Gratitude #32

Remember those bathtubs that were about four inches deep and if you wanted to have a bath and filled it right to the top, you might get your hipbones wet?

Yeah, I know, those stupid tubs are, unfortunately, not in the past. Most people still have them. So - a question to the person responsible for creating them: what were you thinking? I mean, the only way to have a bath in a tub like that is to lie down flat and even then, your tummy or boobs are bound to be floating above the surface of the water.

So I think to myself, maybe the point was small hot water tanks and people made tubs just big enough for one tank of water. Fair enough. But what's the excuse these days when hot water tanks are pretty adequate?

I remember, not that many years ago, moving into a brand new house with a huge soaker tub in the ensuite (a definite selling point). The first night I climbed in, turned on the taps and let the tub fill. The water got to hip level and the hot water ran out. The next day I checked in the mechanical room. Now why - oh why - would a builder stick a huge tub into the bathroom and then install the smallest hot water tank in the world?

And then there was the time I was staying in a house with a tub the size of Lake Ontario. Hell, you could have had a party in that tub. I was ready. I'd checked - ginormous hot water tank. I turned on the tap. A trickle of water came out. It was the tiniest tap on the face of the planet. An hour later, the tub was still only a quarter full and I gave up.

When I moved into my apartment here on the farm, there was no tub - just a shower. After I'd been living here about five years, I mentioned to Paul (landlord) how much I loved it here but I sure as heck did miss a soak in a tub. Next thing I knew a crew of framers was on my deck building an addition and creating a new mud/laundry room and Paul installed in my (now much larger) bathroom a huge soaker tub. Big hot water tank? check. A gusher of a faucet? check.

And ever since then I indulge in a bubble bath about once a week with hot water up to my chin and I am so so grateful. I love the indulgence, especially after a hike. It's pure heaven. In fact, a hot bubble bath is almost up there with dark, organic chocolate - not quite, of course, but pretty close.