Where not to stay

June 10. 2014

We ate at a wonderfully friendly place last night called ABC Country.  We didn’t have access to our phones and the manager, Nicole, and our waitress were kind enough to look up a motel that took pets and then wrote out directions for us.  We were so surprised by their hospitality.  Unbeknownst to them they apparently found one of the last rooms available in this town due to the Oil convention.  Thank you Nicole at ABC Country. 

On the other hand the people at Econo Lodge at 75^th and McLeod Tr were engaging in a little price gouging and taking an advantage of the Oil Convention.  The room is normal $119.00 but we got a deal for $200.00.  Oh yeah… it was a smoking room.  I knocked myself out with an ambien and even George asked for one.  You know it has to be bad if George can’t sleep. 

We took a walk last night with our little dog Toto.  It has so much meaning now since we are traveling from Kansas.  One guy said, “get outta here,” when he found out his name.  While we were walking, George and I were talking about how it really wasn’t much different than being in the states.  Houses and cars were the same.  Then all of the sudden I thought I saw a Joey, like in Australia, or so I thought.  It was the largest Jack Rabbit sitting up on its haunches I had ever seen.  No doubt it could have whooped Toto.  I guess they are all over the town.  It looked like it was just making its rounds in the neighborhood. 

If anyone is wondering how it is going driving so far together for weeks I will answer that.  The first few days are an adjustment.  George always wants to pack my bags first.  I have a tote and a makeup bag that needs to go last.  I’m a girl.  I take a little longer.  I have learned he likes to wait till I’m just about ready to get in the shower and then decide he needs to use the bathroom or brush his teeth.  Little things that are funny because we both have our own bathroom at home.  So that stuff is really no big deal, but I have to say if you have a ford with GPS it is great to get out your frustrations.  This GPS on this 350 Larriet is the most frustrating piece of @$##.  You can’t say a destination city.  You have to say some point of interest or know an exact address.  Then she baits you and says, “you can say something like: Walmart or Starbucks.”  So we go along with her and say Walmart.  Then she says, “I’m sorry.  I can’t find that location.”  Why did she say that and how would we know what is in the town?  Then when we think we can’t take anymore, she will put a list of places to eat or get gas.  So again we bite and say one of the names she has listed.  And again she says, “I’m sorry, but I can’t find that location. 

It was literally easier to use our cheap hand held GPS.  Ford need to get it together.  We got lucky by saying KFC to get her to program Dawson Creek.  Who would have known there was a KFC there?

We stopped in Edmonton trying to find someplace to make a key.  George accidently caught the key to the PU bed cover and broke it.  We have a spare, but we just wanted a backup.  Home Depot couldn’t make one to work so he sent up to a “lock smith”.  He turned out to be a shoe repairman that made keys but he didn’t have the right one.  So we ate at KFC and headed north.  George was paying the guy at KFC and the guy told him he needed a “looney”.  I guess that is their word for dollar.  They don’t have pennies and they don’t have $1.00 bills.  Just $1 and $2 coins.

We have the GPS set for Dawson Creek and it is a pain so we don’t mess with her.  It would be nice if it were more user friendly.  Toto is very happy sleeping and sitting between us.  His little bed is in bad need of cleaning though.  Hopefully we will find a laundry mat in Dawson Creek.

Well, we didn’t make it to Dawson.  We stayed at a very nice motel for 141.00 plus 20.00 for Toto.  This included free wifi and free breakfast at a restaurant.  Not a motel waffle.  It was clean and had a laundry room.  Yeah and yeah again.  It’s sometimes the little things that make you happy.