Thank God I was a Girl Scout

This morning I had to get up extra early since I was part of a team going to Kisumi Brothers Center, one of the centers that UMU operates. We were evaluating the facilities and programming to recommend whether it can become a stand-alone university. We were leaving at 6 AM since another group we were traveling with had an earlier meeting. I was up at 5.

I don't like getting up early. I do it when necessary and only when necessary. This morning my alarm went off and I dutifully got up and went in the bathroom to start my shower. I turned on the water and--nothing came out. Joy. No water.

This doesn't happen very often, and sometimes we have some warning so I can fill a few containers. This time there was no warning and there was no water. However, I was a Girl Scout so I know how to wash up in a miner's cup if necessary. It wasn't that bad.

The water heater in our kitchen leaks. It was supposed to be replaced about a month and a half ago, but it's still the same old leaky water heater so we have a large pot under it to catch the drips. I turn it off at night so it doesn't leak, but it pretty much has to be on during the day, so it leaks into the pot. Fortunately the pot was about half full. The electric tea kettle was also a bit more than half full. I had water. I turned on the kettle and pretty soon I had hot water.

I took the pot of water and dumped it in one of the large plastic tubs we use for laundry, added the hot water and I had enough water for a bath of sorts--the kind where you stand in the bathtub and wash up with soap and enough water to get the soap off. It works.

Since I had a meeting today I didn't want to head out all funky and smelly. I got my bath. Given that my natural tendency is to take looooong showers--anyone who has lived with me can testify that I am perfectly capable of emptying the hot water heater--it's nice to know that I can also make due with what I have. Backpacking with Girl Scouts taught me how to bath with a minimum of water. Who knew that it would pay off some forty years later.