Thursday Thoughts

I'm not the best eater in the world. I'm one of those scary people who forgets to eat, will just stop eating because he's tired of doing it, and who will ignore his hunger until it goes away. It's not that I dislike food, it's just that the act of eating isn't a priority. I rarely "must-have" a food or am "feeling like" eating a particular flavor.

My refrigerator is a barren wasteland. There is little in the way of "real food" in there, and even the copious amounts of beverages that I normally stock are woefully inadequate at the moment. My cupboards are equally bare; I've got some dried pasta and a bunch of condiments, but not much more.

When you are one person, buying and storing food seems like a big hassle. Cheese and meats frequently go bad not because I don't want them, but because I can only eat so much over so long a period of time before they spoil. I have bought loaves of bread (the smallest ones I can find on the shelf) and wound up throwing more than half of it away-- once it's opened for that first PBJ, the damn clock is ticking.

Even bottled, canned, and dried foodstuff has gone bad on me before.

And I hate food shopping. The stores don't cater to people like me, they cater to mom's with big families and who need quick solutions on the go, go, go!

Actually, my local Albertson's used to have a section just for me-- I called it the single-guy's gourmet. Out of the 2000 or so square feet in this store, there was a little spot on the end of one of the floor refrigerators filled with pre-made meals that the store wanted to quickly sell through. So they packaged two breasts and some bread, or corn and fish, steak and rice, or some other combo in small, not more than two person-sized meals, with the spices and trimmings included, for cheap. Basically, just the right amount of meal, with just the right amount of effort needed to finish it.

I did much of my shopping there. I could get a steak, chicken, pork, and fish meal, enough for two servings each, usually, for relatively low prices. And all that was needed on my end was to fire up the grill or put it in the oven. Usually 20 minutes later I'm eating something good with little effort.

I sometimes feel like, if I could just get someone to come into my apartment, review my eating habits and dietary needs, and then go shopping and stock me up with everything I'm missing, I could then maintain it from that point. But I have no desire to make the initial effort. I actually don't mind cooking, and sometimes really enjoy it, but I just don't want to make the effort most days. Again, when you're cooking for one, why bother?

And now I'm heading back to the apartment, knowing that the cheese is close to going bad, that my loaf of bread is likely already on it's way to penicillin, and that any milk I do have is not something I want to reopen. Here's wishing someone develops The Jetson's full-course meal pills soon!