Rant #2,943: Reality Bites

 

I have returned!
 
Yes, it was a great week away.
 
We did everything we wanted to do, and more.
 
Our first vacation in three years was a memorable one, and I have to say, it was really good to get away for a little bit.
 
It was good to see something beyond our usual four walls of home, and venture out and do something different for a change.
 
We drove a total of around 2,000 or so miles, and it was almost all fun, whether we were in Baltimore or in the outskirts of Atlanta, and we learned many things about the so-called “new” reality, among them:
 
• Cash is not the preferred way of paying for anything. Using plastic—your debit or credit card—is not only preferable,, it is mandatory in many places.
 
You might have hundreds of dollars in cash on you, but it isn’t worth anything if you try to use it in many places.
 
It isn’t even a “mere” bag of shells; it is less than that.
 
• “Housecleaning” in hotels and motels is merely giving guests fresh towels and little more.
 
These places to stay will not do your rooms—make the beds, throw out the garbage, etc.—while you are still there and using them.
 
It isn’t too bad if you are staying in a room for a night, but once you get to multiple days, it is kind of unsettling when you have to make your own beds, just like at home.
 
• Overall service is bad, and I do mean B-A-D. Whether we were in a Hilton Hotel’s restaurant, or a Hardees fast food outlet, the level of service is pretty much non-existent, or certainly several rungs lower than what it was.
 
Maybe they just don’t have the help … maybe people simply don’t care anymore … but we found that service was incredibly bad, period.
 
Look, a lot of this bewilderment comes from the fact that we live in the state of New York, and I guess we expect certain things to be handled in certain ways like they are here, or at least used to be handled in certain ways, and probably aren’t done here anymore, either.
 
There are lots of differences between the south and where we are … we even went to one neighboring country to where we were staying, and little did we know that getting a fast food meal was going to be such a hassle … such restaurants in this county close down at 4 p.m., so you cannot get a Big Mac after that time if you want one.
 
I still want the rationale for that to be explained to me; how can these places make any money if they are not open for the dinner crowd?
 
But we managed, and these “new reality” things were just footnotes to a great trip, whether we were in Camden Yards in Baltimore or the State Farm Arena in Atlanta or the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore or the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta or--
 
But when you come home from a trip like this, reality sets in pretty quickly.
 
You have one spectacular week, but what about the other 51 weeks of the year?
 
We knew we were back in New York when we crossed the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in Staten Island … or should I say tried to cross it.
 
There was an accident at the adjoining Belt Parkway at Bay 8th Street, and we literally sat in traffic right on the bridge not moving for probably two hours.
 
It was so bad that motorcyclists actually stopped riding their bikes and were talking to drivers right on the bridge.
 
It added about two hours to our long trip home, but there were some other things that brought us back to reality.
 
Two of them actually happened on the trip.
 
First, I had a reoccurrence of “Jumper’s Knee,” something that I first experienced more than a year ago and that at the time, found me really hobbling, to the point that I had to go to the orthopedist.
 
It isn’t nearly as bad this time, and my right leg is slowly getting back to where it was, but I was really bad for the last two days of our trip, with me walking like Walter Brennan did on the old “The Real McCoys” TV show.
 
And yes, I got this, again, while turning over in my sleep in bed.
 
And while we were seeing the sites in the Coca-Cola Museum. I received a call from my dermatologist telling me that I have a pre-cancerous growth that has to be removed, and I scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning to have that done.
 
And when we finally got home, I really knew that we were home when I went through the mail that built up during the week and saw a bill that is out of this world and which I will have to call up on for an explanation.
 
And once again, I am having trouble with my computer, and it took four tries to start it up this morning.
 
So yes, it was a great trip, maybe the best car trip we have ever taken.
 
But reality sure sets in quick, doesn’t it.?
 
(And as I mentioned, I have a very early appointment at the dermatologist tomorrow morning, so I might have to skip tomorrow’s Rant.
 
We will see how things go, but right now, I will speak to you again on Wednesday.
 
Wish me luck!)