Rosh Hashanah and a New Hair Cut

Even though it's been a few days, I'm going to pick up where I left off with my weekend. Still on Friday the 18th. Although I have lived in Bethesda for over a year (15 months!) and have several doctors, a bank and a shoppers club card locally, I still prefer to get my hair cut in Rochester. As I drove to the salon, Rochester weather graced me with some blue skies and puffy clouds.
As always, I had a grand time at the hair salon. My stylist Toni and I talk about everything from European travel to relationships to G-d to singing and back to G-d. Toni is active in her own faith, and has some really close Jewish friends. In fact, the first time I walked into the shop one March, she asked me what I did to celebrate Purim. She's so much fun to talk to. And I always come out with a great haircut.
It's a lot shorter than it was, and Toni blow-dried it. I took this picture while stuck in Pittsford traffic, which held its own quite nicely, even after driving around DC for a while.

I met my parents at our family friends' house for Erev Rosh Hashana dinner. I arrived at the same time as one of my rabbis. As I got out of my car in my jeans, dress in hand, he said, "nice Rosh Hashana outfit," with a smile. I changed into my new dress (thank you Miriam for helping me pick it out) and emerged down the stairs, feeling like a real grown-up. I was even wearing heels. Although the rabbi said he liked the other outfit better (he was joking), more than one person did not recognize me with my new haircut and outfit. My mom looked great in her new dress--we were sort of matching. Here is a picture of my little fur family.
Dad likes to take the picture before he counts all the way to 3, but sometimes it works out.
Erev Rosh Hashana services were excellent. The choir sang, and for a few prayers a bassist played along, bowing his bass like a cello. So beautiful. Rabbi A. (the other one) gave a great d'var about awe and dread. She really makes us think and is so smart. I talked to so many people I know! And now that I have this job I love, I have something to say to the same questions I get over and over. My family was in a Chavurah (group of Jewish families) that met for years every month or so when we were all kids. The Chavurah formed when I was in first or second grade and continued until I graduated high school. The adults still get together sometimes. Over Rosh Hashana I got to see some other kids from the Chavurah I hadn't seen in about 3 or 4 years. One of them used to seem so much older than me, but now we are in the same age bracket.

Saturday, September 19: On Rosh Hashana (the day of) my parents and Jill's family and I went to the family service, led by Rabbi A. Great music again, and a d'var that started by having kids list all of the things they would want a visitor from another planet to see on Earth. The time went quickly in this service, although I definitely missed the full Unetaneh Tokef and surrounding prayers. On the upside, we blew shofar even though it was Shabbat.

After services, we went over to Gloria and Irv's for lunch. They are friends of my parents who are a good deal older than my parents. They met through the homeless project my mother leads. Irv, my dad, and my uncle Mike (my mom's brother-in-law) have a great rapport that involves much teasing and shouting. At this moment, I believe someone was being razzed about the movie selection the last time they had all seen a "manly movie."
Sunday, September 20: We had a Rosh Hashanah second day brunch at Jill and Mike's. Lox, kugel, cauliflower pie (Jill's famous), and some delicious apple crisp (and I don't usually use those words together, but this was excellent). You can see that I am wearing my new haircut curly--I am excited that it does that.

My cousin Molly and me. She's 17 and a senior in high school. After we took a few bad pictures, I ambush-hugged her and we got this good one.
The Rochester cousins: Molly, me and Lindsey, who's 20 and a junior at Hobart and William Smith College. The nice short photos I wanted of us quickly turned into a photo-session that finally ended when we all started yelling at Uncle Mike and walking away. It was mostly good natured.
Poppa, my grandfather, usually eats at 6:00 sharp. But on this day, we didn't sit down until nearly 8:00. He figured no one would believe that he ate dinner at that hour without photographic evidence.
Monday, September 21: Had a relaxing morning at home, a quick lunch at a restaurant, and then was dropped off at the airport.

I was so glad to be home, but I was also happy when I returned to my apartment here in Bethesda. Being away reminds me that I like it here too. That's my Rochester weekend in a big nutshell. L'shana tova to everyone!