Just To Mention, My Parents Are Fun

Mom and Dad came to visit me this afternoon, since we hadn't seen each other since August, and they had (or could make) a bit more time than I could. So they came to the city, we hung out a bit, and then went to a museum and saw an exhibit about the Dead Sea Scrolls (and I got to play resident 'expert' a little bit, on the basis of one class on Ancient Judaism, some reading, and other stuff picked up from other classes and such). (The mildly spooky part of the museum was getting a really hateful/scared look from a couple of frum-type folks in the elevator on the way out. Needless to say, today was a kippah day. I think my folks noticed more than I did- but it wasn't too pleasant, and is, to be fair, quite rare. Usually I get bewilderment, rather than hate.) Then headed back here briefly before they headed home so Mom could get to a rehearsal on time. It was just a really nice, low-key visit- and they appreciated the cleaning up that I'd done before they came.

They also came by public transit for the first time- so they got a smidge lost, having missed the 125th St. train station, but they got themselves here just fine anyways. Apparently it's less stressful than driving in (which makes perfect sense), so I imagine that'll happen a bit more.

In the realm of truly minor, if occasionally eccentric details: I returned some things they'd left here or lent me at various times, and Mom gave me a peacock feather. It's rather exciting, in some silly way.

In other news, jakal88 and I just started learning Masekhet Brachot together (well, more accurately, we started in on the gemara, having done the whole mess of mishnayot first.). I think we determined that 11pm is perhaps a less than ideal time for said adventure, but it didn't go too badly, especially for a first venture into gemara together.