We saw and heard many things - things that seemed a bit peculiar to us - that kept reminding us we were THERE and not in our hometown. But, sometimes it's good to experience the differences.
Here's a little list of our "cultural education":
- The bathrooms at church were in a "trailer house" out in the parking lot (upon further explanation, we found out they were renovating)
- A lizard running across the kitchen floor in the church
- A car veered out around the turning lane, into the oncoming traffic lane, to pass us (the women at church had actually just talked/joked about the driving conditions in South Florida earlier that day!)
- Multiple people [out in public] asked us WHY we were dressed up - on a Sunday. (We'd NEVER get asked that HERE) But really?!? Church attendance wasn't even on their radar?
- We met this guy who says he came to visit So. Florida 30 years ago, fell and hit his head, and never returned/left So. Florida.
- We met another [very warm, kind, & generous] family from Columbia on the Ft. Lauderdale temple grounds. After chatting for just a few minutes, they invited us to come to their vacation home/use their pool. (They didn't know us from Adam! But, they had a few teenage girls, and we had two teenage boys....haha)
- A lady who worked in marketing at the resort was named, TUCKER
- A liquor store inside Costco
- When inquiring about where to park to access the beach, the woman answered [with her accent], "Here, ALL the daddy's are walkin'!" (her way of informing Matt he needed to drop us off at the beach, then go find a random spot to park a few blocks away) After that we could use that "cultural education" to our advantage: If I was all comfy in my bed and didn't want to go out to the kitchen for a drink, I'd ask Matt to do it for me with, "Here, ALL the daddy's are walkin'!" If one of the girls forgot her pool towel, they would whine/beg for Matt to go back for it with, "Here, ALL the daddy's are walkin'!" If the boys were just camped out on the couch watching ESPN, and desired to continue doing absolutely nothing....."Here, ALL the daddy's are walkin'!" Hey, When in Rome, do as the Romans do! ;)
- Horizontal traffic lights
- The back tailgate of a truck in front of us had detailing on it....the back view of a lady bending over....with a [indecent] written phrase to go with it - that I will omit from this bullet point.
- Kyle Beckerman's "TWIN" riding his skateboard to work his job: the beach chair service company on the beach.
- 24 hr. doughnut shops
- Bikers jetting out in front of oncoming turning lane traffic to cross the intersection diagonally
- $3.38/gallon for gas
- Ducks walking around the resort parking lot/puddles (one was sitting on a nest of eggs in the flower bed)
- A check cashing store/deli/grill combo business all in the same building (because going in to get your checks cashed MIGHT make you hungry!) :)
We had a great vacation......NEW encounters and all!
As always, we didn't want to return to "real life" - and THE LIST.
