On Timing – A Review

A lot to life is timing.

I’m reminded of that as I set my smoke alarm off for the fourth time while I baste a chicken cutlet that I didn’t bother to pound flat.

“Sorry!” I call out to my potentially imaginary roommates as I eye the clock. I have no knowledge of how long one cooks a full chicken breast in a pan. I usually dice mine or cut it into strips while its still raw. But today? Well, I was a bit lazy.

My mind had been flooded with the same things that caused me to just write last Friday. I’m dealing with changes at work, unclear tidings at home, and a slew of anxiety.

Like I said. A lot to life is timing.

I’m sure I could have solved these issues earlier, and I’m sure I don’t have to deal with them now. But for whatev-

The microwave starts beeping at me. Letting me know I need to check on the carrots. I had set the timer for a pessimistic 10 minutes. I need them al dente for when I stir fry them later.

I open the lid and stick a fork in the twirling mess of orange. I snag one and have to press hard to push through. “Nope,” I say or maybe just think, as I put the lid back on.

I decide that now is the time to flip the chicken for no real reason, and then I baste the side that was literally just sitting in the pan sauce I prepared.

A lot of life for me has been improv as of late. Which is fine, normal even. But I had even brought this to the kitchen. I had guessed on what it took to make a sauce into a glaze, and somehow managed to get it right. In the process I splattered oil and sriracha all over my pants, tie, and hoodie, but that’s my fault for cooking in my work clothes.

Turning myself back to waiting I circle half clockwise and look for a while at a knife that I had incidentally balanced on the edge of a cupboard and a cutting board.

I’m reminded that I don’t often make great decisions when I’m overwhelmed. And experimenting with 3 different foodthings at once was probably a bad decision.

But about 15 minutes later I walk back that idea.

See. I am deep in the Dunning-Kreuger effect when it comes to cooking. And by deep, I mean quite early. So, forgive the rare flash of unironic pride I’m about to exhibit here.

That chicken was pretty dang delicious. Perfectly cooked, if you ask me.

I lazily store my leftovers, clean my dishes, and put away the spices and oil. I rebalance the knife, safely this time, and go back to my room. It’s then that I realize its Tuesday. And that I’m behind on just about everything I can be.

And the issues from before the beeping started to come back. And I think about the knife doing its best balancing act on the cutting board. And I realize its time for me to do this same.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!