I moved into a previously abandoned house. Many windows were broken or missing; all copper pipes had been stolen, doors had no locks, and in some cases not attached to the house, etc. This is the story of my observations on the utility of each tenant of modern civilization.
*) Doors that work and have locks on them. It sure makes it harder for someone to sneak up on you that way, and less stuff disappears while I'm at work.
*) Electric power. Candles don't light very well; now I could turn on a light at will - awesome!
*) Electric blanket. It was 34 degrees F inside on the day I first spent the night; that's roughly like sleeping inside a freezer - it's a bone chilling radiant cold. It was big advance not to have to sleep in your cloths under every blanket I owned.
*) Indoor plumbing, sewage - although it was inconvenient to bring home a bucket of water from work every day; there is an awesome utility to being able to use the bathroom instead of going a few blocks down the road to the laundry mat.
*) Water hookup, phase 1. I got enough plumbing fixed to get one outdoor hose to work. No more hauling water home in the car; yeah!
*) Water hookup, phase 2. The toilet would now automatically refill.
*) Patched windows. Aluminum duct tape is an awesome way to patch a broken window; it doesn't break down in the sun, so it lasts for years, much to the chagrin of some of the neighbors. And, it's quite wonderful that the breeze isn't nearly as strong inside as outside anymore.
*) Bathroom sink. Being able to shave and brush your teeth inside instead of using the hose outside was a great upgrade.
*) Cabinets. The kitchen started out as a pile of rubble in the middle of what used to be the kitchen. I was able to put together some cabinets from the parts; there's a lot of utility to being able to store non-perishable food.
*) Kitchen sink. This was an unexpectedly big deal. Now I can wash a bowl, plate, or fork.
*) Refrigerator. (i.e. perishable food storage) - This was a big jump; I love milk and now I can buy it a whole gallon at a time.
*) Microwave. Wow, feels like the 19th century already.
*) Electric eye and cookware. Now I can cook beans, rice, etc. Huge advance.
*) Bath tub. Whoa, huge advance in civilization being able to eat and almost "live" inside all the time. The cold water was a "real men" type thing though.
*) Hot Water. OMG - it almost feels like I have a modern place to live.
*) Comfortable chair on the porch. It doesn't get much better than this.
*) Shower. I was wrong; it does get better. Last week a brother of mine found a shower kit on the clearance rack at Home Depot, bought it, and installed it. Awesome; it's a serious upgrade to go from bathing twice a week to showering every day. Some of my coworkers have already noticed!
This is the extent of the study so far and covers the three years past. Here are the current future plans, no idea of the impact yet:
*) Modern electrical circuit breakers. I am so tired of having to replace fuses when too many people turn stuff on.
*) Washer/Dryer. A friend gave me a set of them.
*) Stove. Serious upgrade to be able to make pizza at home.
*) Multiple rooms. I asked all the people I let stay at the house to move out; there aren't enough free rooms. (i.e. it would be nice to have a living room with living room furniture in it).
*) Gutters. This will stop the rotting of the windowsills and the flow of squirrels through the attic.
*) New Windows. This will dramatically stop the flow of air through the windows when they are closed, and the neighbors will be happy again.
*) Safer wiring. Who knew that they used cloth covered aluminum wires when the house was built...
*) Inside walls without cracks and large holes.
*) Paint.
*) Pictures on the walls.
Modern civilized living is only a few years away!
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