Resume!
Apparently, due to some extraneous electrical synapse malfunctions occuring in my cerebral cortex, I have inadvertently neglected to reveal relevant datum pertinent to the incarnation of Mr. Grumpy Gills.
In other words; "Doh!"
When we had definately decided to go, about two weeks away from departure, I started spending a lot of time back on the Disney sites, and looked at a lot of pictures.
And I wasn't satisfied.
We had wanted the BWV, but until two weeks ago there were still no openings, so we were regulated in our minds that we were staying at OKW. Then the BW came through. Now, I'm not happy really with Pop.
For some reason I've always had a soft spot for CBR, maybe cuz it was our very first Disney trip, and with the kids, but I have always loved that resort, except for the way too small main pool. But now supposedly, they've redone it. By the pictures I see, it looks great and that's where I want to stay.
Then I made the mistake of figuring out the difference in cost and mentioning my thoughts to Smidgy.
Oh boy was she all for it!
300 dollars more. I called and was told not available, "Please try again later".
Well, later turned into every day for two weeks, and never an opening to switch. "Don't you understand that I'm trying to pay you more money?"
Yes, more often than not, I get what I want from disney
But not this time.
The openings would change every day: SSR,, OKW,,Contemporary........Grand Floridian,,Yacht Club,,,,,,,, right,,,,,,,but never a value, and almost never any moderate would come up. One time a king bed room opened at Coronado,,,,, but it was way more,,,,, and we were just there a year ago, so I declined.
Pop it is. As you can clearly see, all these factors go into the making of a grump.
Let's get back on the road, shall we?
The Santa Fe has entered Alabama, and we are hightailing it to somewhere near Birmingham, a Day's Inn, just on the norhern outskirts.
At the front desk we showed the coupon for 35.99.
Then he pointed out that it's only for single occupance, it'll cost us 5 bucks more. Then he mentioned there was a "resort" fee, for use of the pool, (it was 42 degrees out) and for the "free" Continental Breakfast.
WIth tax, the total was 55 bucks! If I wasn't so tired, I would have looked elsewhere, but my tailbone had last say.
Inside the lobby this place was impressive. A huge staircase went up the center to floors above, couches and chairs were arranged in a conversation pattern around the tv, and a separate room for the FREE breakfast.
Room 107 we were assigned to. As I walked out the door with the key, he mentioned that, "Oh, you'll have to park on an angle."
This struck me as odd, "Um, ok."
Normally, you back right up to the door, but, ok, if the lines are drawn on an angle, well, then that's the way I'm going to park.
He told us we were right behind the swimming pool. Just make two lefts around the building and your room will be on the right.
Two lefts later I could see the pool, and then I saw where our room was.
Then I saw where we had to park!
This was not diagonal parking, nor was it diagon alley.
My jaw hit my belt.
There were four spots here, 3 taken. On the side of a hill with straight on parking.
Sideways.
I stopped and looked around, nope, no other places to park, so I had to slowly ease into the spot. Let me try and describe it to you.
It was not uphill, or downhill, it was sideways,,,,,, a 45 degree angle.
When I looked out my side window I saw concrete, when Diane looked out her window she saw clouds.
"I don't know about this" I mentioned to her.
She shrugged her shoulders and with a mighty heave flung her door open.
"WAIT! Don't get out first!"
I had this terrible image of the vehicle just rolling over on it's side if I was still in the driver's seat when she got out.
So I got out on the low end first, then got the cooler out that is right behind Diane's seat, THEN, she could get out.
They say SUV's have a tendancy to roll over and I didn't want to find out!
Plus it wasn't right next to the room, it was around the corner of the pool, which by the way was totally under reconstruction, it was just an incredibly deep garbage pit without water.
She started laughing.
"What?"
"If we're going to laugh about this some day later, we might as well laugh now".
I hate it when she gets philosophical on me.
The best I could come up with was a snort.
As we're getting things in, she goes for ice, with the FREE complimentary ice bucket! Then she spies a door marked Lounge. But she couldn't get in, exit only. She told me she walked all around and finally found another door that opened and peeked inside.
It was a lounge all right, she said about 5 guys with beer bellies were in there, some playing pool. And evidently they saw her peek in,,,,,
"Hey, c'mon in."
"Yeah, buy you a drink"
"Shoot pool?"
Woops, "No, just checking things out, have to meet my husband back in the room."
She told me this when she got back.
"What? We could have saved some money and drinks?"
One thing that always kills me about staying at these on the road motels is that the almost always have a small fridge and microwave. You will spend a fortune at the Swan and Dolphin or Royal Pacific and Hard Rock Hotel without getting even a fridge. Smidgy pointed out that's cuz a lot of people just about live in some of these motels, like the guys in the bar. That's why they also have weekly rates.
That night for dinner we had fried chicken that we brought along, nuked in the microwave, and macaroni salad.
According to Diane, around 1 in the morning, it seems the bar closed, cuz there was lot's of rowdy talking outside our room then. I don't know, I slept through it. Good thing too. In the frame of mind I was in after the long drive, I would have been right in their face, asking them if they had an extra beer and joining them.
Friday morning;
We are all packed up and dadgummit we're gettin us some o dat FREE Contynental Breakfast!
