“Après moi le déluge”

(.... alternately entitled, "Hey, this gravy wasn't this watery when we brought it down to the succah....")

How does one wrap up three awesomely amazing days in one blog post?

It's not that I don't know where to begin. That is easy.

Erev Yom Tov dawned oppressively humid, with conflicting weather reports. Depending on which source one trusted for their up to the minute forecasts, there was between a 30% and a 60% chance of heavy downpours sometime between 6 pm and 3 am. But, I'm an optimist......

I had our family's table set in the Kehilla's Communal "Shlep" Succah (adjacent to the Kehilla's Catered Succah) with our nicest linen and lined with three small vases of fall inspired flowers and berries. Silverware gleamed and goblets shone. Everything looked perfect except for the weather. It was positively ominous. We nevertheless sat down to kiddush, challah and a lovely appetizer course of potato knishes in mushroom sauce. Just as we were soaking up the last of the gravy with our challah, the rains hit. AND THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!! As the deluge sluiced through the schach, turning starched white shirts translucent (start focusing your mental pictures here folks... it was Yom Tov.... I couldn't record the action), Joey had a brilliant idea. Just a few feet away from where our succah stood, there was the safe haven of the school's covered playground.

Picture this:

Joey at one end of the finely set table. Avram at the other. Like an ancient warrior with a battering ram, Joey decided to charge full force with the fully set table out of the succah and into the (relative) dryness of the playground - - - only to come to a screeching halt {insert screech sound along with heavy, HEAVY rainfall sounds here} at the door of the succah, which was unfortunately a few inches too narrow to accommodate his would have been brilliant plan.

Time for some quick thinking.... (it was POURING, remember). A speedy un-setting of the table so it could be rushed out on its side and several mad dashes back and forth to retrieve glasses, plates, napkins, silverware and vases and we were happily enjoying our soup as the non-stop lightening provided a "dinner and a show" atmosphere. Oh, and since the patrons of the Catered Succah also relocated to the covered playground, we got their d'var torah free of charge ;) . An added bonus was that along with the torrents came a hint of a breeze. Of course there was a bit of fun when re-setting the table, trying to figure out whose glass was whose by their drink of choice (and how much alcohol could be sniffed in the glasses....).

Some of my favorite quotes of the evening, by other patrons of the Kehilla Succahs:

• The minute we resettled, Brunhilda's father (who was eating catered) made a mad dash over to me to bemoan the fact that it was Yom Tov and I couldn't record/photograph the high drama for the blogosphere.
• The smiling caterer for the Kehilla's Catered Succah - "I love when it rains.... then I know that I'll definitely have enough soup!"
• CK, being dogged by AR, who had not yet made kiddush before the excitement hit and was asking her advice as to what he should do next - "I'm not a Rabbi. I'm a Mommy!"

It should be noted here that our Rav made a special trip out in the rain to our location to make sure that everyone was managing, and to answer any sha'alohs that might have arisen for those who had not yet started their meal.

After all that, the rest of Yom Tov was rather pedestrian.

We had better weather (i.e. no rain), though it was still oppressively hot (stay tuned for an upcoming "Succah Hop" post featuring how Perlsand's succah is uniquely suited for warmer climates).

We had wonderful guests, both old friends and new (our community is located right near a major medical center so Yomim Tovim often find us with last minute guests with family members unexpectedly in the hospital) and the meals were delicious. Joey was a bit perturbed that he was banned from finishing the marzipan brownies for shalosh seudos because I hadn't yet photographed them for the blog....... ah.... the sacrifices we make.......

Now we rest our overstimulated bellies and prepare for the invasion of "last days" Yom Tov - the final installment in the trio of Three Day Yomim Tovim that we've had the pleasure to experience this year. Michael, Chana and Eliezer will be joining us, along with Moshe, Erica, Kayla and Tzipora and a few other assorted guests. Now if I can only get my hands on a third Pack 'n Play.......