Beach or Bust

Ann: I’m pretty bummed. Joe and I finally got our romantic seashore get-away and the beach was a total bust.

Pam: Well you said it was “beach or bust”. I guess you ought to set more flexible parameters next time. Did it rain?

Ann: A little. But the big problem was a subtropical depression offshore. The tide was so high there was absolutely no beach to walk on. The waves were actually lapping on the seawall.

Pam: Couldn’t pull off the old walking on water move, huh? Didn’t you tell me you had a balcony that opened onto the beach? Why didn’t you just open the door? At least you could hear the waves.

Ann: We did the first day. It was actually pretty funny. The wind off the beach was so strong it raced through the room blowing into one air vent and out the other. The whistle it made was so loud it drowned out the sound of the ocean.

Pam: Wow, that’s some wind!

Ann: You have no idea. At one point Joe was in the shower so I decided to go fill up the ice bucket. With the balcony door opened the vacuum pressure in the room made it impossible for me to open the front door to the suite. So I closed the balcony door and went out the front door to get the ice. While I was down the hall, Joe finished his shower and opened the balcony door again. Well, I couldn’t get back into the room! It was hysterical.

Pam: At least you knew no one was going to break in the front door as long as the balcony door was open. I’m sure the sound of the waves was really soothing.

Ann: It was for exactly one day. Then the wind changed direction and the smoke from all those wildfires was so thick we had to shut all the doors and windows. We might as well have been in El Paso for the beach time I got out of that trip.

Pam: If I know you and Joe, I’m sure you found other ways to entertain yourselves.

Ann: Of course. But I really need my beach time to unwind. Nothing in the world does it for me like a walk on the beach.

Pam: I wouldn’t tell Joe that little tidbit of information. It might hurt his self-image as a stud muffin.

That’s tough though. I’ve managed to develop my unwind activities right here at home. I either soak in the tub by candlelight and music or I work in the garden. Either of those will hit my reset button for me.

Ann: Forget a reset button. I need a ‘Control-Alt-Delete’!

Pam: Yeah, you’ve been through the wringer lately. And since absolutely none of it is self-inflicted, you have my sympathies. Is there anything I can do?

Ann: I don’t think so.

Pam: Why don’t you come pull some weeds in my flower garden? I’m sure you’ll feel better.

Ann: No thanks Tom Sawyer. What? You couldn’t offer me a soak in the jacuzzi?

Pam: Sure. Come on over. But I should warn you…I’m in a ‘stop the world I wanna get off’ kind of place too. You may find yourself with some company in that big tub. But I guess that would definitely make Joe question his stud muffin status.

Ann: It’s not his status that people would question! I’ll take the tub. You’ll just have to pull weeds!