On My Own

For a night anyways. Yesterday, Ian and I drove up to Jacksonville, for our friend Ben's wedding. Ian is a groomsmen, and we booked a hotel before realizing that all of the groomsmen were spending the night with Ben.

So, rather unexpectedly, I spent the night, by myself! So strange! We had picked the hotel, because I knew it was in a safe area and was very new.

Here is a little narration of my night, on my own!

8:28 Check in at the front desk. Lady is very, very nice. I make sure to smile and not look nervous. This is, after all, my first night alone in a hotel.

8:30 Park the car. Grab small overnight bag, hanging dress, and purse, and confidently walk in to hotel and take the elevator to my room.

8:32 Walk into room, asa gush of cigarette smoke rushes over me. Have I mentioned that I am allergic to cigarette smoke? Turn around and walk right back out and down to the lobby to ask (politely,) for a new room.

8:33 As I am waiting for nice front desk lady to reassign me to a room, I have a dawning revelation that I have turned into my parents. (this was usual practice, growing up, because my mom is also allergic to cigarette smoke.)

Holy Guacamole!

8:35 Nice lady finishes room reassigning. I apologize again and again and she smiles and tells me that is "no problem," and that she has "upgraded me for the inconvenience."

8:36 I'm not really sure what "upgrade," at a Hampton Inn means, and I figure that just means I have 10 more sq feet or something. Walk into new room and....

Holy Guacamole!

I have a kitchenette!
And a couch!
And a real desk!
And a super nice bathroom!
AND two King size beds....all to myself!

I like this upgrade stuff.

8:40 Finish exploring upgraded room. Unpack suitcase which is only just my cosmetics and a laptop.

8:45 Sign into free internet and catch up on blogs. I am a speed reader when I forget to comment (sorry!)

8:55 Change out of rehearsal dinner clothes

8:56 Explore kitchenette. Try to decide if that bag of microwave popcorn is pro bono or per diam. Hmmmm.

8:57 Go get ice from the ice machine. There is something very exciting about ice from the ice machine. I have many a wonderful memories of Heather and I skipping off gleefully to get our ice.

8:59 Double check to make sure I am locked in. Pull out Ian's groomsmen gift he had just received (erm, a Smith and Wesson knife) and leave it on the end table...just in case.

9:00 Find a melted cookies n creme chocolate bar in my purse. Score!

9:01 Set up lap desk and laptop so I can write this post.

9:02 Stare at TV Guide channel for 4 minutes, it's a special on Michael Jackson.

9:06 Flip the channel to Wife Swap, I like this show!

10:00 Proclaim "yay!" when I realize another episode of Wife Swap is on

10:00:30 Proclaim "boo!" when I realize it is an episode that I have seen.

10:02 Get sucked into HGTV show about picking a house.

11:00 Get up to brush teeth and wash face.

11:00:15 Realize I left almost all of my cosmetics either A.) on our bathroom counter in Orlando, of B.) in Ian's bag that he took with him to Ben's. (drat.)

11:02 Do some internet research, discover a 24 hour W@l-Mart is one mile away

11:15 Get re outfitted and call hubby to let him know I am heading out.

11:25 Arrive at the big W. Am a little nervous. There are some strange people at this store at 11:25

11:31 Am convinced I am being followed by man in a pony tail....duck and weave in aisles.

11:32 Phew, I lost him! Maybe he wasn't following me.

11:45 Acquired mousse (an essential,) shampoo, a comb, and toothpaste. And, People magazine. What? So sue me.

11:50 Check out and head back to the hotel.

11:55 Unload and snuggle into bed to watch more HGTV and to read half of my magazine. (only half, because I want to have something to read tomorrow, pre wedding.)

12:33 Decide to finally turn in for the night. I love hotel beds- they are so soft! I am looking for the continental breakfast in the morning.

Bring on the Waffles!