Wednesday, September 29, 2010

In which a little of my bitterness shows through

So I'm flipping around channels last night*, hoping against all hope that there might be something of interest on the television. There wasn't, of course; but during the search I happened upon one of those home and garden shows that follows a family looking to buy a house.

I have to wonder what others looking at our culture think when they see people walking through a perfectly acceptable, immaculate house turning up their nose because the huge living room isn't huge enough or the appliances in the kitchen are three years old. What do they think when a woman looks at a perfectly serviceable stove top and wrinkles her nose with disdain because it's "so dated."

And are people doing strange things in their bathrooms these days that they have to be the size of a ballroom?

Nobody knows better than me that sometimes you just want luxury and, if you got the money, I say go for it. But won't a simple statement of preference suffice without claiming, "I can't live with that Formica counter." You can't live with an abusive person; you can't live with rabid dog; but a granite counter top?

Okay, I'll admit, compared with the caliber of houses Dirtman and I look at, these houses are palaces. A Formica counter would be an upgrade (in the last house, any counter would have been an upgrade).

The ironic thing is, I'll bet I turn out more meals for bigger crowds of people from my tiny circa. 1960s kitchen than any of them do from their football field size rooms. (Though I do miss my kitchen from The House That Shall Not Be Named. Two ovens really made big dinners run smoothly and it was nice having a dishwasher). No one cooks anymore; they just watch Food Network and promise themselves that they will one day.

So I've sworn off home and garden TV, leaving me with TCM and only TCM. I can relate to the kitchens on TCM.

*An unfortunate side effect of my Lost Summer.

4 comments:

Gwynne said...

I've sworn off the H&G shows also. They just perpetuate our tendency to covet. And you're right, the kitchen has just become a showroom, where everybody gathers at parties for the catered hors deurves.

Darkgarden said...

AH!!! Gwynne hit it!!! I was wondering how to put it when I went to the "Leave your comment" box. Then I saw her reply.
"They just perpetuate our tendency to covet."
That line rocks.

Sis, you and I know that we can whip up shit that would make a royal court shit themselves in glee with just a single burner and a camp fire grill!
All the rest is for comfort and ease.
We'll make a godamn bankquit outta them horses-duvers too!

Who needs them fancy kitchens?!!

... ... ... well... I do sorta want it some though.

Sisiggy said...

Just a dishwasher. That would be the one thing that would change a lot of things. There is nothing I hate more than coming home from work to a sink full of dishes.

Gwynne said...

I'll take my avocado green dishwasher over no dishwasher any day.