An Extra Day in Paradise

Chris, Will, Jordan, Cameron, Chuck and Me

We just got back from our summer vacation to Sandestin, Florida.  This trip was planned a year ago and I have looked forward to it all year.  It was a perfect week spent eating, talking, laughing, drinking, sunning and digging our toes in the sand.  The only problem with looking forward to and then spending a week in paradise, is the plummet down when it's over.   

I intend to blog about each day's events with over a thousand pictures to choose from but for now I just want to share a little story with you about our beach rental.

Our best friends of almost 20 years own an adorable home in Sandestin.  They don't rent theirs out but their neighbors do.  So last summer they sent us the link to the rental and we put a deposit down quickly to rent it for a week.  We were gathering all the kids this time and having a reunion of our families.  While all of the kids wouldn't be there a whole week, we would be. 

A week.

Seven Days....Six Nights.

We would arrive on Friday, July 1, 2011 and stay a week. 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

Count 'em.  Seven Days.  Six Nights.  A week....in English....on a calendar.

It's important that you understand what a week is.

So the owner sent the rental agreement, we signed it and sent it back and put it all on our calendars to look forward to all year long.

We go.  We play.  We stay.  We have so much fun.

Thursday morning we are starting to clean up and pack and throw away to be out of there by 11:00 a.m., the checkout time......and a car pulls up.

Me: (I am out on the porch spraying down the sand) Hi!

Her:  Hi.

Me:  Are you the maid?  (I should have said cleaning service but said maid)

Her:  Yes.

Me:  What's your name?

Her:  Sandy.

Me:  That's a great name for the beach.  (why do I say that?) Well, we have this place until 11:00 but you can come on in. 

Her:  (as she looks at her cell phone)  No, I have that you should have been out yesterday.  There's another family coming in at 4:00.

Me:  No, we have it through today. (said a little firmly) But it's okay if you want to come on in and get started.  We just need to shower and finish packing up.  It's basically already very clean.  We stripped the beds... do you want me to start washing the sheets?

Her:  No, I bring clean ones for the turn-a-round, then take the others home to wash.

Me:  That makes sense.  Well, come on in.

Her:  Well, I do need to use the restroom.

And she darts past me. 

I'm thinking she's a little early but totally welcoming her to get her job started knowing I am leaving this place so clean she won't have much of a job. 

Later....like 10 minutes later...Chuck gets a phone call from the owner.  Apparently Sandy called her while using the restroom. Tattling on us, if you will.  Still thinking she is wrong and I am right.

Our rental agreement, the one we signed, said we had the place until Wednesday.

11:00 a.m.  Wednesday, July 6.

Well, what do you know, it sure does.

whoops.

uh, oh.

Alrighty then.

So all this year I have put on every calendar Friday through Thursday.  Never looking at the rental agreement......even when we signed it....because I had asked for a week and the start date was right so I guess I just glazed over the end date.  It was a year ago.  Just assumed that end date was 7 days later.

The owner was very gracious.  She said she would just take a little money out of our security deposit to pay the maid for having to wait for us to get out. 

Really?  Sandy has to get paid to wait?  Sandy, the maid, didn't have to wait.  She got there at 9:30 and I told her to come on in. 

Whatever.  We weren't exactly in a place to argue. 

Squatters run when caught.

We hurried up and got out of there right at 11:00.

I went from being sure I was right, to knowing we were wrong, to a little angry about having to pay Sandy to wait, to being embarrassed.  Let my mistake be a lesson for all of you.  Check those dates.  'Cause I sure didn't. 

But if you are looking for a great place to rent.......for not a week.....here's the link to a very cute place in Sandestin, Florida.  It's a short drive to the beach but it's a great location close to shopping and restaurants.  Check it out....it's the least I could do for our gracious landlord for you know...the extra day in paradise. 

A few pictures.......with lots more to come. 

Debbie and I have some sort of soul twin thing going on.  On the day we went to Seaside, we came out of our separate homes wearing the same exact colors. This is nothing compared to the way we say the same thing at the same time and can make up rap songs on demand.  We may be borderline obnoxious when together.

And I think it goes without saying I was the twin who stole all of the nutrition in utero. 

I'm a little tan...for me.  Or more sun damaged if we're being real.

I hope all of you had a fun Fourth of July.

Don't get me started on that Casey Anthony verdict.