Heading down to New York for a boozey Passover.

And by "New York", I really mean Ithaca (upstate New York). Whenever we venture south to go and visit my brother and his wife, I tell people, "yeah, we're going to New York for the weekend" (which is totally dumb, because I immediately have to clarify that no, I don't actually mean New York city...making me look even less cool than if I had just said "we're going to Ithaca for the weekend"). I guess I always figure that people won't know where Ithaca is, but the smart ones do. I think maybe that should be my litmus test for whether or not people are worth talking to...a thought.

Another clarification, I am not in fact Jewish (not that there would be anything wrong with that if I was, just that I am not). As I was leaving the xbi yesterday, I told the big kahuna "yeah, I'm going to New York (see, I did it again) for Passover" and he looked at me, trying to figure out the most tactful way to say what he was thinking which was "oh, I didn't know you were Jewish". Jokingly I said, "did my blonde hair and green eyes throw you off?" (or maybe it was the Christmas cookies I made this year). He has a point though...I don't know that many Jewish people who look like me.

I grew up celebrating both Christian and Jewish holidays. Made for interesting times around Hanukkah/Christmas and Passover/Easter when my step-siblings would come visit for the weekend. I remember that for a few years I scored a lot of presents (double dipping on the holidays) and something about kosher Easter baskets. Also, my mom (also not Jewish) makes a better Passover than any Jew I have ever met. Seriously, her brisket rocks.

So, off we go down to Ithaca for a boozey Passover. I say "boozey" because apparently my brother's Passover ritual involves taking extended drinking breaks whenever he sees his guests' eyes start to glaze over. I'm hoping this helps Scott enjoy the experience (especially because tomorrow is his 30th birthday!). I've done my share of full length sedars and they can be as long as 3.5 hours if you read cover to cover. We'll be back on Sunday, I'll let you know how it went.