Post-Pesach Random Thought Roundup

1. I made a deal with OYS. He has a problem with my leaving not-completely-finished cups of coffee in his car. He doesn't like the smell. I told him that if agrees to launder his hockey jersey (which has not been washed once during his two seasons on varsity and smelss up the entire second floor of our house), I would agree to refrain from leaving cups of coffee in his car.

2. OOS called from Yerushalayim on Acharon shel Pesach to rub it in. He left a message on our phone that 1he and HHW were eating both pizza and falafel (Shalom's falafel, at that) at the same time. I guess we deserve it.

3. The thing that I missed most during Pesach was my morning coffee. There just isn't anything like Flavia Sumatro to get your engine fired.

4. For some reason, I ran out of gas after the seventh day of yom tov. I think a lot has to do with how busy I am at work and how intense it is. I was on the phone and blackberry on both Friday and Sunday until right before candle lighting!

5. I decided that we are going to move up our aliyah plans to three years from now. OYD will be starting seminary in Israel and OYS will be a senior at YU (or wherever he ends up) but I will be commuting to the US each week so I will be around for him. The Toddler will be 5 and just starting Kindergarten; a perfect time to move. Of course, MHW pointed out the scores of practical reasons why it isn't so simple. (Why do people always have to be so practical?). I figure I have more than two years to simplify the complex.

6. I have become the "go-to" baal tefilah my shul in certain circumstances. Like whenever there is a particularly slow baal Shaachris or on Shabbos Chol Hamoed when say Hallel and Shir Hashirim. I can always be counted on to daven nicely but very quickly. I did not disappoint this past Shabbos. (I also know how to switch nuschaos between yom tov and Shabbos; a lost art that only a handful of baalei tefilah can manage these days. This was something about which my father, z'l, was very makpid; he drilled it into me and my older brother).

7. In contrast, one of the baalei musaf took over 35 minutes to complete musaf and we didn't get out until 11:40 (after starting at 8:30). This led me to propose a by-law amendment; if musaf starts after 11 a.m. on any Shabbos, only I and two other similarly fast baalei tefilah can daven for the amud.