Sukkos

Sukkos I'm in yerushalayim. Its really nice, and lots of fun. Heres some pre-sukkos pics.













My sukka isnt pictured here, but its real cute. I started building it about ten minutes before shkia (last minute is best)erev Yom tov and barely had enough time to shave shower and get ready before sundown. (Its really original looking)
Theres crazy parties ever where each day of sukkos. Coming back from a party last night I hitched a ride in the trunk of a teen Israeli guy's car. Teen Israeli drivers drive a lot faster and recklessier then their distant cousins Israeli drivers. Being in their trunks is lots more fun. I would recommend it to anyone. The music is much better in the trunk, and I didnt run out of air until only 5 minutes from my apartment. Then I got home, (after taking lotsa breaths of fresh air) and went right out and made some of my own parties. Sukkos is funner then playing ping pong on the back of an elephant while wearing a loin cloth and warpaint. (and theres not much funner then that, trust me)

Yom Kippur

I spent Yom kippur down south (as in further then beer sheva). In the desert. I felt that regular fasting wasnt a challenge anymore, so why not fast in the desert where its much hotter, and easier to dehydrate? I had a very nice and spiritual yom kippur. I davened in a hesder yeshiva, and theres just nothing that can compare to a yom kippur davening with a couple of hundred soldiers. Heres a pic of the view. Open desolate desert all around.


Last week I did help my cousin bottle his latest batch of beer. It was fun and awesome, at least as fun and awesome as stepping the daylight out of the grapes. And judging by the taste testing, a real excellent beer.

Squishy

Last night I was up all night making wine. Or more precisely, picking grapes. The actual stamping on the grapes part only took a few minutes but the wine won't be ready for quite some time. Its gotta ferment first. My cousin, who's an experienced and unbelievable wine maker needed help turning his latest grape shipment into something a little squashier. I personally crushed a hundred pounds of grapes with my bare feet. (beat that. Unfortunately, I did not end up with the purple stained feet I'd hoped for. But what can you do, you cant always have everything) Heres a pic, looking into a barrel a grapes. (as opposed to looking out of the barrel of grapes. Thats not as much fun, and you can end up picking sediment out of your ears for days. And thats assuming you were actually rescued. Some people arent so lucky and are left to ferment.)

I'm hoping my cousin needs my help to bottle his latest batch of beer also. Cuz it should be almost as fun as tap dancing on top of little defenseless grapes, but with less grape skins between my toes. At least I think so. I dont think anyone would actually sneak into my crocs while I'm bottling beer and pout lots of grape skins between my toes. That would be silly.

Update

Rosh hashana was very nice. I was home in yerushalayim for all 3 days. Ate meals at family and friends, each meal at a different one. Didnt camp out but thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless. Yom kippur, I intend to be in the desert. Today I finally fixed my dsl which was broken for the last 5 days. I spent all day fixing it.
I decided to change my plans and instead of returning to America in middle of sukos, I'm gonna be staying here till pesach! (this is like one of the only times I actually used an exclamation point in my blog, so please read it as if its exciting news, thanks for your cooperation)

Tomatoes

Tomatoes have nicotine. At least thats what wiki says. It also mentions eggplant, green pepper, and potatoes as vegetables with nicotine. There is absolutely no reason why I mention this.
Shabbos I was by yet more relatives I was never at yet, had an awesome time. It looks like I'm not gonna end up making it to Uman for Rosh hashana. If I would've found a ferry to Turkey, right now I'd be somewhere along the way to Russia. Either way I'm gonna enjoy my Yom tov. Even if I'm not camping out for it.

Untitled (or is it?)

Shabbos was amazing. I ended up going to Tzfat. Slept on the floor in chabad. Ate meals by random people around Tzfat. We had an awesome time. Its real nice up there. I hadnt really spent time in tzfat before, since every time before that I was there, I was just hitching through and only stopped for a short while. (I didnt take a camera with me, so I'm gonna have to muster up a brain cell or two, and use it to for memory. It was all beautiful)
I'm starting a little Parkour team. Lots of guys seem real interested in learning parkour. So the other night, I took a few guys who requested, on a run. Showed them the basic vaults, rolls,and climbing techniques. They all enjoyed it, and for the most part we stayed within a story to the ground.
(I am not writing about last nights escapade, because I dont want any of us to get in trouble. But it involved some guys sneaking around at about 4 in the morning with knives, paint and tear gas. Sorry but thats all I can say. No, wait. I can also say it did not involve waffles, petunias, or boa constrictors. Definitely none at all. Thats it. )