, too. I love bicycling and use my bike both for exercise and for getting there. Frisbee and tennis are my favorite other athletic activities. Indoors, I follow a handful of TV shows (mostly crime and sci-fi), love to cook delicious meals that don't take too much effort most of the time, and spend hopefully not too much time playing driving games on my PS2. Better to drive recklessly on the screen than in real life, let alone drive at all. And then there are movies, best watched at home with company, and with cinnamon-infused popcorn (a new specialty) made moments before and smoothies.

To account for my desire not to drive due to a personal impact on fossil fuel use, my politics are quite left and fuel my drive to spread common sense in the world. My overarching goal in life: to educate people from an environmental perspective and influence them to move from pieces to peace.

. . . but food still pretty good

2005-12-26T19:07:00.000-05:00

While I miss my buddies from TevAdamah, I'm still able to enjoy some yummy meals. Tonight, though out of tofu (I'll have to get two packages this week), I made spaghetti. No, really no connection to be assumed between the two foods, but I made a sauce with: elephant garlic, tomato, fresh spinach, frozen peas, prepared roasted veggie tomato sauce (from Whole Foods) and mixed grated cheese.

I think the garlic is giving the best kick, but overall my meal seems to taste better than had I made it, probably with fewer ingredients, last summer. I didn't even remember to season it additionally and it still tastes really good. Yay me!

Driving again

2005-12-26T02:05:00.000-05:00

No, not for real. As you may know, I choose not to drive. Not fond of the direct impact I can have on pollution from fossil fuel use. I bike most places locally now, instead, and get rides from friends and family when necessary. Public transportation is fine, too. Otherwise, I'll probably wait until I can affordably have a hydrogen fuel cell under me and perhaps some other cool, new, future innovations.

Anyway, I recently bought Need for Speed: Most Wanted and started playing this week on my PS2. Having played NFS: Underground and Underground 2, previously, I've found the style of play significantly different. It's cool with much better graphics and animations, and a more solid plot line as if it were a movie.

The premise of the game is that my nice BMW was taken by the #1 most wanted reckless driver and I have to work my way up the ranks by racing the other 14 before I can race him and get it back. Along the way, I have opportunities to take other drivers cars, get special upgrades from a back room in the shops, and, perhaps best of all, get chased by the cops. In doing so, I create a bounty on myself and on each car I drive.

Game play is set with races and driving in both day and night and, instead of drifts (which I miss), there are tollbooths and speed traps . . . and half the game is about getting chased by and outrunning the cops. And I can break things along the road more so than before, like street lamp posts and smaller trees, which used to be all solid objects. Missing, however, are gaining points for drafting other drivers, e.g., and the need to do special things to recharge nitrous oxide volume; it recharges gradually on its own when used.

A worthy purchase, though; got a good deal with a holiday coupon from EA Games, the publisher. Notable, too: Most Wanted recognized my existing profile of Underground 2 on my memory card and rewarded me with extra cash. I've so far completed about 20% of my first career, especially after many hours of gaming Friday night. I think I'm taking a break for a bit, though, while I get my stuff unpacked and reorganized in my room this week.

Life at "home" not the same

2005-12-25T17:16:00.000-05:00

Yeah, life isn't the same at home. So far, it's like life at home always was, except with a few more friends nearby (or soon to be so) to do stuff with. So, I've turned to Craigslist to find more and get myself out of the house—or bring company into it—while I'm on unscheduled vacation this week. I certainly miss being at Freedman. Had I not had home and work responsibilities to return to, I would have jumped at the opportunity to say for the winter.

I'm going to a Chanukah party Thursday at the home of quasi-family who are my parents' neighbors and were mine for the 15 years I lived there. Mike Tabor is my "boss" at the Adams Morgan Farmers Market. Esther Siegel works on establishing affordable housing in the area. I had hoped Mike would come to talk to Adamah this past season, but I just didn't plan ahead enough. I've volunteered to bring my famous tofu veggie ben fry. I'm so happy to be able to use my wok and griddle again. (They're kosher enough by my standard but can't be rekashered to anyone else's, it seems.) Ceramic titanium non-stick is amazing!

Monday I made the above dish with Chinese marinade and served it over red quinoa. Tuesday, I used the leftovers with spaghetti and tomato sauce to have my own sauce creation, and had leftovers of that for two more meals. Yesterday, I made french toast for breakfast. I used a dense cranberry walnut bread no one else seemed to be eating. Toppings galore: maple syrup, yogurt, granola, apricot jam, and banana. Lunch was a sandwich with tofu marinated in Annie's Goddess dressing and topped with fresh spinach on my usual oatmeal bread from Whole Foods. As you may have read in my last Teva blog post, I biked home four full bags of groceries on Tuesday for my first Xtracycle-equipped food shopping trip.

I spoke to Casey last night. He was about to hit the road, having spent Shabbat with friends in New Jersey. He said he'd call me today so hopefully I'll hear from him soon to chat about getting together this week. When I called yesterday, I greeted him with "Hi roomie," and he understood the concept but started off naming his roommates before me (from camp last summer and Israel before that). Took me a second to realize that and remind him to whom he was speaking. Of course, he was so happy to hear my voice as I was his. Perhaps I'll get to invite him to Thursday's party, too.

A smile to my face at the moment because Strong Bad's fhqwhgads just came up on iTunes. Have a happy day! Happy Chanukah, too.