Thursday, October 04, 2007

Michele asks: Bath or Shower?


Yep, that's me. Sitting in the bathtub, looking cute. Do you like my new hair? This new short do is so easy to care for. Ahhh, the bath. There's no place I'd rather be.

So I settled into the tub of almost-too-hot-to-bear bath-salt-sprinkled water to ponder over what I should blog about today. Nothing profound came to me. I was too blissed out to care. My brain slows function when I'm in the tub. And then I thought, "Yeah, baths."

You see, I believe there are only two types of people in this world. Bath people, and shower people. We bath people love a good soak. We'll fill up that tub for a five minute quickie or an hour-long vacation. TIme doesn't matter, it's quantity of water and whether or not there's a lock on the bathroom door to keep the rest of the world away. Bath people are afficionados of bath oils and beads and bubbles and gels and bars. We love nothing more than to plunge ourselves into huge tubs of water and just...transcend.

You'd think, as a writer, soaking in a tub would be a time to plot and work out ideas for me. Nope. When I'm in the tub is about the only time my mind goes completely to zero. Zilch. Doesn't even move the readout on the (brain-scanner thingie). [Unless of course, I'm plotting out a blog.] And let me tell you, running out of bubble bath in my house is akin to, well...running out of toilet paper. It's a red-alert emergency.

As for shower people? Well, I'm not sure what the deal is with those people. And I don't want to know.

Oh, sure, bath people will take showers. I shower a couple times a week, just to wash my hair. Still can't do the washing the hair in the tub thing. But a shower is not enjoyable to me. Get in, get wet, soap up, rinse, and get the heck out of there.

I dream about bathtubs. About owning the ultimate bathroom. Just look at that tub. It's a tub in a big freakin' rock! How cool is that? I want it! I know when the hubby and I finally get to build that dreamhouse, the bathroom is tops on the list. We shall spare no expenses. I want a tub (without a shower, because I'm tired of shoving that shower curtain out of the way every time I want to bathe) and I want a seperate walk-in shower that two people can fit in (Cause really, can two people ever share a shower when they're slipping and sliding around for prime water space in the tub? Or am I missing the point of sharing a shower somehow?).

About a month ago I suffered dire bath withdrawal. You see, I got a tattoo for my birthday. You're not supposed to bathe for three weeks after you get inked. I marked the twenty-first day on the calendar. I tell you, I've never jonesed for a bath so desperately as those three weeks. It was torture! By day nineteen I stormed the bathroom and locked myself inside. My favorite bubble bath was waiting to soothe me. Yes, I cheated. But sometimes, you just gotta take the plunge.

So what about you? Are you a bath person or a shower person?

26 comments:

flip said...

I am a bath person. My husband just finished our dream house and the bath is nearly as big as our bedroom. The tub is a jacuzzi without any tubes or pipes. It easily could fit two. His shower has two shower heads and eight body sprays. mtngal5

Michele Hauf said...

Oh, flip, you've just given me such a wonderful vision. What a dream to have a bathroom so huge!

Nummy.

Anonymous said...

I'm a bath person. I do shower to wash my hair (just doesn't feel like I get the shampoo out in a bath). I had the best claw foot tub growing up. Now I have just the standard tub, where I have to move the shower curtain to take a bath.

Liza

Samantha Hunter said...

I would be a bath person if we had a nice bath to hang out in, but we haven't remodeled the upstairs bathroom yet, and when we do, getting a new tub in or out might make it impossible to change the utilitarian one we have.

I like a shower just to get ready for the day. Wakes me up. Hope to have one of those massage baths, or even better, an outdoor spa tub within a couple years, so I can go out and soak aching back or tired mind. For now, it has to be showers, though showers can be very nice, too...

Sam

Debra Dixon said...

M-- First, I want to know what the tat was!!

And, secondly, I was a bath person for 18 years and then I married my husband who slowly converted me to a shower girl. It's fast. I can use fabulous scrubs. And then I can curl up in my favorite reading chair all comfy, fluffy and cozy-- and no prune fingers to worry about.

Hellie Sinclair said...

I'm a bath by default--our water pressure for the shower stinks. I love bubbles and gels and soaking...but I admit when I get to a hotel with actual water pressure, I love showers. I can take two or three a day. The water pounds into my back like a German masseuse. It's wonderful.

I love both. I love water. I love feeling clean and relaxed all the time. *LOL*

Kathleen Eagle said...

Here comes Kathleen's anecdote...

I grew up in several houses with tub only. Long about jr high my dad put in the shower, but I was a bath girl. I loved VERY hot, lobster-making water. Once I fainted dead away when I got out of the bath. My dad heard the crash, and he was the only one home. I remember him calling to me through the fog. I said something--enough to let him know I wasn't dead--and he popped the lock on the door, opened it enough to let the steam out, said, "Keep your head down and your powder dry. I'll be in the kitchen." (Daddy was a soldier and half Swede. Explains everything.) I love that expression. And I take warm showers. Scented gel and a loofah or scrubby. I like massage showerheads but don't have one at the moment. I treat myself to a bath once in a while when I have some "me" time.

Michele Hauf said...

I guess that's what it all boils down to, isn't it? A love for water. I used to think I'd love to be a mermaid, but maybe not so much now. I love soaking in water, but I don't like putting my head under. (I could never master the front crawl, cause that involved too much face-time in the water; preferred the back stroke.)

As for the tattoo? I got the word 'believe' on the back of my hip. Because, well, you gotta believe in something, right? No matter what you pick: a higher power, faeries, yourself. Just believe in something!

