A Comedy of Errors

Another title for this blog entry could be: AAARGH!

Or how about: I am so confused.

Or: I have never sworn so much in a single day.

So, we made it to Oceanside and, no, wait - let me tell you first how frustrating it was getting to Oceanside. Our directions were clear, printed from Mapquest, but the California Highway system was not clear. There was a point where “I 215 becomes I 15" and we were supposed to drive for 15 miles and take an exit. But there are no signs. I mean, California never tells you the name of the highway, or at least hardly ever. GRRR. And then, their exits make no sense. In Utah and Idaho the exits are the number of the mile marker they are on. So if you are at mile marker 72, then that is the number of the exit. But California seems to randomly number their exits. Exit 46 is at mile marker #2. What is that?!

And traffic is terrible. Even when it is moving it is terrible. Even the boys looking out the window at the ribbon of cars moving off to the right toward a different highway said, “Wow, look at all the cars.” I thought, “I sure hope I like Disneyland because I hate California.” (Oh, there’s another possible title for this blog.)

Okay, so we get here, and guess what? NO reservation. We pull up my account and my reservation starts TOMORROW. Are you kidding me? What can you do but laugh? The girl at the desk tells me it happens all the time. Tara said she worked at the hotel in Springdale for 8 weeks, and it happened 3 times to her. I’m grateful I am not the only idiot out there.

So here we are in the Travel Lodge. The boys said, “Whoa, I think we downgraded.” That is a colossal understatement. However, the bed is really comfortable and there’s free (if monumentally slow) internet. What more could you ask for?

And the beach is nearby. It is lovely. Ian and I went running on the beach last night, holding hands, racing toward the surf. As the waves crest, the normally foamy white part glows florescent green. It is cool. We laugh. We are happy. It’s been a rocky start, but Ian hugs me and says, “I love this vacation!” (I guess there’s another title for my blog.)