Oops

The pool has been super, super crowded the last couple of days. Golden Week visitors with lots of children and families. Our normal group of middle-age oldies ought to just take a leave of absence until Thursday... Not much swimming or pool walking getting done.

The pool that I go to is really very nice. It is a big wooden building with huge windows that look out on the forest It also has a very large bathing area and in another part of the building down a long corridor (separate fee) is a hot spa area with a lovely out door bathing area. There are overnight rooms, restaurants, and access to a huge park and play area. I can see why families are coming in droves! New part time staff are manning the reception area to handle all these Golden Week visitors.

Sunday night I had just finished up in the pool and bath and had changed clothes when a couple of young mothers and three or four children came into the locker room everyone having a jolly time.

"Hurry up you guys! Daddy's waiting for us so quickly take your bath."

No pool for this group, I thought. These must be one time overnight visitors who didn't bring along swim suits. They might have even been hoping for the outdoor spa but by the looks of the crowds of people trying to go down the corridor maybe the staff routed them to the pool bathing area.

All the kids and moms got down to their birthday suits and headed for the door. THE WRONG DOOR!

"STOP!"

I planted myself in front of the pool door with my arms spread out barring the way. One little child acted like a I was a mean foreign devil out to eat her.

"This is the pool door. Not the bath door. Go the other direction!"

"But the lady at the desk said to use the left door."

"The lady at the desk is wrong. Believe me, you do not want to make an appearance at that very crowded swimming pool wearing... nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"I am sure. And if you stand here long enough, someone is surely going to come barging through this door and you will give the whole pool a nice view."

I was hanging onto the door handle by then.

"Oh... Well, thank you for helping us."

They found their way to the bath and I let go of the door handle.

About that time the desk lady came in.

"Oh no. I made a mistake and told those last people to go in the left door. Did they go through this door?"

(Lady, if they had you would be hearing screams by now.)

The middle-age oldies in the swimming pool missed a good thing.