Unknown said...

Michele, I LOVE your new hairdo! And what you've done with your whiskers-- lol!

As for me, I was a bath girl for most of my life. . . started writing in the bathtub. Still take a bath when I'm stuck on a scene or a part of a book and use pencil and paper to work it out. But over the years, I've been converted to showers-- yeah, mostly for the hair washing convenience. But I do like the sensation of water falling on me and always have a hand held shower head and a rainfall head too, if I can manage it. Very different experiences, but both very satisfying.

I LOVE my water.

Unknown said...

You know me, Hauf. I'm right there in the tub with you. Well, okay, not literally...in the tub...with you. But yeah, lovvvvvvvve baths, specially when it's cold outside. No better way to warm up. I worry about water consumption now though, so I'm cutting back on depth.

Does anyone know any men who are bathers??

Pat White said...

Michele,

I WAS a bath person until my husband installed a rain shower-type shower head in our bathroom. Ooooo, aaaahhhh. There's something so relaxing about rain beating down on you...

That said, there's nothing like a candlelight bath complete with wine, chocolate and a good book... Familiar Stranger comes to mind! Jack Harris ::: sigh ::: Be still, my beating heart.

Cheers!

Pat White

Anonymous said...

I'm a shower person. Get in, get clean, get out. Done is 12 minutes (15 if I shave my legs.) We have one of those jet tubs (it came with the house). I have plants in it.

However... the dh and I use the spa out on the back deck almost every night, even in the dead of winter. Love, love, love sitting in that hot, hot water with the steam rising up and the snow coming down.

Samantha Hunter said...

Candace, you just cemented my goal to have the spa with that image -- that's *exactly* what we want...

Sam

Helen Brenna said...

Sounds like a beautiful tattoo, Michele.

Lois, brought up an interesting point - men bathers? Never known one.

I grew up without a shower, so it took a while to get used to them. Now, I prefer showers, although not in the morning. I can't think of a more cruel way to wake up. LOL

I usually shower at night and wet my hair in the morning.

We have a hottub too. On cold nights, it's awesome!

Christie Ridgway said...

Cool tat, Michele! "Believe" is one of my fave words.

Shower girl here. I take long ones when I can get away with it though. But we have a hot tub attached to our pool and we spend a lot of lovely nights soaking up hot water and looking at the stars...

Michele Hauf said...

Men bathers? Yeah, I don't know. I know on occassion the hubby will take a bath, but only if I run it for him. To soak his muscles. But our tub is tiny. Even I end up with my feet propped up on the wall in order to get a bit of coverage.

Water consumption is a concern, Lois, but can't we allow ourselves this one pleasure?

And Pat! Way to go with inserting the promotion, girl. I do like to read in the tub. Haven't dropped a book. Yet. I usually like to read non-fiction in the bath, though. Hmm...

A hot tub would be so awesome. But I can never get past the 'but then I'd have to clean that monster' attitude whenever the hubby brings it up.

Yvonne Lindsay said...

Bath. No argument. You can't drink wine and read a book in the shower. That said, I hardly ever make time to have a delicious soak. Generally, the only time I ever really get to enjoy a long and luscious soak in the bath is when I'm conferencing and I duck away to the hotel room and submerge.

Showers are functional. Baths are luxury. We all need luxury :-)

Anonymous said...

I like both, but there's nothing better than a nice hot bath on a day when I'm all PMSy and hating life.

I live in an old house & we have a claw foot tub. It's deep and long enough that I can stretch my legs out (being 6'1" can be a disadvantage sometimes). Since it's a clawfoot, it's also been modified to be a shower. Can be good & bad. :D

Anonymous said...

You don't actually have to clean a hot tub, Michele. If you test the water reqularly (dunk in a test strip once a week) and keep the ph and sanitizing chemicals where they should be it doesn't get dirty. Really.

Because I am allegric to chlorine, we use a non-chlorine bromine system with an "ozonier" to keep the water sparkling.

Anonymous said...

BATH, BATH, BATH! I love my soaking time. Usually, it's well after the kids go to bed, or an afternoon off, before they get home.

My dog, however, thinks the tub is the best place to hide from scary thunderstorms. She's there now, and it's supposed to storm all day, so no bath for me today!

Unknown said...

Anonymous dear, your doggie may be right! Look how many people have survived tornadoes and hurricanes by climbing into a bathtub!

LOL. At the first sign of sunshine, kick him/her out and relax!

Playground Monitor said...

I grew up in a one-bathroom house with only a bathtub, so when I got to college, the shower was a new and wonderful thing. I've just kept on taking them cause they are quick. Our new house has a whirlpool tub in the master bath and I'll admit it's really nice after a day working in the yard.

The hubby will call me from the parking lot after he finishes volleyball and say "Fire up the tub!" I add an athletic soak and by the time he's home it's full enough to turn on the jets and soak away his muscle aches.

We're saving to have a hot tub put on the back patio. I love being out in one on a cold, cold night with the stars overhead.

Marilyn

flip said...

Having a jacuzzi tub will convert a man to the tub. My husband is a shower guy, but he loves the new tub. He works outside as a carpenter and it really works out the aches and pains. My son loves hot baths.

I think British men tend to take long baths....I don't know where I got that impression since I don't know any British men.

Michele Hauf said...

Okay, I think you ladies are talking me into a hot tub.... What a neat thing to have on a cold February MN night!

Meljprincess said...

Shower person!

Helen Brenna said...

Oh, that's funny, Flip, about the British men. LOL