Dive Right In
Hello World,
Well, I don't know about where you are, but in the local area, it would seem that when nobody was watching, the weather trolls have come along and turned the clock back to June, because once again we find ourselves having the most horrible cold and rainy conditions, just like two months ago when we all got blue in the face complaining about it. It had finally warmed up in August, so that we had a brief glimpse of actual summer, after waiting for it in vain in June and July, and we were finally starting to forget how bad it had been. But Friday dawned gray and dreary, with gusty winds and pelting rain, and temperatures diving into the 60's, feeling more appropriate to the blustery frostiness of March than early September. People who last week were decked out in flip-flops and tank tops were scrambling for their winter coats and fuzzy boots, and if the ice cream truck had shown up for its daily rounds, people would have thrown rocks at it. Alas, for those halcyon days of yore, when the seasons used to change gradually, melding from one into the next as a seamless transition, not crashing in on us unexpectedly with a swing of 20 degrees overnight.
In fairness to the weather trolls, it must be said that they really outdid themselves on Labor Day weekend, as we had three of the most glorious days that I can remember having in a row, practically forever. Each one was more perfect than the last, and anyone with plans for the weekend, like us, could only regard this bonanza with a mixture of awe and wonder, like winning the lottery. Especially the way things had been going all year, with some of the crappiest weather I can remember week in and week out, the odds against this happening must have been astronomical. In our case, the weather made a big difference to our plans, since we had been invited to visit friends and swim in their pool, which by its very nature, has a limited range of weather conditions that are conducive to this. In fact, I would consider ourselves to be experts on this subject, without even trying. These friends live on the outskirts of Albany in upstate New York, and we go to visit them regularly, every year like clockwork, around the holidays in November and January. At that time of year, the Albany area is little more than a frigid wasteland of snow and ice, and when we go to their house, their pool is nothing but a fond memory, buried under the frozen tundra of their backyard. And every year, while we're drinking hot chocolate in front of the fireplace, we always say that we should come back up in the summer, so we can go in their pool for a change, but then we never do. So this year, when the call went out to come up for a swim, we grabbed our swimsuits and sunglasses, and hit the road so we could dive right in.
Not so fast! Our plan was to leave early Saturday morning, so that we could arrive there around lunch time, of course making time along the way for a stop at Cinnabon for one of their delectable cinnamon buns, which is a rare treat that we indulge in when we travel, since there are none at home. Unfortunately, Bill called on Friday night from the gas station to say that his car had no brakes, and so our plans for Saturday morning went out the window, and the Cinnabons right along with them. Our mechanic said that he would come in on Saturday to fix the brakes, which he did and we were grateful, but with the result that we didn't actually get underway on our trip until after 2:00 PM, and in our haste to make up lost time, we didn't make a single stop along the way. We reached our friends just about at dinner time, and while I'm a person who will go swimming at any time, they felt that tomorrow would be better. Since we got there so late, we went ahead and checked into our hotel, La Quinta in Latham, and then went to the nearby 76 Diner for dinner, where we have been before and it did not disappoint. From there we stopped at a locally famous ice cream emporium, and enjoyed some sweet treats of the season while the getting was good. After that, we went back to their house and made them watch a video compilation that Bill had assembled from the pictures we took with his swim mask-camera from my vacation, which they seemed to enjoy, although it was hard to tell because they were all snoring so loudly. All too soon, it was way past our bedtime, so we hurried back to the hotel and turned in after a long and eventful day.
