9-5-9 Saturday (Nothing a Pair of Pliers Won’t Fix)

You’ve made it back.  You know the next few entries/days will contain many MISadventures, don’t you?  It’s like a train wreck. ***warning, lots of details and photos***

We started the day with a shower that had less water flow than my urine stream. How luxurious.   Luckily, Carl & Tim had pliers so that Jim could remove the water saver from the shower head for future showers.  The water temperature was hot, warm, hot, warm, cold, hot, warm, etc.  It was all over the board.  It was like that every shower, every day.

Feeling so clean, we ate a free continental (fattening Danishes) breakfast which was served in a room next to the office.  The Flamingo’s website says their “restaurant” offers breakfast.  No it didn’t. 

Last night was a free concert from someone we didn’t know.  The place was full, and this morning, even at 9am, proof of that was all over in the form of cigarette butts, drink cups and beer bottles.  The place was pretty dirty.  Trash cans were overflowing with trash piled next to them.

Carl was up early enough to reserve a poolside table.  The staff SLOWLY worked on cleaning up.  That should have been taken care of far earlier than that.  I could get the in room safe to work.  Carl & Tim couldn’t either.  I’ll complain later.

 

We had to get pool towels from the office.  We realized that they were brand new Walmart towels that had never been washed.  Complete with the paper UPC code and an inspection sticker.  Ewwwww.

We found that the 120 room resort has 1 ice maker.  We filled a cooler when we arrived.  Our bad.  They put up a sign asking people not to fill coolers.  We bought a bag the next day. It’s constantly empty the entire weekend.  Psssst, owner dudes, get more icemakers.  We’re not happy.

We complained about the sheets being to small earlier.  After housekeeping left, I reinspected the sheets.  Yay, they fit.  Boo, they didn’t change the pillowcases.  I stopped by the office again.  I told them the safe didn’t work.  They’re not programmed yet.  No apologies.  The staff acted like they were tired about being told about the safes.  Bitch mode engaged now.  I blatantly told them that they changed the sheets but left the pillow cases.  That’s gross.  How could housekeeping think that was acceptable?  They never apologized.  They wrote it on a board and said they’d take care of it.

By the afternoon, we were hungry but didn’t want to eat at this place anymore.  Off to Long John Silver’s.  I know, but all 4 of us love the place so get off my ass.

We lounged by the pool some more.

Dinner!  We went to The Columbia Restaurant.  I’ve mentioned the Columbia in St. Augustine.  They have several locations.  Tonight, we dined at the St. Petersburg location which is at the end of a pier on Tampa Bay.  The restaurant was inside a mall type structure.  1st floor shops, 2nd & 3rd aquarium, 4th The Columbia, 5th floor another restaurant called Cha Cha Coconuts.  Also on the top floor is an observation deck with stunning views.  Check it out:

    

I’ll back up and tell you of our dining experience:  Awesome.  The views and the food.  Carl had Ternera "Isabella" = Tender milk fed veal dusted with flour, pan fried in olive oil and topped with fresh jumbo lump crabmeat and a delicious sherry béarnaise sauce. Served with “Good Rice” and vegetables.  The veal was a little undercooked.  The server spotted the problem and was apologetic and stated it was one of his favorite dishes and troubled him that it wasn’t right.  He got a manager.  The manager made different offers and apologies; Carl kept saying it was OK.  The manager took it off the bill.  On the way out, another manager stop us and said he was on his way over to the table and gave Carl a business card with any free entrée.  We managed to slip out before getting mobbed with more apologies.  But seriously, they were awesome.  They seemed genuinely upset that the food wasn’t right.  How often can you say that has happened to you?

 

Above: The cool building where the Columbia is.

 

Above: The view while we’re in the elevator.

 

Above: Jim & I had Empanadas for an appetizer.

 

Above: Carl hates beans but loved the Spanish Bean soup broth.

 

Above: Who can’t just love Tim?  We knew Tim would enjoy the soup.

 

Above: Tim order the filet mignon.  How unoriginal, huh?

 

Above: Carl’s veal dish

  

Back to the resort.  We watched some show by someone we didn’t know.  Maybe someone knows who it is and will comment.

 

 

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