Six weeks ago I had to go to St. Louis for a work meeting. I usually enjoy the trip after getting over the guilt of leaving Art and Alex and the butterflies in my stomach over flying. I get to stay in a nice hotel, learn new things, see old friends and eat good food. This trip was more of a mixed bag.
I decided the weekend before I left that I should spend extra time with Alex to make it up to him. (It was only a 3 day trip.) Alex gave a wonderful performance the afternoon before I left. He teared up and everything, sniffling when I offered to bring him a surprise, "All I want is you!" Art said it was all an act. I told him that I'd take him to school in the morning like normal and that Art would pick him up. "You won't even know I'm gone until the afternoon!" "I'll know!" he wailed. Sigh. Nothing like a load of guilt to lighten your carry-on case.
The trip out was uneventful other than a minor delay in Atlanta, which is always to be expected. It worked out in my favor, anyway. Instead of coming in an hour or so before anyone else I got there at about the same time as one of the women from Greenville, so we shared a ride into town from the airport. I'd been trying to decide if I wanted to brave the Metro or shell out for a cab. The car service was a much better choice.
Our hotel was beautiful, downtown, just a block from the Arch. (The picture of half the Arch was from my window on the 8th floor.) It was also across the street from the Dred Scott Courthouse and on the Lewis & Clark Greenway. After checking out my room, the lobby and the Starbucks inside, we headed over to the Arch. I'd been before but I picked up a few souvenirs for the guys and we contemplated the little tram that takes people up to the top of the Arch. I am not riding that high up in a tiny tin can to see a view of the city. I was quite pleased with my view from the hotel. My co-workers decided to take the tour the next morning, while I slept in.
The second night was when things went south. After a full day of cramming our heads full of information, they took us for a nice dinner at a restaurant near the hotel. Our group stopped in front of the Arch for a picture on the way. We made it back to the hotel a little after 8. I was still living on Eastern time zone hours, so I got into my PJs, got my book and proceeded to watch what I wanted to watch on TV. (Doesn't happen that often at home.)
At several places in the hallway there were signs saying that 9 pm to 8 am were "quiet time" and that guests should respect others and be quiet. Sometime around 9 I started hearing a commotion at the end of the hall. I really didn't pay that much attention. Then, a few minutes later, someone started knocking on the doors in the hall and calling out "Housekeeping!" I could not figure out what was happening, so I went to check it out. Turns out a sprinkler head had let loose and there was a wave of water about 4-6 inches high rolling down the hall towards me. I went back in my room and shut the door. Housekeeping shoved a towel in front of the door to keep the water out. I ignored them. By 9:30 I was curious enough to look out the peephole again. The people across the hall were moving out. I opened the door and asked if we had to move. The lady said no, but they would be cleaning up for hours. I went back in the room.
I looked around. All my stuff was laid out for the next day. I'd already ironed and just thought it would be an awful lot of trouble to get dressed, get packed and move. I called the front desk. I told them where I was and asked if I had to move. The girl at the front desk said if I didn't have water in the room I didn't have to, but they would move me if I wanted to. I asked how late and how loud the clean-up was going to be. She told me it might take a few hours but that it shouldn't be any louder than it was now. LIAR!!!
Here is the point at which I could have escaped and gotten an actual good night's sleep. I compare this to the moment in August 1996 when I was listening to the news while driving down the LBJ in Dallas. How long could it possibly take to remove a fallen electrical line from the highway? Stupid, stupid, stupid. If I'd just gotten off then I wouldn't have sat in 100+ degree heat until the car overheated, forcing me to drive up the shoulder (following many other idiots) and off the highway on the grass until I could get to a full-service gas station.
Anyway, I missed this opportunity as well. The clean-up and roar of wet/day vacs went out until 2:30 am. I probably could have stood the machines but the walkie-talkies, guys yelling down the hall PLUS the vacuums did me in. And, yes, I could have moved, but I just kept thinking, they'll be done any time now, or I'll be able to sleep through it any minute. Sigh. So, the next morning the buses picked us up in the lobby at 6:45 am. Yes, 6:45 am, so we could be there for our 7:15 am breakfast meeting. I was the walking dead. The only reason I made it through the noon end of our meeting was the awesome snack tables. I have no idea how much caffeine and sugar I ingested in those 5 hours. I stopped counting the cans of coke. They put out bowls of Skittles, M&Ms and Reese's Pieces and I just popped them continuously. I told the person next to me to pinch me if I nodded off during the presentations. When we finally finished I slept in the van on the way to the airport, at the airport and on the plane. Every leg of the trip out and back was crowded until the last plane from Atlanta to Greenville. For that it was a big plane and it was less than half full. I had two seats to my self and covered up with my sweater and passed out.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Art got to drop off Alex at school for the first time. Fifth graders make up a safety patrol that opens the car door for riders and helps them out if necessary. They take their job extremely seriously. I think it has something to do with the neon yellow vests they get to wear. (They have matching umbrellas, too.) It took us a while but Alex and I have the routine down. The 15 or so cars pull up in front of the school, stop, unload children, get a business-like "Have a nice day!" from the safety patrol, then move on for the next batch of cars. Art did not know this procedure. When he stopped, Alex couldn't get out of his seatbelt, so Art is turned around in his seat, trying to help. He said he heard this thunking noise against the side of the Jeep. It's the safety patrol trying to open the door, which is still locked. Art unlocks the door which is then wrenched open, and goes back to trying to free Alex. The 5th grader is glaring at them by now. Alex gets free, gets his backpack and announces to the 5th grader, "This is my dad. He's never done this before and he doesn't know how to do anything." Nothing like an ego boost first thing in the morning.
So, I didn't get the rest that I'd hoped for. I did get a cool Arch snow globe for Alex. Art probably had way more going on than he wanted. I did get a sort of reward for my hotel misery. Our great regional team sent me a massive golf umbrella (sprinkler leak - umbrella, cute, no?) and a gift certificate for a nice restaurant. I think I'll make the guys take me out for my birthday in a couple of weeks.
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