A Perfect Day

While we were in Florida for the conference we took the opportunity to spend the day following the conference walking to Caladesi State Park. Here's the "secret" although apparently well known by locals. It is no problem walking to the park. Yes, the walk is fairly long but, while I was somewhat worried about the water level, it was apparent that water seldom, if ever, covers the beach to the island. Because this is not the typical way to get to the park (taking the ferry is the recommended way), there were shells galore. Not huge ones, but beautiful ones of many colors. Most of the Whelks were living so uncollectable but conch shells were abundant. We also found probably $100 worth of natural sponges. I am hoping they are salvageable. They are currently frozen in a bag in the garage. The sun was bright and the temperature was in the 80's. The water was warm enough to be comfortable (a virtual bathtub compared to August Lake Superior temperatures). We were able to get many wonderful photo's of Florida water birds. The only downside to the day - and that doesn't count at all - was the long walk back to the car loaded down with shells and sponges. I told Kevin I thought it was an almost perfect day. He said "almost?" and I have to agree. It really was a perfect day.

The View from the Hotel Bathtub

Doesn't that sound like a movie or something? A novel perhaps. At any rate, the people who built our house did really strange things like put the dishwasher on the opposite side of the kitchen from the sink. But the 4 baths are interesting. Actually we have a half bath behind the kitchen that is pretty normal. The bath in the basement is something you would expect - a small shower stall, small sink, and toilet. But the other two baths are something to behold. The one upstairs is hot pink. Yes, the sink, the toilet and the shower. The one on the main floor is the same basic plan, a little smaller, but with an identical shower stall, this time in apple green. There is no tub in the house. No place to soak my toes or take a bubble bath. So whenever we travel I take bubble bath and enjoy the bathtub.

Hotel bathtubs come in three kinds. There are the oldest ones - huge, deep porcelain things. I love them. The mid-age tubs are comfortable, vinyl, and not as deep as the old tubs. They are OK - definitely relaxing. Some of the newest tubs are made for torture. They are tiny with straight up-and-down backs. That means you can't lean back and relax. They are shorter and your knees stick out of the water. Beware the new tubs!

It appears that hotel managers and people who do housecleaning have no idea what can be seen from the tubs in their establishment. It is amazing what you can see from there. You can see under the sink in many rooms. No one ever dusts the U part of the pipes - the trap part. Often the pipes are rusty. Sometimes way back under the vanity are things left by previous inhabitants. Bobby pins are the most common things. Sometimes the broom doesn't appear to reach all the way back. In the hotel where we are currently staying - a Hilton I might add - the back of the toilet has about 5 years of dust on a little ledge back there. I am not so finicky that I can't stay in a room where there is some other person's bobby pin, but some people are. Hotels pride themselves on making everything appear as though you were the very first person in the room. Nice hotels even do little origami things with the Kleenex and toilet paper. May I suggest that hotel managers occasionally sit in the bathtub and look around. They might be surprised!