Roach Motel and Others

Nightmare with the Elkins Motor Lodge and I do mean nightmare. As much as we have stayed in motels I have never seen anything so bad. As soon as I walked in the door and recovered enough from the smell to think; I kept thinking in my mind "Bates Motel Bates Motel"! We were booked into 2 different "cabins" with 2 rooms in front and 2 rooms in back. Debbie and I were in different cabins. To start my door would not unlock and we had to both try several times to get it done and when I did open it, well, the smell was bad. The room was dirty, the bathroom I would not have ever used and Debbie's was just as bad. We were ready to cry or run away. We went back down to the office to ask if they had any rooms in the newer part and they did not. They asked what was wrong with the rooms. I said we just didn't like them. Sort of a lie, but remember we may not have any other choice. We left and went driving to look at the 2 other motels. We stopped at the Econo Lodge and looked in the windows of empty rooms before going to the office. They did not have any vacancies for the next 3 nights, but told us that a Holiday Inn Express had opened in town about a month ago. We had not heard of it or seen it but over there we head. Just walking in the lobby was like being in a different world than the Elk Lodge. Lucky for us they had 2 rooms for Wednesday and Thursday night and would let us know if they had a cancellation for Friday night. We took them of course! Went up to the rooms and it was like heaven after having seen the others. Everything was new and shiny, big beds with 4 nice big pillows! Debbie called the Lodge and cancelled Wed and Thurs night but ask them to hold Friday. The Holiday Inn did get 1 cancellation for a suite. It had a bed and a pull out couch. Although we liked the privacy of having different rooms sharing one was not anything compared to having to go back to the "Bates Motel" so we cancelled with them on Friday night too. Kathy said she was telling someone and they said that a few years back that was "the" place to stay in Elkins.I know their restaurant has been listed as a good place to eat. John and Janet stayed there about 10 years or so ago and loved the restaurant they didn't mentioned the rooms but they probably stayed in the newer part that at that time was most likely still new. I said you should not book in a locally owned motel without having some idea of what it is like. With chain motels you pretty much know what you are getting.Thursday I had the morning shift. I slept really well Wednesday night but was tired from getting there setting up and then the motel fiasco that I fell asleep about 10:30. I work up a few times and went right back to sleep. I meant to get up at 7 since I had to be there at 9 but I didn't wake up until 8:00 then jumped out of bed got dressed went downstairs to eat something. Debbie came down to get coffee and after sticking our nose out the door I decided to not go until about 10. That at least gave me time to recover from jumping out of bed like that LOL. It warmed up and that day wasn't too bad. I left about 3 and Debbie stayed until 5. Then we went to the local Goodwill. The next morning she went in early but once again decided to wait for a little. She went down before 10, but that day stayed cold and rained most of the day. I started closing up around 4:30 that day. I just wanted a hot shower and a place to lie down. We had to share a room that last night but that was OK. Except after I got nice and warm and clean I got so sleepy I could not stay awake I was asleep before 8:30! I could not keep my eyes open. If we had to stay at the Elkins Motor Lodge it would have been a very depressing trip. We started packing up about 4 Saturday and got home sometime between 6:30 and 7:00. We only made one stop and that was at the Dairy Queen in Flatwoods. I had my usual Banana split blizzard.
I never realized so many people attended that festival. I knew it was popular but.... Even with the sometime bad weather people just kept coming through. We were set up in City park but there were set ups and activities all over town. There was a big craft show in the college's gym. I bought some Christmas ornaments. I just remembered I had bought Brockie, Cindy, and Bev a fall leaf pin. Now where did I put them???
I guess Debbie is going again this Thursday through Saturday to the Black Walnut Festival. Cindy Washington will be going with her. I was signed up to go Saturday, but told Kathy unless she wanted me to go 2 would be enough. Linda Gump had come up Friday and Saturday to help us but you don't need 3 people.
On Friday when I had the afternoon shift I watched GMA and Rod Stewart was on it. He just released a new CD. I want to get. It has song hits from the 70's and 80's on it. (not his hits, but other artists) He sang "It's a Heartache". Then yesterday he was on the View but I can't remember what he sang I was not paying a lot of attention.

I didn't do too bad on the trip I was depressed a few times mostly when I was out where I could see the beautiful fall foliage. So I used my "pretend it's not there" technique and try not to look around at anything pretty. At night I would feel bad when I went to my room. I hadn't stayed in a motel room without George since 1988, but I would draw the blinds, turn on the TV, get out my books and get in bed and try to numb myself with books and TV. It may not be healthy but it works, sometimes.