Archive for May, 2008

calendars are good…. if you use them

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

I called the hotel from the road to tell them we’d be getting in a little after 10pm. The confirmation e-mail they sent told me to do just that; it says the office is not open past 10. So I cal land the woman who answers is confused because there’s no reason to call, the office is open all night, it’s a hotel. She was also confused because she said she didn’t have my reservation. I looked at the e-mail I’d printed out. 7/5/2008. Yes, that is today. She told me not to worry, she’d figure it out. After a couple of minutes of worrying.. I stopped.

By the time we got to the hotel, I’d forgotten about the phone call. I went to the lobby, gave my name and the woman said “oh, you called earlier.” Then I remembered. She said she’d found the problem. Someone in her office had put in our reservation for the 8th of May, not the 7th. At that moment, I realized what happened. When I’d called with my credit card number to hold the reservation, I changed the first night to tomorrow… because I’d realized Bill wasn’t off today… and to make the 6 and a half hour drive after he got home would be crazy. (Instead he left work at 2:30.) So I had just packed the car and made my family rush to get here 24 hours early.

The hotel clerk said not to worry she had a room for us. Same kind we’d reserved. We won’t have to move to another room tomorrow.

Bill keeps telling me it isn’t that stupid a mistake. I’m not so sure I agree. I’ll try.

Welcome to Spain!

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

I love Spain. (so far)

Not far over the border, we stopped for gas. I went inside to use the bathroom and found the mini market was like a mini paradise. Right there above the milk – a giant chunk of Philadelphia cream cheese. I bought it. I have no idea what I’ll put it on. Maybe just a spoon.

Then Bill came in and found the display of Cheetoes. We bought two bags of those.

We also bought some “self-heating” cocoa and tea. You push the bottom of the cup, shake it up, and the drink (and cup) get hot. You probably have those in the U.S. But we don’t in France.

We are so going to find a Carrefour in Spain before we leave.