I am sorry you haven't heard from me. I am not very disciplined in maintaining correspondence. I am so busy with my fixed schedule studying and going to classes that I forget to just relax and call family and friends. Even Erin and I haven't found a good rhythm to keeping up our connections. But I've made up my mind that I am going to try even harder.

I responded to your last email, but I never finished it and I so I never sent it. So this email may not be perfect, but I am going to send it out TODAY. I am sitting here and so I will not get up until it is sent.

Last night I went to a fundraiser for the Jewish Learning Academy (JLA) where I attend a lot of classes. The Rabbi is about my age and so, of course, he came up with this brilliant idea to have a Backgammon Tournament as a fundraiser event instead of a stuffy dinner and special program.

Persian Jews LOVE backgammon. The setting was at this beautiful, posh home in Malibu over looking the ocean and Getty Villa (counterpart to the Getty Museum).

I started volunteering 2 weeks ago. When I asked this Rabbi where I should look to do some volunteering work, he said, "How about here?" So I started volunteering at the JLA. I am so grateful for the classes they offer. I gave my assistance to the fund-raising event last night. And so I didn't get home until near 4 AM. I am so very tired. But Shabbos starts tonight, so that is good. I tied for 3rd place in the Backgammon tournament for with there were 36 competitors (the majority of which were Persian). So I was happy. But I know I was mostly lucky with the dice especially considering that I had only played a few times before the event. I learned to play the game by practicing with friends. I am addicted to Backgammon, now.