The Ribbon of Road Ahead

We arrived in Colorado Springs about 6 pm, missing the evening traffic. We pulled up to the motel where I had secured  a room for the next two nights.  I sat in the van while Charlie registered.  It seemed like it was taking a long time when  he came out with a mountain of sheets and pillows. I found this to be the “swearable” kind of interesting. 

What’s up?  I asked.

Our room isn’t ready yet.  He answered.

I walked with him to the room and sat down.

This carpet is filthy. I said.

He set the sheets and towels down and went to get a vacuum cleaner.  The vacuum cleaner didn’t work.  I checked the bathroom… the sink had toothpaste spit in it. 

I said: Charlie No, we are not going to stay in this room. 

You are being much too kind.  Mickey Odin would not put up with this.

Charlie gave me a funny look as if he didn’t understand. You have to travel with Mickey to fully understand.

Let’s sleeep in the van and bill them! I said.

I totally meant it.

He left with the broken vacuum cleaner.

 A little while later Charlie came back with another person.  She was telling him about her child who had a brain tumor. I am not sure why they were on that topic. She looked at me and said:

I am not going to make you stay in here tonight.  You  are getting an upgrade.

I replied, I’d be happy with a clean room, a free night and some dinner.

She helped grab some of our belongings and walked us to a two room suite.  By this time the  nearby restaurant had closed down.  Charlie cleaned out our refrigerator in the camper and found items to make spaghetti.  But he couldn’t get the stove to work. Interesting! The desk clerk came in and worked on it and then she called the maintenance guy.  Mind you this is getting on 9pm. I had my legs up on the couch, my  back to  the employees as they   came in and out.  Finally, the stove and the refrigerator were running. 

The desk person  stood and looked at  me for a minute and must have decided I was having a tough time moving. She brought me a can of ale.  While I had my back on the couch and my feet on the wall she  opened the can and put it to my lips like she was teaching me to drink it.

This made it spill down the front of me.  Could this get any weirder? I took the can away from her and managed to get a sip in my mouth.  It tasted very “interesting” as I tried to drink it . With my legs elevated was not going to work anyway. I was grossed out by her putting it to my lips.  I put the can on the far side of the coffee table.

We survived the night! The next day we took a ride around the Garden of the Rocks  (or was it Garden of the gods or some such name). We arrived back at our “cottage” in time for our nephew to come pick us up for dinner.

 I was preparing to change my clothes and a person  from housekeeping came right in the door.  I didn’t hear a knock.   She had a small throw rug in her hand.  She put it down  to cover some bad spots in the floor!  Luckily the bad spots were under the window at a place I would not be walking.  However, on the way out the employee stumbled on some broken pieces of floor tile on the threshold between the living area and the bedroom. 

 “Although this is broken, it would not be a good place to put a throw rug “I suggested. 

Dooley the van was parked right outside the main door to our room.  (did I already mention the living room had an outside door and the bedroom had an outside door.}  There was just enough room to squeeze between Dooley and the outside walls.  If I was a walking to my room I would certainly avoid that path and and walk into the parking lot to avoid getting stuck.

We had returned from our dinner and just gotten into bed. Lights were out and Charlie and I were chatting quietly. 

We heard some women talking. They were very close to us.  In fact they were in our ROOM!

This is not our room.  Says woman A.

You bet its not your room .  Says Carol C.

How did we get in here .  Says Woman B. (they had to work at it because of the van)

I don’t know but you better get out  Says Carol C.

They left .  Charlie locked the dead bolt on the door and we slept through the night.   Getting up for breakfast in the morning, Charlie opened the door. There was our key.  It was right there in the lock where he had left it last night. 

Lets get out of here.  Says Carol C to her husband, driver and care Partner.  AND WE DID!