La Quinta turned out to be a nice enough place, and the price was certainly right, considering that it had plenty of amenities like a microwave and refrigerator in the room, WI-FI, fitness center, business center, indoor pool, hot tub, and breakfast buffet included in the room rate. In fact, some of the rooms had Jacuzzi's built right into them, as we found out when our other friends from the area decided to stay at the same hotel when we were there, and they declared their Jacuzzi worth the stay all by itself. Somehow without ever setting foot in the place before in our entire lives, and sight unseen, the hotel reservations staff knew exactly which room to assign to us, and we hit the dreaded tri-fecta of the elevators, the ice maker and the vending machines all within easy reach of our door, and thanks so very much not. This happens to us so often when we travel that you can't help but wonder if there's some sort of huge conspiracy afoot, and that dire consequences of epic proportions would ensue if we were ever to be moved more than twelve feet from the groaning elevators, the grinding ice makers, and the snap-crackle-pop of vending machines at all hours of the night and day. At this rate, we'll probably never find out, because that's where they always put us, no matter where we stay. I thought the room was nice and comfortable, and Bill liked the TV, and I don't mind saying, he has very high standards. In the morning, we had breakfast in our friends' room, since it was bigger, and the buffet was a nice assortment of items, such as bagels, waffles, toast, muffins, rolls, Danish, donuts, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, yogurt, fruit, juice and coffee. We weren't there long enough for a dive in the pool, but I went and took pictures, and it looked lovely and inviting, with an outdoor patio where you could relax in the sun after a swim. I was glad that I went and checked it out, because I had one of those serendipitous discoveries that make travel so worthwhile.
Of course, there must be some sort of regulations that stipulate you must tell people how deep is the pool, and they very helpfully build this information right into the tile floor around the pool, so that you can tell what the depth is at different spots, just by looking at the numbers next to the pool. It didn't occur to me that there might be the same regulations that would apply to hot tubs, or that it would matter to anyone how deep the hot tub might be, since all you do is sit in it, and I wouldn't think the depth would be an issue. But sure enough, there I was taking pictures in the pool area, and in a sunny corner is the hot tub, and right around the outside, the built-in tile says: "2 Feet 6 Inches Deep" right there for all the world to see. It's there in two different places around the hot tub, just so there's no questions or misunderstandings, and in a third spot, the built-in tile announces: NO DIVING. Well, I have to admit that was one of my favorite parts of our stay there, that the hot tub installation crew felt compelled to warn people off diving into this 30-inch pool, or that there would actually be people stupid enough to do it in the first place. Of course, they say that travel is broadening, but I didn't realize that it could be flattening as well.
Once breakfast was behind us, we checked out and after waiting a whole day, we couldn't wait to jump into our friends' pool at long last. It was cool and beautiful, serene yet stimulating, and more than worth all the time and trouble, effort and aggravation to get there. We splashed and cavorted, played with pool toys, swam and floated to our heart's content. Unlike the hotel, they even allow diving, so there was plenty of that going on too. We also made some more memorable underwater videos with Bill's swim mask-camera (hey, wake up!) and whiled away a pleasant afternoon in the sun without a care in the world to disturb us. It was a really special time for us, and we were so glad we finally got the chance to visit our friends in the summer for once, rather than always being up there in the dead of winter and tramping through snow drifts.
After a long day of sun and fun, we decided to go for a bite at the nearby Circle Diner, where everything was delicious, or it might just have been that we were all tired and hungry. Since our friends already had a Wii entertainment system, we weren't expecting them to get an Xbox as well, but they did, so we spent some time trying to sink battleships (and failing), trying to shoot down airplanes (and failing), and generally making a strong case that if it were up to us to repel a foreign invasion, well, it would be safe to say that everyone should probably brush up on their Martian. We also tried our hand at football, and while the rest of the league has nothing to worry about, I have to say that if Chicago is depending on us for their success, I frankly don't care much for the Bears' chances over the course of the season, especially since we couldn't even figure out how to get the quarterback to throw a pass. So we were 0-for-3 in computer games, and it was too late to go swimming again, so we decided to pack it in and quit while we were behind.
As usual, we left later than we planned, and were surprised at how much traffic we ran into on the highway, being Sunday night of a holiday weekend, when we would have expected the traffic to be on Monday night instead. Even though it was late, we couldn't pass up dinner at Denny's on the way home, and it was worth waiting for, although I was disappointed that they didn't have my favorite dessert, their scrumptious coconut cream pie, and had to settle for cheesecake instead. The rest of the trip home was uneventful, and even better was having Monday off from work to relax and recuperate after a long and busy weekend. The only thing better would be a hot tub to steam away the cares of the day, in fact, if there was one here now, I'd be happy to dive right in and bring along the swim mask-camera for good measure. Okay, now stop all that snoring!
