Squawk Radio

Friday, March 24, 2006

Lisa on "Creature Comforts"


Dear friends,

I'm writing from my in-law's house, where Greg and the kids and I are staying until tomorrow. We drove to Dallas for a memorial service for Greg's aunt, which was sweet and sad, and now today we're going to do some visiting, eating, maybe a little shopping, and catch up with each other.

I really enjoy seeing my mother in law, who is funny and warm and is perfectly willing to divulge all those embarrassing stories about my husband's childhood, while the kids and I scream with laughter.

But staying at someone else's house, no matter how wonderful the host may be, always entails a little sacrifice. I have become distressingly particular about my likes and dislikes. I like my coffee very strong, I like real half-and-half as opposed to powdered cream, and I like Nutrasweet instead of the pink packets.

I like a soft, nearly flat pillow, as opposed to the tall ones that make you feel like you've been sleeping on a curbstone. I like my own cushiony office chair when I'm at the computer, and I like to watch a certain news channel in the morning, and . . . well, you get the idea. I like my creature comforts. My home life is comprised of all these wonderfully familiar elements, and I miss them when I'm gone.

I think it's good to leave home every now and then, so when you get back, you appreciate all the little things that make life so comfortable. And while I relish the opportunity to be around family . . . man, I can't wait to get back to my own bathtub, and my own coffee mug with the chicken design on it, and my fluffy throw blanket . . .

What are the creature comforts you hate to go without? Are you picky about your pillow, your dinner-time, your coffee, your extra-firm mattress?
Lisa Kleypas, 7:20 AM
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