Necessities

I've been doing some thinking about downsizing and rightsizing, to borrow those horrible words that are so tossed-about when discussing the layoffs of hard-working Americans. I'm interested about reduction, slimming down the weight of possessions. I've talked about this before, and it's something I'm still working on, even if I'm not doing such a good job.

All I need to make my life complete is:

A) Panini press, which I have thanks to my mom. Love ya! I grill asparagus, I grill sausages, I press sandwiches, I grill burgers thanks to this fancier version of a George Foreman grill. (Maybe the Foreman's a more basic version of the panini press.) I don't want a BBQ -- I have no use for that fuss.

B) A nice, medium-quality 'cross bike. I don't need three road bikes in various states of repair, a 'cross bike, a mountain bike, a fixed beater, and a mountain bike. I ride all of my bikes lots, but I only need one. I'm not sure how, if ever, I'll achieve the whittling down of my collection to one machine, but it's kinda nice to think about making it so. OK, fine. Two bikes, one 'cross, the other mountain. You can't rip rocky trails on a 'cross bike.

C) A good knife. I got a lovely one from Naz for my birthday. I'll post up a picture of it tonight. Most food worth eating ain't worth eating without cutting it. Something's wonderful about slicing some manchego cheese and a ripe pear for your beau in a park on a lazy Sunday afternoon while you catch up on the news (see E).

D) A French press. You can't have revolution without caffeine.

E) The New York Times. Quality information in a portable non-electronic format is indispensable for killing the commute, luxuriating in a park on a lazy Sunday afternoon, covering one's head in a hailstorm, or blocking out a crack in a drafty door. A newspaper is so much more than reading material -- it's a tool.