Cooking for one is blowjhinski. Tonight I stopped at CVS in Bronxville on my way home. Alane left a prescription there... In 2005. They'd already put it back into inventory, so I had to wait for them to refill it. Then I went to Food Emporium to get some basics, then to the wine shop to see if they had any Lusignian -- a dessert wine made in Armenia and bottled in Cyprus. Had some at Andre's on Saturday. It is not to be found in Bronxville. So I got the biggest bottle I could find of the cheapest vermouth on the shelf. And I lugged the whole load to Tuckahoe, one short mile away.

In the refrigerator was chicken that I'd packed last night in the mustard-flavored salad ddressing that was lousy on salad but great as a marinade. I pan-browned the chicken, parked it in the oven for a few minutes, then back to the stovetop to add some spinach leaves for the last minute. I put it all atop white rice from the rice-cooker. Not bad... But it sure makes a lot of commotion (and a lot of dirty dishes) when the only person eating is me.

Should this have gone onto Pugliese Table?

No matter. I'm sitting here now with a rum-and-coke (still trying to polish off the holiday spirits). One of those really annoying Ameriprise commercials is on the TV -- the commercials that pander to baby-boomer nostalgia. I despise baby boomers. And their 60s nonsense. I'm just about ready to pull my investments from Ameriprise. Because I hate their ad campaign. And because they won't insure our new house (maybe they're onto something -- even we are starting to wonder if this house is more of a death-trap than we wanted).

The rum is now gone. Bring on the cheap vermouth!