St. Petersblog: Day One

Well, Lindsey and I arrived safely and without much incident in Orlando, Fl late this afternoon. We then rented our car (which gave us our first vacation story not 30 mintues on the ground) and drove about two hours to St. Petersburg on the coast of the gulf of Mexico.

As I said, not 30 minutes on the ground in Jeb Bush's stomping ground, we experienced our first vacation story. We found a car at a great rate online through a company called Payless Car Park and Rental. Probably the last time we'll buy anything but shoes at a place named Payless. After waiting in line for really too long, we come to counter and are greated by a very friendly man with a very heavy Western European accent. He says we have your reservation for a two-door Hyundai Sonata. Which is exactly what we wanted since it was 15 bucks a day. Our friend with the heavy accent then procedes to tell us that for very little money we could get something a little bigger, a little nicer, the same schpeal he gives everyone. Then, observant fellow that he is, he notices by our ID's that today is Lindsey's birthday (to find out which one, you'll have to ask her). After seeing this, he offers us "much more less than 50% off" on either a Dodge Charger or a Ford Mustang, for just 40 dollars more of the total cost. That offer, while generous, put us over the hundred dollar mark for car rental which we wanted to avoid. So, we politely declined saying we appreciated the gesture but we really originally wanted a compact and we're fine with that. He says ok and goes to get the keys. He comes back with a set I am familiar with, since it is in the Dodge family (see earlier post on the new wheels). So, thinking that he's either giving us the Charger-which would, frankly, kickass-or upgrading us to the sporty new Caliber, we hear him say, almost under his breath in a heavier accent than he had before, "We have your Caravan all ready, just round corner". A little shell-shocked, we turn the corner and lo and behold, there sat our vehicle for the week, a light blue '06 Dodge Caravan, complete with stow and go seating and automatic doors. So, as is natural, I get a little upset. I say some things I shouldn't, I snap at Lindsey a little bit, I get in an all around foul mood. And then, ten minutes down the road we discover that I can control the radio with buttons on the backside of the steering wheel. Twenty minutes down the road, we find the power seat controls for the driver's side and dual-climate controls (which lynz promptly turned way up on her side). Thirty minutes later we're commenting on how roomy and spacious it is and I've got the cruise control working, I'm switching stations left and right and, as fast as a dance remix of a song that's already a dance song can cheer up two dudes after driving brush around for four hours, I love the Dodge Caravan.


That's the story for today, more to come all week, so keep checking in. Below you'll find pics of our digs for the week, our first view of the ocean together, and a few of us. I failed to get a picture of the wheels before the sun went down, but rest assured, you'll see it tomorrow.

Peace,
Brad and Lindsey

Aren't we cute!!