I think he's in Cincinnati at least sometimes, but he's also got a house in Virginia where he stays most of the time while Congress is in session. He gave an interview where he talked about the neighborhood, and it sounded like his kids live in Cincinnati full-time.

Epic, all the ~mas and love for the trial.

Folks, I'm seeing here the news about the hurricanes and extreme weather some of you may be experiencing. Much ~ma in your direction, it sounds scary.

And here... still senseless war. Nothing new to report on this front, I'm afraid.

Sorry for interrupting any on-going conversations, especially considering all the weather reports I'm seeing here and hoping for the safety of all of you and yours, and yet, it's that time of year again, and, yeah, still (and probably forever) in a risk of sounding a bit strange:

On Friday evening (as most of you clever people probably already know) starts the Jewish holiday of 'Yom Kippur', which means 'Day of Atonement'.

This is a day of soul searching, of trying to better define our faults to ourselves, and try to accept it upon ourselves to become, at least a little, better people. A day of repenting past wrongs we did, looking and finding it in our hearts to forgive wrongs done to us, and trying to remember to learn from this process in the rest of the days of the year. The holiest day of the year for practicing Jews.

On a rough division, there are two kinds of wrongs people can do: against G-d, and hurting their fellow human beings. In Jewish tradition, if the person committing a sin against G-d is truly sorry for what they did, repenting and taking it upon themselves to try and avoid repeating it, G-d forgives those sins.

The deeds which hurt other people, though, are not so 'easily' and personally forgiven. If somebody did anything to harm another person, they would not be able to cleanse themselves from that deed, no matter how much they'd pray and be sorry and repent and try to do good in the future, unless they make amends with the person who was hurt by that deed. As long as peace between people is not achieved, the 'sin', so to speak, is not 'erased from the books' above.

Regardless of the date in the year, I'd hate to think I'd offended somebody, anybody, in any possible circle of my life, in so many circumstances. I don't think that the attempts of becoming a better person than one already is, is something that needs a date or a certain holiday for it, of course. It's just that, for me, having a certain day in the year to stop my daily runnings around, and think of nothing else but the really important things, is a good reminder of the order of priorities I'd like to have in my life.

(Well, I wish that were true. Frankly, I spend more time thinking about how much a sip of water would be just what I need, and wonder how long I have left until the fast is over and I can start hydrating again, than about the actual important stuff. And in between comes the whole being responsible for one already-past-Bar-Mitzva-and-therefore-has-to-fast PiAlmostNotABoyAnymore and one will-be-Bat-Mitzva-by-her-next-birthday-and-therefore-has-to-at-least-practice-fast Pi+StillAGirlForJustABitLonger, who are both definitely able to take care of themselves, but still needing their adults' attention, in their way, so mostly the important soul-searching stuff has to be pushed aside by the practical stuff. But still.)

So, since Saturday will be, for me, this day of at least trying to perform some soul-searching, of trying to create a new start in my on-going effort of 'becoming a good human being, or at least a slightly better one', I would like to ask all of you here, if I offended anybody, or hurt any of you lovely people, to tell me about it, and give me the opportunity to apologize, fix it if possible, and also learn from my mistakes, and try to not repeat them (there are so many new ones to practice, why repeat old ones, you know?).

In case I offended anybody, and can't communicate directly with them about it (for whatever reason, especially with my ongoing practically-absense from the board in the last few - I'm not even sure how to call it, years? ice-ages? whichever-you-may-call-the-time-units-that-measure-the-lifespan-of-planets?), I can already say that I'm truly sorry. I can honestly say that I didn't mean to - you're all so considerate and thoughtful and generally all-around lovely, that there's absolutely no room for such a thing here. However, I might have had a slip of a keyboard, or mistaken somebody's intentions, or many other possible so forths. Y'all are so understanding, you probably tried to find excuses for me and didn't take offense anyway, but I want to make sure, all the same.

Please don't get me wrong - I'm definitely not trying to go around in a 'holier-than-thou' show off, or force my personal beliefs on others, or make statements which may be understood as criticizing anybody else's beliefs (or lack thereof) and way of living. If anything, being around here, among such a rich versatile group of kind and clever people, has exposed me to a lot more ways of choosing to lead one's life than I've ever had a chance to see before, and has shown me much more of the beauty and richness that is the world we live in.

[Edit: this is especially true these last recent years, pre-Covid19, with my oh-so-short time-not-in-front-of-students-or-kids, computer time and internet access, which gave way for too many opportunities to unintentionally miss stuff or seem to ignore (undeliberately!) people or their posts. And even more so during the hectic Covid19 in-front-of-a-Zoom-screen-for-way-too-long times. And even more than that during this past year, which has been so difficult for so many people, sharing this strange reality of trying to maintain some sort of routine life during war (more often than not, this routine keeps seeming to me like the alternate reality, and not the "real" one. I'm not sure I'm explaining myself properly here).

Sometimes in absence you can hurt people just as much as when you're present. Or even more so, only differently.

And at the same time, you guys are always so there-for-anybody-who-needs (including little me - even when I don't get to get to the board, let alone post, I still know that you're there, that no matter what, if I ask, you're there for me, even after all my absence and lack of giving back).

So this is a chance to also post: Thank you.]

Let me echo Nilly (in a very secular way) and join in a heartfelt thank you. You really helped this past year, and seeing so many of you in person - especially those who hosted, fed, and took me to see their cities - felt like a miracle this year. As in, I still can't 100% believe this happened, and I'm so happy that it happened, and that you are the wonderful bunch of people that you are. Thank you, and I'm sorry I can't be here more and as much as I'd like to be.

Is it weird that I have a favorite holiday of a religion I don’t practice because I get to hear from Nilly , or is that pretty normal around here?

A deep-dive analysis of all the fic on AO3.

Hugs to Shir and Nilly! Thinking of you both every day.

Hey Trudy! I still expect to see you when there is a 999 post.

Sending love to Shir (who I am so lucky to have spent a little time with this year) and Nilly (who has not offended me this year or any and whose kind and warm presence I always feel even when she’s not present here).

You really helped this past year, and seeing so many of you in person - especially those who hosted, fed, and took me to see their cities - felt like a miracle this year. As in, I still can't 100% believe this happened, and I'm so happy that it happened, and that you are the wonderful bunch of people that you are.

It was such a joy to have you here, Shir. And we have pictures so it did really happen.

Once again, Nilly, I can assure you that you were altogether inoffensive.

I'm wrapping you and yours up in a shield of Buffista love.

It feels so long ago already since you were here Shir!! But so glad you were able to come.