Hmmm, looked like a nice place… well, let me tell you.
Durango of all places.
Pretty town but still, I’d rather be home.
Hmmm let me see, the Econo Lodge in Durango. I drove into town last night and passed no less than 3 quite nice hotels and finally found… The Econo Lodge. Had a big sandwich board sign that read: ENTER in huge red Helvetica letters with a black arrow, so I did. The night proprietor was standing on the veranda sucking on a Camel, seemed like a nice enough guy. Had to take my credit card for any “amenities”, I asked why, the company was paying, why not put it on their’s. “Well in case you throw the TV out the window.” Was his wry answer. “Is the programing that bad?” Was my rye response. I haven’t even turned on the TV and I’ll be checking out in the morning now,so… “Well, we don’t charge you, we just take an imprint and then hit the ‘Cancel’ button.” “If you’re going to cancel it anyway, why don’t I just slip it back in my wallet and cut out the middle man?”. “Well, I can’t check you in without it.” “Last time they told me they would ‘cancel’ the charge I ended up getting charged for both nights and then the refund was 10 days out.”. He still wouldn’t budge, so I saw him swipe it, my card number came up and he canceled it. Then I checked my bank this morning to make sure, so far, so good.
He gave me two of those little credit card thingies to swipe to get into the room, guess what? One works, the other doesn’t. Why not just give me one and cut out the middle man?
After unsticking the door of the room, either constant humidity or Billy the maintenance man just painted it shut, I turned on the light. It’s one of those blue cast bulbs that is designed to make you see better. Sylvania Bright Whites or GE Reveals. I was just glad it didn’t reveal any roaches. This room sort of reminded me of that motel in L.A. Confidential where they used to work over all of the malcontents and informants. I expected Russell Crowe to knock on the door in a wife beater and, well… beat me.
Durango…
Came over Wolf Creek Pass, yes, patrons of the 70’s the song made famous by none other than C.W. McCall…
It was everything he said it was, 7% grade: I’ll let the master tell it:
…Well Earl rared back
Cocked his leg
Stepped down as hard as he could on the brake
And the pedal went clear to the floor
And stayed - right there on the floor
Says it’s sorta like steppin’ on a plum
Well from there on down it just wasn’t real pretty
It was hairpin county and switchback city
One of ‘em looked like a can full of worms
Another one looked like malaria germs
Right in the middle of the whole damn show
Was a real nice tunnel now wouldn’t you know
Sign says clearance to the twelve foot line
But them chickens was stacked to thirteen nine
Well we shot that tunnel at a hundred an’ ten
Like gas through a funnel an’ eggs through a hen
An’ we took that top row of chickens off
Slicker ‘n the scum off a Louisiana swamp
Went down an’ around an’ around an’ down
An’ we run outta ground at the edge of town
An’ bashed on into the side of a feed store
In downtown Pagosa Springs …
For all the lyrics: http://www.narrowgauge.org/4×4/cw_pages/lyrics/spirit/wcp.html
I scanned the room when I stepped in and was a little put out by the door straight ahead. I hoped it was the closet and that noone was occupying it. It was, and there wasn’t.
Anyway, the tub doesn’t drain very fast.
The bathroom door hits the counter so you have to step inside and close it if you want to lay something on the vanity but there are some real nice pictures of cowboys ropin’ and ridin’ on the walls and the dresser is painted like I am in an Indian wigwam.
I guess it could be worse…
It could be the Super 8 in Pueblo…
Your man on the road…
for now…
Have to drive to Alamosa and teach tomorrow afternoon. That means I will experience going UP a 7% grade for about 9 miles. Joy.
me
oh, yeah…
The toilet is white and the tub is yellow, that 1969 yellow, I think it would have been new when I was 10 but now it’s coming back into style but I suspect that the plumbing is still from the Nixon administration.
I think I’ll go sit out in the parking lot and clip my toenails…