Residence Inn

    The appeal is growing, in  the vein of  less is more, clear the clutter, and the little house.   I'm by no means a frequent traveler, but  have stayed  at inns a considerable number of times, including 4 days a year  for 15 of the last 16 years as part of my job. Not all of the inns qualified as residence specifically, though my work also took me to families ensconced in motels for certain periods of time, for various reasons. Those quarters invariably seemed small and overcrowded, as indeed they were, once all the people and their  accumulations of stuff were loaded into the rooms.  So I was not attracted to the idea of that type of living.
    But an epiphany is in the works:   it was only a one-night stay, but it was a residence inn.  Guests could stay at their leisure, and also people whose homes had become temporarily unlivable could reside there for a time.  
      The suite we stayed in was clean and bright and tastefully furnished. Walk in past the coat closet to a kitchen, complete with refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher. In the cabinets a set of dishes and glasses for 4, in the top drawer silverware and the basic utensils, in the deeper cabinets a  mixing bowl, colander, toaster, and a few, and only a few, but who really needs more, pots, pans and a skillet.  Under the sink a spray bottle of cleaner, dish soap atop the sink, with paper towels and towel and dishcloth, a coffee-maker on the counter.  Everything was sparkling new.
     A dinette-sized table and chairs is against the wall, with napkins(cloth), and a basket of condiments, coffee, tea, and cocoa.
     The kitchen/dining area opens onto the living room which contains a convertible couch, chairs, lamps, coffee table, and a desk for internet access, and of course a TV. 
     Pass the recessed closet into the bedroom, and its  bed, dressers, TV, lamps, bedside tables, and another mirror-doored  closet with iron and ironing board, extra linen and bedding.  Adjoining the bedroom is the powder room with seat, wide mirror, vanity sink equipped with hair dryer and fan.  This room opens onto the bathroom, small but with both tub and shower, all the required amenities.
      Since we only brought clothing and toiletries for a single night the suite seems spacious. 
 And it occurs to me that we could indeed live there comfortably.  Washer and dryer are down the hall, and 2 floors away there is a swimming pool with whirlpool tub, as well as a fully equipped workout room. 
       I'm sitting there and thinking that I want my house to be like this.  Except for some more clothing items, I can't think of anything else I would need that isn't there. Cookbooks---all recipes are available on the web.  Who really needs more than 2 cookpots anyway?  Or more than  1 frying pan? Or more than 4 drinking glasses. Or plates.  Or cutlery. Only 1 roast is carved at a time.  Dollar stores and supermarkets have plentiful supplies of plastic ware.  There's no need for 16 bottles of various cleaners under the sink.  Or 2000 plastic bags and 37 pairs of disposable gloves. Why are there bags of old towels stashed in my kitchen closet. Why is the shelf in my tiny bedroom closet packed to the nines with piles of old pillow cases and sheets that  don't really fit the mattresses anymore?  The thought is to purge.
     Our final income tax statement came in the mail today.  I hope I didn't pitch all the paperwork I'll need to do our income taxes.