Watching TV with Lisa the other night, I realized our lives have begun to resemble those of college students. The TV? It only shows basic cable due to cost concerns. We like our apartment, but it’s really about what we can afford, not what we want. There’s also a continuous hording of quarters for the washing machine, and the associated damp clothing draped about our rooms and halls to dry. From a pure financial perspective, even ramen is starting to look good, although thankfully we haven’t made that jump yet.

Parking, as it happens, is often a bitch.

On certain nights, the smell of clove cigarettes drifts in through the front windows, sometimes mixed acoustic guitars, sometimes mixed with techno or trance. Other nights we get the sound of high heels on the floor above, or animated conversations from the building next door. And while the context has changed dramatically, just like in college, there are a lot of noisy late nights with plenty of drinking and even some puking.

A year ago, Lisa and I were childless homeowners going about daily routines, occasionally pausing to discuss marriage or going on a trip. How things have changed.