Re: [gardeners] Heat wave!

Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 26 Jun 2000 11:04:57 -0600

At 01:43 AM 6/26/00 -0400, you wrote:
>.
>We were supposed to have a Con Edison strike today at noon. 
>It's so hot and especially humid that I told Jim if it happens, we
>will have to climb in the car and drive up to Canada, and i don't
>care where! 
>
>What makes it worse is that both of our showers sprang leaks
>about 4 weeks ago, and the contractor never showed up. Jim
>manages to take a real, old fashioned bath every day, with a wet
>wash cloth covering his face, and only his nose above the water.
>I guess he can't drown because he's just a bit too long for the tub....
>
>I'm the sponge maven. Well, actually, wash cloth and soap. I have
>learned to reach just about anywhere on my body to lather up, and
>then anywhere again to rinse off. My feet go in an old photographic
>wide pail which we used to warm up 6 quarts of Kodak chemicals
>to 76* -- it's kinda nostalgic, for we haven't used the dark room since
>we brought a computer into this house. Five years ago I would have 
>put one foot at a time in the sink, but nowadays I would never be
>able to get it out . . .
>
>I tried taking a bath last week, but I got stuck crosswise in the tub, 
>no kidding.  I could not properly sit myself down in the water, so I 
>tried to kneel and turn. Hah! Can't put a square plug in a round hole, 
>can you? I tried twisting and pushing up and forcing down and just 
>about everything, but I remained stuck. Well, one has to make use 
>of the time, right..? So I proceeded to wash. Darned if I were 
>gonna scream for help from Jimmie -- and he never would have 
>heard me, anyway.   Unless I called him for dinner. .
>
>All right, the washing over, I gave a big lurch and freed up my
>knee which was jammed crosswise on the tub. And darnit,
>I found myself with my back to the water inlets. What a rotten
>predicament! I had wanted to lie back in the water just the way
>Jimmie does, with a wet washcloth across my face, and only
>my nose above water -- but you can't do that when you're 
>backwards in the bathtub!  So I said the devil with it, grumble,
>grumble, and decided to get out. You see, I'm not limber
>enough to reverse myself in the tub, unfortunately. And not 
>stable enough to stand up and then sit down again, the  other
>way. Too bad...  
>
>But I couldn't get out. Actually, I couldn't get up. What to do...?
>In a move of bravado I flung one leg over the side of the tub, 
>and then set off a bomb under me which flung me over to
>follow the leg, in a heap on the floor. Success!  A brisk rubdown
>and I was ready to lick my weight in wildcats.
>
>But I'm not taking no more tub baths . . . . 
>
>Penny  NY
>
Well, I'm glad you got out and weren't hoist by your wet petard...thanks
for the laugh, Penny. My MIL had a hip replacement, tired of showering and
decided to take a bath. She had it planned that she'd get on her hands and
knees, stand and step out of the tub. She got into that position, then was
stymied by the fact that her feet floated. After a mighty struggle, she got
out of the tub. A friend who needs knees replaced and is too overweight to
qualify for the surgery, saw an enticing tub in her Paris hotel room, drew
hot water and settled in. Then she couldn't get out. She was staying alone,
although leading a group tour, but wondered how long she'd have to sit
there and shiver before anyone found her. She was quite cold by the time
she struggled out of the tub. She had also planned at some point on getting
on hands and knees, but I think she was too stuck in the tub to turn over.
She was horrified to hear that feet floated. Margaret L