Hotels, Sex, and Fashion...Oh My!

Well this week has already been exhausting but in a good way. Monday was the Senior Fashion show at the Hyatt Ballroom. Last week the seniors got to show their collections to a panel from the fashion industry. They voted on the looks they felt were the strongest and those looks were sent down the runway in Monday's fashion show. It was great to see what the students we advise have accomplished this year. I had a front row seat and Kirkie went as my guest which made it all the more fun.

Tuesday I was on a high because I am number 3 on the Top Looser Board at Curves. I have lost 20 pounds since January. I can't really tell but I feel the difference so that is what is important. I decided to go for a walk after working out. I tend to avoid Midtown in the evening because it can be very crowded and I have already become one of those New Yorkers who get annoyed when tourists don't understand why pedestrian traffic doesn't stop for them to take a picture. Anyway I forget that once you get past the Empire State Building, just how lovely the Flatiron district is. Madison Square Park was gorgeous and it is always fun to go by the dog park there. On my walk down fifth avenue I had to stop and make a detour because I saw the Museum of Sex...it's like a two headed snake people, when you see there is a Museum about sex you stop.

Anyway the museum has three exhibit halls. One is sex in art and design. The most interesting thing there was the juicer chair. Lord knows if I went to see a lap dancer the fact that she or he could make me so OJ while straddling the chair is just sexy (people I am really sorry if my sarcasm does not translate into blog lingo).

Next is the film room where they show how sex is dealt with in film from the days of censorship, to films like Lolita and Blue Velvet, and porn. They also had a video about sex. Let's just say it was not the video I had to watch in sixth grade at St. Bernadette's when they made the boys leave the room. I believe that film was called, "Sex is dirty and you'll go to hell if you get any."

Anyway the last room had various toys and also explored the history of sex. They had devices from the Victorian era when people were put in the insane asylum if they were too frisky. Oh New York, sure puts Sodom to shame (line from the Contrast)

Yesterday we had a very exciting event take place. Our Mikie (Esther's beau) was awarded an Honorary PhD from Hebrew Union College. Anita Diamant, the author of the Red Tent gave the commencement speech. She was amazing, and so is that book. She has this amazing program she started in Boston called Mayyim Hayyim which I believe is Hebrew for Living Waters. It is a Mikveh that is also used as a learning center.

The Mikveh is traditionally used as a ritual bath. Men would use the Mikveh before services and women would use the Mikveh after their cycles and for occasions like their wedding day and after giving birth. Converts also use the Mikveh in order to be reborn as Jews (you will hear more about that when I go through the process myself, probably sometime in the next few months).

Anyway back to Mayyim Hayyim, it is very progressive. The Mikveh is encouraged to be used for all major life events such as before a bar/bat mitzva, after getting a new job, when going through a divorce or death of a loved one, or coming out of the closet. The education center has thousands of visitors both Jewish and non Jewish. It is a really phenomenal program and I would love to pop up to Boston and see it sometime.

Well the ceremony was nice. Michael truly deserves this award for all of the community service he has participated in and lead over the years. Esther being the amazing hostess that she is, had a post commencement party at Town (a restaurant in the Chambers hotel). It was lovely, Michael's family was there and so were a lot of Michael and Esther's friends. It was great seeing Bob, Susan, Mark, Thomas, Lee, Lisa, and Linda because it had been months. We all had a wonderful time celebrating Michael's big achievement.