Two odd phone calls

[gnomi]

Last night seemed to be the Night of Odd Calls.

First, at around 8:30 PM, the phone rang. It was my Ima, which wouldn't be so odd, except that Ima and Abba (hereinafter lc/lc) are in Jerusalem right now, so 8:30 PM our time is 3:30 AM their time. This is not a usual "Ima and Abba make phone calls" time. We had the following conversation:

Me: Uh... Isn't it 3:30 AM?

Her: Yes, but I woke up, and I figured I'd call to make sure you got home OK.

Me: I said when I talked to you earlier [lc/lc had called me at 3:30 PM my time, just as I was leaving the office due to inclement weather and nasty travel conditions] that I'd drop you e-mail. And I did.

Her: Yeah, but it'll be a good six hours before we read e-mail, and we figured you'd be around.

Me: That's very nice. Go back to sleep.


Then, about ten minutes later, the phone rang again. This time it was Mr. Cohen, our landlord.

Him: How's the new stove?

Me: It's wonderful, what I've used it for so far.

Him: You haven't used it much?

Me: Well, the stove came on Wednesday last week, and we were away for Shabbat, and we're going to be away this Shabbat and next Shabbat, so I really haven't been doing much cooking [also, I didn't say, we're still eating the food people so kindly brought us]. But I've used it to heat stuff up, and it works beautifully.

Him: You haven't been cooking for Shabbat. Do you make Chul?

Me: Chul? Like cholent? I make cholent.

Him: Yes, cholent. You have the oven at what, 225?

Me: Actually, I usually make it in my electric crock pot.

Him: (horrified) Electric??!?

Me: Mm, yes. I put the meat, potatoes, beans, water in the crock pot, turn it to low, and it's ready for lunch.

Him: What time do you usually eat lunch on Shabbat?

Me: Uh... Noonish?

Him: OK, so. You put it in the oven before Shabbat starts, and it'll be fine at lunch time.

Me: And the meat doesn't get all weird?

Him: I do the meat first. Before it goes in the oven.

Me: Oh, so you brown it first? I learned cholent-making from my mother, and she never has time before Shabbat to brown the meat, so she tosses it in un-browned.

Him: It seals in the juices; the meat is very good that way. Do you put an egg in yours?

Me: Not usually. Though we have friends who do. Kishke, too.

Him: Mm, yes. I put egg, but not kishke.

Me: I should try an egg next time.

Him: OK, so all is good?

Me: Yes... [pause] Did you call for anything else, or just to check on the oven?

Him: No, just to check on the oven.

We hung up soon thereafter, and mabfan and I had a good giggle about our landlord giving cooking tips.

Comments

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

i think it's cool that he's relating to you in a context other than "where's the rent money?" my last landlord's (well OK, the live-in super 'cuz our actual landlord didn't interact with us at all ever.) idea of relating to his tenants was his repeatedly trying to date them. ;)

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

He's an interesting guy, our landlord. He's Israeli, and to some extent he's preferred to interact with Michael over interacting with me, but recently he's been more willing to deal directly with me.

He had a tragic death in his wife's family last summer, so he and his wife went back to Israel to help out the family. While there, he was called up for miluim, the Army reserves. So what was supposed to be a 2-month trip became a 4-month trip (and, mind you, Mr. Cohen has to be in his 50s, so he's technically beyond the age they usually call for miluim).

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

I love cholent. When I converted I was surprised to discover I'd been making a vegetarian version for years, all the while thinking it was just my mish-mash slow-cooker stew.

[malkaesther.livejournal.com]

Cute conversations. Love the tips from the landlord.

[tikvah.livejournal.com]

Mmmm. Cholent.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

At least they were positive odd phone calls...