keeslarsfamilyfarm: Vacation 2012

Well we were finally able to plan a vacation and go...each one in the past several months has not worked out.

With all the issues in the past year and a half, in my life-it has been difficult to go anywhere (my brother dying from breast cancer, then my mom dying and then my arrest in the county I live in-for HELPING at a birth --nothing else-no wrong doing-no bad outcome---just a plain old witch hunt...)

SO when this one was approaching, I almost did not want to even talk about it..just afraid it would not come to be.

But this last Sabbath, we were up early about 4 am, and on the road after 5 am.

Driving as the sun came up, here was our view from the truck...at the first stop (a rest stop)

Then back on the road....We enjoyed our fellowship and drive, (for the most part-driving 9+ hours is not always a total fun time)

After going thru Cincinnati we enter Kentucky...

We finally arrived about 4pm, (they had called at 10:30 am to tell us our cabin was ready-if Id known it would be ready early, we might have left last evening and slept in the truck!!!)

But first, we had to drive thru the tourist traps....I am not a shopper, I do not like to wander around touristy things. The one above is just that...

Here is another part of that one below....

During this time...traffic jam...took us ab out 45 minutes to go about 5-7 miles, bumper to bumper....

Below are some shots of the cabin....

Problem: We had a key-less lock on the cabin...meaning a security system.

Remember, we live in the middle of corn, wheat, and cows....its rare our area has any crime

(we have, but rare)

SO this was a stress for both of us, I called ahead to get some 'tips' on how to use this security system so we do not mess it up, and the young man laughed at me and said "good luck".....

....that was NOT what I wanted to hear....

But we got in and unloaded all the food, luggage etc,,,,,then...time to reset the alarm...

It said (on the alarm instructions on the alarm box) to push the button that says "stay" when your staying...so I did...apparently that is not what your to do..

Soon, the alarm is screaming

!!!!INTRUDER!!!INTRUDER!!!LEAVE IMMEDIATELY THE AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN CONTACTED!!!!!

I call the resort office for help, finally get the alarm off, they talk me thru things (but not enough for help really-our cabin was in fact only about a block and a half away from the office, you'd think someone would come down to help?!)

Then the police call...

sigh.

After all of that, and about 2 calls to the office....we settle in for the evening.

This unit is suppose to have wireless internet connection....

I am unable to connect...We do everything, finally-we call the office......they suggest things to try...we do all of that again....nothing...she said to call back if it does not work, so I did...but nothing....

It is asking me for a security code and I tell them this, but they do not know what to do....they do not know of a security code....

AGAIN NO ONE can come down. BUT they told me they would put in a work order for the next day.

Ok, I can wait until tomorrow...were locked in now, and due to the security system, I feel safe.

SO we try the hot tub, and its ice cold.

I thought --not gonna call the office again since they were sending a worker out in the morning,

I will deal with it then.

In the lower level where a smaller living room is located and the bedroom is also located, there is a lamp on the stand by the couch that does not work. Its plugged in, but there is NO switch to turn it on...

I will ask the worker how it works tomorrow...

SUNDAY morning

No one shows up

SUNDAY noon

No one shows up

SUNDAY afternoon

I call the office again....

From the selections on the phone message system, I choose the repair / maintenance department. A woman answers: she sighs as I tell her what is up, she sounds mad, sighs a lot (I think, if your on call you do not get to complain and be frustrated like this, after all-the phone system allows us to call you lady)

She says she will send someone out. But for the hot tub: she tells me to flip the braker box switch....I tell her we already looked for the braker box, we can not find it...I ask where it is, she sighs again and does not answer-but changes the subject.

I wait all day----No one shows up I also called once and asked to leave a message with the manager (in the morning I did this) I asked the woman who answered the phone if the manager would be in today, she said yes, so that is why I chose to leave a message on his answer system....it did not help apparently.

MONDAY: no show of anyone, mid-morning I call the office again. The lady says she will connect me with the manager. His answer machine comes on again, I leave a message again.

No one shows up. No one calls.

Scott notices the fuse box on the outside of the cabin, around the corner. I wish someone would have told us that. He flips the switch, the hot tub then kicks on. But he says the fuse area looks burned. That is not safe.

