I can do so, but I've noticed the ini list is not in the same order as a load order list. (PS: I was considering adding Hold It and Starfires' NPC mod, but now I'm a bit worried about it being too much.)

Hmm... I don't see anything obviously wrong here, though I might be mistaken.
Are you using any mesh or texture replacers?
(Mesh Improvements, Vibrant Morrowind v4, etc.)

Grass, trees, and bottles. (Korana's)

I am seeing something else that is new now. The NOM food vendors are almost all doubled. That's really strange since I did nothing to the NOM mods that I know of. They are still in the same positions and I didn't move, add, or change anything about them.

OK. I have a new update, and I admit I'm both perplexed and feeling stupid.

While writing the previous post, some thoughts about doubling issues came to me again. So, I read through Wyre Mash's doubling instructions at least a dozen more times. I understand what causes them - sort of, or at least technically - but I still don't understand how to prevent them when loading or unloading mods or exactly how to get rid of them when they do show up, but perhaps that's an issue for a different thread.

Anyway, after going through the instructions line by line, over and over, I decided my best bet was to "repair all" on my final save, even though neither it nor my mod list showed any problems in the Wyre Mash lineup. The result was that my water animations came back, but all examples of The Bathing Mod disappeared. That nearly made me hang it up for the night. However, another glance at my load order in Wyre Mash showed that that step somehow UNCHECKED all instances of The Bathing Mod and Ascadian Rose Cottage from the load list. I re-checked them and started the save. Water animations are still there and both the Bathing Mod and Ascadian Rose Cottage are now working. I haven't checked on all instances of doubling or barrels, but this seems to be the best it's run in some time and I'm sorely tempted to let it be for now, so long as there's no game breakers hidden in there. (*crossing her fingers and toes, here*)

Obviously, what I need is to understand Wyre Mash better, but so far, memorizing all directions isn't giving me that comforting "click" in my head. No chance he's printed out a "Wyre Mash for Dummies" file?

ATM, I only have one or two problems left, only one of which is troubling. When all the doubling was going on, I disabled the Balmora NOM food vendor, Sarand Ormandyl. Is there any way to re-enable him?

Hmm... So that explains it. Just a savefile issue...
I only change mods between new games, so I can avoid that sort of thing.

Some mods should only be added from a new game.
The Bathing Mod is one such example, but that goes double for NOM.

As I recall, the Enchanted Editor can be used to edit savefiles.
You could try opening the savefile in the EE, looking up the list of NPC changes, and deleting his entry.
That should completely reset him, as if from a new game.

One last note...
Have you merged your levelled lists?
If you use any mods that add new levelled lists, or change existing ones, then you should merge your lists.
(Both NOM and The Bathing Mod do this, so you really should make sure to merge your lists, if you haven't already.)

Nope. Fraid I've been wary of that, mostly because I don't quite understand what happens exactly when merging lists and I figure that if I do it wrong, I will have no choice but to start over completely. So, I'm thinking that's one activity I will feel more comfortable doing when starting a new game.

If you use more than one mod that changes the levelled lists, you have to merge said lists.
Otherwise, the lists won't actually function properly.

The levelled lists control what appears, and when, in random item appearances.
(Such as dungeon treasure, and merchant wares.)

If more than one mod changes a particular list, then only the very last mod's changes are used.
Merging the lists allows all of your mods to change the lists as they are meant to.

Here is a way to do this very easily:

1.) Get TESTool, here: http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=utilities.detail&id=34

2.) Get the Leveled List Resequencer for TESTool, here: http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=2726

3.) Run TESTool, and set it to merge your levelled lists.

4.) Take the "merged" plugin that it gives you, and put it in the same folder as the resequencer.

5.) Run the resequencer, and have it fix the "merged" plugin.

6.) Place the "merged" plugin back into the Morrowind "Data Files" folder, and make sure that it is loaded absolutely last.

There you go, your levelled lists will now be fixed! /smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Notes:
1.) You don't need to merge anything but the lists, so don't. The other merge options can cause various problems.
2.) TESTool isn't perfect, and can sometimes get the lists sequenced improperly. The resequencer both fixes and prevents that.
3.) TESTool can also clean "dirty" plugins, fix broken "required master files" headers, and adjust plugin load order, as well.

Thread necromancy...since I'm curious whether this mod is getting another update a some point. I have some clipping problems with some of the bath houses in my game...including one that makes the Ald'ruhn bath house unusable.

I'm assuming you've got the vanishing door problem. Since nobody has put up a thorough explanation of what's wrong with it (there were some hints that it was a door-related conflict with LGNPC Ald'ruhn), here's a quick fix: make the Stinkers .esm into an .esp using Wrye Mash's copy to .esm/.esp function (making sure you remove the original after) and make sure it loads AFTER LGNPC Ald'ruhn. It'll fix the problem.

Also, there was an update not too long ago: http://morrowind.nexusmods.com/mods/42283. This one's already in .esp format and will load well after LGNPC Ald'ruhn, so you shouldn't run into the problem. If you're using the version 2 addons, they won't work with it, but I've put together http://morrowind.nexusmods.com/mods/42294, and with most mods that use Bathing Mod content, it's usually just a matter of switching scripts on activators in the CS (or, in some cases, placing the new soaps in addition) to make them compatible with the new version.

Hopefully Raveblack sees this as he seems to be the guru for The Bathing Mod in all its incarnations.

I've been looking at Gaius Atrius' "http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=9115"

The PES page says:

Looking at Gaius' http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Mods.Detail&id=8304 the only download that is relevant is Stinkers_v2__Compatibility_Plugins.7z

That contains "Stinkers v2 - Ascadian Rose Cottage Patch.esp"

However, that patch is not dependent on Ascadian Rose Cottage DX.esm (Gaius' modified version of Ascadian Rose Cottage) and there is no mention of Gaius' modified version of Ascadian Rose Cottage on the PES page. All he references there is Korana's original (and there's no readme in the compatibility plugins download).

So...

Does "Stinkers v2 - Ascadian Rose Cottage Patch.esp" work with "Ascadian Rose Cottage DX.esm"?