Pesach Redux

Monday night 11:30 pm:

The on-board computer on our brand new oven blows. Wife hysterical. Pesach starts Wed pm.

Wednesday 7:30 am:

Coming back from the siyum at shul, find one child projectile vomiting on wife in bathroom. Another two lying listlessly on couch. Soon, two more are vomiting. Call to cancel with guests for seder. However, oven is fixed due to wife breaking down in tears on the phone to the store previous day.

Wednesday 5 pm:

Children experience miraculous recovery. At least parents are back on for seder.

Thursday 2 pm:

Daughter wakes up from nap with 104 fever. No other symptoms. Fever goes away by nightime, however, at this point we've cancelled Friday lunch at friends'.

Thursday 7:40 pm:

Twelve minutes between mincha and maariv. As I am about to start chit-chatting, the guy in front of me says, "Would you like to learn with me for 12 minutes? I just got a new book and it's really great." I am cornered. The new book seems to be some type of illustrated Mishna on the Passover sacrifices. I now know that it took three people to slaughter the lamb - one to hold it, one to slaughter it and one to hold the vessel to collect the blood to sprinkle on the altar. Money quote - "See how he is holding the knife away from the wound? If any blood from the knife drips into the vessel, it renders the sacrifice invalid." The guy is a doctor too.

Friday/Saturday:

Great weather in Chicago. No further disasters to report.

Executive summary:

Potential for horrible chag - all disasters miraculously averted.