SEDONA: Day 6

Every evening by 6:00pm we have to close the drapes shutting out the natural light due to a noticeable drop in temperature as the sun goes down. So, with the drapes closed, we've been sleeping in these mornings--it’s difficult to know how early or late in the morning it is.

We’ve become fans of Starbucks Via, essentially instant coffee, which is micro-ground. The perfect blend is 1-1/2 tubes to 16 oz of hot water. Really a good cup of coffee. Coffee and a muffin and/or half a banana has become our breakfast of choice.

CA thinks he likes Regis and Kelly! I’m not a fan of daytime television, but our lazy mornings have devolved into 10:00am with Regis and Kelly. The build up to the Vancouver Olympics has provided a bit more interest in the news and talk programs.

Today is our first sunny and clear morning, but our entire morning is taken up with the “not-a-timeshare presentation.” 90 minutes, which turns into 180… UGH! It’ll be a long time before CA talks me into one of these again. The only reason I've agreed this time is that we're both interested to learn the parameters of a different timeshare deal—our Kaua’i ownership is with Marriott-- and while we've learned to take full advantage of the Marriott-Interval alliance we wonder what else is out there and what're the fees. And Diamond Resorts owns the Club Mougins property we so enjoyed in late 2008.

I am exhausted by the time we finally break free—this is a very high pressure sales effort. Over and over again we plead the need to process and take some time to consider. The parade of increasingly senior sales personnel just keeps on a-coming. Eventually we're released through the back door and are given the “gifts” promised for enduring.

We drive to Oak Creek thinking we can have lunch at a recommended Italian restaurant, but they don’t do lunch and their gourmet food take-out/eat-in venue is cold salads, sandwiches, and soup. We’ve earned our $50 Visa gift card--one of two rewards for enduring the timeshare presentation--so we decide go back to the lovely Rene’s in Tlaquepaque.

We’re seated in the back room this visit, and CA can’t resist the browned butter sand dabs again. I opt for the Ahi tuna tacos, and we each choose a complementary wine. Again, we feel we not only deserve this treat but require the decompression.

Restored, we decide on a lazy afternoon and evening in our studio knowing we have some great leftover taco soup and Boar’s Head cheeses so there will be no need to get into the car once again. I can predict some mindless television viewing and a quiet evening with our books.