> The cold water faucet -- er, "tap" -- was on the left, and the hot water tap was on the right. (Brunnen-G was surprised to learn that this was not normal in America, but later I discovered that , in the restaurants and hotels we visited in New Zealand, hot was on the left and cold was on the right. So I don't know what the story is.)

When I was growing up, we lived in two different houses for seven or eight years in each. In one of these houses, the hot and cold water pipes were switched in the bathtub/shower. To get hot water, we turned the knob to the right, and cold water was toward the left. This really confused my grandma the first time she came to visit, and ten minutes after she let the water run, she came out to ask us if we had any hot water.

Then I moved, but a few years later I wound up in an apartment that had the same exact thing. The landlord noticed it when he came to fix a leak and offered to fix it, but I told him we were used to it being the way it was. My current apartment is normal in this regard. In both cases, though, I don't recall having any difficulties making the mental adjustment about which way was hot or cold. All the more reason for me to visit New Zealand some day, right?

> Dave and I argued over whether nuclear explosions or walri (plural of walrus, you known) were cooler, and it was then, I think, that it finally became clear to Brunnen-G that we are indeed absolutely the same people in person that we are online.

So did you come to a conclusion?

Ell"One Ellmyruh, two Ellmyruh"myruh