8:43 PM |
Homeward to Heartbreak Hotel. You could call it that. Heartbreak.
This is Annie.
She is perfectly nice, but rather peremptory and disengaged from the whole thing. I asked here where to go next. She said New Orleans, just like the last 10 people I asked. It just seems so trite. I said, you know about 4 or 5 hours away. The other desk lady looked up and said 5? It takes me 6 and a half. You must speed. No, I leave at 3 in the morning and then stop for breakfast on the road. That's the way my ex-husband travels. It works pretty well. I didn't understand how close we are to The Big Easy. I don't want my trip to end. Mississippi seems so inconsequential geographically. I am about to hit the Natchez Trace and the delta. Man, I'm not prepared. I need to do some quick research because I don't want to miss a thing.
Anyhow, Annie said there is breakfast in the Jungle Room until 10. 10 is good, Heartbreak Hotel, not so good. The place is filthy, and this is how you know you're at Graceland:
I was hoping for some wonderful genuine kitsch, something related to Elvis besides the fact that his edifice is next door. Bummer. The room also has really bad fung shui. The bed is about a foot from the door, and the little sofa and space are in the part of the room that usually has the bed. The air conditioner is so loud that you think you've parked you naked self behind the Hound Dog 1 (Lisa Marie) and the Hound Dog 2 (the roadies plane). Everything is blue. The maintenance man, Danny, a skinny hippy with stringy hair, came. I asked him if all the air conditioners sound like this. Yes they do. We're renovating but it takes a while and when the people come in August it stops. The window shades are new, though, he said.
I was itchy. Looked behind the mattresses for bed bugs. I had already spread all my stuff out. Water pik in the bathroom. All electronic devices plugged in. In my jammies. And I just couldn't. I packed up and left, just like I had in Cattlesburg, Kentucky just over the West Virginia line. I didn't say anything. I hope Annie's not mad at me in the morning. I did lose my $120 deposit, but that's okay. I just realized that Annie won't be on in the morning. Whew.
Not sure where I'm going next. It's late and all the I's go in different directions. I checked the location guide on the Holiday Inn website. I have never done that. There is a Holiday Inn near the airport. I decided to go there. Of course I didn't go there. I never end up where I think I'm going. I'm pretty sure I missed the airport. That's ok because I don't really like airport hotels anyhow. I kept on driving into the dark. Well, we've done this before. Just keep driving until something looks good. I am exhausted but not really sleepy. I need a mental break. No lodging signs on I-whatever. Pull off on some decent size road exit anyway. Looking for Hampton Inn promised on billboard five miles ago. Rolled dice on which way to go. Turned left. Two blocks later, Holiday Inn Express. Thank god. The front desk girl suggested I park Woody under the canopy. And it's not even snowing. There's something to be said for southern hospitality. The entire shower walls are done in granite. The sink is the right height so you don't spit toothpaste in the wrong direction. And, there's a business center, a gym, a pool, and, yes, Smart Coffee.
My imaginary boyfriend and I have chosen the pillows embroidered Soft.
She is perfectly nice, but rather peremptory and disengaged from the whole thing. I asked here where to go next. She said New Orleans, just like the last 10 people I asked. It just seems so trite. I said, you know about 4 or 5 hours away. The other desk lady looked up and said 5? It takes me 6 and a half. You must speed. No, I leave at 3 in the morning and then stop for breakfast on the road. That's the way my ex-husband travels. It works pretty well. I didn't understand how close we are to The Big Easy. I don't want my trip to end. Mississippi seems so inconsequential geographically. I am about to hit the Natchez Trace and the delta. Man, I'm not prepared. I need to do some quick research because I don't want to miss a thing.
Anyhow, Annie said there is breakfast in the Jungle Room until 10. 10 is good, Heartbreak Hotel, not so good. The place is filthy, and this is how you know you're at Graceland:I was hoping for some wonderful genuine kitsch, something related to Elvis besides the fact that his edifice is next door. Bummer. The room also has really bad fung shui. The bed is about a foot from the door, and the little sofa and space are in the part of the room that usually has the bed. The air conditioner is so loud that you think you've parked you naked self behind the Hound Dog 1 (Lisa Marie) and the Hound Dog 2 (the roadies plane). Everything is blue. The maintenance man, Danny, a skinny hippy with stringy hair, came. I asked him if all the air conditioners sound like this. Yes they do. We're renovating but it takes a while and when the people come in August it stops. The window shades are new, though, he said.
I was itchy. Looked behind the mattresses for bed bugs. I had already spread all my stuff out. Water pik in the bathroom. All electronic devices plugged in. In my jammies. And I just couldn't. I packed up and left, just like I had in Cattlesburg, Kentucky just over the West Virginia line. I didn't say anything. I hope Annie's not mad at me in the morning. I did lose my $120 deposit, but that's okay. I just realized that Annie won't be on in the morning. Whew.
Not sure where I'm going next. It's late and all the I's go in different directions. I checked the location guide on the Holiday Inn website. I have never done that. There is a Holiday Inn near the airport. I decided to go there. Of course I didn't go there. I never end up where I think I'm going. I'm pretty sure I missed the airport. That's ok because I don't really like airport hotels anyhow. I kept on driving into the dark. Well, we've done this before. Just keep driving until something looks good. I am exhausted but not really sleepy. I need a mental break. No lodging signs on I-whatever. Pull off on some decent size road exit anyway. Looking for Hampton Inn promised on billboard five miles ago. Rolled dice on which way to go. Turned left. Two blocks later, Holiday Inn Express. Thank god. The front desk girl suggested I park Woody under the canopy. And it's not even snowing. There's something to be said for southern hospitality. The entire shower walls are done in granite. The sink is the right height so you don't spit toothpaste in the wrong direction. And, there's a business center, a gym, a pool, and, yes, Smart Coffee.
My imaginary boyfriend and I have chosen the pillows embroidered Soft.