Photo of the Day - October 22, 2011

Nova Debate

This weekend was the Titan Invitational Debate Tournament at Nova High School.  When Nova hosts the tournament, all of the students and parents volunteer to run the event and do not compete.  Joel volunteered to judge and I volunteered to be their photographer.

I won't post the other photos because I don't have media releases, but I will post this one of Adina and her friend, Olivia.  Olivia is a parade!  She (and Adina) talk a mile a minute and come up with THE most creative conversations I have ever heard.  

We had to be at school at 7 a..m.  Luckily there were bagels and coffee!  Although I had to wait until 9 a.m. because they ran out by the time I was ready for my cup!  So I tagged along with Joel and watched the four kids competing in the Dramatic Interpretation or DI.

It took me every ounce of effort to not cry during their performances.  Each one had a very unique piece and each performed it with such intensity that it was believable and poignant.  After the last kid left the room, the tears flowed.  They were all great.  I could never be a judge.  In fact, I would be the Paula Abdul of judging!  You have to be able to rate them from 80 to 100 and then rank the in order.

One performance was about a gay teacher in Wyoming and he was the person who found the dead body of Matthew Sheppard -- this was from the Laramie Project.

Another one was about the Amish children gunned down in a schoolhouse.  This girl was the wife of the killer.

Then there was a piece about a black girl who was taunted by the students at school because she was black, but she was a natural born daughter of two white parents who happened to have some black relatives in their ancestry.

All very intense.  I don't know how they do it, but they are all really good at it.  I have only seen Adina's piece one time at home.  She does Humorous Interpretation or HI and her piece is from the Great American Trailer Park Musical. 

Photo of the Day - September 28, 2011

Happy New Year

For us Jews, this time of the year is highest of holiest holidays, Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur.  The first being the Jewish New Year and the second the day of atonement.

For Rosh Hashona, we always celebrate with friends and family and always have something sweet to eat to bring in a sweet new year.

This year was a little different, but not really.  The faces may have been a little different, we have a new set of neighbors and since Richard and Lynn were in Vermont for a three week vacation, we invited his sister and mom to be at our table.

It was a very nice evening complete with fascinating conversation, exquisite food and lots of wine!

Photo of the Day - September 15, 2011

Lighthouse Art Center in Tequesta, FL

I was juried in to the Photo Now art show at the Lighthouse Art Center in Tequesta, FL.  This is the first time I have exhibited my art work outside of Broward County!

Joel and I drove up there -- little over an hour away -- after work.  It was so nice to see Bill Nix who works at the Palm Beach County Cultural Council.  He drove up just to support me!  

The biggest surprise was to see my former dance teacher!  Mr. Russell was my ballet teacher for years and years at the University Center for the Performing Art in Davie.  He wasn't there the entire time that I was (about 25 years) but he was there for the bulk of it and always encouraged me to keep going, even though I knew I was too old to do anything with the dancing except have a deep passion for it.  We talked for more than an hour catching up to date.

Then my friend, Greta, came to visit and after the art show we went out to eat with her.  We went to the coolest place that reminded me of Key West, but a quieter time in Key West history!  I had to take these sunset shots because it was a wonderful color palette.

My art show is now over and the art is back at home (sorry to say no sales yet).  But it was an exciting experience that I will continue to participate in.

Photo of the Day - October 20, 2011 Part II

Civic Duty

I know that I have given 30 year of my life to work as a public servant, however, tonight I started my new public service . . . I was appointed to the Code Enforcement Board for the City of Lauderhill. 

It is my city.  A city I have lived in for almost 32 years, with the exception of a couple of years in Tamarac.  Joel has given so much of his time, effort, creativity and expertise on board after board, I decided it was my turn to give a little.

So when my good friend, Mayor Kaplan, asked me to serve on this board, I agreed.  It wasn't anything like I thought it would be.  I had a little bit of a learning curve, but by the end of the meeting (which really moved fast), I made a motion to fine one of the violators.  It wasn't difficult, I just had to learn the ropes a bit.

Joel came with me to lend his support and to play with my iPad!  He snapped this photo with my iPad.  

Photo of the Day - October 20, 2011

Changes

Changes, they come in all forms.  Some people don't mind change and adapt well, while others, well they just can't deal with change and get very stressed about it.

How about me?  How do I deal with change?  I have actually changed the way I react to change.  Maybe that comes with maturity, and at 54, I would admit that I have definitely reached maturity.  The other day I laughed when I realized that next year I could actually move into a retirement condominium, and legally own it.  I don't always feel THAT mature!!

So dealing with change with a bit of humor is how I have learned to approach it.  Good thing too, since we spend more than one third of our lives at work, and I do love my work, but there are so many changes going on at work.

First of all the building we are in is aging and in need of repair.  The repairs will take several years and include replacement of all of the elevators (that has been done and only took two years), replacement of all of the escalators (done and only took 18 months), replacement of each and every window in the building (huge undertaking seeing that there are ceiling to floor windows on EVERY floor (they haven't started to replace them but they have been preparing by building false walls three feet in from the windows).

With all of that activity, eight of the employees in my office have had to move to another floor while the rest of the Cultural Division remains on the 6th floor.  The Library staff insists that this is all very temporary, but after working for the County for more than 30 years, I know better!  So with that said, these photos illustrate my new office space.

I tried to duplicate my space the best I possibly could, then decorate it with lamps (since there are no windows) and with my art work and plants.  I really like my space, but miss my old office.  I try not to think about it too much though.  It took a few days to feel the new routine.   We are creatures of habit and once we repeat a routine a few days in a row, it starts to feel normal.  I guess it is a new normal.  The outcome of the change.

Photo of the Day - October 6, 2011
Happy Birthday to Me

It's my birthday, AGAIN!  Yeah, I know it happens every year, same day!  But I just love my day.  I usually take the day off from work (I did) and do whatever I want (I did).

This year, I got up at 6 a.m. and was outside by 7:15 and did my almost 3 mile walk and run (really it is a jog).  Then made a bowl of steel cut oatmeal (yum) and then decided to go out to the pool.  I haven't treated myself to a day at the pool in a very, very long time.  I took my book with me (Unbroken, excellent true story if you were interested).

Later in the day, I decided to do my nails and dry my hair and then much later after Adina came home from school, we went out to dinner at the Old Florida Seafood House in Wilton Manors.  I was in the mood for a fish dinner!

Back at the house we had a HUGE homemade chocolate cake, with chocolate pudding frosting and more, very, very rich frosting with cream cheese in it on the top.  My presents were perfect this year . . . new running shorts, running socks, an iPad charger for my car, an auxillary cord for my car to listen to my music from either my iPad or my cell phone in the car and then new earphones that won't fall off while I am running!!

Thank you everyone for feeding my new passion for running!!!