On why it is sometimes better to not own your couches

One common, endless complaint of every State employee at some point in their career is the furniture.  The furniture is very traditional, ours being Drexel-Heritage cherry throughout the house.  The furniture is very much the same; I've seen my dining room set in Brussels, Amman, and India.  And the couches are... well... I assume they are someone's style, but I haven't found anyone who will admit that red-and-gold brocade is their first choice for living room decor.

Nevertheless, the couches are State's couches, not mine, and there are certain advantages.  In our current apartment we have two couches, three love seats, and four upholstered chairs.  Before we joined State, Brandon and I 'owned' one couch, given to us by my aunt and uncle, and taken back when we left Utah.  So I've never bought a couch in my life, and I'm happy not to buy two couches, three love seats, and four upholstered chairs.

Within a week of moving here, Sophia had attacked one couch with a black dry erase marker.  Had it been my couch, she could possibly still be in her room.  As it's not mine, I flipped the cushion over and hoped that our couches are up for re-upholstery after we leave.

And recently, the children have discovered a new game.  It's been hot here so we stay inside a lot, and we have no yard so the girls often get creative (that's what I call it - Brandon calls it 'looks like a hurricane came through here').  The other day I walked into my front room to find all two couches, two love seats (the one in the study was spared), and four upholstered chairs stripped of their cushions.  As all have loose-backed cushions, it was a lot of cushions.

When I looked to see where the cushions had gone, I discovered an enormous pile of red-and-gold and tan-and-gold brocade.  Climbing over the pile, under the pile, and through the pile were Kathleen, Sophia and Edwin.

If my couch cushions had been trampled, squashed, and jumped on, I think I might have demanded the children put them back right now.  But, as they're not my couch cushions, I laughed and asked them if they were having a good time.  They replied that this was the best thing they'd done all week.  And everyone was happy.  Except maybe the property management people in about five weeks.