Fried a pork chop last night. It came out just right. Golden brown with crispy fat. No pink inside. That’s a first. I won’t bore you with the details, except one. I fried it the same amount of time on each side. Well, I tried to. I think the grease wasn’t hot enough on the first side, so it got a bit more time after the second side was done. Then I plated it with some broccoli and homemade applesauce that was left over from a previous meal.

Cooking for one is an interesting proposition. It requires almost the same amount of effort as cooking for two or a dozen. But I’ve got to eat, and I do like a rounded meal. And last night was good. Now that I’ve got the fried pork chop down, I suspect I’ll have that a time or two more before I get tired of it. But it’s nice to have it in my arsenal. And speaking of an arsenal, I should probably start doing some menu planning. I’ve been a little remiss in that regard. I tend to try to figure it out when I get hungry. Probably less than a stellar idea.

Anyway, that’s it for today. After breakfast I’m heading out to help a friend get ready for an event he’s having this afternoon. It will most likely be a long but rewarding day because there will be friends and music involved and that’s always fun. I’ll get to tote stuff, move things around, string wires, and maybe help do a semi-sound check before the band gets there, just to make sure things are working. Look ma, I’m a rock star. Who is learning how to cook for one and doing a mostly fine job of it.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver's Tale