Reaching New Heights

I've been spending some time with a lot of old friends from the Heights (I'm referring, of course, to the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, home of Yeshiva University, the Dominican Republic, and at least 20 other strong odors) and realizing how great they are. I know all these crazy people in the area - some of whom are actually crazy, and some who are merely religiously nuts, and others who are insane merely because they live in Manhattan. But I really love them all, and I haven't seen any of them in about a year - but they're all still there! I remember a few days ago, I went to sit in the Beis , and the EXACT SAME PEOPLE were there who had been there my last day a year or so ago. No one seems to have left. And this is just the summer; a whole host of people will be moving back in the neighborhood in September which should be exciting.

Special mention will go to the Rebbeim who've come back for the school year, and who I've just seen around the past few days. A lot of people like to spend a lot of time complaining about the rabbeim of YU, and especially to roshei yeshiva, but there only a few who I know and they are all "amazing" (cf. zev's classification system.) There are aboue 5 individuals, none of whom probably remember my name, who are probably responsible for my living in the neighborhood -- just to hear them speak once a week, during davening,or at a tisch, or an 11pm chassidus shiur on some random thursday night, is worth it.

At work, they're starting to actually give me things to do, and I've come to the conclusion that my life is basically over. For next 10-or-so years, at least, it seems like I will be spending more than half of my waking hours on one thing and one thing only; I make it sound bad, but I'm actually sort of anxious to get started. I have soooo much to learn; I'm still working on the absolute basics (stuff like daycounts, and jargon, etc.) and am really quite useless right now. I figure for at least the next year or two, so much new stuff will be hitting me on a daily basis that I won't have time to get bored.

I've finally found a place to live; it looks quite nice actually, and it's cheap too. I'm very happy about it. It's got windows, and nice hardwood floors, and a decent sized living room, etc etc. It's currently unfurnished, completely bare, so I have to figure out what I'm going to do about that. (donations welcome, but I'm not desperate for junky stuff.) My roomate seems cool, and also seems to have a whole network of friends in the area, which should be a lot of fun. someone's father is a butcher :) mmm meat.

On that note, have a good week, and please be in touch.