Chapter 7, Part 1 - The Pool

The pool is the social hub of Harbor View. It is there that plans are made, dates are set, restaurants are critiqued, and Harbor View residents are talked about, discussed, and talked about some more.

The people of Harbor View generally participate in their clubs or go shopping in the morning. By mid-afternoon when the sun is too warm to do anything physical, except maybe shuffleboard, most people meet up at the pool to relax and socialize. I actually think the pool scene would function quite well without the pool itself. Only about 10 percent of the people ever seem to go in the water. Most of the remaining people sit on the many chairs and chaise lounges and gossip.

Mom and Dad go to the pool every afternoon at about 2:00 and sit there until dinnertime. They usually meet up with Flo and Irv and various other members of the ‘Young in Spirit’ club. A typical conversation among Mom’s friends goes like this:

Flo: Did you hear that Stan and Susan are taking a cruise in February?

Mom: Of course, that’s old news. I heard it last week. Stan bought it for her as a sixtieth birthday present.

Flo: Susan said she wasn’t thrilled with the selection of islands that he picked, but it’s too late to change it.

Mom: She shouldn’t complain. At least she’s getting taken to the Caribbean on a cruise. I got taken to a seafood dinner on Bay Avenue for my sixtieth.

Flo: Speaking of seafood dinner, we went to Barney’s last night to eat and we ran into Herb and Phyllis. They want to have us over to play dominoes next week. She said she’d call us. Anyway, I ordered the salmon and Irv ordered the flounder at Barney’s, and I don’t think the portions were as big as last year.

Mom: I heard they’re not. Sylvia told me that Barney’s has started skimping on their meal sizes. It’s too bad because I really like the food there. Is Phyllis having us over for dinner or just coffee and cake?

Flo: Probably just coffee and cake. You know she doesn’t like to cook.