Life In The Right-Hand Lane Begins

Tuesday morning, December 28, 2021. We woke up in our Airbnb, got around, dressed and headed down DeSoto Blvd to the Hot Springs Village Property Owners’ Association offices, arriving around 8:15 am. The end-of-year rush was underway. The waiting room was at full capacity by the time we arrive to put our name on the list and get our place “in line.” Armed with our property deed paperwork this was a momentous day for us, the day we’d become official members of the HSV POA. Part of me felt like I should have a camera crew present to record this whole ordeal. But I realize all these other fine folks are here mostly renewing annual memberships and taking care of business not so new to them anymore. Each of them had a day like this, too. But today was our day.

Very quickly a young lady asks us what we’re here for and upon learning that we’re looking to transfer a deed in our name, becoming members of the POA for the first time, she quickly provides us a clipboard with forms that will be required. “This will help things go faster for you,” she explains, as she escorts us to another room with a sofa and a few more chairs. The main waiting room was full and people were still filing in on this rainy Tuesday morning.

We complete the paperwork while she takes the copy of our deed paperwork to photocopy for their records. Within mere minutes we’re welcomed into a room where we finalize everything except for our ID cards. We pay the transfer fee, are given a review of the new membership paperwork – not terribly complicated for us since we’re owners of a yet-to-be-developed lot.

Our last stop is to go back out front to have our photo ID cards created. Wearing my HSV Inside Out beanie, I look like I’ve escaped some minimum-security prison. Rhonda’s ID turns out much nicer, but I think the subject matter made the difference. Not the camera.

I give out a few HSV Inside Out business cards to the fine ladies who helped us. Thank them and we exit the building into the rain. It took a bit more than an hour and here I am rehearsing it with you days later wishing I’d taken a photograph of us or something.

I’d like to give a shout-out to the two ladies who spear-headed the details of our morning…Christina Partore, Properties Coordinator, and Ginger George, Member Services. They were terrific and made the process pleasant and smooth.

Off to a business meeting where Rhonda dropped me off before venturing out on her own. But first, the rain stopped long enough for us to dry off the windshield and apply our window sticker enabling us to enter the main gates via the right-hand lane.* A first! Thrilling! Proof positive we’re now insiders.

* NOTE: Visitors and those without an HSV POA window sticker are required to check in with the gatekeepers by going through the left-hand lane while people with an HSV POA window sticker can go through the right-hand lane where they’re quickly waved on through.

Rhonda made that first entry – going through the right-hand lane – without me. About 5 hours later Dennis and I completed our meetings. He dropped me off at our Airbnb where Rhonda and I barely took time to consider the events of the morning. “Has it sunk in yet?” I asked. “Not really.” Such an eventful day. And here I am days later, back in DFW, and it’s still not quite sunk in that we’re insiders.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:46 — 7.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | RSS | More

Thanks to KVRE, our media partner!

• Join Our Free Email Newsletter
• Subscribe To The Podcast Anyway You Want
• Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel (click that bell icon, too)
• Join Our Facebook Group
• Tell Your Friends About Our Show!