Taking forever to get ready

[DrFaroohk]

I used to have to take all my showers in about 2 minutes. Lived in a crappy place with a water heater that only gave me about that much hot water. By the time I was finishing the rinsing, the water was icy cold.

I guess I'm just used to working around everyone else. Living with my mom, she pretty much reserved the bathroom from 5 am - 8, so I snuck in any chance I could to get done what I needed. Same with stepmom. Took friggin forever, and split it up, and you couldn't ever get in it there for a good decent amount of time because it was all divided up into 5 minute windows.

So I'm pretty quick at a lot of things. I can shower quickly, get dressed quickly, smoke a cigarette quickly....and I'm one of the few fat people who does NOT smell like a dirty sock, because I actually take the time to wash myself, rather than relying on 30 seconds of water pressure to do the job.

[HYHYBT]

to me it reads as, "if you woke up late" you are going to have to cut corners because you didn't leave yourself enough time. If it takes an hour for you to do your hair perfectly and put on makeup, and you have 10 minutes, you do not get to make others wait. "piss poor planning on your part does not precipitate panic on my part."

Trust me I've been stuck at work for two hours waiting on a replacement to show up because after I called, woke her up, and said "you were supposed to be here 10 minutes ago, she still took a 45 minute shower and an hour to do her hair and make up. The explanation she gave for being two hours late-"I had to do all that for work." No you just had to brush your hair and teeth, put on your uniform, and get to work, it's a gas station, not a photoshoot, perfect hair and makeup is NOT necessary.

...and by the end of the day, even at a gas station I'd be getting complaints because I smelled bad if I didn't add a shower to your list. Not a 45 minute one, and not separate hair time (I've never quite understood that), true. But it's not an insignificant addition. And while it wouldn't as likely apply in your example, there was about a 1/4 chance I'd have to buy gas on the way: add ten minutes if the station's not busy, which you don't know until you get there. Of course, that's not technically before leaving the house, but from the point of view of those at work it might as well be. You might also have to add on something about kids, etc.

[Kheldarson]

Unless you sweat a copious amount during the day, skipping a shower once in a while is not going to kill you, or the people around you. If you're really concerned, just splash water under your arms. If you're late, you get to where you need to be ASAP.

And Farhook, just because you can get ready fast and want to all the time, doesn't mean we all do or want to. I can get a shower and get dressed in 15 minutes if I want, but I don't like to. I like taking my time in the shower and relaxing. Part of why I shower at night. If I have to be somewhere ASAP, then sure, I'll rush, but otherwise? Leave me be!

[senor boogie woogie]

I like getting up about an hour before I must leave, take a shower, put on my clothes, read the news online, take my medicine and then go to my teaching job. I give myself more than enough time to get to the office. No rushing around for me. I dont want to run and be concerned about the time.

Now for me, I like doing things by myself and run off my own schedule. I do not like having to wait for other people, like the OP describes, who takes forever to do something which slows everything else up. In my life, this rarely happens.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

First of all, why does this bother you? If you have worked it our with someone that you will pick them at 8am and they are ready and walking out the door at 8am...

What difference is it to you if they took 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 minutes or longer to get ready?

If the person is ready at the agreed upon time what gives you the right to kvetch about them getting up at 5am and spending all that time to get ready?

Secondly your "15 minutes" to get ready from waking up to out the door...where does that leave time for a real breakfast? I'm not talking about grabbing a pop tart or hitting fast food on your way to whatever...I'm talking about a hearty and healthy breakfast that people *should* be eating.

I'll admit that push come to shove I can shit, shower and shave and be out the door in 15 minutes. If push came to shove. But I like to take the time to wake up, get breakfast, take a shower, shave, get dressed, sit down and check my email and the local news and weather.

But again if you were to meet me at H-Hour and I'm there at H-Hour, why should you get yourself worked up about the fact that I woke up three and a half hours previous to that?

