Palm Springs, week two, night four.
I’m not complaining. It’s spectacular here. And there’s the weather, itself spectacular. Afternoon highs have been in the mid-70s under relentless sunshine.
Trouble is I’m ill suited for the bachelor life.
I’m living in a hotel with a fridge. Helaine sent me with vittles for the first two days. Beyond that, on my own.
You probably didn’t know me as a bachelor. That was nearly forty pounds ago! I didn’t keep my kitchen stocked. My skills haven’t improved with time.
I’ve already hit Von’s and Whole Foods. Tonight it was Trader Joe’s turn.
I was no more than fifteen feet inside the store before I pulled out my phone and called Helaine.
“Help!”
I described what was on the shelves before me. “You’re in the wrong place,” she said before steering me to a refrigerated case of prepared foods.
My dinner was Fusilli with Vegetables and Basil Pesto. Five minutes under intense nuclear power and it was ready to eat. Actually, it was pretty good and reasonably healthy.
My side dish was a Caesar Salad… or more accurately, a Caesar Salad kit! The croutons, Parmesan and dressing were in individual hermetically sealed pouches.
Hunger abated! Still, there’s one more night before I return to Irvine. I’ll have to do this again tomorrow.
I’m “bach-ing” it next week too. My home studio isn’t complete. There’s gear still to come. A Bachelor Geoff encore!
I am helpless and hopeless. In other words, a guy.
Oh Geoff, being able to cook is a vital survival skill….you’re in deep trouble from what you describe…
That said, all the males in my household are excellent cooks, as is my wife. The only holdout is my daughter, who bakes many things, but microwaves everything else…college student, what can I say.
I learned to cook in self-defense, as did my brother—mom was not an inspiring cook, to put it mildly…
My joke is that the Navy had a better variety of meals than my mom, and the Navy menu plan repeats every 6 weeks…
Daughter is working on it, the boys, including me, are all gourmet cooks and bakers after our years in Boy Scouts, etc. Besides, if you cook, you don’t have to was the dishes on camp-outs–thats been policy for years…
I’m with KE4GNK! Men who can’t cook is such an old-school, Baby Boomer mentality. I cook 4-5 nights a week, alongside my wife or solo. Braising, baking, roasting, grilling, sauteing – you name it, I’ll do it. If I don’t know how? That’s what the Internet is for!
Once again, Geoff, I feel your pain!