"It's almost like the places themselves are no longer experienced for what they are, but are reduced to their status as photo opportunities." Do you find that when you take photos in a social setting, a family gathering for example, that focusing on the visual situation reduces your own involvement in the social side?

Can anyone recommend a good book of Klein's work? [I would get the Rome box set from Aperture. --Mike]

Since you're not excited about the cooking process itself, have you tried using a slow cooker? I have a 5.7 litre which makes enough food for six or seven meals. Having stew six meals in a row can be boring, but that doesn't seem to be an issue in your case. The recipes are generally very simple (put ingredients in crockpot, cook on high/low for X hours). An added bonus is that it cooks the awkward, but cheap and nutritious cuts of meat very well.