Being the strange person I am, sometimes some minute details of a trip will seem important to me.
Then I will forget them.
When we stayed at the Knight's Inn in Murfreesboro, it was in room 126.
At the Great Inn in Perry Georgia,,, room 126.
Coincidence?
Yeah, I guess so.
Now, let's not talk about hurricanes or tornados or flat tires or exhaust systems and just have some fun with a chapter.
Ok, we can talk hurricanes if you're talking about the drink.
Wednsday, September 7th
Waking up, I had no idea what time it was, (my Indiglo light on my Timex isn't Indiglowing anymore), no idea what it's like outside, (there is nobody who can seal off a room from invading light rays like Smidgy can), or even, if it's time to even think about even getting up just yet.
See parts, A and B, above.
It felt like morning though to me but this is strange, that means I pretty much slept through the night.
Wow, I must really have needed it.
I then did a great job slipping into the bathroom silently, the key word here being "silently", a very important word when you are dealing with "She who must not be Distoibed".
(that's the New Jersey version)
IN the safety of the bathroom, I now see it's quarter after seven, ok, seems just about right to me.
I then closed the "blockoff" curtains that seperate the vanity from irate people still under covers, and yes, it would be "curtains" if I didn't use them especially when "I see bed people."
Since I'm going to the food court for a newspaper anyway, we did not set up the coffee maker last night, but I did set up everything else I would need early this morning.
I laid out all my clothes... suit, shorts, took out the dollar bill and one dime I'm going to need for the newspaper, room key, Uncle John, sunglasses, hat,,,, and yes, it still felt funny that my smokes are not included, nor the lighter.
Darn it!
I was doing much bet ter at home than I am here.
I didn't mess around either concerning pills, I automatically put some in my pocket.
A big problem with the smokes is also a practical problem, as well.
You see, I always smoked Viceroy in the past, box.
A couple of years ago, December of '07 as a matter of fact, the brand Viceroy were dropped and I had to find something else.
This was not easy as I've smoked them since I was 15 years old.
I finally settled on L&M, which also came in a box.
What make this important is that this is always where I kept my room key card whenever we went to the pool,
I could carefully slide it in between the cellophane and the box on the back side of the pack. It also gave the added benefit of forcing the pack really shut tight from it's interference where it hinges open. This was beneficial in a wet pool environment.
Now, I never know just what to do with the damn room key now. It's like the hearing aids. If I remember to take the card out of my pocket before I go in the water I just stick it in my book as a bookmark.
So, I'm all set, I really believe I have everything and so far, not a peep out of "SHE".
AND AWAY WE GO!
I'm in a good mood, I lied there in bed worrying about the car and just told myself, "That is going to happen anyways, nothing you can do about it now and we either have it fixed here or give the dirty rotten scoundrels at home our money."
Oh yes, it was a new me that was born today!
Not worrying about tires.
Not worrying about epileptic converters.
Not worrying about hurricanes, or, anything, for that matter.
I was just skipping along on the way to the food court.
"Oh look, butterflies!"
I skipped along with the butterflies.
I looked up and smiled for a satellite photo.
I smiled at total strangers.
("what's his problem?")
I even turned around and took a picture of the building I just passed because who ever stops and turns around and takes a picture of a building they have just passed?
A few steps further and I had gotten to the beach area, and I lied down and made a few "Sand Angels".
There was a tall, teenage girl sitting in the sand just off the main path on my right with a bag of popcorn feeding about 20 ducks when I skipped up.
Her family was trying to reason with her but she wanted no part of any reasoning this morning, she woke up with the pouty face on and just wanted to sit in all the duck dung and feed them and make more dung.
Being the free-spirit, playfull guy that I am now, I dropped down into a squat and duck walked with the other ducks over to her making my best Quack, quack, noise.
For some reason, what her parents had been trying to get through to her did just then, because she jumped up and ran after them. Well, the ducks started lookinig at me like it's my fault their food source just ran away and started to move in on me.
Well I took off runing after the girl to get away and I guess me running after a teenage girl didn't look right so that's when security grabbed me.
Ok, I made this last part up.
I left the pouty teenager alone with her family as she kept going, "uuuuunnnh" and uhuuuuuuuuhhhhh !!" every time somebody would touch her shoulder making her flinch.