There was coffee, but no tea, a huge bin of fake cheerios with a scoop, some bland all one type doughnuts, and a waffle maker. If you needed milk for your coffee there was a goat standing in the corner. You know, even if I tried, I would still be trying to figure out how to make a waffle in that weird machine, so I just had a mini coffee and a tasteless doughnut. Diane went out to the car to fetch a tea bag, she doesn't drink coffee.
I made the mistake of looking at it, and an elderly guy started telling me how it works, took forever to get away from him. Then his wife asks us all in general if anyone knows anything about the ice storm and are the roads still open, seems they are going that way.
"What ice storm?" I asked.
But Smidgy told her eveything she could about it, then we were on our way.
It's 7:10, and we go right through Birmingham.
I used to think the folks in Nashville were the craziest/worst drivers, but no, Birmingham passed them up. It was like I was in invisible mode, I must have accidentally hit the "cloaking" device switch that renders us impossible to see.
I started out admiring the scenery, I didn't know there were mountainous terrain in northern Alabama and it was pretty to look at. Then in the city I had to keep watching out the side windows because guys would change lanes right next to me, like I wasn't even there.
How come, if you see a car on the shoulder up ahead, it is guaranteed that he will begin to pull out as soon as you come up to him?
Finally, clear,,,on to Montgomery. As we approach, Diane has TyRy's instructions out and we followed them to a tee. We switched to 231 at exactly 9:00, and now I am wondering what this will be like.
Here we go.
If you travel on interstates to get places, after a day's driving you will usually end up averaging about 60 miles an hour, maybe a bit more depending on how much you push it. This is taking in rest stops and fill ups along the way, and occasional road construction, but if you drive for 11 hours, you will usually have gone about 660 miles for example.
Tracy and Mark think this is a good alternative to the normal rt. 75 that goes through Atlanta. Now, I wasn't aware that the REASON they did this was to avoid tornados, I think it was cuz Tracy just didn't want any Georgia pecans and didn't want to see all the billboards that advertise strip clubs and peep shows that you see on 75.
I kind of expected to hit a few stoplights on the way, please, just not too many. It started out ok, within 10 miles we were up to 65 miles an hour speed limit, then I caught up to a gravel truck.
It was suddenly like being in a meteor storm, so I went left to pass him.
Which he didn't take kindly to it seems.
He came flying right by me and then pulled over right in front of me again. I tried once more with the same results, so now I just hung back, and soon enough, he was out of site apparently terrorizing somebody else.
Then we came upon a town called Troy.
Stoplight ahead. I caught it.
Stoplight ahead. I caught it.
Repeat.
I couldn't remember how many stop lights there were, but we got caught by allmost all of them.
30 miles down the road, another town, ok, you know the drill, repeat. And these were no 40 second lights. You could turn off the engine and save gas at these light, or play a game of Monopoly.
I was starting to lose it after the second town, but I needed gas and pulled into a Shell where the sign said 1.83 regular.
They were out. All they had was premium for 2.03. Oh, the gills are flapping now.
One more town, same results, but caught up to the gravel truck again, this time I was able to get past him cuz of traffic and all the lights, it took him too long to get the thing moving.
Then we hit Dothan, a small city near the boundary of my beloved Florida.
In Dothan, we took the bypass around just like we were instructed to do, and followed the signs to interstate 10.
I almost peed my pants with excitement when we got on 10, mostly with relief.
It is now 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon.
So, let's do the math.
We were in Montgomery at 9, it is now 4 hours later.
It is 107 miles from Montgomery to Dothan, then another 20 miles to the border, then another 25 to rt. 10 for a total of 150 miles.
In 4 HOURS!
That is an average of 37.5 miles per hour!
I also figured that there must have been at least 55 stop lights we went through, and got caught by 45 of them,
Normally, on the second day I am in Disney by noon at the latest, now, I'm just getting into the pan handle part of the state and it's already 1 in the afternoon!
This is why Tracy should be beaten with steeks. I can understand wanting to avoid tomatoes, I have been in a building myself and had one skip along our roor and destroy a brick wall of the building across the street in Franklin Park, Il. I have also had the good times to be in New Orleans during one of the worst hurricanes ever at the time, Camille in '69. But I would NEVER advise this as an ALTERNATIVE route unless you're a masochist.
From the Florida Turnpike we took the shortcut that's called the Western Way bypass, then stayed on 27 into Kissimmee and 192.
We found our Knight's Inn Motel right away, great location but you have to go past it and make a u-turn and come back.
The Time? It was quarter to five, eastern time, and my tailbone will never talk to Tracy again.
Two manhattans and two vikes later, I was curled up in bed with my Uncle John's newest Bathroom Reader, things were better, and my tailbone said it "might talk to her again".
maybe
to get him to change his mind. And don't ask him the same question twice or if once he's given his answer if he's sure!
, it just means you answered wrong in the first place and we are trying to give you a chance to give the right answer
Exactly!
)
So look at Cherie's report and see how much I mess up.
) cause most of my decisions are up for discussion. Most times we do what I suggest, but other times my mind gets changed for me. It's all about making sure my bride stays in love with me.
.