Elle
Well, I don't know about where you are, but in the local area, it would seem that when nobody was watching, the weather trolls have come along and turned the clock back to June, because once again we find ourselves having the most horrible cold and rainy conditions, just like two months ago when we all got blue in the face complaining about it. It had finally warmed up in August, so that we had a brief glimpse of actual summer, after waiting for it in vain in June and July, and we were finally starting to forget how bad it had been. But Friday dawned gray and dreary, with gusty winds and pelting rain, and temperatures diving into the 60's, feeling more appropriate to the blustery frostiness of March than early September. People who last week were decked out in flip-flops and tank tops were scrambling for their winter coats and fuzzy boots, and if the ice cream truck had shown up for its daily rounds, people would have thrown rocks at it. Alas, for those halcyon days of yore, when the seasons used to change gradually, melding from one into the next as a seamless transition, not crashing in on us unexpectedly with a swing of 20 degrees overnight.
In fairness to the weather trolls, it must be said that they really outdid themselves on Labor Day weekend, as we had three of the most glorious days that I can remember having in a row, practically forever. Each one was more perfect than the last, and anyone with plans for the weekend, like us, could only regard this bonanza with a mixture of awe and wonder, like winning the lottery. Especially the way things had been going all year, with some of the crappiest weather I can remember week in and week out, the odds against this happening must have been astronomical. In our case, the weather made a big difference to our plans, since we had been invited to visit friends and swim in their pool, which by its very nature, has a limited range of weather conditions that are conducive to this. In fact, I would consider ourselves to be experts on this subject, without even trying. These friends live on the outskirts of Albany in upstate New York, and we go to visit them regularly, every year like clockwork, around the holidays in November and January. At that time of year, the Albany area is little more than a frigid wasteland of snow and ice, and when we go to their house, their pool is nothing but a fond memory, buried under the frozen tundra of their backyard. And every year, while we're drinking hot chocolate in front of the fireplace, we always say that we should come back up in the summer, so we can go in their pool for a change, but then we never do. So this year, when the call went out to come up for a swim, we grabbed our swimsuits and sunglasses, and hit the road so we could dive right in.
Not so fast! Our plan was to leave early Saturday morning, so that we could arrive there around lunch time, of course making time along the way for a stop at Cinnabon for one of their delectable cinnamon buns, which is a rare treat that we indulge in when we travel, since there are none at home. Unfortunately, Bill called on Friday night from the gas station to say that his car had no brakes, and so our plans for Saturday morning went out the window, and the Cinnabons right along with them. Our mechanic said that he would come in on Saturday to fix the brakes, which he did and we were grateful, but with the result that we didn't actually get underway on our trip until after 2:00 PM, and in our haste to make up lost time, we didn't make a single stop along the way. We reached our friends just about at dinner time, and while I'm a person who will go swimming at any time, they felt that tomorrow would be better. Since we got there so late, we went ahead and checked into our hotel, La Quinta in Latham, and then went to the nearby 76 Diner for dinner, where we have been before and it did not disappoint. From there we stopped at a locally famous ice cream emporium, and enjoyed some sweet treats of the season while the getting was good. After that, we went back to their house and made them watch a video compilation that Bill had assembled from the pictures we took with his swim mask-camera from my vacation, which they seemed to enjoy, although it was hard to tell because they were all snoring so loudly. All too soon, it was way past our bedtime, so we hurried back to the hotel and turned in after a long and eventful day.
