A NIGHT OFF ... OR NOT

I love my kids, I really do, but having a night off is a wonderful thing.  Why?  Because I can eat whatever and whenever I want without worrying about eating all the dinner before anyone else arrives home suffering from hunger pangs.  I throw a bunch of fresh veggies into a fry pan, add wine, teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, seasoning, and pre-cooked chicken.  I microwave a sweet potato for fun, pour a glass of wine, and set myself up at the head of the table.

The head of the table is usually the seat reserved for my son.  There is no particular significance to this seating arrangement except that it has the best view of the small kitchen television set.  I know some people think having a TV in the kitchen is sacrilege, but I grew up with a television in the kitchen.  We used to watch the news every morning with breakfast.  I hold fond memories of Don Kent fudging up the weather report and the constant commercial interruptions that claimed, "I'm Ernie Boch ... Come on down!" or sang the jingle for Manchester Coal and Oil.

Kids today don't know how good they have it when it comes to school cancellations, either.  We used to have to wait for cancellations to scroll across the bottom of the screen, and even God couldn't help you if you turned away at the wrong second and missed your part of the alphabet.  Nowadays, cancellations are scrolled, called in to cells, posted online, and often decided the night before, so today's kids don't even have to wake at the crack of dawn to see if they go to school or back to bed.

Of course, I still watch the news in the morning, but our evening kitchen television watching usually includes the Game Show Network or sports television.  Occasionally, I get my hands on the remote and we get to watch HGTV, although that channel is way-lame now that Scott McGillvray and "Income Property" have moved to a pay-cable station.

Dinner tonight goes with the Boston College vs. Quinnipiac Frozen Four NCAA hockey.  It's me, the telly, a fantastic hodgepodge stir-fry, and a quiet house.  It's a wonderfully serene night, to be sure, but, to be completely honest, I kind of miss having company at the table.  There's no laughing over stupid game show humor, no guessing which house the couples will choose, no barking back at sports analysts, and no one to cheer with when our team scores.

If only I could train my zucchini noodles to talk back, I might have an ideal meal.  Yup, a night off is a wonderful thing, but I'm looking forward to seeing my kiddos again soon.  Television can be an entertaining companion, but it's hard to poke fun of the programming without a flesh-and-bones sidekick at the table.