Thursday, Sept. 19, 2002 - 4:47 p.m.

In anticipation of having a very select, core group, of friends over for dinner this evening I went home on my lunch hour and cleaned the bathroom. But I just didn�t clean the bathroom I learned what it�s like to clean a bathroom and I learned a little bit about myself as well.

Firstly, I have not cleaned a bathroom in many many years. When I went away to college, UC Berkeley, and lived in my frat the concept of cleaning the bathroom never entered neither my mind nor the mind of any of my fraternal brothers. After college I moved every couple of years so, once again, no need to clean, right? Then there was the time that my parents were coming to visit for the weekend and it dawned on me that while at my house one or both of them might want to use the facilities. That was the first and last time I cleaned a bathroom. After that it was Senora Lupe�s job to keep the throne shiny shiny shiny.

Unfortunately, Senora Lupe is no longer and due to chronic procrastination today I cleaned my bathroom and here is what I learned:

1. Buy rubber gloves

2. Buy bathroom cleanser

3. Don�t just stare at the squeegee everyday use the squeegee everyday

4. Perfect your aim

5. Buy rubber gloves

6. Buy lower wattage light bulbs

7. Paint walls darker color

8. Shower curtains are more easily replaced then glass doors

9. Brushed chrome is better than polished

10. Never ever underestimate or underappreciate your Senora Lupe

11. Buy rubber gloves

But what did I learn about myself? I learned that cleaning a bathroom as an adult is not as bad as it was when I was a kid being screamed at to do my chores by my mother. I also learned that you can achieve the euphoric feeling of pride just from doing a good job on the shower doors. I learned I like feeling proud of my accomplishment and of myself is an extremely nice feeling. I leaned that there�s something odd in feeling proud of water-spot-free faucets. I also learned I�d better get off my butt and either find another Senor Lupe or in six or seven months I�ll have to repeat today�s experience. But most importantly I learned that rubber gloves are our friends.

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