Starting the New Year Right
Posted by LeviLovR on January 01, 2023 at 19:41:31
Happy New Year, Everybody!
So for me 2023 got off to a good start with one wacky wet weekend. Last night, New Years Eve, went to my favorite hotel with heated outdoor pool and indoor hot tub with waterfall. Check in time is 3p.m. but I arrived a half hour early. In the past I have had to wait when I got there early but not this time. The clerk checked me in, gave me my room pass and I was good to go. That was a good omen. I literally dumped my stuff in the room. and made a bee line for the pool.
So some things have changed in the last couple of years following covid. The main entrance to the pool used to be up by the main desk. They are now asking people to enter via the patio entrance, which is cold in winter if you're wearing a bathing suit. The pool used to open at 6a.m. and now doesn't open 'til 8 and closes at 10p.m. The first and last hours are adult swim only - no kids. It never used to be like that.
So what was I wearing? Nothing new for me, literally. Everything has been wet and worn before. Had on black boots, belt and hat; dark indigo almost new Lee jeans; red,white and blue checked shirt; brick red tie that matched the red in the shirt; and a medium blue lightweight denim sportcoat. All chosen because I like the way they look and feel wet.
It was a nice sunny day, warm for Maine with highs in the 50s. There were some people in the pool outside but most were inside in the hot tub. So I did my first jump in the pool and got some guy to film it on my phone. The reaction was incredible. People in the pool were cheering and people inside were running to the windows looking out to check out what was going on. Got nothing but positive reactions from everybody. Had to repeat jumps into the pool, got asked a billion questions but everybody thought it was great. Told everybody I always do this at this particular pool on New Years and my birthday and the maintenance guy happened to be going by and verified that, plus there were a few people who had seen me there in past years. Some had had photos taken with me in the past and wanted new ones and some just wanted to take my picture anyway. Looks like I might have a new career doing wacky wet modeling! Met one woman who shares my birthday. So then it was inside into the hot tub and more of the same. Questions, photos, really pleasant chatter and everyone very friendly and all loving the fac t I had jumped into the pool fully clothed, especially in a suitcoat, tie, boots and hat. In telling people about past episodes I said that on New Years I always jump in the pool in a tuxedo. EVERYONE wanted to know what time I would be doing that and I said 9p.m. and I could hear murmurs of 9 p.m. rippling through the pool area.
There was one gentleman who had seen me jump in the pool and he was wearing a ball cap, Hawaiian type shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. He jumped in too with everything he had on. I thought he might remove his shoes but he left them on. His name was Tom. Everybody was extremely encouraging, friendly, talkative and loving the whole wet clothed swim. People wanted to know if it ruined my clothes, how I got them dry, did I have to throw them away afterwards, how long had I been doing this and a whole bunch of other stuff. There was not one negative reaction in the group. So I alternated between the pool and the hot tub - cooling off, warming up and repeating the cycle for an hour and a half before going back to the room.
At 6:30 I went down for dip #2. Wore the same black boots, belt and hat; a second pair of Lee indigo jeans, a medium blue Lee denim shirt, a striped tie and dark blue wool sport coat. No where near as many people as most had gone to dinner, but there were some people who had been there at my first soaking and one kid who even remarked, "Again? Why?" and his dad replied, "because he enjoys it and it's fun." Well said!. It was nice not to have the place so crowded. There were even a few moments when I had the entire pool to myself. The water was excellent and the wet clothes felt so good, particularly the jeans and shirt. I stayed about an hour beforegoing back to the room. By then it had started raining, as predicted, but it was a very light rain and it was fun to swim in the pool with the rain pinging on my hat.
So at 8:30 I went back to the pool in black boots, belt and hat; black Lee Jeans: black paisley silk vest, white tuxedo shirt; black western neckpiece that crossed and had a white pearl snap; and a swallow tail tuxedo jacket.
The entire pool and hot tub area were mobbed. The minute I appeared on the patio everyone began screaming and yelling. I hadn't anticipated this! One of the hotel clerks was out there. Unfortunately he wasn't in a real party mood as he was very somber and sober and seemed quite unhappy. However he did agree to film my jump in the pool, which was nice. So I stepped up on the rim of the pool and felt like Moses parting the Red Sea because everyone backed away and cleared a space for me to land. You could just feel the anticipation in the air! "Everybody ready," I yelled. "Happy New Year! And I leaped into the pool. The place erupted! I've never had such a reaction before. I was getting high fives, people were shaking my hand, one woman even came over and kissed me on the cheek. I was getting hugged and people wanted their photos taken with me. I have to say I was enjoying all the attention but had expected anything like that. Then it was from the pool to the hot tub where it was a repeat of the same.
So at precisely nine o'clock Cinderella had to leave the ball. Not exactly, but nine to ten is the adult swim hour. There must have been a gazillion kids there and the rather surly desk clerk evicted them from the pool and said they had to return to their rooms! No one allowed under the age of twenty-one! A pall just spread over the whole pool area. People were not happy! Many had just gotten back from dinner and planned on an hour of swimming before going to bed. And kids leaving meant that their parents had to leave with them. I thought for sure that since it was New Year's they would relax the rule for one evening, but NOPE! This guy was adamant. So in a matter of a few minutes the mobbed pool area went down to a population of about twenty adults. It got VERY quiet.
At this time I was in the hot tub. So the woman who had kissed me on the cheek in the pool came in and got in the hot tub and sat down next to me. When I say next to me I mean as close as you can possibly get to a person without sitting right on top of them! She kept going on and on about how I had made her evening, it was the most exciting thing that had happened and she was practically purring in my ear. I expected her to start nibbling on it. The hot tub was steaming but now things were getting a bit steamier than I expected. Her name was Angelina. Her son was mortified.
There was just a small group of us left now and we all began to talk and chat. I pulled from the clutches of Angelina by another woman who came over and wanted her picture taken with me. She had been there in past New Year's Eves, had pictures of me and said she was hoping I would be there and was thrilled when I showed up. I had no idea I was so popular. It was really hot in the hot tub, in more ways than one, and I had to go back in the pool and cool off. When I got back to the hot tub Angelina was leaving and wished us all happy new year. You too, dear.
So the grumpy desk clerk kept hanging around watching us, mopping floors and cleaning but you could tell he was anxious to get us out of there so he could lock up. The few of us who were left were having a really nice visit and enjoying ourselves. Closing time has always been 10p.m. but in the past several of us commented that on New Years Eve they kept the pool open until midnight. I have some fond memories of jumping in the pool in my tux as the clock struck twelve. But not this guy. Ten o'clock made us leave and locked the door. No exceptions with him. Happy New Year to you too!
It was really a great evening and so much fun despite the somewhat abrupt ending.
To be continued under "A Day At The Beach"
- Re: Starting the New Year Right Zonie 04:56:06 1/02/2023
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- Re: Starting the New Year Right LeviLovR 11:41:16 1/02/2023
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- Re: Starting the New Year Right LeviLovR 11:41:16 1/02/2023
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