We’re on vacation at Palm Beach, Florida and I had a revelation. It’s this idea that most families fall into two theoretical categories of vacationers. The Don’t Splash Me (said with an English accent) and the Cannon Ball Pool Jumpers. You fall into one of these two categories even if you don’t actually do the cannon ball into the pool – you are doing it in spirit. You could break these categories down into “The Refined – Class I ” and “The Unrefined – Class II” family vacationers. If you watch closely you’ll notice that many of your own vacation spots cater to these two groups of families.
In our case this was the refined pool. There’s no sign that says so but it’s just one of those unspoken rules that says you leave your squirt guns, rubber duckies and big floats behind. Our family is a wee bit too loud and obnoxious for this pool so instead of hanging out there we just pose by it and dream up $5.00 bets. This one involved my brother-in-law running wildly around the pool with an inter tube around his waste yelling that there’s an ocean out there and it’s huge and it has lots of water in it that never ends. And then he tops off his country-come-to-town rampage with a cannon ball in the deep end. And that has the potential of loosening up some Vacationing refined Class I’s in a New York minute.
The beauty is that you can float between Class I and Class II vacationers.
Our family fell into Class II vacationers when we went to Sam’s for all the food for our tribe. The sample in front of us was an energy drink. I $5 betted my Sister-in-law to drink it and then break out into 10 jumping jacks exclaiming it really did give her energy. She did it. I mean she broke out her workout jumping jacks right next to the sample lady – flailing her arms and in her most shocked voice declared the new found energy she had just received from that lil’ sample. The sample lady sort of looked at her weird and then she broke down and laughed because people are just dying to laugh out loud. They are. Even the stuffy pool snobs that dare you to get them wet. They want to laugh too they just need help relaxing. And that’s what Class II vacationers offer to Class I’s.
Here’s another sign of unrefined but fine with it: the bathtub becomes the pool on rainy days. Okay, I sort of got in trouble on this one. I gave the girls water guns and showed them a game they could play which involved throwing the beach ball from the tub into the glass shower which was awesome fun. Another clue that the condo management team designed this bathroom for Class II Vacationers. Water was all over the floor and I got the evil eye for allowing it. Oops. Lesson learned. Put towels down.
Who wants to go to the arcade room when you can ride and up and down the elevators for entertainment. With all the beach and pool gear. That screams “tourist” does it not? Love it. My Mother made it clear she wasn’t impressed with the glamour leg shot pose Sophie is giving in this picture. Ha! Love you Mom. Vacationing Unrefined Class II’s incorporate the elevator as part of the family fun.
They also get kicked out of the kiddie pool for being too big for the apparatus. Yeah, that happened today as the adults went with the kids to the kiddie pool and rode the slides and screamed like maniacs. The manager came out and said, “Excuse me butT that really is for the kids like the sign says. That slide can break.” I said, “Oh yeah, did you just call me fat cuz I’ll sit on you in the deep end and you just may never come up for air ever again in your life.” Nah, I didn’t say that to her. I actually was relieved that management bailed me out because it was my turn for the slide and I really didn’t want to go down that thing and make a fool of my almost-refined self. Whew that was a close one.
Our bro-in-law who is the master fisherman caught a nurse shark while the kids caught some fish of their own. Our unit has been smelling like fish every day because he cooks up what he catches. I think this scores as impressive in my opinion.
The fact that we’ve eaten extremely well this week with steak, ribs and all kinds of homemade goodness makes me think we managed to pull off moments of refined Class I vacationing. But it doesn’t take long before the dinner conversation goes to Ronald McDonald’s sesame seed buns….. laughter erupts and we find ourselves reverting back. That’s okay. We know who we are and we like ourselves. Both refined and unrefined moments – we’re fine with them all. And this is why I love my family so much.