Changed Plans

Alcy had two days off together so we made plans to go to Dallas. We were going to visit with Otis and Carol Waddell, go to the Botanical Gardens, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth and the second day to the Fine Art Museum and the Aquarium in Dallas. Well, Carol called and said that the forecast was for downpours on Tuesday and more rain on Wednesday. We waited until Sunday to make a decision. The forecast was still dire. I didn’t want to drive that far, fight traffic in a town that I was not familiar with in driving rain, nor to spend the additional time in route, so we canceled.

Instead we booked rooms in Galveston and decided to go to the rookery at High Island even though the forecast here was much the same it was in Dallas. At least we wouldn’t drive so far to be miserable.

We had two very nice days and Tuesday was perfect—beautiful all day long. Got a call from Carol and they were also having great weather in Dallas.

I will probably be posting some of the photos from the rookery but first I have to share a lesson learned. In booking the rooms on line we had a choice of just a plain room or we could have rooms with balcony and an ocean view for fifteen or twenty dollars more. I thought we should go for it. I envisioned sitting on the balcony watching the parade of people along the sea wall and the young people playing in the water of the Gulf of Mexico. The fantasy probably included sitting back and letting all our cares wash away as we leisurely sipped mint juleps even though I have never had a mint julep and have no idea how to make one.

When we located the motel we found that it is a block off of Seawall Blvd. Sitting on the balconies you first encounter the top of the portico where you park to check in. Then, there is motel parking, a wrought iron fence beyond which is a garden of tropical vegetation. Then a huge vacant parking area and the dippsy dumpster behind The Golden Coral, which is on Seawall Blvd. And if you look to the extreme right, that’s correct, just between the two ugly telephone poles with wires and guy lines, you will see a bright red stop sign. If you squint it helps but just beyond the stop sign is a featureless blue field which we know to be the Gulf of Mexico. The first glimpse of the Gulf is well beyond the point where the waves begin to break so at this distance it is impossible to identify as anything more than a field of blue.

The most surprising thing is that the PR person that came up with “balcony with ocean view” missed the most important feature of the balcony. Since you are sitting directly in front of the exhaust from the room air conditioner all you would have to do is drop a couple of medium sized rocks on the balcony, strip naked, wrap a big white fluffy towel around your midriff and you could have had “balcony with ocean view and private sauna.” I have no idea how they missed that one!

Generally, such ingeniousness in advertising would have sent me into a tizzy, but I handled it well. Considering the joke was on me I handed it extremely well. Next time check out the location, stupid!

Anyway, I am proud of my atypical behaviour---those who know me will not believe this statement, but I actually thought it was funny.