Thursday, September 01, 2005

My latest neurosis

I shall add this one to the growing collection my husband in jest refers to as 'Liliana's many neuroses.'

Our hot water tank holds a whopping six gallons so I no longer enjoy those nice 30 minute showers or relaxing baths that a woman needs now and then. I use the teensy shower in our trailer often because every thing I need is right here. Plus I don't have to wear flip-flops or worry about touching the walls, or horror of horrors, fear dropping my wash cloth on the floor of a public shower. But once in awhile I do use the campground showers, like when I want more hot water or a better shower head than we have in the trailer.

Is there anything nicer in life than pulling into a new campground, using the head and everything looks shiny and clean and smells good? Well, some things in life could maybe be nicer, but you have to admit a hygienic restroom rates way up there. I tell you it is disgusting how disgusting some people can be in the bathroom.

But my very little quirk is this; I hate to see hair in the shower and I hate to leave hair in the shower. That's actually fairly normal but now that we're traveling fulltime, and this is worse, I hate to leave hair not only in my own shower (which again I say is normal) but in any public shower. Having longer hair than many I'm always afraid the camp host or restroom cleaning person will look at me and think, "Oh THERE'S the long haired culprit."

So. I've developed this tendency to wipe up hair off of the floor. I end up bending down umpteen times, squinting at the floor picking up first all my hairs. Okay, that's cool, but then I go back and pick up every single hair of every length and color of anybody's hair. Why? Because any of them might be mistaken for being mine. It's a little disgusting I might say. I'm aware of this and yet I can't stop. I will even wipe the hair off the drain if necessary. Once I did this in the tiny village of Beiseker, Alberta, Canada and a giant gob of hair from the past three months, who knows maybe from last summer, came up out of the drain.

Then on my way out of the restroom I stop to wash my hands and I wonder to myself, "What if someone comes in after me. They'll think I left this blob of toothpaste in the sink." I get a paper towel and wipe the whole sink. Then I think, "Did a flock of ducks just pass through here?' The counter is all wet and so I wipe the entire counter from end to end. Then, how can I forget, my dad always said, "A bathroom is not clean unless the faucets are shining." My conscience tells to get a few more brown paper towels and rub those faucets till they sparkle and shine. I must be a bathroom cleaner's dream.

Really, people should be thoughtful and wipe their pee off the toilet seat, put toilet paper where it belongs, deposit used paper towels in the trash receptacle, and turn the water faucet off all the way. It wouldn't be such a reeking, stinking world if people would take the time.

No comments: