The Hotel

Back Story….several emails and phone calls went back and forth amongst the four of us trying to decide whether to stay in a hotel after the concert. Originally we were going to sleep a few hours then get up and head home, but Susan said that wouldn’t do her any good. Then David and Rick said they didn’t want us driving home in the middle of the night. So finally we decided to book the hotel. I found a cheap one just a couple exits north of the arena exit (or so I thought). After Whataburger we headed north, with Susan driving and me in the back seat. I must admit I dozed off a bit, and after 20 minutes north on the interstate we realized the exit was actually a couple exits south of the arena exit. After heading back south we find the exit, u-turn on the right of way, and pass the po-po on the side of the road with a customer. We pull into the hotel parking lot, and all along the back of the property was a long fence, with plenty of room for perpetrators to hide (potentially). We pull around to the front of the hotel where the office was, behind another car where Juan and Lolita were getting acquainted (we’re thinking this is probably some sort of contractual relationship).

So we head in, and Jill starts talking to Punjab behind the counter. The counter is the only separator between us and Punjab and a large portion of what is surely Punjab’s family, ensconced in their Buddhist shrine. Jill asks “Is this hotel safe?” and Punjab says ‘”Of course it is, this is The Woodlands, 0% crime rate.” Right on cue, we start hearing sirens, and instantly remember the po-po and their customer. Then Jill asks, “Is there any way we can get our money back?” and Punjab says “No.”

Of course, this is the shortened version of the conversation. The side giggles and funny glances between me and Susan were priceless! Then Susan points out this feeble attempt at Christmas spirit – it was an 18” plastic Christmas tree with about 3 or 4 ornaments on it, and it was strategically placed out of the way behind a chair in the lobby.
Since we are being charged we decide to get the keys and head to our rooms. The hotel is one row of rooms, two floors, but we are on the bottom. Jill decides she wants the room FARTHEST AWAY from the perpetrator fence, so she and I head in that one, and Susan and Sindey (Susan’s new best friend) head into the other one. It’s now about 2:30 a.m.and we're punch-drunk. We notice that Punjab has decided to patrol the property to see exactly what the crazy white women are doing and this makes us laugh even harder. Jill and I settle in our room and say goodnight to Susan and Sindey. We start to lock the door and notice that the ball socket for the extra lock for the door is missing.

Jill, who is already WAAAAY out of her comfort zone, says this just won’t do, so she gives Punjab a call trying to explain what is wrong with the door, asking him if there is another room available. The whole conversation is lost in translation, and Punjab shows up at our door in a few minutes carrying a cordless drill. Then he notices that the part is missing and not just loose. So he finally understands and let us in another room with a master key and promises to return in a few minutes. After he does, we get our pajamas on a start to wind down. Well, at least I started to wind down (I was up all night the night before, after all). Sometime around 3:15, Jill was still talking to me, and I had to say “Jill, I’m going to sleep now.” I think I was out less than 15 seconds later. Then, in what seemed like less than an hour, I wake up to Jill talking on the cell phone. I look at the clock and it’s 7:00 a.m.!!! I said who could you possibly be talking to this early? And she says SUSAN!!! Yes, the same Susan who said emphatically that it wouldn’t do her any good at all to sleep for only a few hours and get up!!

(This picture was supposed to be just the Webkins in our mural painted hotel room, but I couldn’t resist!)