I'm Too Old For This!

I had a great weekend. Friday night I sat out on the patio at Wild Wings and got to know Muse. She is a riot! Muse is quite the hashing ambassador. We might become hashers someday! I hope that she will have us down to her stompin' ground sometime. She came a long way to party with us and it was greatly appreciated. But it was a late night, 3:00 AM and I'm just getting too old for this! A woman my age is supposed to go to bed to prevent wrinkles or some stupid shit like that.

Then Saturday I slept by the pool to get some sun and get ready for the next round - Saturday night. I went to a house warming party. Great food and drink, DJ and dancing. Ran into a former co-worker who got fired for drug use. He asked me out and I politely declined. He then got in a snit when I refused. Oh yeah. That's going to make me want to go out with him.... Nonetheless, he kept trying to persuade me to go out with him. He'd get close to my ear to whisper and I just know that he was spitting in my hair as he was trying to talk. Yuk. I'd make my escape from him only to have him turn up at my side yet again. He was so persistent that I finally told him that since my divorce 2 years ago, I've been exploring my attraction to women. This actually is not true. I've not a problem with that, I've just never been attracted to women. But I digress.... The good part was that I did connect with a man there that I'd met before at other gatherings and he asked me out. I have no expectations but it just occurred to me that in 2 years, I've not met a man interesting enough to want to bother with. This man is interesting. Again... I digress.... But there it was again, 3:00 AM. Yesterday I slept until 11:30 so I'm hoping that will counteract the wrinkling process somewhat.

So for all of the whining, I must say that I had a great time this weekend wrinkles or not!

A Single Girl's Refrigerator

The other day I opened the refrigerator and the stench about knocked me over. Good God, I thought, What crawled in here and died?!? It was just a head of broccoli waaaaay in the back. I can't say how many weeks it had been in there nor can I tell you what month or for what occassion it was purchased. I'm single. I don't cook. What in the name of all that is holy, was broccoli doing in my refrigerator? But then there was the left over Chinese and a few other take home cartons that hadn't been touched. The stench shouldn't have been a surprise.

In the past couple years, I eat the way I understand the Europeans eat. Their big meal is at midday. Typically I'll eat a huge lunch and in the evening have soup or cheese and crackers or even just a bowl of cereal. Red wine is usually a staple during those evening repasts as well. Since I've adopted that habit I feel better and have lost weight without trying. It works for me.

With that said, what in the hell is brocolli doing in my refrigerator? It must have been one of those inspired moments when I was going to eat healthy. You know, steam up some broccoli with a bit of garlic in the evening instead of the cheese and crackers. Or I was going to cook for someone and couldn't decide what to serve and just bought everything. Then there was the bag of salad that must have come from the same inspiration that was blown up like a balloon from the gasses of the decomposing greens. Hmmm. Compost in the vegetable drawer.... We won't even talk about the apples that had shriveled to a third their original size.

A couple times this week, one of my young, single neighbors called me to ask what was for dinner. What ever gave this young man the impression that I cooked on a regular basis? I cooked for him and some other guests on Memorial Day weekend. I made ribs. They were good but nothing stellar. This is a hungry young man. He'd eat anything. Probably even the brocolli and the decomposing salad. His momma is in Florida. I suggest if he wants something to eat, he needs to go visit her.

There was a time when I was a good cook but the single life doesn't encourage cooking, so I'm not certain where my skills are at this point. Genetically, I'm predisposed to cooking comfort food for people. I'm not sure when or how I lost this skill or desire. It's one that I miss somewhat. I think that I know too many people who aren't as casual about it and I've lost confidence. I have friends that set a beautiful table and the food is presented elegantly. As I said, comfort food is my game. I used to cook it with love and passion, throw it on the table with some plates and silverware and tell folks to dig in. Now I feel like it's not good enough because I'm not savvy about the presentation. I hate Martha Stewart.