Stressville, USA

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Arrived in Florida, yesterday, at 4:00 pm. Hooooray...That was the good part of the day. No more jolly talk - Read on.....we look for motels with large, easy entry parking lots (and now without big boulders). Outside of Jacksonville, on Rt.10, we found a suitable one and pulled in. Cory parked our RV/ car way up along the edge of the huge, empty parking lot and we settled in. Around 7:00 pm, the desk girl (who will be referred to as TD for TweetleDUMB and that is being polite) called our room and said we would have to move our RV so the big trucks could park. The lot was almost the size of Disneyworld. Cory said he would come down and talk with her. I KNEW he wouldn't try to move the RV alone because we had done a "pinky swear" about that. Many times, we repeat to each other that it takes 2 people to drive an RV...the driver and the watcher. WRONG.....when I decided to go to check on things, there was Cory driving the RV around in the lot like a circling wagon train. I completely lost it as visions of Red Bay floated past my wild eyes. After a "discussion", he parked the RV back where it was as I went blowing into the office. Perhaps I was not my usual sweet, demure self when I told TD where the RV was going to be parked next if she said one more thing. She was equally unpleasant. I told her we were leaving this dump so she said just leave the RV there (not where I really wanted to park it). The clencher was when we left this morning, there was NOT ONE truck in this parking lot. It was good TD was off her shift. I am now running an IV drip of Vasotec to lower my blood pressure. It will be so good to live in our RV instead of motels with disgusting bedspreads and TD's. Our last day/night at the Microtel ended poorly, also. I was just going to move on from it but since I am finding this catharsis helpful...I will share. Read on....

We liked the Microtel a lot....has always been one of our favorites. Until....I decided to do a little laundry. Hauled the clothes to the one washer. It was filled with washed clothes and unattended. Floor around it was all water because it had been packed so full. Cory went to the desk and she said she would get the woman (one of the housekeepers) to remove it as it was HER wash! After a second request, the Mexican maid came sauntering down and laughed as she dragged 50 tons of stringy clothes entangled with 40 big brassieres out. I pointed to the GUEST laundry sign and asked why she didn't use the housekeeping washer....she shrugged! Now she was stuffing all of it into the one dryer. I told her I planned to use that dryer as soon as my wash was done...again, pointing at the sign. She finally flung her wet clothes on the table, mumbling something in Spanish as she left. Why did I take 5 years of Latin and 2 years of French in school...and no Spanish!

Read on....that evening when we returned from a wonderful evening with Cory and his family, we found our room just as we had left it....it had never been been cleaned! Retaliation maybe? Our choice was to move to another room (it was late) or just take clean linens. We took the latter with a message for the manager. His response the next day was an apology and $25 off the bill...big deal! I may have to write one of my constructive criticism letters. Is it no wonder I have rather bizarre dreams....next one I am sure I will be the swamp creature.

Next stop: Lazydays in Tampa. I can only hope and pray our encounter there will go as smoothly as possible. If not, I will probably be delivered to Tropical Palms in the body suit and mask worn by Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. My finger is healed but now my tongue is starting to turn to one side. Pray for me, again.

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Photos

Stressed
Not a good solution

Welcome to Florida
I am purchasing one for TD.

Getting Help
Lulu knows who to call

Help!
Calling in the Army to fix things

Comments

[Colleen]

I will fly!!!!
I have followed your trip with a great deal of interest, we were thinking of taking a trip to Florida to see one of the children but after reading you road trip adventures I think if we go we will fly. I hope the weather will warm, and the remainder of your trip is joyful.

[Sandy and Cory]

Good Choice
Fly the skies....

[Linda Carcieri]

Trip
Wow, this is the trip from you know where....Sure hope you two make it safe to TP before have a breakdown...See you soon!

[Sandy and Cory]

Amen