suburban bliss

Fran Lebowitz once commented on how the suburban American living room is the most comfortable place in the world. Wish I could find the quote. It was very witty and ironical as only Lebowtiz could put it (wit is so rare today; most people who think they're witty aren't. It's just cheap snark or a pedestrian one liner).

And so I'm here, at my sister's, southwest of Chicago, not in the living room but in the family room, typing this out on my iPhone. The HDTV, one of several in the house, is playing Ghost Adventures, recorded by my sister on the DVR (she's into all that supernatural stuff), and my mom is puttering around doing chores. The cats are upstairs.

We're here from California for the holidays. Every time we come I can't help but remember Lebowtiz's comment. My sister and brother-in-law turned their suburban pre-fab into a multi-roomed cubbyhole of various creature comforts with the current technological offerings, including wireless broadband Internet and central heating. You know, the usual.

Even Mom (bless her ethnic heart) can't figure out how to use the rice cooker or turn on the electric stove. Naturally she has no idea how to work the TV remote, with its two dozen or so buttons. It's all good.

If anything the typical suburban American home rewards laziness and complacency with convenience and instant gratification 24/7, complete with 110 satellite channels in high definition. And three cats and karaoke machine.

Being me, I'm not entirely used to all these spoils. But until my niece arrives tomorrow for her Christmas break from uni and brings the XBox 360 with her, I'll make do with high def ghost hunting shows and central heating.

Wonder if Fran Lebowitz would wanna game with me.