I didn't care though.
I skipped on past her, and at the door to the resort store I waved goodbye to the butterflies and went inside.
To total blackness!
The new me took one look around and said, "I'll meet you out here," and left.
All I want is a newspaper here, that's all, I should be able to pull this off, but I was afraid of knocking over a display of DIsney Hummel characters or something expensive, so I hesitantly shuffled my feet forward.
I finally found myself standing in front of a counter that seemed to me to be the kind where they usually keep the newpapers.
With the new me waiting outside, it's the "old" me that the clerk has to work with now.
She looked at me, I think.
"Yes, I'd like an Orlando Sentinel, please."
"They're over on the side".
That was it, was about to say, "Next", and I didn't even know what side she meant.
Ok, I'm not proud, for one thing I'm not moving unless somebody yells "Fire", so I said to her,
"Could you please get me an Orlando Sentinel, I can't see to get it myself."
"Oh, ok." And she went away for a second and came back with a USA Today and dropped it on the counter.
Boy, I could have really used the new me that was still waiting outside, I hoped.
I picked it up, "This isn't the Orlando Sentinel," I told her.
"I thought you couldn't see!" she smirked.
"I can't, I can tell by the WEIGHT!" I was losing it. "Now if you don't mind can you please get me the Sentinel?"
She did, and before she rang it up, I handed over a dollar bill and a dime, left it on the counter and said "keep the change."
As I turned away, I heard her say, "that comes to one dollar and 7 cents, Oh sir, you forgot your change, sir, SIR?"
Mousekeepers everywhere be gratefull, those 3 cents change every day are just going to go in the drawer between the beds and I'm not fishing out pennies when we check out.
As i worked my way over to the food court for coffee, I kept waiting for someone to tackle me and force me to take the pennies.
At last I'm near the mug refill station, but I can't see yet to figure out where the regular coffee is, much less the cream, stir sticks, sugar,,,,,.
I've got my paper and mug lid in my left hand, which is also holding a bag with my book and sunglasses and what else I brought down.
The only thing in my right hand is my mug that I"m holding out, waiting for an opening to get real close and see if I can read the signs better. Everytime a hole would open up somebody would shoot right into it and i was getting frustrated.
I guess one guy thought I was in a special line or something, and he asked me, " You waiting for coffee?"
"No, I'm blind and I'm trying to find the guy that just stole all my pencils, YES I'm looking for coffee!"
I was willing to bet that the new me wasn't still out there waiting.
The guy stepped back for an instant, I thought he might smack me one, then laughed and seemed to grasp the situation and said, "C'mon, I'll help."
and he proceeded to show me where everything was.
Back outside I went looking for "new me."
Then I found out why "new me" left.
I walked up to the pool gate, finally with all my stuff ready to get a couple of good seats now, I thought my timing was close to perfect, it's about ten minutes until nine, I can have some quiet "me" time before Smidgy gets here, and especially before the crowds get here.
Oh yes, the pool gate.
In front of the gate is a plastic ribbon, tied off in such a way as to block your entrance unless you duck underneath it.
Or RIP it as I was ready to do!
No sign saying closed, no nothing, but there was a few workers back in there, a couple of them seemed like they were wearing HAZMATS suits.
One guy looked at me from far away and just slowly shook his head.
The open 24 hours a day pool is closed! probably until 10.
I took a table right by the gate and sat there for a while but when nine o'clock came and passed with no changes I knew it's going to be this way until at least 10.
I couldn't believe it, my perfect morning, ruined, the "new me" was in the car honking the horn!
I walked back to where we were yesterday, our quiet pool, but it wasn't the same.
For one thing here, they don't give out free towels at the quiet pool, you have to bring your own but I was expecting to get towels from inside the main pool area.
And all the chairs and lungers are soaking wet with dew, yet, no where to sit down, and again, I have no towels.
I had no choice but to go up and disturb, the She.
When I walked in, she was just ready to get up and I tentativly held up the Sentinel as a peace offering.
She lunged forward, ripped it out of my hands and ate it, then did what she had to to get ready while I told her the dilemma. (dang, I never even got to the jumble)
At twenty to ten we arrived back at the main pool. For an instant, I didn't see the ribbon, but no, it was there, the pool was still closed. By now there was a couple of families trying to gain access, but nobody knew what was going on.
