Motel Adventures

 This past weekend we went to the zoo in St Louis.  Since for us, it is about a 3 hour drive, we decided to get up to the zoo early, spend the whole day, then drive about 50 miles back toward home to a motel and get a good night's sleep before we drove the rest of the way home.

This was a great adventure because in the past 30+ years Gary has not been able to get away from home overnight because of having to milk cows.  So, with the cows gone, we thought we were going to see history in the making.

 I managed to get this quick picture of him as we were sitting in the motel room debating our next move.

 

 

Why should we have been debating our next move?

Great question.

We were exhausted from tramping all over the 90 some acres of the zoo and we wanted a bit of a rest before we went to the adjacent McDonald's for what would pass as supper.

When we checked in and made our way down the hallway to the room our noses were assailed by a not-welcome stench.  Gail kept saying; "Now I requested a non-smoking room."  And verily on the door was a bitsy sign that read; "Non-Smoking."  

 But when we went in the room it was quite apparent that the room had not been non-smoking for very long.  It was awful.

We opened the window to see if it would air out.  Then we sat around debating if we should attempt to sleep the night in the reek, or just hightail it for home.  

At some point, after I had dozed a bit on the bed; I went over to the heater and turned it on.

Then we went back to the debate.  The breeze blowing in was rather brisk, so someone checked on the heater only to find that it wasn't functioning.  The lady from the front desk was summoned and, after a 20 minute was that was supposed to have only been a 5 minute wait, she came in and pronounced; "Yes, you are right; it doesn't work.  I will have to call maintenance."

At this point we left the motel room wide open and toted all of our luggage down to our car and went to McD's and ate.  By the time we got back no one had yet been to the room, so we decided then and there to hoof it home, as it were.

Whilst Gary and Gail were at the front desk waiting to inquire about a refund (which was indeed given by the owner the next day) they overheard the conversation of the people who were checking in.

It was time for their mom's annual bath.  She couldn't fit in the tub at home, so they brought her to the motel where she'd be able to have her annual bath.

I didn't hear this first hand, but boy does it have the potential for a thousand story lines.  

People are fascinating.  The Howards not the least.