Houston by iPhone

As I mentioned in my last post; I spent a couple of days in Houston last week on business. I didn't take my DSLR, but I did use my iPhone to capture some of the buildings near the cross streets of Louisiana and Dallas. I wish I had a real camera with me, but these images give you an idea of some of the architecture in the area.

Haven't had a bath in 22 years

I have to say: baths are amazing. When I think of simple pleasures and the finer things in life, baths now come to mind. Last night, in Houston, when I got to my hotel room I was stressed from a rough day spent working with my boss. I was eager to shower, change out of my monkey suit, and hit the streets for some exploration. While playing with the mixing valve for a steaming hot shower, the notion of a bath entered my brain. Why not? I was at a 4 star hotel, and the tub was spotless after all (I'd never take a bath in my tub!). So I dedicated the next 30 minutes to some much needed me-time. I propped my iPad up and played some Explosions In The Sky, grabbed a few extra towels and filled the tub. The next half hour was spent soaking, contemplating and reminiscing of the times when my 8 other brothers and sisters would take turns bathing in that old brick house outside of Pittsburgh. It was then that I realized it had been over 22 years since I last turned all pruney in a giant porcelain trough. Vivid memories came flooding back to me of evening sunsets and the sound of my siblings still running around outside. I could hear them through the open upstairs bathroom window . I remembered a time, I must have been 7 or so, when my older sister Molly shampooed my hair making me giggle as she lathered my noggin comically. And the water; oh the water! Grey with a day's worth of playing in the woods, catching grasshoppers in the garden and baseball with my friend Cody, down the street.

Many times since then, I've wished for a bath; after every race or long road or mountain bike ride, I think of how nice a hot bath would feel on my tired legs. Why haven't I bathed? For one, I'm 6' tall and the bath tubs in the places I've rented in Boston, Baltimore and New York were tiny! For two, those same bath tubs were never a place where I would want to submerge myself, no matter how clean I thought I could get them.

Anyway, baths are fantastic. I'll add a bath to my business travel routine from now on. As glorious as they are, 30 minutes is a long time and I simply couldn't take the heat after that. My body temp was definitely elevated. I looked like a lobster when I hopped out! ....mmmmm lobsters.