Flashbacks

Every once in a while I'll have a flashback. I'll see something or hear something or smell something that reminds me of my past. Today I saw something that made me have one of those flashbacks. Don't laugh.

Not just any potty, mind you, but a Crane potty.

Think I'm crazy yet? Let me explain. Years ago Allie and I went to Superwow. I was a chaperone, and Allie had just finished high school. We were going with the youth group to Jekyll Island. We were excited to go because some of our guy friends were working at Superwow, and we hadn't seen them all summer. Allie and I invited one of my dear friends from college, Carrie, to join us.

The plan was to attend Superwow with the youth group, and then when they boarded the bus to depart for home, we would stay behind and spend some time with our friends. Now a certain someone had told us we could probably stay in the staff house while we visited him. But that certain someone was apparently mistaken. As the bus pulled off and my mom looked anxiously out the window at her daughters who were staying behind in Jekyll Island with no plans for accomodations, I should have realized we were in for a long weekend. I should have chased the bus down. But if I would have done that, I wouldn't have this entertaining story to tell you.

Carrie, Allie and I packed up the car and headed to find a hotel. The first hotel we came to was a Sheraton. Very basic, run-of-the-mill, nothing really exciting about it Sheraton. $200 a night! $200!! Our jaws dropped, and we were speechless. Surely there was a mistake. But, no. Being such a small community the hotel was completely booked with tourists and people going to a convention.

I'm not sure what we did after that. I'm not sure how we found our way around or what in the world made us drive up to these gates, but we did.

We drooled as we looked inside and joked about staying there. Someone, I'm not sure who, suggested we might as well drive inside and inquire. It never hurt anybody to ask. (Did I mention before that we were in college and had just been to a youth camp?) We agreed to drive in. As we did, we noticed people on the lawn playing croquet. Allie breathed, "Oh, look! Crochet!"

After inquiring as to the price, we realized that it would only cost fifty more dollars a night to stay here than it would at the Sheraton. Hel-lo! We weren't dumb! After a brief and decisive "meeting," we handed over the credit card to be charged for two nights. We were totally going to stay there. We became all giddy as the porter loaded our bags and showed us to our cottage. The Crane cottage.

Falling into our HUGE king bed that we would share, we perused the services at the resort. Traditional English tea?! Cool! We called and made a reservation for it. To heck with the fact that it was $20 a piece, we were already spending lavishly, what was another twenty? We dressed cute and headed toward the Riverview Lounge where we would have tea and crumpets.

We laughed and acted proper and raised our pinkies. We were getting used to and liking the wealthy society! On the way back to the cottage the skies opened up and it poured! We ran, screaming and laughing, all the way back to the cottage where we sloshed water all over the antique floors. We may have been ready for high society, but they weren't ready for us!

As we got ready to meet the guys that night, we were excited about fun time with friends and together. When the guys picked us up, they informed us that instead of hanging out with us that weekend and showing us around Jekyll, they had suddenly decided to drive six hours back home the following morning to visit their families.

Hold up. We had made this special trip and they were ditching us?

"You mean to tell me that we made plans which were shot down to stay in the staff house, drove around looking for a hotel and finally found one for $250 A NIGHT, stayed back and didn't go on the bus so we could visit with you, and YOU'RE GOING HOME?! "

Oh my gosh, I don't know when I'd been more mad.

And it was true. We only stayed one night. Fortunately, the hotel let us cancel our second night without having to pay. But, you know what? We had a great trip, just us girls. We talked late into the night, found out what each other wanted in a future husband and what Shannon really looks for, and laughed until we cried. And I didn't stay mad for long because I knew I'd have wonderful memories.

I remembered all of that just by looking at the toilet with "Crane" on it in the girls' room. (For we learned while we stayed at the Jekyll Island Resort that the Crane cottage was named after the Crane family who began the plumbing business so long ago.) Every time I see one, I think of our trip.

And now, you probably will too!

Pamela: This ranks on my top list of road trips.

Stephen: No hard feelings. Swear. Love you! ;)