Beachin

A few weeks ago I signed Psizzle (that's for you Proper) up for swimming lessons through our local Parks and Rec (P&R). Then I figured I should join the pool! Nothing like doing things bass ackwards.

According to the P&R flyer, I had to go to their main office located about 30 minutes from my house to obtain the pool membership passes. I could also go to the pool to get a membership, but they did not open until noon- Pfunks nap time. So we decided to make a morning run to the P&R office and then meet some friends for breakfast one day.

When I got to the very efficient (read: not at all) P&R office and asked about joining the pool I was met with a blank stare on the face of the lady behind the desk. This signaled to me that she had no idea what to do. I pulled out the flyer and told her I was following directions and came here to purchase the 5 family passes to the pool. She took the flyer from me, read it and yes, "Oh yes, it does say you can get them here. Huh?" Was she thinking I actually made that up?

This was followed by more silence and blank stares.

By this time I let Pman sit on the ledge of the half wall separating me from the Employee of the Month and rub his slimy baby hands all over the half glass partition. Which begs the question, why is there a glass partition at the P&R front desk? Are people so eager to join rec league soccer that they come in wielding handguns and demanding jerseys? I doubt it.

Anyway, Cpt. Wonder sits in confusion asking anyone who will pick up their phone, what to do with my seemingly normal, but obviously perplexing request. She finally gets up to ask Shirley what to do. She returns and tells me they do not have passes and I will have to wait until Memorial Day to purchase them blah blah blah. I swear as she is saying this, someone walks up behind her and places the passes in front of her. It was like they were sent from the Pool Gods. I pointed to the brightly colored passes that had the name of the pool printed on them and said, "Aren't those the passes? Can I buy them?"

Looking defeated, and it wasn't even 10a.m. she looks down, freezes for a beat or two and replies, "Well, yes. I guess they are." She writes my name on one, Parker's name on the other, takes my credit card and begins to process the transaction. Then I throw another monkey wrench (no pun intended) into her flow. I say, "I thought the membership includes 5 passes."

P&R lady: The 5 people have to live in your household.

Me: It doesn't say that. But I only need 3. Does the membership price change.

P&R Lady: No. Who would the other people be if you can have 5?

I give her Josh's name and my parents name's. She writes them all on a half sheet of scrap paper, hands me my credit card and the receipt. I leave with two bright pink pool passes, one for me and one for Pman.

A week later, I get 3 more passes with the other names written on them. Now that is efficient.

Flash to earlier this week. I was going to take Pmoney to the pool for the first time with a friend and her son. Before we go, I just had a feeling to call ahead and make sure the pool was open. They were open on Memorial Day, but something told me they would not be open on Tuesday. Instead of calling I checked the P&R website since the pool does not have one. The site let me know that the pool was "open daily from May 23 to Sept 7." Telling me, that yes, the pool should have been open on Tuesday.

Want to take a guess as to if it was actually open?

It was not. Sadly once again P&R was clueless. It is not open daily from May 23 to Sept. 7. When I went to the pool on Tuesday, I had a feeling that the people who would be in the lifeguard chairs were probably taking a history final at the local high school at that exact moment.

God bless the P&R employees. God bless 'em.

In the end, after about an hour in the car, Pman was so DONE with his car seat. He was screaming and crying, I was near tears myself. Any mom can tell you, being locked in your car with a screaming, screeching child will just plain drive you mad. We pulled into a local beach parking lot, gathered our things and got in the gentle water of the Chesapeake Bay- Brownie's Beach if you are from this area. Parker likes to sit where the "waves" "crash" into the sand. I carried him out a little further (about 3 feet from the shore line) and knelt down with him. The water barely hit my rib cage and the waves Pmoney makes in the bathtub would put these to shame. However, he gripped onto my bathing suit and arm doing a happy squealy cry thing, kind of like- I like this, but I'm not totally sure about it.
After eating some shells and crawling around in the wet sand for a bit we headed home.

This is going to be a great summer.