Jars, will you have to go in later, or do you get the entire day off?

Nilly -- evil, and you have my commiseration. I hate computers, myself.

I'm trying to sort my wheat books from my chaff books -- and I have no chaff. Not in themore prevalent Buffista way -- just that I get rid of them so often, all I have is what I want, or what I must have (because a relative wrote it).

Maybe I'll throw out kitchen stuff. I'm moving. I have to throw something away.

I'm late to the Seder discussion too, but it seems to me it would be better to go through the different parts like the questions and the bitter herbs, maybe have something like matzo ball soup to stand in for dinner, finish and then say, "So that gives you some idea of what a seder is like. Now we're going to have pizza, which we wouldn't have at a real seder. Do you know why?"

(edited because my brain was in two threads at one time)

it seems to me it would be better to go through the different parts like the questions and the bitter herbs, maybe have something like matzo ball soup to stand in for dinner, finish and then say, "So that gives you some idea of what a seder is like. Now we're going to have pizza, which we wouldn't have at a real seder. Do you know why?"

I like this suggestion.(Though, she should have done some research before promising pizza to start with.) Or, they could have matzoh pizza -- I used to know a girl who lived on that during Passover, though it doesn't seem very dinner-ish.

As for TAR, so far I like the mother/son team, Rob and Amber, Uchenna and Joyce, and the gay guys. Was suprised the POW/beauty queen team didn't do better. Find the Barbie Twins and the dating couple with the guy in the bandanna annoying. I was mixed on the girls who won, because the blonde seemed to get really whiny really quickly during the llama challenge. But they are pretty and smart, so. The older couple and the rednecks both should have known that the race might involve running.

Also -- why didn't they have a detour on this leg?

I think matzoh pizza would be cool! Double extra diversity points if you explain that it's much like Armenian lavosh pizza, and get into a cross-cultural discussion about flatbreads in western Asia! No?

Okay, aiming a little high, there. Still, matzoh pizza has potential, and not just because it's a fun phrase to say.

matzoh pizza motzoh pizza motzoh pizza.

It is fun to say! Though less fun to spell.

Also -- why didn't they have a detour on this leg?

They had a detour, but no Roadblock. I think that the pair who came in first are going to irritate me.

Lotsa matzoh pizza.

On the TAR front, not bad, not too many people who are too annoying. I was very curious about the hick guys, who just coincidentally both spoke very good Portuguese -- are they from Hicksville, Brazil?? Can you talk like that and come from Fall River, MA? Alas, now we may never know, unless Mr. Jessica thinks to ask them. He is still doing loser interviews, right?

More TAR: I realized, looking at Rob, that he is always wearing his Red Sox cap. The race began probably in January of this year, so for the first time in his reality life, he is wearing the cap of a winning team. (Notably, it is still the same old plain "B" design, not anything that specifically says "World Series Champions", which was an ugly design anyway.)

Every year on TAR, there's at least one team that says "We may not be able to keep up physically, but dang it, we're smart!" And every year, they're wrong. There is a lot of running and climbing and walking in this game. It's a race, not a quiz show. Not that they should only cast young athletic people, but how is it that people don't realize the race is going to be physically demanding until they're in Peru?

I can't help it, I'm adoring Rob and Amber. They're so friggin' laid back, it's hysterical. I like the mothers/son team a lot too, but boy needs to get over his Rob/Amber issues NOW.

[eta: Nutty, I'm not sure -- sometimes they don't start the loser interviews until a few legs in, and I know they're not flying teams into NYC this year. He may get a phone interview today, but I won't know until later.]

On the TAR front, not bad, not too many people who are too annoying. I was very curious about the hick guys, who just coincidentally both spoke very good Portuguese -- are they from Hicksville, Brazil?? Can you talk like that and come from Fall River, MA?

There are one heck of a lot of people from Fall River who still speak Portugese at home, and there are two Portugese language channels on my cable system, so yeah, it's possible.

Jewish dietary question: My mother is putting together a "Seder" dinner, from what is, imo, a not very helpful book. I told her that as I actually know some Jewish people, I'd ask them. Er, you. Because her current plan is to serve "traditional" stuff, and then pizza afterwards.

DebetEsse, I read your quandry with your mom, over her Seder + Pizza. I'd have the exact same reaction you are having. That said, do you know how the event is being described? Do you know--are the kids supposed to be partaking in a Seder, or are they just seeing a demonstration?

I have no control over the actual serving of the meal. I suspect that there will be a good bit of "what this means to us as Christians"-ing. I only have influence over food.

I think, what it means to Christians is that it was Jesus' last meal.

In part. From a Christian perspective, his last supper marks the establishment of communion, and the Christ is seen as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, a covering, the way the lamb's blood protected the Hebrews from the last plague. People also take trinitarian symbolism from the 3 Matzoh in the one bag, and find a type of Christ in the afikoman, which is wrapped, hidden, and later found, and also in the meaning of each of the cups of wine.

They were promised pizza in the flyer, which Mom is not willing to reneg on. I really did try.

If it's just basically a class about it all, and then pizza following, well, what Ginger said--a clear, "And if we were truly observing Passover, we would never have pizza, because of the leven, and dairy," etc. Your mom should strongly suggest that to the person running the event. Are they having it on Maundy Thursday, or is it closer?

I'm sorry. I know you have no control over your mother, who doesn't have total control over this event. Whatever happens, you know you tried your best.