Smile-breaks
Peace and Relaxation at Hotel Thumpety Bump
More thump for the buck, that’s what we got. We’d kind’a splurged for a room with a lakefront view at this fine resort, which I won’t mention the name of because -
The hotel came highly recommended by a friend. Many times she’d told us of lazy afternoons by the fireplace and side trips to the Village Square and the peaceful view of the lake.
But she didn’t tell us about the thumpety bumps. Maybe she forgot. Maybe she didn’t notice the thumpety bumps. Maybe she likes thumpety bumps.
We arrived at Hotel Thumpety Bump about two in the afternoon. Our friend was right. It was so peaceful and calm, there on the lake surrounded by happy pines and uniformed valets.
The staff welcomed us warmly as they efficiently swiped our VISA card through the swiper machine. I inhaled deeply as I initialled the rate, and after I recovered, we walked down the green-carpeted hallway to our room at the farthest outpost from the lobby. We slid the card in the slot and opened the door.
What a beautiful view! Through the window, the lake rippled lazily among the pines and quaint million dollar mansions peeked at us from behind the trees on the opposite shore.
It had been a long drive, so I settled in a chair near the window with a book, to unwind.
“Thumpety thump thump bump!” What? Did I hear something? I set the book down and cocked my ear.
“Thumpety bump bump bump.” Yep. I heard it. Was it out in the hall? Didn’t sound like footsteps - sounded like someone was romping around.
I went back to my reading, with the thumpety bumps echoing in my ears. No sooner had I found my place on the page, when it started up again. This time it sounded like muffled running footsteps.
I got up and went out into the hall. Nobody there. Was someone running in the room above? Naw. The rooms were spacious, but not that spacious. Besides, there was a gym with plenty of treadmills downstairs if you really wanted to run. Gradually the thumpety bumping subsided and I went back to my book.
“Thump thumpety bump!”
I couldn’t believe we paid this much for a quiet room at the lake just to be bothered with all these thumpety bumps. I seriously considered calling the front desk and asking them to turn off the thumpety-bumps. But what could they do? After a while we went out for dinner, leaving the thumpety bumps to fend for themselves.
As we left our room and started down the hall, two small boys - about thumpety bump size I’d say – came out of the adjoining room, followed by their mom and dad. I started to ask – then changed my mind and nodded hello.
Later that night the “thumpety thumpety bump-bump-bump” resumed and this time there were no pauses between the muted thumps. Somehow I fell asleep to the constant thumping and bumping.
All was quiet the next day. I almost missed the thumps. And then that evening as we sat by the fireplace in the lobby…
“Thumpety thumpety bump bump! Thumpety bump!”
This time it was no mystery. Above us, on a large open mezzanine, several boys and girls were running back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. With every footfall the floor gave a not-so-muffled thump! What I couldn’t figure out, was how these sounds could travel all the way back to our room.
Yesterday we told our friend that our stay at the lake was most relaxing and pleasant and thanked her warmly for her recommendation. We told her the view was magnificent, the lake was peaceful, and the Village was most intriguing.
But we didn’t mention the thumpety-bumps. She’ll have to find that out for herself, next time she goes.