Tomorrow marks our first year in this house, today I took a shower. The significance of this may seem so small to many but one year ago there were no walls in the shower. They were demoed and during the process live roaches came spilling from the walls too. One year ago we were first relegated to baths only and then for a short period of time, yard showers.
Yard showers are interesting. I always loved visiting The Outter Banks because the rental houses were all equipped with wooden outdoor showers. Despite the wooden enclosure you felt free showing and communing with nature. The slight danger of someone seeing you through the slats was thrilling. Yard showers are a different story. You wait until darkness falls, lest the new neighbors see you. You wear a huge baggy shirt and some panties. Cowering behind metal closet doors you suds yourself and the aforementioned clothing up. Rinsing was a trick because with yard showers it is either freezing cold from the hose or boiling hot directly from the water heater. In either event you have to bank the spray off of something to allow it some time to come to an acceptable temperature. Usually we’d use in upturned 5 gallon bucket. Then we would sneak into the house, wrapped in blankets and wringing wet clothes, find a room that had curtains and strip down. Wet clothes went directly into the wash - no soap though, there was usually plenty left to suds.
Tomorrow it’s been one year and today I took a shower. Progress is being made. Snails pace or not, changes are coming. Some day soon I might have a closet to put my clothes in and a masterbedroom. Hell, maybe by this time next year I can shower in my own Master bathroom.