We notice that another lamp does not work (this one in the main floor living room) it had worked the day before. SO I think the bulb is burned out, Scott checks it, and then follows the cord to the switch, thinking it might have come unplugged. NO, the love seat was on the cord and it shorted out. The bulb is still good, so it now works. NO cut in the cord, but it does make me wonder a bit about the cleaners etc...IF I owned this cabin, I would expect a check on things like that when they clean!!!!

I also would NOT EVER allow a customer to mess with a fuse box!!! But that is me.

We have been coming down here for about 23 years now, always have stayed with a different resort, had a few issues thru the years, but they have always sent someone out, and tried to make things right. I am really surprised by this company-they are not doing anything! I tell them this when I leave messages, it is disappointing to me actually.

The internet: Well we kept asking for a password, and never received this. BUT we finally found (just today on Tuesday morning) a cord to plug into the box on one end and the other to my computer so I can get on line---no password is needed then) WHY DID NO ONE TELL US THAT THIS WAS HERE LIKE THIS???? WHY DID WE HAVE TO SEARCH FOR THIS CORD??? WHY COULD THEY NOT JUST SEND DOWN A COMPUTER GEEK LIKE THE OTHER PLACE DID ONCE WHEN WE HAD TROUBLE????

The cabin is nice.

It really is, but here is the items we have had to deal with:

1. It was not as clean as I expect (had to go to town and buy bleach wipes to wipe things down because I did not trust stuff) dirt behind the doors, (like the bathroom doors, when you close them you see the dirt where they did not sweep) , front of cupboards and appliances are dirty..... dirt and old dried food particles under the couches..... So when I find stuff like that, I KNOW they are not cleaning well (If I would have thought I actually would have brought down some culture tubes and done a few of those-yes at my expense!) Now, I am NOT a perfect house keeper, but its MY dirt, this is someone else s. So I AM picky!

2. Dirt and dust found along the edge of the walls, some are worse than others. I could have lived with all of that if all of the other things were not so bad!

3. They have a automatic dishwasher-they only left 2 things to use, so that means only 2 times I can use it. No other soap. (the other place always provides plenty of this)

4. they expect you to wash all of the bath towels and washcloths-- to reuse them, but do not provide the laundry soap (the other place ALWAYS refreshes the towels every day) AND the water smells like sulfur BAD! So I will not wash our own laundry (thankfully we did bring enough!) I do not want my laundry to smell like that. (Most of the cabins at the other resort have water systems)

5. The dish soap they leave to use to wash dishes by hand, is so watered down, it makes no suds! With no suds, it allows the grease to remain on the dishes! Problem: We have only 2 forks and even fewer spoons, so we have to wash them right after each use.... (the other place has enough silverware to use, and actual dish soap is NOT watered down) We went to town and bought some dish soap....

6. The hot tub was cold, ice cold. (the other resort checks them and cleans them between uses and it has always been hot!)

7. The wireless internet system does not work. That means I am tied to a location which is NOT what they advertised! They ADVERTISED wireless internet... (The other place --I have never had a problem with this)

8. The dish drainer is filthy. (see photo below) So we went to town and bought some extra towels to put the clean dishes on when we wash and rinse them, so they can dry. I will NOT use the thing below. AND they have old gross sponges!!!

9. The extra pillows they have for us to use....there are NO pillow cases for them, but when you look at the pillow-its so gross, they have yellow stains..urine?

We always bring our own pillows, I did, but Scott forgot his, so we went to town and bought 2 and 2 pillow cases too. (it is hard to get a decent photo of what were seeing on the pillow)

OK, so that is what has been happening. But there are many things that are good too! Like I said, the cabin is nice, its just the staff that has a problem....

It does have a game system that is the OLDER games! We have enjoyed that!

We can play the game with one or two people!

Scott has the top score on some, but I am doing pretty good too! Some of these are the old games that they use to have in the laundry mats way back in the 80's. I would go to do the laundry (before we had our own washer and dryer) and while waiting for them to finish, play the games! Space invaders, stuff like that!