i know you are usually supposed to be grateful for the things you have, but there are a couple of things that i'm grateful that i don't have.

1 - a car
sure, it would be helpful when we go to costco, but we don't really go that often and the parking, the gas, the insurance... it just ain't worth the headache when you live in this city.

2 - cable
i already watched too much crappy daytime tv when i was stuck at home with a bum leg. had i had cable, i would never have left the couch. (although, based on my experiences with hotels and hotel cable, there is some truth to the whole "billions of channels and nothing to watch" thing)

3 - one of those singing fish (billy bass?) decoration things
last year for valentine's day, one of the kids gave me a plastic rose with a little button on it. push the button and it plays fur elise. (i get the best presents.) i put it in a vase and, a year later, it still goes off all the time cause the kids want to press the button. i imagine that if i had one of those fish, i'd be hearing "take me to the river!!!" all day long.

the branch is loud enough.