Better in the Bahamas

I'll be honest: when I realized our Bahamas vacation was happening right smack in the middle of a) selling our house and b) buying a new house, I felt guilty. Could I really justify spending money on a vacation? Did we even have the time to spare--I mean, shouldn't we be packing boxes instead of lounging by the pool? Then, after a couple of weeks into this moving process and endless inspections, appointments, questions, and chaos, I realized we needed a vacation now more than ever.

We left bright and very early on Saturday in order to get in the most vacation possible, STAT. The vacation powers-that-be obviously knew that we were tired and frazzled and needing some rest and relaxation, because we were upgraded to first class for our flight to Nassau. Bloody Marys in hand and Bahama bound, we were off to a great start.

We landed mid morning, cleared customs, and made our way to one of our most favorite places: the Atlantis resort. After we checked in, we ditched our suitcases in favor of swimsuits and flip flops, and grabbed a quick lunch at one of our favorite spots, Murray's New York-style deli down at the marina, before we headed out to the pool. The weather was gorgeous and we spent the rest of the day soaking in the sun before heading to dinner, where we feasted on conch salad and fresh lobster. As we left dinner, a raucous junkanoo parade made its way down the street and we were smack in the middle of all the bright costumes, dancing, and music, which was highly entertaining. So far, so good.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be caught in the middle of a junkanoo parade, this it it.

Here are are in front of one of the many Chihuly blown-glass sculptures at Atlantis,
literally basking in the glow of the Bahamas.

Sunday was our best day of the trip. After a quick breakfast, we made our way to the pool and there was barely a cloud in the sky. The resort was crowded, and our biggest problem that day was scoring two lounge chairs side by side. Ah, those were the days. Or day. I digress. Atlantis has several water slides and attractions, so we alternated reading in the sun and sipping cocktails with grabbing a tube and riding the rides. That night, we headed back down to the marina for a casual dinner and grabbed some pizza to eat by the waterfront.

Oh, vacation, I've been waiting for you.

My view for the day on Sunday. A girl could get used to this.

Clint thought perhaps this artwork was the inspiration for my dress I wore to dinner...

But I was thinking more of Blanche's bedroom from The Golden Girls.

Monday came upon us, and wasted no time in wreaking havoc. Clint woke up very early that day with what we now know was a stomach bug--I originally thought it was from his meat lover's pizza the night before or just too many fruity pool drinks, and I admit I could have been more concerned. We slept in, and when he felt a bit better, decided that we would go back to our favorite spot by the Royal towers pool and take it easy for the afternoon. We barely put down our towels and sunscreen when our phones started buzzing, and I'm sad to say we spent the rest of the afternoon making phone calls, returning emails, and texting with our real estate agent, the plumber, and my mom who was kind enough to pet sit for us. Nothing will put a damper on your good time like sitting by the beach discussing sump pumps and leaky toilets. We couldn't get a minute's peace. Clint was still feeling terrible, so while I got ready for dinner, he took all the medicine he could find in the gallon-size freezer bag of pills I had packed (never leave home without it) and took himself a much needed nap. He nibbled on his dinner, sipped a Coca Cola (I adamantly believed it will cure what ails you), and we were in bed by 10:00.

Even though Monday wasn't the best, the people watching certainly was: did you know you could find a sexy swimsuit with sleeves?

Fresh off his nap, Clint and I off to dinner Monday night.
It was the last time I felt good on the trip, sadly.

I had set the alarm bright and early Tuesday morning so we could make up for Monday and enjoy our last full day on Paradise Island. Thank the Lord that when that alarm went off, it was pouring down rain outside, because somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., I woke up with the same bug Clint had the day before, complete with body aches, chills, and a fever. It rained until noon, and at that point I forced myself out of bed and out to the Lagoon Bar and Grill for a turkey sandwich. I felt like death, but mercifully, it was overcast and so we both wearily settled into our poolside chairs. I would like to tell you that we enjoyed a quiet, peaceful afternoon, but the buyers for our home have been relentless with their questions and concerns. The texts and phone calls, including three calls with Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, finally wrapped up about the time we were ready to call it a day. My 24-hour bug was only a few hours old at this point, but I couldn't let our vacation slip past. The Miami Vice is what the good people at Atlantis call a half pina colada/half strawberry daiquiri and it's my most favorite vacation cocktail. I had to have one, stomach issues or no, and so we ordered ourselves a round. After we finished those, we grabbed two tubes and made one last pass at those water slides again before heading back to the room.

Smile and say "Miami Vice!" The classics never go out of style.

This chair is the ultimate photo opportunity at Atlantis.
If you don't have your picture made at the chair, did you even go to Atlantis?

This time at dinner, it was my turn to order the Coca Cola (and a kid's macaroni and cheese). We sadly but sickly made our way back to our room and fell asleep listening to a fierce thunderstorm outside. Thank goodness I woke up feeling not-quite-good but much better on Wednesday, just in time to pack our bags and head for home. We made a last meander through the resort to see it all one more time, and then caught the shuttle to the airport. Time to head home, where Cotton, and plenty more home selling headaches were waiting for us.

Our friends Kathy and Nicole told us about these waterproof phone cases ($8.99 for two on Amazon). More than just functional, y'all: they were everywhere! They are the new trend, the must-have, move-over-selfie-stick. Thank you ladies for keeping us current.

The Bahamas tourism folks love the saying "It's better in the Bahamas." I have always agreed with that sentiment wholeheartedly, and even though this trip wasn't the best, I'm comforting myself that talking about due diligence, subfloors, mildew removal, closing costs, and the like are less of a misery when they are done within steps of the ocean, right? We came, we saw, and we are planning on going back next year for another stay that--dare I say it: is even better.

Well, most of the time, anyway.