Guess Who I'm Inviting to Dinner?

I don't know about you, but if you decided to become an Obama supporter, you've probably been receiving a ton of email blasts from their camp.  The messages come fast and furious - some are inspirational, some tattle on Hillary Clinton's latest misdeed, others urge you to join the grassroots movement and wave an Obama sign in the next state that will be holding a primary, but my favorite one of all has been the "you can have dinner with Obama" messages.  

When I first read the invitation and then saw the big honking DONATE NOW button right below it, I realized it was just a ploy to get me to fork over some bucks to the campaign so that he can keep steamrolling his way through to the nomination.  What I also realized is that even if I give $25 to Senator Obama, there's no way I'm going to wind up becoming the lucky person who will get to break bread with him on the campaign trail.

And so, I've decided that if Obama is truly reading all the commentary about himself in the blogosphere, that I would invite him over to dinner at my house.  But not just any dinner.  I've decided to invite Senator Obama to Passover with my family.  If he truly wants to know what goes on in the minds of bleeding heart liberals, several Democrats and three staunch Republicans, then I say, spend an evening with the Feldmans and get into that Pesach spirit.

If you get there early, my mom and I will give you a lesson on matzoh ball preparation - follow the directions on the box and add a little seltzer for buoyancy.  And then, if you're lucky, you can take a seat next to my dad, Neil who will re-tell the story of the first Passover from our vintage Waldbaums Haggadahs that we still have since 1976.  And don't worry if you can't follow along - most of our attendees are not of the Jewish faith since there were lots of intermarriages in our family.  My cousin Jeff married Terri, whose Irish; my sister-in-law Sherri, is married to Ed - an ultimate conservative whose family is from Puerto Rico; my father-in-law John is another Irishman; my cousin Lee's wife Sandy is Catholic but she converted to Judaism a few years back; then there's George and Evanthia - my husband's step father who is Greek (as is his girlfriend).  So Barack - if you and your family join the festivities, you'll fit right in with our Jewish melting pot.  

Come sing songs with us, learn how to use your red Manischewitz wine to symbolize the plagues.  And watch how my son, who is just learning to read attempts to tackle the four questions in Hebrew.  We've got lots of food to offer - from gefilte fish to chopped liver, to turkey, brisket, matzoh pudding and sweet potatoes mixed with apple compote, walnuts and roasted marshmallows. And here's the kicker - I won't ask you to give us a dime to come and partake in our fabulous meal.  You can breeze in like the wind just like Elijah does each year.  

So if you can make it to the first seder next Saturday, I'm officially inviting you, Barack Obama, your wife Michelle and your two kids to join in on the fun.  And if your children find the matzoh, they can feel free to use the $10 they receive to donate back to your campaign.   

Don't feel obligated to attend, because as my Grandma Dora used to say, "If you don't come, you don't have to go home."  But if you are in the area, feel free to give us a holler before sundown.  

Technology Addict

I have a big confession to make.  I am an addict.  But not just any addict. I don't pop pills, I'm not a boozer and while I love chocolate, I'm not an overeater either.  So what's my addiction? Technology, that's what.  I am hopelessly addicted to my computer, my iPhone, my blackberry and my cell phone that my husband is going to wring my neck if I don't stop typing on the keyboard and put the gadgets away.

It started out pretty innocently.  A few years back, in an effort to master my work/life juggle, I invested in a BlackBerry and proceeded to use it so that I could be with my kids, run errands and never miss a moment of the office goings on.  But then, when I quit my job and started my own business, I started loading up on more technology.  An iPhone for my anniversary, a MacBook pro, my old BlackBerry which I couldn't give up and my verizon cell phone.  Does one person really need all that technology?  I know I could downsize, but for the life of me, I can't seem to give up my habit.

When I'm out with my husband and the kids, I'm sneaking furtive glances at my BlackBerry to see if the red light is flashing.  When I'm back home, I flip on my Mac to check my emails or to IM with friends.  Then I'm cruising YouTube, or playing Webkinz with my kids or writing my blog or researching a story and by the time I turn around, the day has flown by.  

Today as I sit her typing away, my husband and kids are at the Brooklyn aquarium enjoying a day off with the dolphins.  Should I have gone along for the ride and given the gadgetry addiction a rest.  Absolutely.  But for some reason, I can't seem to shake my addiction and it only seems to be getting worse.

Tomorrow we leave for Florida so hopefully I'll have the willpower to put everything away and not look at a single email until I return.  Okay, that might be a bit harsh but I do know I've got to do something.  It's time to get my head out of my iPhone and start enjoying the world around me.  I know it's a cliche, but I have to say it.  Life is too short.  For the sake of my family and myself, it's time to put the BlackBerry away and enjoy a technology free existence...at least for a few days.

Am I Right, Am I Wrong?

I received some sad news today.  My uncle Abe, who used to take my brother and I around in his Wise potato chip truck and who was best known for his infamous phrase, "Am I right, am I wrong?" passed away last night after battling a host of illnesses that left his body too weak to fight anymore.

While I'm not broken up about my my uncle's death, I do have to say that it's sad that his final years were spent combatting the effects of several strokes, diabetes and the breakdown of his kidneys.  From what I remember of my uncle, he was always an incredibly opinionated man.  In fact, he pissed off so many people in his time that I remember holidays when you could cut the tension with a knife because Uncle Abe opened his mouth and uttered an insult that left a family member ready to bolt for the door.

I guess my uncle didn't really care that he was making people angry at him when he spoke his mind.  Abe escaped the Holocaust, hiding out with his family as they attempted to escape Poland.  And somehow, they managed to get out.  And so, when he came to the United States, he didn't care who he offended, he was free, he was safe and he was alive.  

Over the next several decades, Uncle Abe made lots of friends with his biting sense of humor and generosity but if you crossed him, well, watch out.  Abe's relentless insensitivity hurt many of my family members - so much so that my parents actually stopped talking to him and my aunt for several years.  

When my mom retired, she eventually mended fences with my aunt and now that Uncle Abe is gone it'll be interesting to see how things will change now that he's not around.  It is sad that at the end of his life he truly was a shell of the person he used to be.  So I choose to remember my Uncle as the spitfire he was. Sure he was a loose cannon, but when I think back on the time I spent with him what I do remember is that he always was good to me.  I guess that's what counts - remember the best in a person once they're gone.  In the end, Abe's famous line, "Am I right, Am I wrong?" is a testament to his life.  Whether he was right or he was wrong, my uncle lived his life on his terms.