This week I was that person grocery shopping at 11 pm

This week I did not sleep very much. It just seemed like every night there was some other thing that happened or had to be done that kept me up until 1 am. (Oh, how I miss the days of college when I did not consider that late). Among the things that kept me up late this week were:

1. Work. My new job was very demanding this week as they hosted a "Marriage Meltdown" lecture featuring three speakers discussing sex and money and how to handle those issues as a couple. It was a really interesting event and I really enjoyed it, but it required alot of work from me. It is also abundantly clear to me that this job will be more demanding than I expected, which is something I might be okay with. It is good money and it keeps me busy, and as long as every week isnt as demanding as this one I think I will be able to do it.

2. Birthday One. This week was my father's birthday (everyone feel free to send him birthday emails at covel648@cox.net). I called my father and ended up staying up pretty late walking him and my baby brother through the complex process of making a Duncan Hines cake. I still feel pretty bad that I couldnt be there to help make his birthday dinner, but as my other brother and sister failed at that as well, at least I have some company in feeling guilty. Abba, I love you and hope this year is full of new experiences and chocolate cupcakes (and wonderfully lacking in dog hair and bad drivers).

3. Birthday Two. This week was also my Hebrew birthday (feel free to send me birthday emails in Hebrew). There are many people here who celebrate their Hebrew birthday, and many who stick to the english date. I have found the wonderful compromise of celebrating BOTH and challenge anyone who argues that you cant have more than  one birthday. I think that is just silly. Plus, my english birthday falls out on a fast day and that will just not be any fun. Anyway, I wanted to keep the celebrations simple so I was just going to have birthday dinner with my friend Avital. I went over to her place and had a lovely dinner with her, her sister, and her grandmother and headed home afterward to go to sleep. Little did I know how sneaky and planning Avital is. Briks, remember that time I was an hour and half late for my surprise goodbye party? Yeah, I have not gotten any better at picking up on surprises. Avital had made a cake and sent me home to my apartment where my roommates were waiting with presents and decorations. But, I didnt know this, so I called my friend Noam on the way home and then decided to sit outside in the park and chat with him. I did not understand why Mia kept calling and telling me she needed me to check something on the computer when, as I told her, I was not home. Finally Nechama called me and told me she had locked herself out (which I really shouldnt have believed, because I am the only one ever irresponsible enough to do that) and I came to the entrance of our building where Avital and her sister (who had at this point beaten me home), Mia, Nechama, and her boyfriend Avi jumped out from behind a wall and started singing to me. They had decorated the apartment with balloons and signs and bought me a present (a book of hikes in Israel!!!) and were just absolutely wonderful. It was my first ever birthday surprise :)

4. Idan Raichel. In the continuing thread of birthday celebrations, Rafi and I went to an Idan Raichel concert at the Sultan's Pools outside of the Old City. We got to dance at his concert under the stars, in view of the Old City walls for Jerusalem. It was wonderful.

So all in all, it was all worth the loss of sleep. Thats what Shabbat is for, right?