Next Year in Jerusalem

Last night I celebrated Pesach at my friend Clayton's house. He converted to Judaism when he married his wife who is a Cuban Jew. They had two tiny chihuahua dogs, one of whom is autistic and hydrocephalic. We had lots of fun and lots of delicious food, got into an argument about racism, and topped it all off with a singalong at the end of the night. Some highlights:
"You have to carry your own bucket of water."
"Her father escaped from Castro! Why can't these people get an education and escape from poverty?"
"Love it or leave it."

It was good to talk honestly about things. It reminded me how articulate some people are and I think all of us did a good job of staying human about it and not blowing each other off trying to sound smart.


Just prior to the seder I went to a very satisfying yoga class where I practiced my forearm stand.

Tonight is the Full Moon! Perhaps Zoe and I shall mark it together.

The Dirty Thirty

Friday my friend Taylor baked me this cake and when I walked into the room, everyone sang me happy birthday and gave me that card everyone had signed! The locker in the background with the pictures on it is mine. Some of you out there may recognize the picture on the bottom as a Central American marsupial sniffing around the base of some Mayan ruins. Above and to the left is some wise advice from Rob Brezny.

Friday night we had a lovely party at the Nodding Head Brewery, and so many people came! I felt popular.
Saturday I had a nice peaceful day and talked to many loved ones. That night I was graced by the presence of Mama Gurevich, Betty Ann, and the Brasis. We shared a beautiful meal and I felt very lucky for our connections. The peacefulness lulled me into a false sense of security out of which I was promptly yanked by the pale freckled grasp of Julia. JULIA! The shrew.

Now we are thirty!

By the time a mammalian female fetus reaches twelve weeks in gestation from the date of conception, it is already carrying within its fetal ovaries all of the primary oocytes that will, during puberty, years after its birth, become all of the eggs she will ovulate throughout her lifetime. During puberty, the brain begins to release GnRH, a hormone that stimulates the release of LH and FSH from the ovaries. (In males, GnRH released by the brain, stimulates the secretion of LH and FSH from the testes. These are the exact same hormones.) Each month, LH and FSH cause about 6-12 of the primary oocytes to mature. For some reason, one matures faster than the others and at ovulation, this one breaks through the surface of the ovary surrounded by a wispy mass called the cumulus. The vesicle that used to enclose it in the ovary remains behind as the corpus luteum, where it releases estrogen and progesterone that stop the release of LH and FSH. As a result of this drop in LH and FSH, no more oocytes mature and only one egg is ovulated per month. The ovulated egg floats in its cumulus until the fimbriae of the fallopian tube (which look like little fingers) pick it up and usher it toward the tube. If sperm are present, the egg will be fertilized here.

Fertilization is the process through which the genetic material from the sperm and the egg are combined to form one complete cell. Over the next day or two, cell division occurs while the zygote is being pushed and prodded down the fallopian tube toward the uterus. When the zygote is comprised of about 16 cells, we call it a morula - the latin word for mullberry. By the time it reaches the uterus, it contains about 120 cells and we call it a blastocyst. All the while, the trusty corpus luteum, way back in the ovary, has been releasing progesterone. As a result, the uterus builds up its lining of blood and nutrients in preparation for its coming guest. The blastocyst finds a comfortable spot in the upper segment of the uterus where it nuzzles itself into the lining. Here, the wild process of gastrulation takes place. Some of the undifferentiated cells of the blastocyst move to the center of the circle, like an "O" turning itself into a heart, and then a "U". The inside surface of this "U" becomes the digestive tract of the fetus; the top opening of the "U" - its anus.

I am very grateful to have seen Through A Glass Darkly.

Lenya's Male Fantasies