My Brooklyn buddy William Levin takes a number of guises on this blog: the Apple expert Macboy, the Shabot cartoonist Ben Baruch, and the eccentric chronicler of the misuse of Lowercase L’s. His latest incarnation is as the Jewish Robot, a maker of Jewish-themed videos and animations. And his latest work is a parody of the Obama Girl music video that’s still making headlines two months and 3.5 million views after it was first released.

Co-written by William and Brooklyn singer Michelle Citrin, filmed by William, and edited by the ever-grumbling A Brooklyn Lad, I’m proud to present Rosh Hashanah Girl. A great team effort. And a harbinger of many fun projects to come.

I passed this scene in Prospect Park yesterday evening and I couldn’t resist. There was something about the way both the kids and the parents matched. And the way you can easily imagine that this is the way dinner time at home might look. It was a beautiful evening for a picnic too.

My apologies for the lack of blogging lately. The painting period is over. Now, we’re into the unpacking period. You know the one: where you can find the printer, but you can’t find the power chord or the USB cable.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking that I could do with a holiday. It’s been a busy year what with working on a couple of books and moving house.

Coincidentally, Sofie is planning a business trip to Peru. So, I have decided to join her. We leave in a few days. Any recommendations for Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu would be greatly appreciated. I am going to have a lot of time to myself to explore while Sofie is at work.

Underhill Avenue and St Johns Place, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. (Google Map.)

Facebook can be a pain. But one of the highlights over the past few months has been the old photos that have popped up via friends. Hard to believe that lad in the baggy jumper in the background, sneaking a sly cigarette on Otley Chevin, is me.

I’m not one for keeping albums, but now I can see why people do it. I’d almost forgotten that this me, aged about 18, ever existed. Looking at the photo, I have a vague memory of the way he used to think. And I am amazed to consider how different his outlook was compared to the outlook I have now.

If you’d told baggy jumper boy that 13 years later he’d be writing this from an apartment in Brooklyn, New York, he’d have told you to bugger off. Then he would have jumped in his rusty green VW Polo (with a blue trunk) and asked if you could give the car a bit of a push.

Slowly but surely it’s coming together. Since the gas company arrived this morning I can boil an egg. We have no a/c and no screens on the windows so I’m getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. But at least the ceiling fans work.

Did I say we? I’m sorry. Sofie is visiting family in Denmark and holidaying with friends in the south of France. The poor girl. Missing out on all this fun in our lovely new apartment.

But I am not bitter. Oh no. I am reveling in life as a new homeowner. After the gas man showed me how to light the oven pilot light this morning he advised that if I smelled gas the best thing to do was to call the landlord. I just smiled. I am the landlord. And then wondered whether it was my clothes that made him think I was a tenant.

Life amid boxes isn’t much fun. But I have found the one side of the apartment where I can pick up free internet. With the help of Cablevision—and no thanks to Verizon—I may even have a working landline and internet access before the weekend is out.

But let’s not tempt fate. One thing at a time. For now, I’m just happy that I can check my email, stagger on with work and boil a kettle on the stove. Pretty soon the mosquitoes will run out of places to bite.

UPDATE (08/12): I didn’t know mosquitoes bit foreheads. But apparently they do.

It’s time for a short blog break. We bought our first apartment yesterday and the next week or so will be spent meeting work deadlines, packing, moving, unpacking, and trying to get reconnected to the world. We like our current neighborhood Prospect Heights so much, we’re only moving three blocks. More soon.