Hot Springs, AR …and Is That a Yellow Vest You Have On?

Whaddup Chroniclers? How's the Joe this morning?

We're in Hot Springs, AR and today was a travel day. You know how travel days go, Wake up, grab a cup, drive, drive, drive, search for a rest area, then drive some more. This time, it was a slightly different. Cmdr & Mrs. McCroc had to go a different direction than the rest of the crew. They went to Red Bay. Tiffin mecca. The trip for the rest of us today was just like normal, until we arrived at Hot Springs Village.

Unbeknownst to us, Yoko Uno's Aunt & uncle live in a gated community. Hot Springs Village. As it turns out, HSV (as it is known to the residents) is the largest gated community in the US. What? Yep. The biggest. The lakefront property is to die for. And l mean gorgeous in bold, capital letters, underlined. I'm trying to get the HB to buy me one. She hasn't gone for it yet, but I think she's softening.

So, let me ask you this: let's make it hypothetical, okay? Let's say that you're Paul Blart and you and your twin Blart work at a gatehouse wearing cargo shorts and yellow safety vests with your authority emblazoned between your shoulder blades in 4" tall letters. You're at one of the gates of the largest gated community in the United States and four motorhomes pull up.

What. Do. You. Do?

In the case of the two mall cops we met today, they freaked out and went into vapor lock.

"Look. Paul. We have reservations." I thought, almost out loud. Officer Blart One looked up at me, then down the line at the other three RVs and appeared to be at a loss for words. "Uh …did someone call you up?" He looked down the line again. "Are you all with each other…I mean together?"

I don't even know what Yoko's aunt's name is. Quietly, in my brain, I was hoping that she had called to announce us coming. "I'm not sure."

Yoko came sprinting up from the last RV in line and tried explaining to Paul who we were there to visit. The dual Pauls were too concerned that we would pass the gate without proper clearance to let us pull up and to the right, just to starighten out the confusion and allow the dozen or so vehicles stuck behind us in gridlockto enter and go about their business.

Finally, we were able to explain, in monosylabic words, so that they could understand, why we were there and who we were there to see. And they gave us passes.

We made it to our spot and met Yoko's aunt & uncle. Spoiler alert. She's a helluva cook.

This morning, the HB and I are headed off to get some repairs done on the land yacht. Cross our fingers.

Drink 'em if you got 'em!

One band, one sound.

#coffeehousechronicles