Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Spas, Hot tubs and Pools

I love swimming. I remember splashing in the Rio Grande when it was fed by snowmelt. I remember going to the pool everyday after lunch as a kindergartner. I remember all sorts of fun. And, until I worked at a motel with a pool, my dream house included a pool and spa.

No longer.

One reason.

I became a Certified Pool Operator and learned that the human body loses one pint of body fluid for every fifteen minutes in a body of water that’s 100 degrees.

So I don’t use public spas. I don’t know how long it has been since the water was changed.

Another reason.

I work to maintain our spa and pool. Today for the first time in about two weeks the spa was clear when I came to do the maintenance. I don’t know for sure, but I can make a guess. For the last two weeks I’ve had a group of workers come in and use the spa about 6pm, it’s always within a fifteen minutes of getting back from work. And when they come down to the pool area they all have dry hair. My guess and, I suspect yours as well, is that they weren’t showering before going into the pool and spa.

So no longer does my dream house include a pool and a spa. The maintenance is daily, the expense is horrendous, the abuse by people is ongoing and I could go on. I think I’ll just retire to a place that has a nearby river or pond and just take a dip there when I get the urge to swim.

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