1999 february 23

bath

just when it looked like spring was making an early entry, i am once again wet and cold.

why don't i ever look this calm, this peaceful, this graceful when i am drying myself after a bath? mostly because i don't have the luxury of a bathroom big enough for both a tub and a chair. i don't even have a bathroom big enough for a real tub. i have one of those pseudo-tubs, the lowrider, white porcelain version that allows me to get pieces of myself wet at a time but never my whole body.

i love hot baths in the winter. there is nothing better than coming home, all wet and cold, only to strip down and slowly sink into a tub of hot bubbly water. yes, bubbly; i have yet to grow out of the bubble bath years, and i'm not sure i ever will. since i cannot totally submerge myself in the hot water, i have to resort to innovative means to keep the whole body warmth experience going. i start up the dryer, which is in the same room as the tub, and throw in two giant towels and my pajamas. i turn on a little space heater. i close the door, run the hot water, and voila--an at home sauna bath.

i fill the tub dangerously high and then keep the hot water on as a trickle, refilling all the water that i lose down the overflow spillway drain thing. [ if i am being particularly thoughtful, i even tell gene i am taking a bath since there is not enough hot water left for him to take a shower after i am done. ] all movements are necessarily slow and deliberate so as not to cause water disasters on the bathroom floor, and i just sit there, quietly, eyes closed, luxuriating. occasionally, i will read but mostly i just like to zone out.

when i am a nice healthy pink and all the bubbles are gone, i carefully unfold myself, climb out and grab the towels from the dryer. i do so love warm towels, they remind me of being young for some reason i can't quite put my finger on; it's not like my parents were busy warming our towels when we were taking baths. when completely and totally dry, on go the warm pajamas. then all that's left is a mad dash to the warm bed and flannel sheets.

i must be an absolute idiot to write about this in the morning; i just meant to put up the picture and a one line comment. now, all i want to do is take a bath. maybe i can bribe myself to leave the house if i promise a stop to the home improvement store later, to have a look at the big deep bathtubs.

bubbly in the morning, bubbly in the evening, claire