Five things that don't suck about our short-term rental

5. The kids' room. They have plenty of space for their beds and a large play area in between them. Most importantly, they can both cry out in the night and not wake each other up. This feature is actually undergoing rigorous testing this week.

4. Instant Hot. Heather has been telling me how wonderful it is for about a year, but now, thanks to our landlord's Japanese water heater, we have 200-degree water on demand. Effortless tea all day long and warm baby food in a jiffy.

3. Proximity to our home and preschool. While we're not exactly in our own neighborhood, it could have been much worse. We talked about San Rafael. It takes about 10 minutes to drive to our house from this condo.

2. The shower. When I saw the clawfoot tub and not-new showerhead, I knew it was likely to deliver a less-than satisfying stream of water. To my delight, the water is forceful and hot for plenty of time. Again, what I'm after is for it not to suck. I'll head over to the Claremont when I need a real spa day.

1. The view. We could not ask for more. I took this picture from the deck of our rental the other night. A clear night reveals even more detail.