Better
Today I feel more cheerful and purposeful. I bought some hiking boots (Timberland, as per my cousin's suggestion) so now I just hope they're comfy.
I also wangled myself a half price motel room. For the first time I thought I'd wing it to find somewhere to sleep but I probably chose the worst place to do it. I'm in a tiny non-town (there's one shop) and there are very few choices when it comes to accommodation. I tried 5 places:
1- Comfort Inn - corporate chain type place. Seemed ok (if a bit lifeless) until I tuned in to the conversation the receptionist was having with another guest: it transpired that a maid had stolen something from his room and then blogged about it. She's getting fired tomorrow- you heard it here first! $88
2 - Sequoia Inn. Crazy lady sitting in the dark with a crazy dog who wouldn't stop barking. As I leave she tells me if I change my mind I should come back, then tells me that the dog's name is Abby. Doesn't give me her name, just the dog's. $88
3 - Lake Something Resort. This one was a real gem. Three old beardy men and a dog in the depths of the woods looking dirty and weird.
Dirty beard 1: "A room? For you? Oh yes... Marty, has the room been cleaned this week?"
Dirty Beard 2: "No, but I'm pretty sure it was last week!"
DB1: "Follow me, I'll show you there"
Me: "Uh... Just wanted to know how much it was really"
DB1: "Mmm... About 100 bucks?"
Me: "Oh dear, out of my price range, byeeee" (as I do a cackhanded 3 point turn which, in my bid to get the hell outta there, sees my wheels spinning on their only little patch of grass)
4- Some random lady raking by the side of the road outside her house, when I asked if she knew a cheap place to stay:
Lady: "I think there are a couple more places up the hill or you could stay with us? We're quiet, my husband is 46 and he's had three strokes but he's able bodied and can move around and stuff"
Me: "Err... ok... How much would you want for the room?"
Lady: "Whatever you can pay"
Me: "$40?"
Lady: "Let me ask my husband, I'll be right back"(disappears into house)
Lady: "Ok, I spoke to him on the phone, turns out he's not home, he's gone out on the quad, and he said Cory, (that's my name, Cory) Cory I told you we'd start at $65 so really it's up to you but if you want a place with wifi and that's a motel then..."
Me (seeing my chance) "Do you not have wifi?"
Lady: "Weeeell... not at the house... but if you go over there" (points at a rock across the road) "you might get a signal"
Me: "Ok... Let me just try that last place in the hill"
6- Place on the hill (as I'm about to give up)
Me: " You have any rooms?"
Relatively normal man: "Sure, they start at $100"
Me: *sad face*
RNM: "How much you got?"
Me: "$50"
RNM: "Done. And here's a voucher for 10% off your dinner if you choose to eat at our restaurant"
Me (trying to think where else he thinks I might choose to eat- we're in the middle of the woods) : *happy face*
So that's the story of how I spent a whole day buying one pair of boots and making a reservation in a motel. Who needs the interweb, eh?
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