Top Chef

Remember when you were a teenager and you used to daydream: "I wonder what I'll be doing in 10 (or 15 or 20) years?"

Well, I don't really remember what I thought I'd be doing at age 35, but I'm fairly certain it did not involve slaving over a hot stove cooking dinner for ... my dog. But Lucy has an upset stomach, so to help settle it, I made her a "bland meal" of white rice and chicken. (They sell these bland meals at the vet, too, but by the time I got home from work and saw that she was sick, my vet was already closed.)

I hate that she's feeling bad, and I didn't mind doing it. But as I was cutting up the chicken breast, I had time to put it all in perspective: I cooked dinner for my dog, but got something from the to-go deli at Kroger for myself.