When I started this blog, I thought it was something that I would constantly be updating, but I haven't posted for months. Life has just been too fun and fast, and I am much too lazy to do this while still enjoying myself.
I am nearing seven months into this Great Adventure and it is time for another story.
Suicide Showers, Spiders, and Phobias -- Oh My!
This is a typical Costa Rican shower head:
This is affectionately called a "suicide shower" by those who understand the properties of water and electricity when mixed (and, honestly, by those who don't). See those exposed wires? Scary, huh? According to local legend and fantasy, this thing is imbued with dragon-like qualities and is rumored to occasionally hiss, smoke, and spray fire on the unfortunate person taking a shower.
I was leery of my suicide shower when I first moved here, but I soon got used to it. Hey -- there are other things, like tarantulas and other scary (spider) things to worry about! I am more likely to check the shower and surrounding area for creepy crawlies than worry about the wiring -- which brings me to my little story.
One day about four months into this great adventure, I was happily showering away -- you know how it goes -- yummy smelling shampoo was all lathered up and I was just getting ready to rinse it -- when I felt a searing pain in my right shoulder. My first thought? "Oh no! Oh No! OH NO! A spider has landed on me and bit me!" I look to my shoulder expecting to see a large arachnid feasting away, but nothing is there except my red skin. I look up further, nothing dangling. I look up to the shower head, the tape holding the wires together is SMOLDERING! My next thought? "Thank God it wasn't a spider!" Relief floods through me. I yell at Bryan that the shower is smoking, switch the shower head to the off position, and finish my shower with cold water. No big deal.
It wasn't a spider! Who cares that molten plastic burned my shoulder? A spider didn't touch me! Yay! All is good. Bryan fixed the shower and made it much more secure with real wire nuts instead of loose tape.
Anyone who has known me long knows that I have a huge spider phobia. I don't mind them so much outside, but if they come in my house I am scared to death of them! Living here has made me come face to face with my phobia. About 30 minutes prior to writing this, I saw a spider scurry across the floor towards my feet. Back in the States a few months ago, I would have screamed bloody murder and hid in the other room while begging Bryan to take care of the "huge" spider. Tonight I did let out a little eek, and told Bryan that there was a big spider under the chair. As he was coming to look, I amended my assessment of the spider to a "small" spider. When he found it, he chuckled, and said it might be a medium spider -- probably to make me feel better. So, my tolerance level for spiders has risen. What used to be a big spider is now not so big. Don't get me wrong. It is still a spider and therefore, evil, and must not be in my house. But now it is not quite so terrifying.
Hmmm. I think I might survive here!
P.S. Bryan says that his greatest fear with the suicide shower is not having it melt on him. He is afraid that it will quit working in mid-shower and spray him unexpectedly in ice-cold water. That would make him shriek like a little girl. :) He hates cold showers and thinks I am crazy for liking them once in a while!