Yes, Poolgate was in full effect now, even Nixon was back in the Contemporary Resort saying" I am not a crook." *
Smidgy went and found a cast member who looked important and asked him, his reply? "Oh, the pool is open."
She had to drag him over to the gate and show him the roped off "Police Action" ribbon around the gate.
His reply now? "Oh, the pool is closed."
Got to admit, he's flexible!
He didn't know anything about it, one of the workers now came over since he saw him there with us and told him that "The pearl will be open at tenyayem'" and that was good enough for this guy.
We just stood there leaning on the railing till it was time, but now Hazmat guy keeps coming over every 5 minutes giving us an update. " We yust need to shock the water now and set the PH.
I wasn't sure I wanted to go in it anymore, but then Smidgy saw folks being let in the back entrance and we said "Heck with it, and ripped the plastic ribbon and opened the gate ourselves.
People charged in behind us.
We threw our stuff on a table about smack in the middle of the lengthwise pool, and pulled a couple of lungers out of the line toward the table.
First thing I did was remember those little buddies in my pocket, and if you think I'm overdoing them this trip, you are right,,,,,,,I had no idea that the now non smoking issue was going to be so big! All I could think about was smoking, ,,, in a bonafide, Designated Smoking Area!
I then tried to tell Diane about the new me who was here earlier, honest, I was making sand angels and chasing butterflies and everything, and, "didn't you see my sand angel on the way here?", she just nodded, looked at me strangely and went to get some tea.
I wondered if "newme" might come back with the help of the Vikes, but he was nowhere to be found.
Maybe later, I thought.
It was time now to take some pics before it get's too crowded and I'm stuck with ugly people in all my pics.
(yes, the new me is still apparently in the witless protection program)
There's now a cool kids area next to the Main Pool.
And I'm packing baby, got both the cameras with me.
I just don't know now which ones which.
I'm not sure from the little picture on my page, but I think this is when the bucket fills up and dumps.
On the way back,, took this one:
I think this is basically the same one I took at night
and,,,
By now Smidgy was back and we enjoyed our time there for awhile, just looking around.
Then we went in the water for a bit, and tried the slide.
They have a small slide here, really small for little ones, and then they have a bigger one, but it's mostly enclosed.
Didn't matter, I still caught a snootful when I hit the water, my nose has to always act like the hood scoop of a '57 Chevy. Well, that was so much fun we just had to do it again.
On our way back up the stairs 5 little kids passed us up. (tee hee, that Smidgy is such a slowpoke)
Right.
When we got back to our spot, we were ready to sit in the lounge chairs and a woman came up to us:
"Excuse me, we have been sitting at a table, and were wondering if it's ok to also take some lounge chairs too, while keeping the table. I've noticed that whoever has the table behind you hasn't been back for quite a while and most of the chairs are empty so I'd think it would be allright, what do you think?"
At first there was the possibility that she was being incredibly sarcastic, but no, she was just a newby trying to do what's right.
For being about noon now, it really was very empty for a main pool, Diane and I looked back at the table this young woman just referred to, OUR table, then we looked at each other and shrugged:
" You know," I said, " I don't think anyone will mind in the slightest if you keep the table and use some lounge chairs."
She responded, "Oh, thank you," and walked away to the table next to us.
With that, I walked over to our table and took my hat off of it and put it on, then went and sat in the lounge chair with my book.
I glanced back over at her and she's now got her hand in front of her mouth, shaking her head and wagging her finger at me in a "shame shame" manner, " You got me."
I took off my hat and held it up in the air briefly, then put it back on.
Yeah, this morning turned out better than I thought it would the way it started.
*
You thought that asterisk up there was a typo dintcha? C'mon, admit it.
No, it was there to make you come down here to find out why.
For those that don't know, it was at the Contemporary Resort that Nixon gave his, "I am not a Crook" speech.
I believe he felt that way because he just finished paying for dinner at the California Grill and made comparisons.
I don't think I've ever heard the song in your link, but it is interesting
Hmmm, may have to pick up a few airplane bottles before our trip next month...
I hope this new week will bring about a better outcome. 