La Quinta turned out to be a nice enough place, and the price was certainly right, considering that it had plenty of amenities like a microwave and refrigerator in the room, WI-FI, fitness center, business center, indoor pool, hot tub, and breakfast buffet included in the room rate. In fact, some of the rooms had Jacuzzi's built right into them, as we found out when our other friends from the area decided to stay at the same hotel when we were there, and they declared their Jacuzzi worth the stay all by itself. Somehow without ever setting foot in the place before in our entire lives, and sight unseen, the hotel reservations staff knew exactly which room to assign to us, and we hit the dreaded tri-fecta of the elevators, the ice maker and the vending machines all within easy reach of our door, and thanks so very much not. This happens to us so often when we travel that you can't help but wonder if there's some sort of huge conspiracy afoot, and that dire consequences of epic proportions would ensue if we were ever to be moved more than twelve feet from the groaning elevators, the grinding ice makers, and the snap-crackle-pop of vending machines at all hours of the night and day. At this rate, we'll probably never find out, because that's where they always put us, no matter where we stay. I thought the room was nice and comfortable, and Bill liked the TV, and I don't mind saying, he has very high standards. In the morning, we had breakfast in our friends' room, since it was bigger, and the buffet was a nice assortment of items, such as bagels, waffles, toast, muffins, rolls, Danish, donuts, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, yogurt, fruit, juice and coffee. We weren't there long enough for a dive in the pool, but I went and took pictures, and it looked lovely and inviting, with an outdoor patio where you could relax in the sun after a swim. I was glad that I went and checked it out, because I had one of those serendipitous discoveries that make travel so worthwhile.
Of course, there must be some sort of regulations that stipulate you must tell people how deep is the pool, and they very helpfully build this information right into the tile floor around the pool, so that you can tell what the depth is at different spots, just by looking at the numbers next to the pool. It didn't occur to me that there might be the same regulations that would apply to hot tubs, or that it would matter to anyone how deep the hot tub might be, since all you do is sit in it, and I wouldn't think the depth would be an issue. But sure enough, there I was taking pictures in the pool area, and in a sunny corner is the hot tub, and right around the outside, the built-in tile says: "2 Feet 6 Inches Deep" right there for all the world to see. It's there in two different places around the hot tub, just so there's no questions or misunderstandings, and in a third spot, the built-in tile announces: NO DIVING. Well, I have to admit that was one of my favorite parts of our stay there, that the hot tub installation crew felt compelled to warn people off diving into this 30-inch pool, or that there would actually be people stupid enough to do it in the first place. Of course, they say that travel is broadening, but I didn't realize that it could be flattening as well.
Once breakfast was behind us, we checked out and after waiting a whole day, we couldn't wait to jump into our friends' pool at long last. It was cool and beautiful, serene yet stimulating, and more than worth all the time and trouble, effort and aggravation to get there. We splashed and cavorted, played with pool toys, swam and floated to our heart's content. Unlike the hotel, they even allow diving, so there was plenty of that going on too. We also made some more memorable underwater videos with Bill's swim mask-camera (hey, wake up!) and whiled away a pleasant afternoon in the sun without a care in the world to disturb us. It was a really special time for us, and we were so glad we finally got the chance to visit our friends in the summer for once, rather than always being up there in the dead of winter and tramping through snow drifts.
After a long day of sun and fun, we decided to go for a bite at the nearby Circle Diner, where everything was delicious, or it might just have been that we were all tired and hungry. Since our friends already had a Wii entertainment system, we weren't expecting them to get an Xbox as well, but they did, so we spent some time trying to sink battleships (and failing), trying to shoot down airplanes (and failing), and generally making a strong case that if it were up to us to repel a foreign invasion, well, it would be safe to say that everyone should probably brush up on their Martian. We also tried our hand at football, and while the rest of the league has nothing to worry about, I have to say that if Chicago is depending on us for their success, I frankly don't care much for the Bears' chances over the course of the season, especially since we couldn't even figure out how to get the quarterback to throw a pass. So we were 0-for-3 in computer games, and it was too late to go swimming again, so we decided to pack it in and quit while we were behind.
As usual, we left later than we planned, and were surprised at how much traffic we ran into on the highway, being Sunday night of a holiday weekend, when we would have expected the traffic to be on Monday night instead. Even though it was late, we couldn't pass up dinner at Denny's on the way home, and it was worth waiting for, although I was disappointed that they didn't have my favorite dessert, their scrumptious coconut cream pie, and had to settle for cheesecake instead. The rest of the trip home was uneventful, and even better was having Monday off from work to relax and recuperate after a long and busy weekend. The only thing better would be a hot tub to steam away the cares of the day, in fact, if there was one here now, I'd be happy to dive right in and bring along the swim mask-camera for good measure. Okay, now stop all that snoring!
Elle
posted by El Tango Fandango @ 9:06 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home