Hot Water - Originally Posted 13 December 2005

Here's the hot water issue - taking hot showers is a pretty important thing around here. So when I got to the tent/shower container (the container part is a little trailer thingy that has the shower stalls in it) this morning and it was full of women yelling that there was no hot water, I was certainly a bit concerned. Actually, I woke up feeling like crap with a sore throat and stormed out of the tent/shower container heading toward the generator to reset it since nobody else would. Well, what would by wondering eyes should appear but a soldier in full PT gear, M16 and a Santa hat chatting with a Filipino guy. Of course, all of the Filipino guys have to say "Good Morning, Ma'am" to you even though, or especially because, you are half dressed storming toward the generator. Next thing I know, Santa soldier whips his head around to see who it is just as I slide on a pile of loose dirt in my shower shoes and continue to storm, pinwheeling toward the evil generator. Finally I reset the generator and head back to the tent/shower container and wait for the hot water. I'm thinking it will take at least 10 minutes for some tepid water. God Bless the Army, because that generator boiled about 100 gallons in those 10 minutes and I had one of the best showers ever!