Incidental, Accidental, Whatever

 

I love vacationing mostly because it’s always an adventure. I get stuck in a rut living and working doing the same thing and breaking away is gratifying. Okay, there are hiccups along the way but that is to be expected, right?

 

After planning my trip, I called the motel I usually frequent in Saratoga California. Surprise, the renovations weren’t completed and they don’t have rooms. Frustrated, I go to plan B and find another motel in the area and book it, annoyed that I am paying $20 more a night for an older and less stellar lodging. But, hey, it is pet friendly, has a free buffet breakfast every morning and is in downtown Campbell near all the restaurants.

 

My flight is uneventful and we arrive at the motel, check in and I collapse after being reunited with family.  It’s a large motel with 200 rooms, amenities and best of all; I am only a few hundred feet from the dog walking area. It’s decent but in need of updating. The furniture and beds are from the last Century and it takes me and BFF Myla three days to get used to the old, paddle like springboard we must sleep upon.

The food is great and the coffee is even better, so it negated the bouncy beds. We finally get the refrigerator fixed and then the TV volume fixed. I’m not sure I’m letting that go, mostly because one thing is forgiven but two items that should be working weren’t and I really hated those beds so I think I will write them a letter.

But how we enjoyed the weather, the family, the organic food! I tried a new wine from Cupcake Vineyards in Napa Valley. Very tasty. I also got happy over being able to find one of my favorite beers, Fat Tire in the market and enjoyed that, too. We ate a great pizzeria and another organic cafeteria which I wish we had in New York. Sigh.

 

The inking experience was great and we got great tattoos and great pricing. The more business you bring them, the lower the prices on your own ink. Cool.

Verona played in the dog park, scarfed too much at my sister’s and had to be supervised after a day of loose stool.

Mom rescued a lost dog that almost ran into traffic and got hit. I felt like I was in the Matrix movie, the feeling of degas vu came over me when she jumped out of the car and grabbed him before he got hurt. Two years ago she did the same thing for another dog.  I told that little dog that his angel was named Mary and if he found his owners, they had my mother to thank. I didn’t know she could move that fast, either. Adrenaline is a super drug when you need it.

This is the best part of Mom’s selflessness when it comes to animals: she left her purse in the shopping cart at the next stop and when we rode back to find out if it was still there, thankfully the parking lot attendant had placed it safely in the hands of the front desk. All Moms’ cards were in it and so was the$20 I’d given her. We agreed that the safe return of her purse was recompense for saving that little dog.

I often wonder what Verona thinks; as she watches everything we do and is allowed to go unobserved in many human social interactions. Is she thinking that the little terrier  is a lucky dog? Is she thinking that the double bed isn’t big enough for the two of us? One night she tried to roll onto her back and ended up on the floor. Another thing she does is lay in the corner under the desk in the hotel room.  We also played bed jump to give her some play time in the room when it rained. She loved that one, springing from one bed to the other across the gap between them. Most of all, though, Myla and I loved her up, shared the space and liked her snuggling when it got cold at night.

 

The next adventure is in August and a few short trips in between. All in all, a great time with my family and my BFF.