Lessons Learned- Day Two

While happy to be in the Bahamas, jet lag refused to let me get 'up and at 'em' the next day. I made a conscious decision not to get all uptight about where to go and what to do so I got up when I felt rested, took my time in the shower and wandered up to the next floor to meet my friend. By the time we got our act together, it was past lunch time. We ate a late lunch, explored the resort and decided since it was so late, we would get ready to go to the pool/beach, but wait for the girls to finish dancing for the day.

Shortly after 4, we laid out our towels and took the first plunge into the pool. It felt so good to be lazy and relaxed. We decided that we didn't care how late dinner was because we had a late lunch and we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

Time flies when you are relaxed! After lying on a lounge chair for about an hour and a half (but what seemed like 20 minutes at the most), we strolled back into the pool to cool off. We were in the pool for about 5 minutes when the lifeguard blew a whistle. Everyone started to get out, but we just floated along, chatting and paddling around. Soon the lifeguard was blowing his shrill and annoying whistle again and pointing right at us.

"What's the problem?" I asked him

"Pool closing!" he said in his local accent.

"Closing?" we said in unison "What time does the pool close?"

"Six PM madam" said the lifeguard

Who has ever hear of a pool closing at 6 pm? I love night swimming the best! I intentionally avoid the worst heat of the day to insure that I don't get burned! Begrudgingly we got out and toweled off and went to get ready for dinner.

Our little group (2 moms and 4-6 girls) puzzled over the early pool closure was we made out way to the Marina area where shops and restaurants were. I began to notice that everyone in the entire place was headed the same direction. I pointed this out and everyone agreed that earlier, when we had been on the Marina, the shops had very few people in them. Now they were full to capacity and doing a booming business. We noticed the layout of the resort and the Marina and the way we all headed where they wanted us. It seems perfectly natural if you don't think too much about it. Since we were thinking about it, we felt a little like sheep. It was insulting to our intelligence. Resorts especially Atlantis and such use blatant tactics including psychology to steer you to where you need to be to spend more money. They don't really care what you want to do as long as you are doing what they want you to do.

Lesson Two: Be aware when you are being manipulated or herded like sheep!

Lessons Learned- Day One

IN July, when I was in the Bahamas with my 15 year old daughter and one of her best friends, we stayed at a resort that was so expensive and commercial that every day brought a teaching moment. I am going to see if I can remember all of the lessons we learned each day.

Day one-After a long night and day of red-eye flights, stopovers and changes of planes, we arrived at the Atlantis resort to check in. I had decided that I didn't want to leave my credit cared 'open' with them and called ahead to make sure that they would let me pay cash. They said I could. When we checked in, they acted like they had never seen cash before and didn't want to take it. When the 'authorized my credit card for our complete stay plus $150 per day per person over and above the amount of our bill, a total of almost $6,000...even after I paid cash for the room, of course my credit card declined. I didn't take a credit card with that much open on it! I had already bought flights, withdrawn cash for the hotel and had enough cash and travelers checks to eat for a few days.

The lady behind the counter looked distressed and said "Your card declined" .

I asked how much she ran on it and almost fell over when she told me.
"Why do you need that much when I just gave you cash for the room?" I said

" We will hold the cash on account, but we still need to run your card for incidentals" she replied.

"We will not have any incidentals" I retorted.

"What about the restaurants?" she asked

"What about them?" I said "I plan to use cash!"

Although she was staring as if I were completely out-of-the-galaxy insane, she said she would only run $100 per day for incidentals and the cost of the room without taxes and the other 5 or 6 additional charges they smack you with. She then handed me the room keys with our names printed on them and told me that the key is our credit card while at the resort.

"Whoa...hold on a minute!" I said "You mean to tell me that my 15 year old daughter and her 15 year old friend now have Ca rte Blanche with my credit card?"

"I guess if you look at it that way...yes." She said patiently.

"They are really good, trustworthy girls, but why would I do that? No way do I want the girls to be able to charge on the room key!" I said getting a little impatient with this ridiculous process.

"What about the incidentals?" She asked again.

"They have their own cash and they will use that." I said as she took the key-cards back from me to reprogram them."

Later on, we were settled in our rooms and taking a look around the resort and decided that we were hungry and should get some lunch. After finding a place that looked promising, we ordered our lunch (very expensive I might add) and when we tried to give them our cash, they said that they were a no-cash establishment.

As it turned out, none of the restaurants at the resort accept cash. We had to leave the resort and go to the attached Marina to eat and even at that, there were only three places that we could use cash; a pizza place, Johnny Rocket's and a diner that had $17 grilled cheese sandwiches!

The girls were trying to figure out what the motivation for refusing cash could be and as I thought the answer came to me. This is what I told the girls:

When you have cash in your hot little hand and you are about to spend some, you look at your cash-flow, look at the price and plan accordingly. When you get your change, you know exactly what you have left and splurge or rein yourself in accordingly. HOWEVER...When you use credit, you round off numbers in your mind, forget what you have spent and overbuy, overspend and overindulge. This is what the want you do to!

Lesson number one: It is always better to use cash if you can!

Election Reflection

Today Jeffrey Scott Shapiro has a really good article on The Wall Street Journal site about President Bush entitled "The Treatment of Bush Has Been a Disgrace." In the article, the author states:

The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.

Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.

I'm not usually that much into politics. Although I have my opinions, I don't get into heated discussions about them. I don't really like conflict so I avoid it. I have to say though, this time I am really disappointed in many of the outcomes of this election as well as pleased with others.

All we can do is watch. listen, pray and hope for the best.