I could understand your rant if you were talking about a person who wakes up a half hour before they were to be picked up by you and took that half hour and an additional hour beyond that to get ready. That's just a lack of consideration on the part of that person. But who cares if I take three hours for my morning rituals as long as I've allotted the time and am where I'm supposed to be on schedule?

And yes I did see the bit about luxuries and allotment of time...but who are you to judge what luxuries are? What may be a luxury for one may be a requirement for another. My wife taking a quick shower needs 20 minutes at a bare minimum because of her long hair. If I take that long with my short hair is me enjoying a luxurious shower and letting the hot water pound away stiff and sore muscles. And even of someone indulges in those luxuries, what is it to you? Who are you to judge?

[Boozy]

My mother in law spends FOUR FUCKING HOURS every day "getting ready". Seriously, exactly what in the fuck are you doing for FOUR HOURS?

All right, so it's clearly her right to spend her time this way if she so chooses - but can we not all agree that FOUR hours a day spent on personal hygiene is incredibly bizarre?

It was my birthday recently, and my husband was coming home from a trip that day and taking me out for dinner. So I gave myself a "spa" day at home that afternoon. I took a very long bath, shaved my legs, waxed my bikini line, applied three kinds of cream (including a precision application of self-tanner), blow-dried and straightened my hair, gave myself a full pedicure and manicure, did a full face of make-up, and spent a while selecting my outfit.

This whole process still only took me three hours, and it's not exactly something I'd want to do everyday.

[Kheldarson]

What's MIL's age? Four hours does seem weird, but maybe she's indecisive so takes a while in the closet. Or maybe she bathes instead of showers. Or maybe, related to the age question, she just moves slowly.

[blas87]

I take as long as I want to get ready, and tardiness is never an issue for me at work, so it doesn't affect anyone else, so it's none of their business if I want to gussy up.

This time of year, no way in hell am I air-drying my hair. Fifteen minutes isn't long enough for me to shower or brush my teeth, wash/tone/moisturize my very acne prone face, put lotion on my alligator skin from this wretched winter weather, and eat and dress and go to work.

I take as long as I need. And am rarely ever late.

When I get a day off and have plans, the horror, I take as much as nearly two hours to get ready, doing my nails and pampering myself. Once again, always on time to my plans.

I like to look nice. Just because some girls can pull of wet hair and no split/damaged ends and frizz, doesn't mean we all can.

[HYHYBT]

Unless you sweat a copious amount during the day, skipping a shower once in a while is not going to kill you, or the people around you. If you're really concerned, just splash water under your arms.

People are different. *This* person, trust me, you don't want to be around that second day. If it's cool, and if I'm not doing anything particularly active, I can do a second day by using a little extra deodorant and changing shirts partway through. If it's warm or I'm actually doing stuff, I need to wash every day. With soap. And rinse well, because I'll itch otherwise. And the quickest and most effective way to do that is to take a shower.

As for four hours... I've spent six or more in the bathtub at a time. But only on a day when I don't have to be anywhere or see anybody. It's a good place to read a book.

[aurelemsrealm]

I don't rush for much of anything, but I generally try to plan things out so that I don't have to rush. I try to give myself enough time to wake up, enjoy a cup or two of coffee, and have some time to just sit and think before I have to start getting ready to face the day.

As for grooming rituals, I don't necessarily worry about shaving every day. I just shave whenever I decide it's necessary and have time. I just make sure my hair is combed, my teeth are brushed, my face is washed, and I'm wearing deodorant.

Actually getting ready doesn't take a lot of time for me, but gaining the necessary motivation and momentum sometimes takes more time and effort. Regardless, getting ready to face the day takes me as long as it takes me. I don't like to be rushed, and trying to rush me is a quick way to get a nasty response.

[jackfaire]

For me a shower is never optional. I sweat more than normal and if I skip a shower I get HR complaints.

However I had to train to put on MOPP suits in 8 minutes. If you can do that you can get dressed in five.

That being said I allot myself 2 hours before I have to catch the bus because I get distracted easily. Having more time allows me to recover from distraction and still have time to get ready.