When I tell people that I am a “professional storyteller” who travels across Texas to tell stories in schools, I often see a wistful look in their eyes. They seem to think that the job and the traveling is exotic. That’s all I can guess from their reactions. I wish I could tell them that this was the case.
Perhaps with someone more adventurous the travel for work could be made exciting. I’m just too settled in my ways. I’ll explore small towns, but I’m reluctant to brave the traffic of an unknown city in search of interesting hangouts. It’s just easier to hang out at the hotel. I’ve only been here since Sunday, and I’m homesick like crazy. Don’t feel sorry for me. It only encourages me to whine.
I have a perfectly nice hotel room at the Hampton
(once again I must gloat that I have a Jacuzzi tub),
But, I’m afraid that’s as thrilling as it gets. My view from my window is of a very busy highway here in Houston, Texas. A Starbucks Coffee Shop beckons to me from less than a block away. A “Quad, Venti Mocha” calls my name. Unfortunately, I can’t get there from here. I’d be killed crossing six lanes of traffic with no crosswalk. I can’t drive there, because there is no way to get back without driving in a ten mile circle. I wake up and smell the coffee, but then sit around jonesing for it.
In the mornings, I have to get dressed quickly and dash to middle schools across town. Their school days start at ungodly hours of the morning. I’m usually through by 2:30 or 3:00, which could be wonderful if I were willing to explore shops. Most of what is in the area is just the same stuff I have at home. To get to really good shopping, I’d have to venture into downtown Houston, and I’ve got “feathers on my legs.”
Instead, I come back to this hotel room and read, crochet, or hope to work on the internet. Working on the internet didn’t happen today. This wonderful room I have is at a corner of the hotel. While this means I’m not near a noisy ice machine, it also means I’m a long way from the “internet hub.” I’ve found that I have little or no connectivity to the internet! I tried to answer some comments. In 20 minutes I was able to answer two! I kept losing internet connection.
The manager worked for several hours this afternoon to get me a better connection, and I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll find that is so. I’m too exhausted to work with it much tonight. She offered to let me move to another room (yeah, like I want to move a carload of junk to another floor of the hotel and spend another three hours settling back in to the room!). I declined, so I guess I’ll have to blog in the lobby. They are going to love having me in the lobby in my pajamas!
Note to self: Next hotel stay, before unloading all that crap from the car, take the computer to the room and make sure there is a decent internet connection!!!
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{ 11 comments }
There are always down sides, but you are doing what you enjoy and apparently are extremely good at! But once in a while you should get out of your ‘box’ and be adventurous and explore! Of course the last time I did that I broke my arm – hmmm. Take care and peace – L
Oh, I’d like to get adventurous…but I probably won’t. It takes more energy than this old gal can muster. Thanks for dropping by~skt
Go ahead and whine. I’ll serve the cheese and crackers. Of course that means crumbs in the hotel bed and another really good reason for more whining. We can look forward to the novel and your well deserved fame.
Oh, Girl, I’m not participating in the one to write a novel!
I’m just trying to torture myself into posting on the blog every day. As soon as I decided to do that, life got so complicated that it’s almost impossible. But, bring the wine and cheese anyway!~skt
Oh, Shelly, you had my sympathy at Starbucks, but then to have to traipse downstairs in your pjs to use the internet, poor thing. You won’t see my eyes get wistful, thought, I know there is no glamor… fun maybe, at times, but no glamor. Get a gig down here and Leon will personally either bring or drive you to Starbucks, not that we have found very many down here, sigh… Sure is a change from WA, coffee on every street corner.
At least you have your jacuzzi and a decent looking room.
I’ve definitely used that jacuzzi. And, I KNOW that YOU understand the difficulties of blogging!! But YOU do it anyway…because you are of stronger mettle than I am. Hey…maybe you can start a Starbucks franchise in your free time!~skt
Well look on the bright side. At least if you lose your glasses at 4 am and need a coffee you could probably see well enough to call room service cause lady I don’t think Houston could handle a crazed coffee deprived women at 4 am.
Not too many places COULD handle m e when I’m coffee deprived. I have the refrigerator in my room stocked with those little cans of Starbucks mocha. They cost an arm and a leg, but are well worth it when I need a fix.:lol:~skt
I don’t know which would drive me bonkers first – the lack of coffee (and knowing it is THAT close) or the lousy internet connectivity! Mine is bad enough here at home but to have it really fluctuating, that would drive me to the hotel bar I think!
It would be the lousy internet connection. There IS a coffeepot in the room, so you can survive
Unfortunately, the hotel has NO bar! Sometimes you can’t win for losing~skt
I’m a jammies in the Lobby kinda gal! That’s just the sort of thing that I’d get a big giggle out of doing… perhaps with a clay mask and curlers or a do-rag? Muahahaha. I’m sure it would only take one visit to the lobby to get management to correct the problem! Get the manager to take a photo… I gotta see this!
Oh, Girlfriend, if I posted a picture of ME in my jammies, my computer would break. We are going to avoid that at all costs!~skt
Too bad you couldn’t use the internet while soaking in the Jacuzzi — with a cup of coffee on the side of the tub. One can always dream…….!! *sigh.
It’s great that you love your job tho — that makes everything sort of tolerable!
no coffee???? wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Perhaps for your next trip you can take along your own espresso maker . . .
This one is very similar to the one my “Secret Santa” (read – daughter) got me last year. Simple and oh, so good!
And, my fried . . . why not come to the Kenai Peninsula School District????? I would DEFINITELY make sure you got in some local color and shopping AND coffee.
Come on up – we don’t even have a lot of snow . . . YET.
p.s. thanks for the surprise in my box. You are so sweet!
Hey, I’d be happy to come to Alaska…but I might have to knit a sweater before I come. You are such a minx to come here and talk to me about coffee when you know I’m jonesing!~skt
ACK! “fried” should be “friend” of course. Sheesh! Off to see if we have had any snow yet today.
Snow! ACK! I’ve been wearing shorts! Here in Houston, the weather channel was predicting a “cold front.” It got all the way down to 65 degrees…sheesh. Such babies!~skt
What a complete tease to have a Starbucks so close, and yet…so far! How wrong!
It IS wrong, isn’t it? I don’t know what the highway department was thinking. Seriously, there is not a crosswalk, and people here drive like maniacs! Oh, well. I probably need to suffer….~skt
I don’t know….it might be worth the risk of life to run across the freeway for a Starbucks!! LOL
BTW: I FINALLY finished piecing together the afghan!!!
I’m not as fast as I was when I was younger, and I don’t have a death wish. I’m sure you have seen Houston drivers! You are so good with that afghan, girl! Can’t wait to see it. And, maybe meet you??~skt
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