Shabbat basics

While I'm indulging Sabrina in ill-advised Diego watching (a consequence of my banged head and some thank-G_d-for-happy-pills-because-without-them-I'd-be-a-disaster minor depression), I figured I'd follow up on the kashrut primer with a Shabbat primer.

Shabbat lasts for 25 hours, from 18 minutes before the sun dips below the horizon on Friday night to the time when 3 medium sized stars would theoretically be visible in the sky if it weren't cloudy or the city on Saturday night.

During that time (with some more caveats that extend this time), there are 39 categories of "work" that aren't permitted to be done. I don't actually know all 39. But they include things like:
planting
building
sorting

My favorite prohibited work on Shabbat is winnowing. I have no idea what winnowing is, but I think it has to do with wheat. It's not really a part of my every day life!

As a practical matter, here are a number of things that ARE a part of day to day life that are prohibited on Shabbat:

• turning lights on and off
• driving
• using the computer
  
• writing
• using money
• cooking
• bathing
  

And here's one thing that people THINK are prohibited, but isn't:

• washing dishes

And then there are complicated issues:

• carrying things from one place to another (which includes pushing strollers)
• playing sports
• using the electronic keys that a lot of apartment buildings have

I like to view Shabbat as a kind of houseguest. You want to make sure your house is clean, that you are clean and wearing nice clothes, and that you have everything ready for her stay before she comes. You don't want to leave her while you run errands, check email, and the like. You want to be able to dedicate her entire visit to her. So you make nice meals that you prepare in advance, invite friends and family, and treat the day as something special.

I hope this is a good explanation; if I'm leaving things out, please ask more questions!