Night at the Pool
Posted by LeviLovR on November 09, 2023 at 09:50:29
Another birthday has come and gone. They're really starting to pile up now! I had planned to celebrate by going to my favorite hotel for some clothed swims in their heated outdoor pool and indoor hot tup with waterfall and had booked a room for the actual day. However I woke up on my birthday feeling sick and had to cancel. Wound up spending most of the day in bed and reserved a room for the following weekend instead. After all, birthdays can be celebrated any time and when you get to be my age just waking up in the morning is like having another birthday anyway. Better late than never. By the following weekend I had totally recovered and arrived at the hotel, checked in, found my room, dropped off my gear and headed for the pool.
There used to be two ways to enter the pool area, but since covid the area has been revamped and the only access to the pool is the outdoor courtyard. You can no longer use the indoor hallway and lounge area as that has been totally blocked off and turned into the breakfast dining area. So when done swimming you no longer have the option of returning to your room through the warm hallway - you have to step out into the open court yard and re-enter the building from there. Depending on the weather that can be a bit chilly, especially if you are all wet.
When I stepped out into the courtyard the pool was totally empty and not a soul in sight. That's how it's been the last few times I've been there. I was wearing a pair of really cheap black boots which I have never really liked. They were so cheap that at the time I had bought a brown pair as well and I had brought the brown pair with me as well. I had on new Levi 501 shrink to fit jeans, but they were a medium blue and not the usual dark indigo that I normally prefer. I've had them for a while but had never worn them and figured it was about time to christen them. Also had a black belt, checked long sleeve shirt that was green and blue, light blue silk tie, medium blue tweed jacket and black hat. I walked to the edge of the pool and jumped in.
It was a bit of a shock as the water closed over my head and soaked through my clothes as it was not as warm as I had expected or hoped for. The hot tub was looking better by the second! The maintenance guy would later tell us the temperature was set at 82 degrees and he turned it up to 85 as other guests complained but none of us believed it was as warm as he said it was. Still it wasn't freezing either and have definitely been in much colder water in the past. But the thought of having the entire hot tub to myself was too much to resist, so I went inside, turned on the waterfall and whirlpool jets and then walked down the steps into the warm water.
Yes, this was bliss! The water felt great as it circulated around me. The tub is long enough so that you can actually lay out full length and float in it. Did that for a bit and then sat under the waterfall letting the water cascade off my hat and down over my shoulders through my jacket and shirt. I have been letting my hair grow and now have a beard and the hair has now gotten so long that it hung in wet clumps down over my eyes and in the back down to my shoulders, which was kind of a new experience for me. Finally I climbed back up the steps and sat down in a chair next to the hot tub to drip off a bit and cool down some.
I had dried off quite a bit and was contemplating going back in the hot tub when my solitude was interrupted by an older man and his wife . The husband did have on a jersey type shirt that was cobalt blue which he kept on. The wife was in a normal one piece bathing suit. The husband stepped down into the water and then they noticed there were no towels in the hot tub area. The wife left to get some while the man and I chatted. Turns out they were from Vermont and had come over to Maine to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary. They had stayed at this particular hotel many times before. The wife came back and sat down and I asked if she would take some pics of me in the hot tub. She kindly agreed so I handed her my phone and re-entered the hot tub. I think they were a bit surprised at first, but soon got used to the idea - especially when I explained I did this every year to celebrate my birthday and also on New Year's Eve. The wife actually got some really good shots and we had a nice conversation. The husband was particularly talkative. I think he enjoyed having another person to chat with. I climbed out and returned to my chair and the wife joined her husband in the hot tub. Gradually more people filtered in. Swims in the pool were short, the consensus being that the water was cold, and the hot tub filled up quickly with people. I returned to my room to change clothes, grab a bite to eat and have a bit of a rest.
