DAY 12
SUN 22nd OCT 2000
I
don't wake up until 9:00 (probably to do with the multiple beers
consumed while watching the videos last night) only to find the
room empty. The ladies have been for an early morning stroll
along the beach, which they all enjoyed.
Breakfast is quick and we are out by 10:30. We are having a lazy
day and we sit around the pool while the girls splash around and
generally have fun.
They go to the games room for a while and come back looking
disconsolate. When I ask what's wrong they say that two boys took
over the game that they had paid for. I apply the standard
parental response of 'Well, you've got to stick up for yourself.'
Sometimes I think it must be very confusing being a child. I hear
myself saying the same things to my children that mystified me
when I was young. We want our children to be self-assertive,
confident, happy, friendly and liked by their peers without being
over bearing, bullying, precocious, rude or violent. And what's
the best we can come up with? 'You've got to stick up for
yourself.' No wonder they feel hard done by sometimes.
At 12:30 we take a stroll along the beach to the shop to buy
lunch which consists of a tuna sub a BBQ beef sub and various
sweets and chocolate bars. The shop only seems to sell booze,
snack foods and sweets. All the main ingredients for a happy
Stringer family.
Back at the pool to leave Tammy basking in the sun while the
girls and I go to the beach. I paddle and generally ponder on
life while the girls attempt to build an ocean proof hole. This
will be our last time on the beach but I'm not too sad, as Tammy
says, we will almost certainly return sometime during our 42 year
DVC membership.
At the pool India takes part in the Tug of War, boys v girls. The
girls win as the boys let the side down. Mind you, the girls did
outnumber the boys two to one.
Georgia is desperate to play mini golf again so off we go to tee
off. This time I am 4 over par which I put down to the windy
conditions. Both Tammy and India are happy as they get hole in
ones.
After a shower we are ready to dine out. This time we choose Mr
Manatee's in Vero Beach. It describes itself as THE place for
casual dining and this turns out to be pretty accurate. It isn't
the prettiest place that we have been to but it is clean and the
food is very good.
We start with Teriyaki Steak Bites (9.9 excellent) and Baked
Potato Skins with bacon, cheese and spring onions (7.5). India
has the Salmon Brochette (8.5) and we share the Chicken Breast in
a creamy mushroom sauce (8.5). For dessert Tam and I split an
Over Indulgence, brownie, ice cream and whipped cream (9.0) and
the girls share a Banana Pie layered with ice cream (6).
Tam also has a couple of glasses of the house wine which she says
is very good. Total is $80, which is not bad considering the
amount of food and drink consumed. This also includes quite a
healthy tip for Cindy who is probably the friendliest server we
have had the whole trip.
Back at the room we watch A Bug's Life before bed.