Whiner anyone?

The pool at the Surf and Sand Hotel

I'm a whiner when it comes to pain.

Last week I had a stem cell procedure performed on my left knee, and I thought, "Wow, I don't know what all the fuss was about."

Then the drugs wore off.

Jeezum Crow. Whatever happened to the days when I used to live in Miami and a bong hit was only a phone call away? Just messing with you guys. I don't like the way pot makes me feel. But morphine? Now that's another story.

Today Surfer Boy and I went to lunch at the Surf and Sand hotel in Laguna Beach. This lovely five-star resort is situated right on the beach. They offer fine dining, guest rooms with plush down comforters, a spa where one can get a sea salt scrub for the price of most people's annual salary.

So what was I doing there?

My mission was to talk the pool manager into allowing me to use their spa-style pool for my physical therapy. It seems I'm to perform pool walking and running for the next two months. Only prob is I don't have a pool.

So ... after our gourmet lunch overlooking the sparkling Pacific, I asked the server, "Can I please speak to whoever's in charge of the pool?"

"Of course madam. Will there be anything else? Some Dom Perignon? Perhaps caviar or oysters on the half shell?"

"Just the manager please."

And that's when my experience in corporate sales kicked in. Actually, it went more like this: I explained my plight to the gracious pool manager while batting my baby blues. He scratched his chin and said, "As long as you're here between eight and eleven in the morning it should be fine."

"I'll buy lunch! And we love to stay in the hotel. We come here on birthdays, anniversaries, even New Year's. And I love getting massages at the spa ..." I went into babble mode and then remembered my sales training: When the prospect says yes--shut the hell up!

What does all this have to do with writing?

Surfer Boy, always alert to my moods and how to make me happy got tired of hearing me complain about my lack of mobility. "Just use this time to write your book!"

Yes, master.

Today I added another 1,500 words to my city-girl-falls-for-country-boy story, and I am loving spending (virtual) time at Mavericks and San Francisco.

See Y'all next time!