8 March 2005 (Tuesday)
exercise in futility
If you're as anal as I am when it comes to menu-planning, it is generally a bad idea to invite people for Shabbat lunch over email, because they never write back, and you can't really call them until forty-eight hours have elapsed from the initial email. At this point, we're looking at a meal of as few as three people or as many as eleven...
(I hope Alisha likes leftovers.)
You know I LOVE leftovers, especially the interesting things that you make. But remember I won't be there all that much...
Yes, hence my hope that you like "leftovers" and not, say, "what I'm serving at lunch." I mean, there could be overlap, but it's not the same...
I'm not sure it's any worse than calling. You call, leave a message, but don't get a call back the same day. You won't call again immediately, will you?
Aha! But when I call, I also have the option of hanging up on the machine or leaving a vague message asking them to call back (without specifying that it's a meal invitation). That way, I can make plans (i.e. invite other people) assuming this person is not coming, without running the risk of overbooking the table.
I wrote back, and then you streamlined my reply.
Yes, Ari, thank you. You were #4. To be perfectly fair, I should say that we're now at seven (the number includes me and J) with no outstanding invitations.
Lish, I'll set aside a slice of pumpkin bread and a date bar just for you.
That's a good point. Maybe I should start doing that too.
