The First Hot Shower

I type today ecstatic and smiling brightly as I've just taken my first hot shower in a business week. In the last piece, we took a look at the switching situation of my apartment. Certainly it was unforgettable, but we'll review here just in case some of the story has slipped your mind.

The second bank of switches looked a lot like this:

It was just inside the doorway and not really something you'd think to touch for the bathroom. Alas, the bathroom light was in that bank of switches.

If you were me, you flipped the one with the red light on top, noticed it did nothing, and turned it back off. Later that night, and for the next four nights, you shuddered as you stood beneath ice cold water...trading glances at a seemingly broken water heater, and a situation that was a bit too close.


You may have even turned everything in sight that would turn, including that awkward knob way up above the shower head, in a desperate plea to not start your day by freezing to death.

Then finally it happened. Through the magic of agile collaboration and open spaces, you found one of the greatest pro-tips of all time from a colleague: Hit the switch with the red light outside the bathroom and wait 10 minutes for the water to be hot.

Slowly, but surely, I'm solving the problems caused by my western ignorance.