I really dislike a standard household shower. You know the kind – you probably own one too – a straight metal bar holding up the shower curtain. The curtain is so close to you during the shower it’s constantly touching you, or almost touching you so you have to manipulate yourself in such a way as to avoid it… It’s cold, soggy and clings if you touch it with your leg or side or whatever… Anyway, if you’re like me, it’s bothersome.

One time I had the fortune of being in a “nice” hotel they had an arc curtain rod. It’s a rounded rod that curves out so the curtain is away from you, but the bottom is still inside the tub. It was wonderful.

I don’t remember what the business trip was for, but I remember that! I loved it so much, when I got home I bought a curtain rod like that for myself. Well, recently my kids and I (and Robin) switched bathrooms so I moved “my” special curtain rod over to the new bathroom. Disappointingly the curtain rod, even at its longest adjustment was maybe half an inch too short. The rod would stay up – but it just didn’t have enough pressure to maintain the position of the arc, so the far part of the arc would bend down with the weight of a wet curtain and then the sides would tend to want to go towards the middle. This is no good.

Well – late the other night I had a money idea! I put some pennies and dimes under the rubber ends to extend the curtain rod just enough that it now holds wonderfully. Total cost – $0.50 (4 dimes + 10 pennies). Now there’s putting money to good use!