jakorte's blog

(not published in weekly newsletter. running short on time to get this story line done, and created issue 51 by skipping over this. Choice was to create another newsletter or go forward with the one I created. It's the week of Christmas, I was sick all day yesterday, have more cards to make, presents to wrap, checkbook to balance. I chose to go went forward.)

Every moment, every turn, every obstacle makes us a little bit wiser.

The hotel and main centre for festival activities and shows, was easily close, just a few (and very walk-able) blocks down. Finding my room, however, was not an easy flight. I’d never considered an elevator to be a hotel perk until now. No elevator. Up the stairs, then up the stairs again, faced with a number of oddly angled hallways, I thought I walked them all.
Tired and perhaps beginning to feel the effects of time travel, I warily rewound my way back down to the front desk, and very humbly asked for better directions.

I made it the second time and inserted my huge key into an old fashioned door. The etched acrylic key fob with key and ring was the size of a coffee cup. It made me laugh as I realized I would not be able to stash that in my travel pouch purse and I also would not likely lose it in my large bag. The old-fashioned key and lock opened a kitty-corner door into a tiny angled single accommodation room. It reminds me of a Microtel I once stayed at in Novi for a PBR tour. It was clean and efficient, old but updated and still quaint. I was pleased to see a shower, no bath. The plan was to catch a ½ hour lie-down, shower, re-dress and head out for the evening’s itinerary. The light from the small levered bath window wasn’t enough. After flipping almost every switch I could find, I eventually deduced the loan bedside lamp was unplugged behind the stand. My expensive phone alarm (not over that yet) went off shortly, so I set out to shower. After a while it became evident that the shower water had no intention of heating, so I stepped briskly in and out of the briskly cold sprinkling. Perked me up a bit for sure, and prompted me to make myself a nice cup of bold, instant Irish coffee, which further perked me up quite nicely!