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somebodyisfromhere.com
The destination destination.
Floridaaaaaaaa.
Florida is filled with these juxtapositions. Somebodyisfromhere.com wanted to book the Hilton for four nights (fri-mon) but a fully booked night
forced him to book at the Holiday Inn for the first night. By expectations and cost he expected the Hilton to be nicer.
Somebodyisfromhere.com told both hotels that there would be three people to a room. Holiday Inn responded with a suite. 2 bathrooms. 2
beds and a pullout. Microwave. 3 fricken' sinks for that matter.
Hilton, on the other hand, gave a queen for three people. Somebodyisfromhere.com complained and was able to switch with a couple who
didn't feel like sharing two singles. He checked-in at 4 and our room wasn't clean. There was a glass of milk in the fridge, a half drank coffee
on the desk and at least one bed wasn't cleaned. He complained again. They took a few hours to cleanup. No real apologies. The toilet ran the
remainder of the trip. It was too much work to complain about it.
The Clear Sky Beachside Cafe had problems too. The outdoor restaurant a couple blocks away from the Hilton with music and heaters if need
be gave Somebodyisfromhere.com's pizza to another customer instead. As an apology they gave him a free beer while he waited. It was that
kind of gesture, along with a sign advertising a breakfast for under $4, that made it possible for Somebodyisfromhere.com to go back the next
morning.
More juxtapositions. As trashy as it sounds, the Clear Sky is on the end of a shopping center. The same center has a Gelato place that
Somebodyisfromhere.com's cabbie, for some reason, stated was run by Bosnians. Somebodyisfromhere.com liked the tiramisu flavor. While he
was outside with another guy waiting for some girls to come out he was shouted at something derogatory by a guy in a cowboy hat because
apparently two guys can't eat dairy together.
Next door was a cigar shop with staff that was as happy as the were hard to understand. Their selections, they boasted, included those made
by Cubans(Americans presumably).
Across the street was a wine bar with outdoor seating and a musician, who on that night, specialized in the Beatles. They had a shepherd's pie
special. Just a few places down was an Italian restaurant that was affordable.
We hoped to find a sanctuary in Florida away from March's coldness up North. In fact we found the same weather only in the 70's and cold in
the shade.
There were many juxtapositions in Florida, but none better than the heated pools beside the tiki bars with the constant breeze coming off the
water.
forced him to book at the Holiday Inn for the first night. By expectations and cost he expected the Hilton to be nicer.
Somebodyisfromhere.com told both hotels that there would be three people to a room. Holiday Inn responded with a suite. 2 bathrooms. 2
beds and a pullout. Microwave. 3 fricken' sinks for that matter.
Hilton, on the other hand, gave a queen for three people. Somebodyisfromhere.com complained and was able to switch with a couple who
didn't feel like sharing two singles. He checked-in at 4 and our room wasn't clean. There was a glass of milk in the fridge, a half drank coffee
on the desk and at least one bed wasn't cleaned. He complained again. They took a few hours to cleanup. No real apologies. The toilet ran the
remainder of the trip. It was too much work to complain about it.
The Clear Sky Beachside Cafe had problems too. The outdoor restaurant a couple blocks away from the Hilton with music and heaters if need
be gave Somebodyisfromhere.com's pizza to another customer instead. As an apology they gave him a free beer while he waited. It was that
kind of gesture, along with a sign advertising a breakfast for under $4, that made it possible for Somebodyisfromhere.com to go back the next
morning.
More juxtapositions. As trashy as it sounds, the Clear Sky is on the end of a shopping center. The same center has a Gelato place that
Somebodyisfromhere.com's cabbie, for some reason, stated was run by Bosnians. Somebodyisfromhere.com liked the tiramisu flavor. While he
was outside with another guy waiting for some girls to come out he was shouted at something derogatory by a guy in a cowboy hat because
apparently two guys can't eat dairy together.
Next door was a cigar shop with staff that was as happy as the were hard to understand. Their selections, they boasted, included those made
by Cubans(Americans presumably).
Across the street was a wine bar with outdoor seating and a musician, who on that night, specialized in the Beatles. They had a shepherd's pie
special. Just a few places down was an Italian restaurant that was affordable.
We hoped to find a sanctuary in Florida away from March's coldness up North. In fact we found the same weather only in the 70's and cold in
the shade.
There were many juxtapositions in Florida, but none better than the heated pools beside the tiki bars with the constant breeze coming off the
water.
<<< Florida is often where expectations
and fantasy have the awkward tendency to
conflict with reality
You spend all kinds of money to fly down to
spring training to catch some sun at a
ballgame and when you arrive for Sunday
(March 21) game against the Orioles you
are greeted with rain. You don't think about
these things booking the trip. It's Florida,
though, and the tide can change at any
moment. Monday's game against the
Yankees was sunny for the most part and
the game was won with a walkoff home run in
the ninth inning by the home team.
and fantasy have the awkward tendency to
conflict with reality
You spend all kinds of money to fly down to
spring training to catch some sun at a
ballgame and when you arrive for Sunday
(March 21) game against the Orioles you
are greeted with rain. You don't think about
these things booking the trip. It's Florida,
though, and the tide can change at any
moment. Monday's game against the
Yankees was sunny for the most part and
the game was won with a walkoff home run in
the ninth inning by the home team.