Modern Amenities

I remember sometime in the foggy, distant past, being told the following anecdote:

A young, newlywed woman is visiting her aged grandmother, and extolling the virtues of her all-new, all-shiny home. The kitchen is her favorite part, what with the laundry area right there so she doesn't have to haul clothes to the basement, the super-quiet dishwasher with in-unit food grinder and disposal, the side-by-side fridge and freezer, with ice and water dispenser in the front of the door, the gas range top that has a water faucet for filling large pots, the water filtration system in the sink faucet...you get the idea. It was nice. After listening to her rave and praise, the elderly grandmother stops her and asks, "So, dear, which modern convenience is your favorite?"

The granddaughter stops, thinks for a moment, and says, "I suppose it's the dishwasher. I really hate having to rinse all the food off before I load the dishwasher, and this new model means I don't have to."

The grandmother laughs fondly. "That's funny," she says. "I would have picked running water every time."

So, it's a perspective thing.

This week, my favorite modern amenity is the electric dryer. Because I love warm, soft, lint-free clothing. And because my dryer is not working. Mark has already fixed it once this month. I'm afraid it's on it's way out. I mean, I have a clothes line, but it's like, 12 degrees outside. And frozen stiff is not the fashion look we're going for.

I shake my fist at the gods of warranties.