World's Most Expensive Microwave

After 6 years I guess it was inevitable. You can only hide from technology so long before it finds you. It started simply as a joke. We didn't mean any harm. Think of it like American Idol. It was a whim that spiraled out of control.

Six years ago when we bought our townhouse we fell in love with the kitchen. Granite counters highlighted the tile backsplash and it was set off by a gourmet hood vent over the stove. So much nicer than our 50 square foot galley kitchen back in Virginia. Maybe that's why we missed it; no microwave.

Fine, the microwave doesn't convey. No big deal, we can just roll over to Circuit City (still open back then) and pick one up. But where are we going to put it? We can't take down that great hood. Maybe the counter is the spot? Nope, we already opened our wedding gifts and between the toaster oven, the knives, and the great fruit basket there just isn't room. We can't use the window seat either, it's too far from the plug.

Maybe we can hold off on the microwave for a few weeks. Let's get settled in and see how we do and then we'll figure out the space issues.

That's how it all started. A few weeks rolled into a few months which rolled into a year and soon the little troublemaker joined us. Everybody said that we had to get a microwave now. Except now it was a mission. We were beyond convenience. We were determined to keep this streak going.

I want to pause here to point out that we are not backwards rednecks who are awed by the Internet, nor a we green, tree-hugging hippies who refuse to expose their family to harmful chemicals and grow their own vegetables (no offense to our friends who do that). We use technology and even microwaves at our respective offices. At home it became a contest. We were trying to be "Masters of our Domain" if you will.

There is some positive that has come from this experiment. First, we've proven that we don't really need a microwave to live in modern society. Secondly, we have enough counter space to prepare great dinner every night. Third, while I make fun of the tree-huggers, they do have a point about limiting your family from chemicals. Frozen food and meals tend to have more chemicals and sodium then fresh food, so we have gotten the little guy off to a good start.

But in one month that all comes to a screeching halt. On Wednesday we agreed (in principle) to buy an almost half a million dollar stainless steel microwave...and the house attached to it.

Sure the house is the big purchase here but we really like our non-microwave life. We've perfected the art of heating up soft pretzels so that they crunch on the outside and stay soft on the inside. Our leftover chicken takes a little longer in the pan but it stays crisp and we avoid the rubber-like consistency that is associated with microwave cooking. Also did I mention that all of our pop-corn is air popped and we like it like that.

How is our life going to change? Only time (not a timer) will tell.