Oatmeal and the Opera

It's good to be back. Since I made the pot of lentil soup in June, a lot has happened. Rather than bore you with the gory details, emotional rollercoasters, triumphs, failures and changes, I will instead share with you what I had for breakfast this morning: oatmeal.

Attention recessionistas and recess-hommes: just because you're broke doesn't mean you have to live cheap.

Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Quick oats

1/2 small apple

honey

cinnamon

a tiny piece of butter

salt (optional)

Boil 1 cup water with a dash of salt in a saucepan for the oatmeal. While the water comes to a boil, cut up half an apple (leaving skin on) into roughly 1-centimeter cubes. Heat up your tiny piece of butter in a tiny skillet and throw in the apples. By this point your water has probably come to a boil - stir in the oatmeal and turn the heat down to a simmer. Stir the apples and oatmeal occasionally. When the oatmeal is done to your liking, spoon it into your favorite breakfast cereal bowl, ladle on the apples, drizzle desired amount of honey, sprinkle cinnamon, dash salt. Serve with coffee.

I went to the opera last night.

After getting cut off for rush tickets twice last season to see stage director Robert Lepage's production of Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust at the Metropolitan Opera (I cried outside the opera house the second time), I tried my luck again and managed to get a student ticket for $27.50 (think of it as being not only twice as long than, but twice more exciting than a movie).

A rear of the rear orchestra ticket in hand (nobody puts baby in a corner), I loitered in the aisle as the house lights dimmed and scurried way up to an empty premium seat. I gave a little nod to my $300-paying neighbor and proceeded to love every minute.

Going to the opera alone is so romantically melancholy. I suppose that is where you find me now, six months after lentil soup.