Holiday Inn

I've been busy with several unpleasant activities since my return. I may not be able to address all of them in one post.

First unpleasant item: Holiday Inn.

I've been staying, for about a year now, at the same Holiday Inn near M.D. Anderson when I go for treatment. Prior to that, I stayed at hotels, like the Crowne Plaza, owned by the Holiday Inn chain. Everything has always been acceptable.

First Problem. During an overnight visit in April for my plastic surgery follow-up, there was no hot water. I only stayed one day and I know that sometimes things happen. I was very gracious about it.

Second Problem. During my last stay, no hot water. Again. We called the front desk, they sent a maintenance person to our room just to make sure that we weren't moronic enough to not be able to accurately determine whether we had hot water. Sure enough, maintenance guy sees we're not idiots and says we'll have hot water in the morning. Yes, we believed.

The next morning, when I had a lab appointment at 8:45, we arose at 6:00 a.m. to find we had no hot water. We decided to go downstairs, get something to eat and speak to the front desk people. I was a little testy.

I told the front desk person that this was the second time I'd stayed without benefit of hot water and I didn't think we should pay this time. She said not a word and walked into the office (I suppose) to the side of the desk. A manager appeared. I explained once again and suggested that a fair way to resolve the situation would be for them to comp the room. He told us to wait a minute and he'd be right back. I pointed out that I had a medical appointment I couldn't miss.

He disappeared behind another door, was gone for about five minutes and returned to tell us that we did, indeed, have hot water. We just were too stupid to use it. Of course he wasn't quite that blunt. He said we "must have done something wrong." He'd be willing, though (since we'd done something wrong) to cut the bill in half. I was amenable simply because I couldn't waste any more time arguing. I could have come back after my late afternoon oncology appointment to argue with him some more, but that would have meant I'd have to stay another night. Probably with no hot water. You know, we're too stupid to figure out how to turn it on, so I for damn sure wasn't going to stay another night in a hotel room that complex.

I made a note to never stay in that hotel again.

Third problem. When we checked into the complex water facility hotel, the first credit card we offered up was declined. That was odd. They ran it again. Still declined. Very, very puzzling. They requested that we provide them with another credit card and we did. It was accepted.

Yesterday, in checking on why exactly the original card had been declined, we found out that, in fact, it had not been declined. It had been charged $260.00 for what was (after the discount) a $70 room. Having found that minor miscalculation, we decided we'd better check the card that had been accepted. That card had a charge of $235. I guess they were a little irritable about the complaint.

I was enraged. I called the Holiday Inn, I contacted Holiday Inn Corporate Headquarters. They refused to address the charges on the second card because, according to Holiday Inn's records, they had only charged us $70. I had visions of purchasing a rapid fire assault weapon and taking a little drive back to Houston.

The upshot is that, after spending almost a full day dealing with it, I believe I've gotten the charges corrected. However, I will never ever stay in another Holiday Inn. I'm vengeful and I work in a customer service industry. Not once did I hear an apology. Not once did I hear someone say they'd try to clear it up immediately.

No more Holiday Inn.

Maybe over the weekend I'll get around to the next unpleasant event--my husband's hypochondriacal fear of a heart attack.

In the meantime, though, Go LeBron!

Happy in Crazy Land

As you know, I spent the past several days alternately enraged and heartbroken. I came to work today with a heavy heart. Money Man and family are in Hawaii this week, spreading a little bitterness and bad humor around the tropical islands. I won't have to see them until next week.

I talked to my friend, The Information Superhighway, first thing this morning, told her about how things went on Friday and how devastated I was. Mid-way through the conversation, Owner walked by the door on his way to the office. He pantomimed something, but I wasn't sure what he meant. I finished up my conversation with the Highway and went into his office.

"I fed the kitties yesterday," he said. My heart melted. "Did you go see them?"

"No."

"You didn't feed your kitties?" He looked like he didn't believe me. I said I didn't know where we stood on that issue.

Where we stand on the issue is that I get to have the kitties. Lying Boy will be having his hours cut back by 75%. I shouldn't worry about Money Man and I only have to interact with him on business matters. Crazy Land feels like a wonderful place to be right now. I'm too happy to even gloat.

Blood Work and the Return to Crazy Land

I'm just back from Houston. I've been home a couple of hours now. The blood tests were good--nothing to be concerned about. My platelets are a little low, some other cryptic stuff is high and I probably need to address some bone density issues. I had the beginnings of osteoporosis before I began chemotherapy and the treatments sped up that process. We're not medicating now because I take a lot of medication already. I already take calcium with vitamin d, so I need to concentrate on getting more natural sources of calcium, in addition to addressing my anemia. These are small problems in the grand scheme of things. Thank you, kind friends, who were sending positive thoughts and prayers.

Tomorrow, it's back to Crazy Land. I'm a little obsessed with the whole kitty thing. That's how I am--a bit obsessive compulsive. I kept wishing I had a computer as I was whiling away the hours in the waiting rooms. Nothing like a few empty hours to jump start my vindictive fantasies.

You know, bed bugs have made a strong resurgence in hotels across the country, irrespective of their price and reputation. Since I read an article about that a couple of years ago, I've been terrified of waking with horrible bed bug-inflicted welts everywhere. They're well nigh invisible unless you tear the whole bed apart. Fortunately, so far I haven't encountered any.

It occurred to me, though, that I might have to send out a friendly email to my co-workers in a day or so, telling them that it seems my hotel had an infestation while I was staying there. I could point out that I may have, inadvertently, infested the whole office. Perhaps people should start burning everything they own, because that's the only way to get rid of them. That advice is reality-based; burning everything is the only sure cure for bed bugs.

I've had lots of time to think about my co-workers and I've come up with many ideas about how to make the kitty issue seem infinitesimal by comparison. I've a very, very evil woman.

I'll be spending most of my time in my office until Lying Boy and his family return next week (when we'll have some face time so I can share my feelings directly with each one personally). I'm certain I'll have more to share. After that, I'd say all Crazy Land time will be spent in my office. Not to worry, though. I've got hundreds of Crazy Land stories for your entertainment. You know I wouldn't let you down.

See you tomorrow and, again, you guys are the best.