Setting up the male toilet ready for our first outdoor concert of the season
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325854)
Rockingham, Australia
November 13, 2018 2:28am CST
As we get nearer and nearer to Christmas, our calendar seems to get busier and busier.
Some of you may remember we have several outdoor concerts here over the summer and we need to get busy getting ready for that. We put old blankets on the walls of the Shack to help the acoustics, there is the men’s urinal to erect and a screen put round it and a long extension cord to run out from the big shed. This will supply power to the concert area. We’ve turned on the reticulation again to help the grass stay green now that we’re not getting so much rain.
But the worst thing this week will be a visit to the doctor to get a referral to the Lions Hearing Centre. The visit won’t be the worst bit but having my ears syringed might be. I had both ear-drums burst once and I really don’t like having my ears syringed. But it’s very much a minor detail compared to what some people face so I’ll be brave and just get on with whatever has to happen.
I’ll add a photo of the men’s toilet facility. Although it might look a bit basic, it drains into a septic tank and will have a hessian screen and twinkly lights so they can see what they’re doing so to speak. There is also a regulation toilet which we created in a small garden shed. It’s for the ladies unless the men need a regular toilet. And now we’ve had no internet all day – very unusual for us.
17 people like this
19 responses
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
13 Nov 18
I love it, Its perfect for the men. So glad you have a ladies privies and the men can use it if needed. So where does the urine go? just to the earth or is there a hole to hold it until it sinks in...
Talking about this subject reminded me when I was younger and skied all winter, in NY back in the day (60's) one of the places we skied had an outhouse for women and another for the men. It was amazing because the toilet seat was made out of metal....very cold... We learned fast to pee while standing up.
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
14 Nov 18
@JudyEv I have never heard of a shewee so I looked it up. it is pretty cool...Where we camp there are washrooms with flush toilets but in the night if we have to pee we just drop our drawers and squat...
3 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 18
@PainsOnSlate We do that here too but now my knees really object if I take too long and I'm finding it harder and harder to get up again from a squatting position.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Nov 18
There is a soak well affair to hold the urine. We never have more than 100 people so roughly 50 men I guess and they're there four hours max so it's adequate. We are very proud of the ladies' loo. It flushes, has a hand-basin and carpet squares on the floor. Very flash!
Di you know you can buy a 'shewee' now to make it easier for women to pee standing up? Great for camping where there are no loos.
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
13 Nov 18
@JudyEv it saves having men just use trees or going anywhere when they think no one is looking
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Nov 18
@arthurchappell For the first two we put up a screen in front of some trees so the men could go behind that. Then our plumber friend came up with this which might look a bit primitive but is adequate. We laugh as it is situated on a slight slope so there is a receptacle for shorter people and one for taller people.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
13 Nov 18
Oh that will be nice to have a tinkle whilst the lights begin to twinkle!
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Nov 18
I have never seen a urinal like that.
3 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Nov 18
@JudyEv - I think they are only standard indoors. I have never seen one outdoors like that ... not that I am much of an expert on urinals! LOL
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Nov 18
@DeborahDiane No, I have virtually no experience with them either. Haha.
2 people like this
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
13 Nov 18
Do you not clean your ears and have the doctor do it? I'm not sure if that's what you mean by syringed.
That is really cool how you made the urinal. I have never seen anything made like that before. At the race track I went to as teen there was just a big wooden trough men would urinate in. I thought it was so weird and unsanitary.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
14 Nov 18
@JudyEv my nephew couldn't hear well when he was small and eventually a doctor stuck something down in his ear and pulled out a long tube like blockage. I know a woman who was considered deaf and could barely hear even with a hearing aid so she just read lips. She was a rotten substitute in my high school so I would say mean things to her when she couldn't see my face. Anyhow around 50 years old or so my dad worked with her as a nurse and she was a nurses aide. She went to some specialist who pulled a blockage out of her ear canal like my nephew had and then she could finally hear. Imagine living like that your whole life and doctors taking 50 years to figure out it was something so simple. Makes me sad!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Nov 18
Sometimes they do just a trough but I thought this type was pretty common but perhaps not. I try to clean my ears but the wax builds up and for a hearing test they want your ears to be squeaky clean. So I'm guessing that my ears will need to be syringed. I have an appointment at 11.00 and a booking with the nurse for the syringing at 11.15am. If they don't need to do it, that would be a bonus.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 18
@shaggin It makes me sad too. So much lost opportunity. My ears are always incredibly itchy. I'm not looking forward to having them syringed. My way of dealing with such things is to keep say 'this time tomorrow it will all be over'. This distracts me and I start thinking about what I'll be doing in 24 hours. People are strange aren't they? 
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
13 Nov 18
That's a lot of planning and planning is the most exciting part of any event. Good Luck.
2 people like this
@Letranknight2015 (51532)
• Philippines
14 Nov 18
I would get scared relieving myself over there. What if some one takes a picture of me peeing? i hope you put a tent over there.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 18
Why do you think anyone would want to take a picture of you peeing? You must have strange friends. :) There will be a screen around the area so all that will be missing is the roof - and I can assure you no-one will be trying to take photos over the top.
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Nov 18
@JudyEv - I think it is wonderful that you put on these concerts. It sounds like a lot of work. Please, please take care of your ears!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40056)
• Laguna Woods, California
15 Nov 18
@JudyEv - I am so glad it did not hurt you this time. None of us look forward to a painful procedure. Maybe it will be many years before you have to get it done again!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Nov 18
Yep, you've gotta have loos. We ran the first concert then got a call from the council saying we needed a licence and so the rigmarole began. At least two toilets for 100 people, a plan showing exits and emergency gathering place, tests on the water, etc etc. The council thinks people come up to the house to use the toilets but we didn't want everyone traipsing through the house when we were down at the concert so we made ourselves other plans. The council probably know what we're doing but so far have turned a blind eye to it.
@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
13 Nov 18
Yes I believe as Christmas getting nearer the more ee become busy. I'm sure it will another awesome concert.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Nov 18
@nawala123 There is a hole in the ground and it goes into that. The toilet will only be used for three days over the three or four months when we have the concerts.
