Living Without Running Water

this means no shower, no kitchen tap, no flushing toilet.

believe it or not...life is good without running water. but i still remember the hesitancy i felt about living without running water, not being able to take a shower on demand daily, weekly, whenever.

but humans are adaptable creatures.

when adrienne and i moved into our cabin by the river, i think we showered almost every day. it was just another block of time, another errand, another line on your schedule. but it was still a hassle, an extra stop before class.

but over time you just don’t mind being as greasy as much as you used to. the days between showers begin to stretch out, it’s not neccessary. it’s a different lifestyle, one without much style, i guess. my lifestyle. i’m sure there are a few people who still blowdry and crimp and primp and gel and style their hair while occupying a cabin. taking a shower isn’t a neccessary chore anymore. it’s a treat. on rare occasions, i treat myself to a $4 shower at B&C laundromat, where they clean the showers after every use and i can shower without my crocs on. but mostly i use the wood center showers, where shoes are mandatory and i avoid touching anything that is not my own. they’re old, dark, and usually dirty. i’ve seen a little girl throw up into the shower i was about to use. i used the other one instead.

The university is cabin friendly. The wood center offers three women’s showers; almost every building on campus contains a shower or two in its bowels for students and employees. The IARC building, by far the nicest building on campus has a commuter room for its employees, with lockers, showers, and ski racks provided.

washing dishes....i keep my water in 5 gallon coleman jugs, heat dishwater on the stove and wash my dishes in the sink. the sink drains into a so-called "slop bucket" which is emptied outside when it gets full. Due to this, and the fact that I have to go out of my way to get water (a free pump at a spring in Fox), I try not to waste it.

outhouses.... outhouses can be deceptive.... the worst are those with actual toilet seats, you will freeze your bottom on the terribly cold plastic or porcalin. Wait, no, the worst outhouse is actually the one we built behind our cabin in willow with the square hole cut out of plywood. 1) you could get splinters and 2) i was convinced something was living in the hole. so that one was the worst. but after that are outhouses with real seats, hard plastic, porcalin, or those covered in the horrible crinkly plastic toilet seats that crack and seem undeniably dirty. The best seats are covered in a firm layer of blue styrofoam. Styrofoam, while probably damaging to the environment, is wonderful on your bottom. It never feels cold, always warm and is less likely to frost up than other materials. Perpetually warm, easy to wipe down and disinfect, and easy to replace.