Ode to Appliances

With the prospect of leaving Houston fast approaching, I was fully aware of just how much I would miss all of my friends & family and my fantastic, spacious apartment with whom my little love affair had steadily grown over the last year. These are the losses you understand and prepare for. You spend extra time with loved ones and fondly make plans to correspond and reunite.

However, there was one loss looming in front of me that I could not fully comprehend. I was ignorant of the depth of emptiness I would come to feel once they slipped away…

Oh, appliances!

How stupid I was to carelessly take them for granted and toss them away like yesterday’s smelly fish.

After giving up your dishwasher, washing machine, dryer and oven (!) it’s hard to not feel you’ve willingly and stupidly stumbled right into the dark ages. Or at least the 1850’s…

Strange laundromat stories begin to pile up just like the dishes in the sink that you plan to hand-wash…tomorrow.  Paper plates and plastic silverware quickly become the norm and meals must be planned without any baking involved.

But, even more than all these dear appliances, there is one that stands above the cacophony of conveniences. One small device to rule them all:

The tiny household router. It unassumingly wields the vast power of the universe inside its flimsy plastic walls. The power to inform and educate. The power to connect and relate. The power to grow a business. The power to shop online :'(….. all of it….GONE.

Since the move in March, we have yet to have a single week with strong, reliable internet. Though most RV parks advertise “wifi,” the sad reality is far from the marketing campaign.  Some parks have a weak signal that repeatedly drags and drops while other parks don’t even pretend to try.

We have the little Verizon mifi for emergencies, but sadly (and vehemently disputed, I assure you) uploading photos has not been deemed an ’emergency.’ Humph.

Sitting here in a hotel writing this, I suddenly remember why I used to be so productive….INTERNET. Whether it’s streaming music in the background while I edit photos or suddenly hopping online to throw together a photo collage or responding to an email while it’s fresh in my mind, internet is imperative for success.  It’s been a tough few months, folks.

So, next time you bake something tasty or press a magical button on the dishwasher or do really anything on the internet, CHERISH IT.  Hold your appliances and devices near and tell them how you love them. You never know when they might suddenly be gone.