As I sit here at home, alone, watching the sun set out the front window for the umpteenth time, I am struck by the irony of my situation. My soon-to-be ex-wife and I are selling the house. Most everything is packed up, and most of that is in a storage garage, cluttered and inaccessible. Yet, I am happier with the house now than I have been in the past four years of owning it. It seems all of the reasons for selling the house, apart from the divorce, have become null and void. We used to hate the distance. While she hasn’t been home in months, I am spending every free night there…upwards of 5 nights a week. The yard used to be too big. While it hasn’t gotten any bigger or smaller, we decided to not mow the entire field, but rather to just mow the front and let the rear yard grow au natural. The interior of the house never quite suited our needs, lacking a fireplace and a dishwasher. I now find comfort in doing the dishes every night after having cooked myself a less-than-stellar meal, watching the natural “fireplace” as the sun sets behind the mountains. It all strikes me as odd. Perhaps it was all of the materialistic possessions that had made us feel uncomfortable…
I intend to test this theory at the new apartment, too. I will move the bare minimums in – furniture, pots and pans, toiletries. The required items. Then, I will slowly go through every box at the storage garage and only items I deem worthy of my new life will travel to the apartment. If it stays in the garage, it will be boxed and marked for future sale or gift. We’ll see how this suits life.
Some good has come from all of this mess, though. Having nothing else to do, I have been forced, arm behind back, to read more. (haha) Currently, I am about three-quarters of the way through Gordon Ramsay’s “Roasting in Hell’s Kitchen,” an autobiographical piece that relates, thus far, the toils of his youth to why he is the way he is now. While it’s not mind-blowing material, it does put an interesting twist on my view of him. I’ve seen the first two seasons of “Hell’s Kitchen” from TV, and at that point, I thought of him as some pompous bully in the kitchen, trying to prove he’s the best. Granted, I think he’s a fantastic cook – I’ve seen the reviews, I’ve watched him cook on television, and I will one day dine at one of his establishments. Having read most of the book, I now see that there is so much more behind him than just a hellish façade. A very interesting read for those that like to know the life outside of the restaurant.
Another fantastic read, as far as my lowly opinion is concerned, is the September 2008 issue of “Gourmet.” It’s a collector’s issue, focusing on Paris restaurants. Having been and longing to go back, this issue has become a laundry list of places to go, things to see, and menus to taste. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, I highly recommend ordering a back issue. I know it’s got me planning my next trip across the pond.
So for now, I sit here in loneliness, reading my foodie books and mags, and wondering what the future has in store for me…at least I have something constructive to keep me occupied.
