Expect the Best, Prepare for the Worst, and Learn to be Surprised

So we're back from the beach. Back to work, back to school, back to the beloved routine. But there is a little unfinished beach business which has to be discussed...

While at the beach, we were staying at what we consider to be our "family" condo. This is where we go to get away. We have several other units that we rent, but this one is for family or friend rental only. A few days before we left, Tony began to drop some hints that one of the nearby units needed some new floors and he was thinking of bringing down one of his workers to start on it. I didn't give it much thought, but I told him it sounded like a good plan to me. On our way in the car last Saturday, he mentioned that Camden (his worker) would be coming on Monday. I asked where he would stay, and he mumbled something about "no big deal, figure something out". Again, I didn't give it any thought.

Monday rolls around and Camden arrives. I've never met him before, but we all go to lunch together and have a nice time. The kids love him, Matt treats him like a big brother, and Gabrielle calls him "Camel" (which is the subject for a different blog). After lunch, Tony pulls me aside and asks me what I think of him. "Very nice." I replied. "So you're comfortable with him?" "Sure" I said, not sensing where the conversation was going. "Good, because I think it makes sense for him to stay with us. I mean, he's going to be working the whole time anyway." Oh, ok. Now look, this is how Tony always works me. He phrases things so that if I disagree with him, I sound like a mean person. And he knows that I do not like to be mean. Camden is standing literally 4 feet away, so not only can I not have a true reaction, but I can't even ask any questions...just how Tony likes it.

So Camden "moves in" for the week. No big deal. There are 4 bedrooms, Matt and Gabrielle sleep together most of the time anyway, so it's not like we are on top of each other. The next morning, I hear the front door open and close, so I get up and tip toe out of my room. I peek out the window and see that Camden has left to go to work, so I relax. No need to change my nightgown or brush my hair. I go over and start to make a cup of coffee, when suddenly I am startled by a door opening. I look up so see a small Mexican man coming out of the room across from Camden's room. He smiles at me, murmurs "Buenos dias" and walks across the room and out the door. Once again, there are many reactions I could have had. I could have screamed, because it would probably scare most people to have a small Mexican man appear in their house. But if I screamed, I would wake up the kids, and that would be tragic to give up an hour of free time on vacation. I could have asked who he was and why he was there, but it seemed rude at the time. (In addition to the fact that he obviously did not speak English.) I could have gone in and asked Tony, but I had a feeling this would not surprise him, and we might have to have a "discussion". So I just decided to let it ride. Workers, small Mexican men...what might be behind door number 3?

Let me clarify something here. I am generally very shy and reserved, and Tony is usually semi-respectful of this. In the past when he has invited work-related people to stay with us, he has always given me the "right of refusal" first. In other words, he asks if I am comfortable enough with someone to have them stay. What has to be taken into consideration with Tony is that he will probably be on his own agenda and feel no responsibility to be "host" to whomever is there. This task usually falls on me, so I take that "right of refusal" very seriously. Now I'm not saying I would have exercised the "right" this time, but the difference was all to do with timing, being put on the spot, and of course, not speaking Spanish.

As it turned out, I met "Peers" later in the day. He was a very sweet man and he was helping Camden do some very difficult work. I only saw him a couple of times the rest of the trip since he was there to work. In the end, I tried to explain to Tony that it is always better to get a heads up on this sort of thing. I mean, I can always make adjustments, but if I'd known that we were having "company" I might have made some different wardrobe choices. You know, left the little nightie at home, or at least thrown in a robe.

Now that I am home, I am able to laugh at this. Our vacations have always been filled with excitement, adventure and turmoil. But that is a subject for another day and another blog.

So until tomorrow...because tomorrow is always my busiest day of the week...