Living in New York, you’re essentially obligated to give up on certain creature comforts and niceties: space, cheap rent, and often times household appliances (see: space, cheap rent). In the last five years I’ve lived in this city I’ve never had a washer/dryer (not even in my building), nor have the counter space in my “kitchens” for a microwave, nor a dishwasher. I never knew what I was missing until I was at Veronica’s apartment and she stopped me from reflexively doing the dishes by hand and taught me how to use a dishwasher. Imagine that, me, as entrenched in technology as anyone can possibly get, and New York’s forced wonderment and surprise by the concept of putting dishes in a closet and taking them out steamy-clean an hour later. Oh, and I just got a microwave. Take that, New York.