Ten Things I Wouldn't Want To Live Without.
(Carole has ruled out naming people, so these are all THINGS.)
- Electricity. This is the single most essential thing to a comfortable life, imho. Except good health.
- Good health. There, all covered.
- Indoor plumbing, including hot and cold running water. Occasionally we lack the running water part -- well pump is on the cheaper interruptible power grid from the local electric coop -- and it sucks. Although not enough to pay more for the electricity.
- Central heating. Our forced-air, groundwater heat pump system also provides air conditioning, too, but I could live without that. It is nice but not essential this far north. Besides, we live in the woods -- plenty of shade and complete absence of an urban heat island -- and by a lake. Duh.
- A car that is relatively reliable. It's a long walk to town civilization.
- Telephone and broadband internet service. The latter is the thing that compensates for any and all perceived shortcomings of living in the boondocks.
- A computer to take advantage of same. Duh.
- My iPod Touch. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy this little sucker. It does everything that Palm tried to do back in the day, plus much, much more. And does it quite well, thankyouverymuch.
- Dishwasher. When we started looking for a cabin back in 1990 I stipulated that it had to have a dishwasher. Why would I want to go to a place for relaxation if that required me to do work that I had eliminated from the rest of my life? Some might say that a cabin with a dishwasher is not really a cabin. To them I say, Pffft!
- Knitting and yarn. Duh.
- Furry pets. Things? I don't know, but certainly wouldn't want to live without them.
* * * * *
I have been thinking about the intentions I posted for last week's Ten on Tuesday, and, although those were good ones, I have some modifications that came to me as I gave the subject more thought. The first three illustrate the axiom that to ensure the behavior ensures the desired result.
- Get the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. There are days when I eat NO fruits or vegies, and that is Not Good.
- Eliminate bedtime snacks. This alone may ensure weight loss. Note: I am eliminating the snacks, NOT the glass of wine. Just so we are clear on that.
- Get on the treadmill at least 3 times a week BEFORE I eat anything. Recent news stories have highlighted the effectiveness of exercise early in the day as a way to get one's metabolism moving at an increased rate. Until the snow and ice are gone -- say, by July -- the treadmill is my weapon of choice for exercise.
- Instead of having a sock as my carry-along knitting project, I will choose hats or scarves or other small projects. I have enough socks for now, and this would be an easy way to incorporate my charity community knitting into my year-long knitting routine and avoid the crush that seems to occur every autumn.
