Roast Beef and RoboSapien

I am turning into a traditionist I fear. My winter cuisine is simple and hearty. The roast beef smells so good cooking in the kitchen. And it's so easy to do.

Here's the recipe:

1. Come back from shopping at Chestnut Hill Mall and fun lunch with my son, my sister and my nephew at Legal Seafoods (okay, we couldn't resist the calamari);

2. Plop down in tired heap with son on couch as he gets ready to do videogames when he should be doing some homework, which isn't really due tomorrow but is due Thursday and will kill us if we don't get started on;

3. Think, "Oh, no, there's nothing for dinner and I'm too tired to cook," feeling glum;

4. Remember I actually shopped and stocked the house! There is a great slab of roast beef and also a whole chicken to roast if I were in the mood;

5. Go with the beef;

6. At 5:45 put the roast beef in the oven -- roast it for an hour or so with baking potatoes next to it;

7. Nothing to it and leftovers mean roast beef sandwiches for lunch next week.

8. My kid plays with new RoboSapien my sister gave him. He loves it, I could live without the annoying thing that says OUCH when he bumps into things, like my feet as I sit at the computer.