GYPSY FIRE FOLK:

With another week behind me and 2 more to go...The past weekend was truly an experience. I was able to get all my work done avoid Lilly, go surfing, take pictures and went to a Gypsy Concert with my new friend Steve.

Gypsy Fire is traditional Gypsy, Roma, Hungarian folk music, Antal Szalai is considered the best Gypsy violinist in the world, and I must say I really enjoyed his performance! Regardless of your musical taste this evening was an experience not to be missed. The venue was actually held at a persons home...who collects things from all over the world. Specifically things that are old and weird, and I noticed a slight fetish for dolls...either way, my dad would have been in heaven and the pictures do not do it justice...Any weird thing you could think of was in this guys loft. For those of you who dont know...my Dad is pretty much brilliant, and our basement is a collection of old pinball machines, a full on Ham radio operating station, and old antiques, signs ect that my Dad has collected and fixed over the years...His achievements include: wirewrapping an Apple ][ computer form scratch, turning a magic city back box into a clock, amoung numerous other very cool things....that most wouldn't expect or know about him. www.pinballwex.com, is a great place to check out a very interesting gameroom, something not to be missed! I realized over the years I never really appreciated it...you don't really appreciate things until they aren't accessible. Being on the other side of the world and realizing there are people out there just as crazy as my dad...made me feel some comfort... that possibly he does have some followers...hehe.

When I first met my Dad, he had a subaru station wagon...I think it was the first time he and I were alone together without my mom, he must have been taking me somewhere, but I do remember this like it was yesterday....he pulled the car over suddenly on the road, I must have been 11? hopped out, opened the trunk, put on an orange jumpsuit, with a construction work hat...and a tool box, and headed over to a sign...I watched this all from the car, pretty much in horror, but also not very clear, I thought it was his job....no. He had seen a sign he wanted for his basement and collection....HAHAHAHA! its nice to remember the good memories;)

While the new year is approaching...I have declined an offer from Lilly to be with her at all this weekend. She has played Schindler's list the movie as background music, every night in the apartment, I go to bed hearing machine guns, the comments have gotten worse, and my approach is to simply just not be around. Luckily I have found awesome people who have let me go to there homes and study and get work done, I sleep there, thats it. While I did sense disappoinment from her about this weekend, my reasoning was very simple. She is not my family. She has not treated me like family, I let her stay in my apartment in NY for 8 weeks comfortably next to her family, and I really owe her nothing. The jewish holidays have always been about tradition for me, my new year started on July 28th, when I got on the plane, and decided to restart. I don't mention Italy because I still had a fair amount of baggage to dispose of then. I will spend my weekend with my new friends, and I will celebrate my new year in a way in which I will remember fondly, not because I have too, not because of guilt, not because its proper, not with a match maker judging me and pushing me to marry, I'm only doing it because it feels right and good, cause I think thats what life is really about...I'd be surprised if God didn't agree with me...

My assesment for the halfway mark was ALL positive, I am on track, and I'm loving the program, and i'm loving what i'm doing, and i'm loving where I am. However, getting back on the road shortly is something I look forward too, I'm ready for the next adventure to see where it takes me.

Happy healthy new year to everyone...may this year be the year ALL our dreams continue to come true;)

xo.