Taken For Granted...

Since coming to college, there have been a few things I've had to learn are no longer guaranteed. This is my list:

1. Being able to afford name brand tampons-the kind with the plastic applicators!
2. Water from a fridge. Chicago sink water smells like fried eggs left in the pan for a week.
3. A toaster. Oh bread, how I long to toast you to perfection. Your crispy crunch in the morning is dearly missed.
4. Being able to have complete silence without the use of ear plugs. Although it is nice to be included in conversations, I don't want to feel like I'm a part of the one across the hall. Or out the window. Please people, respect the "quiet hours".
5. Driving my car. Which is actually an SUV, so if I feel the sudden urge to drive over curbs and smart cars, I am granted the opportunity to do so.
6. A (badly) home cooked meal prepared by the loving hands of Pat Simmons. They usually consist of ingredients from a can or box, although they're still nice to have.
7. Having a place to cry in privacy. Seriously. Having to pretend I'm asleep (face down) when my roommate walks in is no fun.
8. A shower with a built in bath tub. It makes it easier to shave my legs when I don't have to press my ass against the shower wall for support.
9. Being able to watch TV at 4 in the morning. I do not, simply cannot, sleep. This results in many hours of infomercial and reality television viewing. However, my roommate is a light sleeper, so I'm unable to blast the TV when the shake weight commercial comes on.
10. Being able to burn candles without the threat of an R.A. telling me "no open flames". I simply cannot live without the scent of sage grass and lemon...I'll become irritable and grumpy...so for the love of god let me burn my candles!
11. A dishwasher. This simple machine eliminates the task of having to stare at the cake residue on my plates wondering why I allow myself to eat so many trans fats, and scrubbing it off with a sponge. 
12. Milk magically appearing in the fridge. My father from this point on shall be dubbed "Dan Dan The Milk Man" because he possesses the competency to go out and buy more milk when the current carton is getting low. I, on the other hand, do not. I lack the ability to judge approximately how much milk I consume on a day to day basis, and therefore have been eating my cereal dry for the past week. Delicious!
13. Vermont Foliage. Chicago, while certainly colorful in other ways, doesn't have beautiful landscapes overflowing with red, green, yellow, and orange. 
14. Blaming a mess on the dogs/Making said dogs eat dropped food. When I spill shit on my floor, which conveniently is carpet, I have to pick it up.
15. My mom's hugs. While her forte may not be cooking, she can give fantastic hugs! Plus, we are a perfect match in terms of hug compatibility. We are around the same height (really fucking tall) so when I go in for a hug, I know her face won't be all up in my goodies, down by my belly button, or otherwise misplaced.