Monday, July 07, 2008

Panama City Vaction - Day 1

It is that time of year again: our trek to the beach with the kids. Last year was interesting with Christopher and a non-baby proofed condo. This year should be better since he's a little easier to watch and he isn't putting everything in his mouth.

Saturday morning we got up, loaded the car (with only a little drama, I mean how much stuff do we need for a week vacation?, but I digress). We dropped Isis at the vet and she wasn't too happy with us. I think she knows we aren't going to leave her forever, but she still took a dump on the floor when they came to get her.

The 7 hour drive wasn't too bad. We found the only McDonald's that had everyone from Georgia going to the panhandle and coming back. What a madhouse. Half pasty white, the rest sunburned. We had a couple of thunderstorms but nothing that really held us up.

As we're driving we hear from the condo owner that he has fired his cleaning crew and it room probably wouldn't be ready when we get there. We arrive around 3 pm local time and go to the beach to look around. Beautiful water, clean sand etc. Very cool, this should be fun.

At 4 pm we get a cart, unload the van and head to the '4 high speed elevators' that the leasing company AND the owner all touted. 40 minutes later, I'm still not on an elevator, so I do something drastic. I catch one going down and force my cart on it (the parking garage was on the 5 th floor.) I finally get the cart to the 22nd floor, only to find the room isn't ready.

It gets better. We're 22 stories up, the girls are fighting like siblings and everyone just wants to get into a condo with A/C. Did I mention that the beer is warm? I forgot to take a 6 and put it in the cooler before we left.

Being a boy, Christopher is loving the view off the 22nd floor balcony. The condo is build where all the entrances are in the back, with gulf facing balconies in the front. So Christopher sticks his foot through the railing and immediately kicks off his shoe. 22 stories straight down it lands on a sidewalk, just missing a guy. So I go down 22 stories to get it. I figure what the hell, so I go to the van and get more stuff.

I again get an elevator going down, but this time tell the teenagers still waiting with a cart to get on with me. When we get to the first floor there is no room to get on. But we get our stuff up.

We're still waiting for the room so I go back to the van for a few more things. Then I notice that the cleaning crew has two of the 4 elevators stopped so the can empty garbage and sweep the floors. You figure there are at least 120 families trying to get into the 23 story building. And they have 2 of the elevators dedicated to the cleaning crews. What a bunch of morons (Deb made me remove what I really wrote here.)

We finally get into our condo and unload. We then head to dinner with our friends (who were smart enough not to stay in a 23 story tower with 4 elevators).

I had really good crab cakes for dinner and Deb had chicken. Of course.

The guys went back to the condos with all the kids while Deb and Paula went to the grocery store. We got changed and went to the beach. By the time they got back the elevators were reasonable again.

We got everyone settled in, including Christopher on a blow up mattress on the floor in our room and went to sleep. Courtney is in a small alcove in the wall behind the dining room. They have 2 bunk beds for little kids. She loves the 'cave'.

Deb and I fall into bed and pass out.

End of Day 1.

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