For my second swim I put on the same black boots, belt and hat. They were already wet so I figured I would just wear them for the rest of the evening. I had a brand new pair of Lee indigo jeans, a new Lee chambray shirt, navy polk-a-dot tie and navy wool jacket. The pool was full of kids so I went and got a cup of coffee and sat down by the edge of the pool and drank it. It was a bit chilly so I took it inside. Gradually the kids left and this really big young guy came in and dropped his stuff before heading out to the pool. This guy was a bodybuilder and had huge arms and legs and a massive chest. He didn't stay in the pool too long before coming back inside and settling down in the hot tub. Then three more people came in, a man and two women. One of the woman was the man's mother and the other his wife. The older woman had on some type of leggings and a top that hung down almost to her knees - interesting. They went out to the pool for a swim as well. I walked out to the pool and stood on the edge and talked to them briefly and asked if I could join them. The older lady said, "Sure! Jump in!" And I did. They all laughed, but the older lady said she never expected I would really do it. We talked and swam a bit, but the water was still cold. It was at this point that the maintenance man came by and he told us the water temp was 82 degrees. If he had been in it he would have known that wasn't so. Anyway he went in and turned it up to 85. I decided I would go back inside and warm up in the hot tub.
So "The Hulk" was still sitting in the hot tub as I emerged dripping from the pool. He laughed and had no objections as I walked over to the hot tub and got in. He was very pleasant. I actually asked him to take some pics of me as well and he graciously obliged. He was from Massachusetts, right outside Boston, and he was here with his girlfriend to see one of her friends who was playing in a band in one of the clubs in Portland. He had no idea what type of a band or which club, having come just for the ride. I did a few dunks under the waterfall and he expressed how he liked the feel of the waterfall pounding down on his shoulders and massaging them. I agreed as I absolutely love that waterfall. I actually pulled off my jacket and laid it next to the hot tub so that I could enjoy the look of the wet shirt. Soon the three people in the pool came in and joined us in the hot tub and we had a lively conversation. They were all from Maine, but a bit farther north. "The Hulk's" girlfriend came down and sat by the hot tub but did not join us as it looked like she was dressed to go to the club. Gradually more and more people came in and joined us. No one seemed to mind my being fully clothed, especially after I told them I was celebrating my birthday. It was really quite pleasant. Eventually I got out and returned to my room to prepare for my third soaking.
For round three I put on another new pair of indigo Lee jeans, new Lee shirt - a light blue this time, striped silk tie, and a light weight polyester blend jacket that was navy blue. I had intended to wear the same black boots, belt and hat. However, as I mentioned these boots were very inexpensive and not well made at all. But they were light and easy to slip on, which is why I decided to wear them. So as I was pulling on the first one my foot went right through the toe of the boot and the sole was flapping like a fish on the bank of a stream. Good thing I had brought the brown pair, so I switched to those and wore a brown hat that I had also brought.
The pool closes at 10pm and I went down shortly after nine. By 9:15 the place had pretty much emptied out, which surprised me. Once again I was all alone. Another jump in the pool proved that it had warmed up slightly, but not much, There were four jets that were sending out warm water and if you stood next to one of them it wasn't so bad, however the hot tub was better. Once again I went inside and was able to float and sit under the waterfall with the water battering down on top of me enjoying the shininess of the wet new jeans and the feeling of everything clinging to my arms, legs and torso. A few times I got out and walked around to hear the water squish in my boots and see the water drip off my clothes. I kept expecting someone to come in for a last minute dip, but no one did. Shortly before 10 I saw two guys step out into the court yard. One was the maintenance guy and one was one of the desk clerks. One went to one side of the pool and one to the other and they began unrolling the pool cover, gradually spreading it over the surface of the water. The maintenance guy tripped over the leg of a chair left by the edge of the pool and for a moment I thought he was going in, but with some wild flailing of his arms and some fancy footwork he was able to move away from the edge and managed to save himself, much to my disappointment. I thought I would go help them, but by the time I got outside they had it finished. The maintenance guy left and the hotel clerk was left to finish closing up. He came into the hot tub area and I asked him if he would mind taking some pictures before I left and he gladly obliged. With no time to drip off I sloshed back to my room, happy and content.
It was a nice birthday celebration, even if it was a bit late.
- Re: Night at the Pool swimmerrat 00:37:50 11/10/2023
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- Re: Night at the Pool LeviLovR 02:43:06 11/10/2023
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- Re: Night at the Pool LeviLovR 02:43:06 11/10/2023
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- Re: Night at the Pool Wetchas 13:28:58 11/09/2023
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