Things I miss Most About Home

This is sort of a pre-Thanksgiving post. While it could be considered to be a list of gripes about Italy, more important, it's a list of things I'm thankful for in the United States. As I was composing my list, I realized that most of them are matters of efficiency. Apparently, that's pretty important to me. I guess that's not surprising being an American and growing up with the 'Protestant' work-ethic. So, here's my list of American 'thankfuls'. I think tomorrow I'll do a list of my 'thankfuls' for Italy.

• Family
• Good friends with longstanding history
• Knowing how everything works and where to find stuff
• Whole turkeys at Thanksgiving
• Cranberry sauce (cranberries are impossible to find)
• Unlimited and free water at restaurants, ice
• Second-hand stores, especially for kids clothes
• 4-burner stove (we only have two)
• Unlimited energy (we can only run either the burners or one burner and the "oven" or the power blows)
• Fast internet and wireless(we have a single ethernet cord, and the internet powered by crippled hamsters)
• Stocking up at supermarkets (going to the grocery store everyday was quaint at first, now it's a little archaic)
• Being able to hop in the car and drive from point A to point B (not having to walk to a bus station, take the bus, take the train, take another bus, and then walk some more, especially with the kids)
• Target (everything affordable, easy to find, and all in one building!)
• The freezer (other Italians do have these)
• Free shipping on Amazon.com
• My sharp butcher knife and sharpener
• Living space and multiple bedrooms