Getaway

For the past few days I was on a little mini-break with the ladies in my family. Thanks to my mother's slight love of casinos we (read: she) racked up a couple of free nights at this place in Lake Charles, LA and she was nice enough to cart me, my sister-in-law and my niece along. It was, as one might expect, exactly the type of quick escape I needed. Timely and inexpensive, I enjoyed every minute of it. In fact, I spent an entire day by the pool. Literally. I woke around nine, had an orange and half of the world's largest cream puff (see pic. A below) for breakfast, strolled down to the pool and played water games with the niece for a bit and then sipped a pina colada. I stopped briefly for lunch and then it was right back outside where I sat poolside sipping white wine and reading/napping the rest of the day. All by myself. Then I had a massage. Three days was not nearly enough.

And also, for just a hint of humor, in our hotel where the standard "Do Not Disturb" sign usually hangs was an assortment of placards to use to avoid, nay, caution the housekeepers from entering our space. So fun were the messages I have taken the time to assemble them here for your enjoyment.

• You seem like a nice person. But I'm not feeling very sociable right now.
• Maybe later. I'm doing a little servicing of my own right now.
• We're either busy. Or getting there.
• Keep walking. Move along. Nothing to see here.
• If this sign is hangin', don't come a bangin'.
• Doing things we wouldn't dare do at home.

(pic A: the world's largest, and most delicious, cream puff!)

(pic B: view of the resort pool area from my window)

(pic C: Louisiana sunset)