I experienced a radical change in lifestyle recently: I got my first dishwasher in over 20 years.
As a result, my life has experienced a surge in available time. Every evening I get back 30 minutes. Every morning, 15 minutes. You see, decades before the dishwasher, I pledged to my wife that I would always do dishes. That was how it worked when we lived in an apartment together, and when we bought our house, she hesitated because it had no dishwasher, so I irrationally blurted out, “Agree to buy this house and I’ll do dishes forever,” without really understanding how long forever could really be.
I imagined that we’d get a dishwasher soon. But instead, a stack of other repairs took priority. The windows. The electric. The HVAC. Tearing down the garage. The boiler. The washing machine. The roof. The insulation. The siding. The front porch. The downstairs floors.
But then, our stove died. Getting one new kitchen appliance opened the possibility of a second, simultaneous purchase.
Owning a home is actually just signing up for a long, sorry series of repairs.
But now. Now with a dishwasher. There’s this whole new lifestyle I never imagined. One where after dinner, you just relax. One where in the morning, there’s no mad rush to clean up before you head out to work. When I say that it’s a whole new paradigm, I really mean it. I experience life in a whole new way. I am more relaxed, and still a bit confused as to what to do with my time.
And I must admit: I resisted the change. Even though we could afford it for a while now. Even though I didn’t really like doing dishes all the time. Somehow, the change was too much for me to consume, and so it didn’t happen.
Who needs a change when the old way seems to be working just fine?
Except, it turns out, the new way is much, much better.
Me and my dishwasher, I realized, is our world in a microcosm. Change is possible, but we resist. We resist until the very last moment.
Here’s all the non-political things I’ve been thinking about this month:
Solar Panels – I’m also signing up to get solar panels on my roof. In the US, Congress is likely to take away the sizable tax credits that make home solar affordable. I blogged about how the finances penciled out for me.
Instagram – If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time scrolling through Insta, wondering why you’re even looking in the first place. When I’m there, I hope for new posts by middle aged Chinese men remaking live action versions of bad superhero cartoons, Chef Reactions, cold opens from Cheers, reviews of Chicago Park District bathrooms, very bizarre Spawnranch, and Devin Clark’s takes on 80’s TV.
The Gaze – This Dutch guy’s YouTube channel about art is cool and educational. How did that happen?
Study on Banning Cell Phones – After all the talk about banning cell phones in schools, a study published in Lancet of over 1,200 kids found “There is no evidence that restrictive school policies are associated with overall phone and social media use or better mental wellbeing in adolescents.”
Killer Sampler – I have a bit of music knowledge, but the way this guy makes stuff with just a sampler is like magic.
Who cares – Dan Sinker is one of those people who manages to put his finger on something you didn’t know is a problem. But once you see it, you can’t not see it.
Andor – If you’re put off by “Star Wars”, I ask you to give Andor a try anyway. It’s the best kind of science fiction, where the “otherworldness” allows writers to ask smart questions about the real world. It’s about the choices we make as a society, what individuals are willing to sacrifice, and the consequences of sacrificing or not sacrificing. What really bums me out is that Andor has only had half as many viewers as The Mandalorian, while Andor is vastly superior in every way to most every Star Wars thing – including most of the movies. Andor should be the example we all know. It’s just that good. Maybe even better than Empire Strikes Back?
Ben Evans’ annual tech presentation – A big, deep thinking slide deck. This year it’s on AI. Evans has convinced me that AI is coming like a tidal wave. But still, exactly what will we use it for? Evans doesn’t really answer that and admits it.
A pretty good AI movie – Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern made a short movie using just AI tools. Watch it and then the explainer. We’re already in a new world, we just don’t know it yet.
Donuts – Inexpensive, high quality donuts are disappearing in America. Last weekend I had an apple fritter from Dat Donut that transported me. Once everywhere, so few of these places are being replaced by “gourmet donut” spots, which puzzle me. Do people really want to pay $5 for a donut that’s only three bites?
Homebaked Bread – Continuing on a baked goods theme, I made this Pullman Loaf with a new pan twice this week. Wow. Pullman Loaf pans are the real deal.
Pee-Wee As Himself – This new Pee-Wee Herman documentary is beautiful and unbelievably tragic. Paul Rubens started it by cooperating with the producer, but as the story moved into his more painful years, he withdrew, and then died from cancer. Rubens was brilliant, was caught in shifting cultural mores about gayness, and we as a culture did horrible things to him.
Thanks for reading! See you next month.