The best moments are sometimes the unplanned ones and well, I’ve got a moment to share.


As a little background, I’m in Ohio for a judging assignment and it’s frozen, snowy and cold here. So I had this great idea that I’d take a nice hot shower before bed to warm up. As I prepared, I realized I didn’t have a shower cap to keep my hair dry. I thought about heading to the front desk, but that would require me walking outside in the cold and I wasn’t game for that trip.

After looking around, I spied a large zip lock bag that I had with me and thought “Ah, ha!” So I emptied it out and starting with the hair in back I flipped my pony tail in the bag and proceeded to try to fit the zip lock bag on my head. Thank goodness it was one of those tough freezer ones because the fit was a little tight and yet I still couldn’t quite get all my hair in there. As I glanced in the mirror and saw the vision of me standing naked with a pointy zip lock bag on my head, I realized I was bordering on complete desperation. Some might say insanity.

That’s when I spied option #2…the clean trash can liner. Now that was a much easier fit and all I had to do was tuck in the edges and I had a new shower cap! So with a trash bag on my head, I pulled the button to switch the running water to the shower head. Oh was I looking forward to that hot shower and eagerly awaiting the sound of water pounding on the back shower wall. I just knew that simple sound would make the insanity of wearing a trash bag on my head an okay thing. I had already convinced myself that sound was going to proudly move my status up from quirky to ingenious. But more importantly, I’d be warm.

But that’s not what happened. Instead of a sandblast of water, a weak fountain of water trickled from the shower head while the remaining water shot uselessly in all directions from the faucet. So I did what anyone would do, I pushed the button so all of the water came gushing out of the faucet (so yes, there was water pressure) and then pulled the button hoping that same pressure would explode from the shower head.

But it didn’t! So I repeated those same steps – 5 more times! Can you believe the results were the same? All I wanted was to be warm!!

It was then that I thought a little muscle might do the trick so I put one leg in the bathtub and PULLED up with all of my power on that stupid button. Low and behold, it worked and I had a 1/2 spray available. Yes! Victory was near! So with satisfaction and even more anticipation for a hot shower, I let go of the button and prepared to hoist my other leg into the tub.

Want to guess what happened next? Yeah, the 1/2 spray I was so satisfied with a few moments ago resorted back to the weak trickle. So I PULLED up on that button and let go…5 more times. With the same results. I was so close and yet, so far. But I was determined (and let’s not forget about desperate) for a hot shower and no dumb $#& button was going to stop me!

The solution was simple – hold the button while showering. Yeah, so picture this. I have a garbage bag on my head, a 1/2 spray that requires me to actively PULL the button up, I can’t stand erect because of that darn button and even with the shower head facing straight down, I can barely get one limb wet at a time and have to keep switching hands to rotate my body through the 1/2 spray. Not exactly how I originally pictured it, but I guess it got the job done.

Tomorrow I think I’ll mention the shower problem to the front desk. In the meantime, at least I’m warm for now.