This entire summer summed up in a word, Madness.  I'm pooped.  Long overdue entry. 

But first, reminder of our final 10th grade NYC trip this Thursday.  Meet at church at 10am.  I have permission slips that need to be filled out.  IM me so I can send it to you. 

Summer's coming to an end. 

Pics from Boston stolen from Ben:



Did he really just take 4 pics the entire week we were there?? 

So... way overdue bday thanks.  Boston Projecters... who spent their one free afternoon at Quincy Market after exhaustively serving the underprivilged, toiling under the sun, working the land - to bday shop for some EMer most had just met 2 days before... such incredible kids.  Excited to get to know you guys even better in the upcoming year.  Thank you Harold for the morning song & Cathy for the nearly endless evening rendition of singing. 
Project IKea.  OMGosh.  You guys were too much.  I've absolutely loved all the classes at Arumdaun these past 3 yrs but no doubt about it, I've never come across a crazy bunch like you ever.  Thank you so much for the wonderful surprise bday dinner & cake.  Everyone running out of the bathrooms at once was pretty ridiculous.  And special thanks to the masterminds, Grace & Michelle, my fav Plainview & Douglaston hoobaes, for planning it. 

EMers w/ the masterminds

Some (very confused) YG bday wish excerpts.  Haha. 

• Dear Inna, Happy 30th birthday...  -Ben
  
• Hey Inna, Happy 43rd!  I hope Angus, your child, is doing well.  Love always, Esther
  
• ... Gimme $ when you're a good lawyer  -Jason
  
• Happy Birthday Inna!  Hope you had a good 35th!  -Becky
  
• ... Only 22 more years til senior citizenship!  Love, the p*crew/Godiva boys
  

Another glorious weekend.  I live for the weekends! 

Okay, pictures:

Michelle's Sweet Sixteen on Saturday.  She is gorgeous! 

Some of the Arumdaun pretty young ladies & charismatic young men

Memorial Day vball.  Congrats to the two teams that played in the final game!  You guys are so freakin gooood

Jake & me watching the games from all different angles.  We're quite the devoted fans

Brohem Michael... gettin ready and then, Wham!  That boy can jump

Petey in action & then high-fiving around his highly contagious eye infection to the team members

Manny.  Who is no fatty!  I got yo back, Hyun

No pics of the other studly players in action.  Booooo.  You can blame the photographer. 

Stevownie, the photographer & Michael, the ultra athlete.  He's so dreamy

I guess I never get enough of spectating vball, as I went to the Bethpage-West Hempstead HS semi-finals tonight, which went to game 5, ending w/ a final score of 25-23.  Omgosh, such a great game!!  It was so intense!  Of course, Bethpage won.  They were just the superior team, after all.  Got to see Danny play, who btw, is so freakinn amazing, even though he just healed from a broken arm & Jae, who has so much heart & is awesome as well.  Actually, Danny is also healing now from a bad ankle & was seen  slightly limping through parts of the game, but he's a soldier & that didn't stop him from a couple of in yo face blocks & superb spikes, including one very surprising lefty.  Wooosh!  Saw Jamie there & met freshman Jen too.  Yayy!  Such cuties.  It would've been nice to see Pearl too but she was just too busy w/ her fancy tennnnis.  Booo. 

Gluck to all the YGers, for most of whom this will be their last week of classes.  Finish it off strong guys & study hard for your finals.  And gluck to all of you taking SAT II's this Sat as well.  You'll do great!! 

• a dessert cart can make you teary eyed - although it's usually your least favorite part of a meal.  joel robuchon is the classiest restaurant i've ever been to.  still, not my fav.
  
• bodies falling from the sky on rubber bands over a pool of water makes you believe in longing for true desire & love once again.  le reve was magic.
  
• girls will reject guys at a club, even though they seem awfully nice & very decent, just b/c it's a night out w/ the girls. 
  
• you'll meet new ppl - not late at night at a club but early in the morning, for breakfast.
  
• you'll travel 2000 miles only to meet ppl from home for the first time.  thanks for the fun, everything.  you guys were all too cute & chak heh too. 
  
• craps is plainly a crappy game to play when you're playing by yourself.  hopefully, it'll be a better time this weekend, shooting w/ the pocs crew. 
  
• 3 girls will spend much effort in getting dolled up and then decide 12 straight hours of holdem is preferable to going out on a friday night. 
  
• 7 hrs of sleep w/in a 4-day weekend is perfectly sufficient.
  
• you want to forego it all to chase a new dream of training to become a pussycat doll.  woah.
  
• you can spend 3 extremely hot afternoons by the pool, sweat off most of your sunscreen but still just barely tan at all. 
  
• you just need a girls' weekend away. 
  

• the monday you get back home, you need a ridiculously late night out w/ the guys in the city.  even if you haven't fully recovered.