For all the years we lived in the old house, there was no counter-space for a toaster. So when I wanted toast (which was a few times a week), I would slap that bread beneath the oven’s broiler. I didn’t give it much thought and it became toast m.o.
Cut to living here, in the hotel, and there is counter-space for a toaster. (I don’t know how to explain it, especially since the kitchen is smaller. But there you go.) So I pulled out our old toaster, dusted her off and plugged her in. Now when I want toast (which is still a few times a week), I make toast like a gal-danged regular person.
Here’s the thing: I forgot how good toast can be. Using a broiler is fine, but it doesn’t soften the interior of the bread the way a toaster does. And since I usually eat toast made from sourdough english muffins, that interior softness is important! And lovely.
Since I somehow forgot how good toast can be during my tenure at the old house, I’m now wondering what else I’ve forgotten. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far…
- An appreciation for windows and doors that actually close, with no visible gaps. The old house was dusty all the time, and I thought it was due to my sorry house-keeping skills. Nope. Turns out that dust just kept creeping in all those old cracks. In contrast, the hotel seems dust-free. (I know it isn’t. It just seems that way.)
- How little stuff we actually need. Somewhere in the desert, there’s a POD with my name on it. And that thing is packed to the gills. But here at the hotel, well, it’s packed to the gills, too. But not overly so. And the truth is, I kept out enough stuff to see us through our time here. You know what? We have plenty of stuff. When the time comes to unload that POD, we may end up purging even more. We’ll see.
- How wonderful having an awesome local can be. The old house had a bar down the street, and sometimes Mister and I would walk there. But it just seemed to always underwhelm. Know what I mean? It should have been cool. It just wasn’t. Now we have a few awesome bars within walking distance, and that, friends, is cool. Not only is it fun to go to one’s local and have a nice time, it’s also fun/responsible/right/cool to walk home and not endanger the lives of others! Seriously!
- The privilege of having a dishwasher. Um, yes. We didn’t have a dishwasher for so long, I barely remembered how to use it. But use it, I did. I am now in love with it.
- The usefulness of double ovens! No, I haven’t fired up both ovens here in the hotel’s kitchen. But having the option is just amazing. Cooking at the old house often found me working out advanced mathematical calculations, all in the hopes of figuring out how to cook this and that (and sometimes that, too) in a timely manner – with one oven. Of course, it can always be done. But a little help in the form of a second oven is none too shabby, y’all.
- The freedom of not having people come to my front door with their pamphlets/products/cause/religion/wares/surveys. If your job or purpose in life is going door-to-door – for any reason at all – I don’t know what to tell you. But I can say this, with all due respect: I’m so grateful you aren’t now able to come to my door with your pamphlets/products/cause/religion/wares/surveys. And I’m grateful you aren’t able to stand at my front window, with your face pressed against and greasing up the glass, looking in and yelling at me to come talk to you. (I’m not making that part up – it happened many, many times.)
I’m sure the coming weeks will present me with many more opportunities to appreciate the modern amenities of the hotel. For now, I’m trying to decide if I want one more serving of toast. It’s just so danged yummy!