[alt.fan.cecil-adams] Re: Summer camp
danny burstein
Newsgroups: alt.fan.cecil-adams
Subject: Re: Summer camp
Lesmond wrote:
> It's still what "resorts" in the Poconos are like. We've been going with the
> whole family for a couple of years now. Three pools (including an indoor
> one), horseback riding, paddle boating, archery, softball, tennis, soccer,
> shuffleboard, Bocci, bingo, an arcade, arts and crafts, talent show, nature
> hikes, Flat Rock, all supervised for the kids. There's live entertainment
> every night. And they have activities for the adults, too. I mean, there
> are bars everywhere and a shuttle to the casinos. (1)
>
> We have a running joke that most parents say "see ya" to their kids on the
> first day and then they try to remember to pick them up before they go home.
>
> The housing? Depends on what you're willing to pay for. Where we go, they
> have everything from rustic cabins (but with air conditioning and cable) to
> hotel suites with room service.
I presented at a resort in the Poconos like that! My housing was a
hotel suite and the staff not only fed me, they fed Hunter as well
(my service dog).
The first evening I was there, I fed him some Natural Balance roll
that I'd picked up for the trip. It turned out to be the only food
in his life that gave him diarrhea and I treated it the way I
usually do for other dogs: fast from food for 24 hours, then
re-introduce food with frequent bland meals. That usually fixes the
problem, no need for a vet visit.
Well, that was my plan. I asked my host if I could get a ride to
town to hit the grocery store for baby rice cereal and strained baby
food meat or if there was someone who'd be willing to run the
errand. She asked the concierge and... Oh. My.
The chef was extremely concerned that his bestest friend Hunter
would be starved to death. He asked if there was anything, anything
from the kitchen that Hunter could eat. I, cruel mistress that I am,
thanked him and said some plain macaroni with just a little oil or
butter on it for flavour would be fine--if he could give me a large
serving, I could keep it in my fridge for the day and dole it out
cold in small meals.
I was informed that This Would Not Do.
Large amounts of fresh pasta with garlic-butter sauce showed up
every two hours the whole day, no matter where I was. Freshly
cooked, then deliberately cooled to lukewarm. Large amounts.
The day after that, the chef asked what Hunter could have and I told
him that he could eat anything that wasn't primarily onions,
chocolate or macadamia nuts. But only three times a day! I tried to
go for twice a day, compromised on three and accepted four meals a day.
Such meals. That dog was eating better than 99% of USAns do. Not
that I was suffering, the food was great but it was obvious that
Hunter was getting special treatment. Hunter, bless his heart, is on
the see food diet--he has never seen a food he didn't love (and he
never gains weight; in fact, on the road he has problems holding
weight). The food was all kosher, too. And yummy.
It's a good thing Hunter is a tidy eater because he was being served
off the same china that I ate off in the dining hall. He looked
downright elegant suctioning all this wonderful food up.
The chef loved Hunter and showed up three times a day for his
special one-on-one time with Hunter. Someone else mentioned that due
to the health code, the man had to completely change his clothes and
take a shower after each visit! Hunter has many, many fans (more
than I do, really) but that was the guy who made the most effort for
him, I think. They'd sit together whenever he showed up and Hunter
would leannnnnnn over against him and then slowly collapse into his
lap while the guy petted him and petted him and just looked blissed out.
I don't know why they made such a strong connection but it was
really cute.
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