Tuesday, August 1, 2006

My Summer Vacation


I feel like I've just returned from a relaxing vacation. I'm slightly suffering from my post-vacation let down. Whaaa. The funny thing is, I didn't go on a trip. My neighbors did. Well, I guess I DID take a trip...A trip across the street!

My neighbors I don't really know all that well had a pool built just a few months ago. I hadn't even seen it. But about a week and a half ago, I ran into the "mom" of the family at Target while we were both grocery shopping. We said our neighborly hellos, and then she told me they were leaving for Florida the next day. I told her if she needed me to do anything while she was away, I'd be happy to. No, no, it was already taken care of. But then came the magic..."Feel free to come over anytime while we're gone and use our pool." And she said it like she really meant it.

Later that day, the "dad" of the family called me to reiterate the invitation to the pool. Then he asked me to come over so they could show me a few things. Ok, no problem. Let me help you!

So they showed me stuff. Like how beautiful the pool is. How sweet their dog is. Where the pool lights are. How the umbrella's work. They warned me that the dog would be swimming with me. Could I handle all this stuff?

Umm. Yeah. Pretty much. They told me they were leaving around 1 o'clock the next day. I was feeling right at home in their pool by about 3pm. Their dog, who is now known to me affectionately as Molly, swam with me, just like they said she would.

EVERYDAY they were away, I went over and laid around at their pool. I read my new favorite book while I was there: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I thought about how great life is. I napped. I jumped off the diving board when I got hot. I watched the butterflies hovering over the Lantana. I listened to the waterfall. Molly and I developed a real friendship. She was happy to have me there as company and I was more than happy to provide it!

I didn't want the other neighbors to see me as I walked over there each day. I liked having this little oasis all to myself...well, Molly and myself. Every now and then, the "daughter's" boyfriend came over to do his chores he was getting paid for...watering the plants, feeding Molly- I felt pretty stupid anytime I'd see him being it that I had never been to their house before, and now I had become a permanent fixture.

I took a couple of my friends over to show them how lovely "my pool" was. I talked about "my pool" incessantly whenever I was away from it.

So it was a sad day when I walked away from "my pool" for the last time. It was the perfect vacation for me. I'm already anticipated their next summer holiday so I can take my vacation again.

1 comment:

Rrramone said...

Excellent! Now you just need neighbors with a golf course, a tennis course, an army of massage therapists, and a live in chef, and you'll be set! :-)