The other evening Mike had a church council meeting, and I had just finished reading the last book I had checked out of the library.

My dilemma was — what was I going to do with my quiet evening alone. I didn’t want to watch any of the 72 TV programs we had recorded (NCIS, Chicago Med, The Good Doctor, Alone, Naked and Afraid, Jeopardy; Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, etc.) ‘cause we always watch those together. I didn’t have a new book I wanted to start and I certainly didn’t want to do something crazy like clean the house, do yard work or start the laundry.

So I picked up the TV remote control, did a voice command for “Survivor” and found a 10-year-old episode of Survivor that I didn’t remember seeing before. I watched the show, thoroughly enjoyed it and after it was over I thought to myself “Thank goodness for modern TV, the ability to pause a show, fast forward, skip over those pesky commercials.” There once was a time that you’d better watch your favorite show when it was on or you were plum out of luck. And heaven forbid you had to run to the bathroom in the middle of Bonanza or Man from UNCLE.

So besides my Xfinity TV and remote control I got to thinking about other things that I hope I never have to do without.

The magnifying lighted mirror I have in the bathroom. How in the world would I be able see those teeny-tiny chin hairs that I need to pull out ‘cause they’re driving me crazy? (Enough said about that one.)

Power windows and side-mirror adjustments in my car. I well remember having to scoot across the front seat to roll down the passenger window or adjust the side mirror on the right only to scoot back to the driver’s seat and realize I hadn’t adjusted it correctly. So much easier to just push a button.

The cup holder in my car gets used all the time, usually for my chai tea and/or my husband’s coffee. Did we not take beverages in our cars before cup holders? Did we hold them in our laps the whole time? I don’t remember.

I am so grateful for the garage door opener — makes life so much easier, just pressing the button to raise or lower the door as we’re coming or going. No more standing out in the rain or straining my back to lift the door up.

I’m guessing a lot of you remember metal ice trays that you would have to run under warm water before pulling the handle to release the cubes. Years later they came out with rubber trays that were a little more convenient to use but in either case you had to re-fill them at the sink and hope you didn’t spill too much water before placing the trays back in the freezer. Now it’s all automatic.

Almost every night from October to mid-July, I am very thankful for my electric bed warmer. About an hour before bedtime I turn it on to the highest setting. Then right before I climb into bed I turn it down to a 4 and think to myself “This is so warm and cozy.” No more shock of cold sheets while getting into bed or rolling over onto a chilly spot in the middle of the night.

Not sure how we ever lived without a microwave oven. Not that we ever cook with it, but it’s used almost daily for reheating leftovers, warming up my cup of tea after I’ve left it sit too long, or softening butter to use in a recipe.

I couldn’t get through the day without my beloved chai tea latte. I’ve been addicted to it for over 20 years. One of our employees at Quizno’s (Billy Hudson) also worked for Starbucks and one day he asked if he could bring me a drink when he came to work. I explained to him that I couldn’t stand the taste of coffee no matter what you might add to it. The next day he shows up with a hot chai tea latte, and oh my goodness I was hooked for life. Of course their recipe is top secret but I think I taste star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and honey. Absolutely delicious.

Of course I’ve saved the best for last. PIZZA. My favorite, favorite food. It covers all my best-loved foods — bread, cheese, meat and a few vegetables. And it’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner — hot or cold, it doesn’t matter.

There’s my list for now. I’m sure there’s plenty of others I should have included but I’ll save them for another column.

Give me a call or send me an email. I’d love to do a column with a list of things Harborites wouldn’t want to do without.

Karen Barkstrom is the editorial assistant for The Daily World. She can be reached at 360-537-3925 or karen.barkstrom@thedailyworld.com.