Laundry Day

Things are coming together, for the most part, other than the whole shower drain situation (although I did get a shower in last night - felt soooo good!). By the end of the day today I should know whether or not my landlady will have to have the shower and floor ripped out to determine the cause of the problem. Yesterday she said the story she was getting was that this tub has a drum trap rather than a "P-trap," and that it seems that something is obstructing it. Unlike the video shown at the link (This Old House is such a cool show!), this whole extravaganza is pretty much inaccessible in the current house, hence the shower-ripping. She said there's also some evidence of previous "creative plumbing" that happened sometime back in the '70's or 80's, so maybe there's more to the story, like a cracked pipe. Good times. It all makes me quite glad that I'm not the homeowner in this case - renting has that going for it. If the shower gets ripped out, that could mean that I could wind up with a bathtub, too. The current shower arrangement is adequate for me (though a bit strange because it's a handicapped midget shower), but a tub would be pretty nice. I just hope yesterday's shower can tide me over for a few days in the event they have to do more major surgery.

Other exciting things on the domestic front - I did laundry today. As I mentioned before, there's a laundromat about a mile away from my house. This morning I walked up to it, and I've got to say it's probably the nicest laundromat I've ever seen (that's really not saying much) - better than the ones I used as an undergraduate, and nicer than the one by scrottie's house. I had been considering buying a washing machine in Phoenix right before heading out here, but at this point I think I'll be sticking with the laundromat - at least for a few months.

When I returned home with my damp laundry, I took a few minutes to set up an initial clothesline under the covered porch. The backyard has half a clothesline - one of those old-fashioned ones made out of a steel pipe "T" - the other half appears to have snapped off at some point. I might be inspired to replace the second half at some point, but not right now - I'd have to dig out the old concrete and pipe stump, then get new pipe and pour new cement. Instead, I used some existing holes to string up clothesline I'd brought with me. Having a working clothesline brings me a great sense of satisfaction, and relief. Part of me wants to just buy some portable clothes racks, but money's short right now. I suspect I'll expand on the current line by hanging another one on the opposite side of the porch.

This porch - ach. Part of me would love the chance to refurbish it. The screen is rotted and full of holes, and as mentioned previously, the shutters may or may not work. If they did work, it would be such a fantastic space, full of light and fresh air (unlike the rest of the house). I've wanted an enclosed patio for a long time - the perfect spot to watch storms roll through, and to sit outside when it's warm out without having to worry about getting eaten alive. But if I move out soon - it would be a real time-killer.

Tropical

Also, when it's humid here, I'm reminded of the tropics. Which makes me think I should be planting tropical fruit trees.

I have to confess, I'm not sure that tropical climates agree with my body any more than the desert agreed with it. I sweat pretty easily, so I quickly reach the point of being drippingly sweaty. I'm not sure how it will interact with my generally oily skin, either. But on the other hand, I almost have an easier time dealing with this place if I just think of it as its own, crazy tropical country.

Also, on a random note - the Aggies (that would be, the students of Texas A&M University) have some pretty entertaining military regalia, at least in comparison to the ROTC uniforms visible around the ASU campus. The Aggies wear spurs! And boots! (at least, the guys do). Not only that, they have to graduate from "training spurs" to "real" spurs! It also looks like they dress in full regalia just about every day of the week. Although I am personally a pacifist, I have respect for people who have dedicated their lives to service to this country. It's just...spurs!

On top of that, it looks like just about every single person on campus wears a piece of Aggie regalia just about every day of the week, whether it's shorts or pants or hats or shirts. Lots and lots of maroon, everywhere, all of the time. Three of my four educational institutions (high school, grad school, here) have maroon as one of the school colors. I might be persuaded to wear maroon myself.