The little luxuries

So I FINALLY updated my sidebar with this week's menu (with actual DATES so it doesn't look like I feed my family the EXACT same meals week after week when in reality, I just forget to update my sidebar!).  More on that subject can be found over at the Naked Ledger, where I discuss the time value of cooking from scratch. 

In that post I linked to pictures of my current kitchen and what it looked like back when we were living in that dumpy apartment in Mountain View and now I'm reminiscing about how far we've come in such a short period of time.  Seriously, y'all, I used to be close enough to Highway 101 that we could hit cars with a rock if we threw hard enough.  And the noise?!  I will never EVER live that close to a freeway ever again, seriously, even if it means I have to live in a barn. 

It feels like I've written this all before, but some things I will never take for granted are:

• Pulling into my attached garage instead of having to schlep two kids, our groceries and everything else from the street to the front door in the rain.
• Ice dispenser in the door of the fridge.  This will never EVER get old.
• Paying the same mortgage for two and a half times the space and knowing that our rate will never adjust (We bought our condo with a 3 year ARM at 3.45%!).
• Having a yard.  I'll never forget sending the kids outside to play on that old ten square foot slab of concrete we used to call the "back yard".
• Not sharing walls with neighbors.  (Ten years, people!  It took TEN YEARS for us to own our WALLS).
• No state income tax.
• The happiness of knowing I never have to move again!

What are your favorite "luxuries"?  What can you not live without?

Comments

[Ali]

Ditto for parking in the garage with kids. A dishwasher. Indoor laundry room that so I don't have to wear a jacket to do laundry in the winter anymore. Ceiling fans in all the bedrooms for those hot summer nights. Finally having a house big enough to host parties.

[Elizabeth]

We're in an apartment in Mountain View. It's not too bad, but I would love to own a place (especially if we decide to have another kid). Unfortunately, the housing prices here are ridiculous (as you well know). But we are near a job my husband loves and relatively near our families.

My main requirement when we moved here was that the kitchen be big enough that if I were pregnant my husband could still walk past me in it (that wasn't possible in our old place!), and our own washer/dryer. The fact that we are close enough to my husband's office that he can bike to work in less time than it would take him to drive there is something I really don't want to give up. That means he gets plenty of time at home with us, plus we can keep to just one (totally paid for) car.

[Nancy R]

I don't do twitter, so I'm commenting on your last two.

Maybe whatever is wrong with her husband is emotional for her and she can't talk about it without crying.

[Kendall's Mom]

Have I ever told you about how we lived in a "cabin" without electricity or running water or indoor plumbing for TWO YEARS when I was growing up? We went to a campground once a week to take showers in the coin operated stalls. (Basically one notch above homeless...) I had to share a stall with my sister and we each got "two dimes" worth of hot water. And little frogs would jump in there. (!!) I will always say a little "thank you" when I turn on the faucet IN my home and nice, warm water comes out. Ditto for not having to go outside to "go." Does this help explain why my fugly linolieum doesn't bother me?? ;-)

[seeeeeeestor]

- Living 7 minutes from work instead of 50 (on a good day).
- Living 20 minutes from boston instead of 90.
- Having nice counter tops that arent painted.
- Cable television with DVR
- Garbage disposal in the sink (I dont know how i managed before)
- not sharing my floors/ceilings so i can clomp around whenever i want and not have anyone clomping on me

It would be nice to one day own my own walls and backyard. someday...

[Rhi]

Not having sales tax is pretty fantastic - but the income tax thing sucks.

Other than that - I'd have to say gym membership, and my beloved iPhone. Also, DVR - I've just reconnected my cable for the first time in a year. What on earth did I do with my time before?

[Brandy]

Here are a few of mine:

- Having my family close by
- Having a yard - when we lived in our condo in Alameda, we had to take the dog (when she was a little puppy) down a long hall, down 4 flights in the elevator (if it was running), out a long breezeway, out of our secure building, down the street and around the corner to the grass area. This was scary for me when it was late at night and Wayne was out of town. LOVE having a yard!
- No state income tax
- Having a mortgage that is half of what we used to have for a house and yard twice the size.
- Parking both cars in the garage - especially in the winter time
- Having a laundry room in the house - my whole life w/my parents we had to haul the laundry out the back yard, down the side of the house to the garage.
- That Wayne still has a job for today anyway... :)

[jessica fantastica]

A washer and dryer...and a dishwasher.

[grammice]

Flushing toilets!!! when I was little we would visit my g-mom in the hills of PA. and even though they had electricity and phones the potty was just off the basement just out the backdoor...an outhouse! We would walk down those dark basement steps, through the "spooky" basement and out the door to the potty.

[Tina]

I've been thinking about this post on and off for a few days. I'm not thrilled with the tiny 50's ranchhouse we're in right now, and find myself looking with longing at other houses. Yet my son is helping me thankful for the house we have--we have lots of large beautiful trees on our lot and with fall coming we've enjoyed the trees changing colors. He'll comment on how much he loves them and how he loves the house. And one thing I cannot do without is the fenced in yard. This year the kids are old enough to send outside without me and let them play and play. I love it--and get SO much more done!