ODDREE.COM

Friday Deadlines

It's now Friday. The time: 5:16PM. The plan was to be on my way back from the bank at this point having deposited what was owed to me, and counting out a couple of large bills to finance my trip to Maryland.

Instead, I have been left empty handed with not so much as a phone call from the accounting controller who said "give a call on Thursday and Friday and I might have your check".

I have $147.23 to my name in the form of a Health Savings Account. This is a special account that is to be used for medical, dental, or pharmacuticals. I will be traveling across the country with it to buy gas, and one nights hotel stay. Just one night though, and that's the problem. I have two more nights stay unaccounted for. I have all ready figured that I can try to sleep a couple hours Sunday night, and then drive all night into Maryland -arriving to my class a bit sleepy, but ready to teach. Yet, I am still left with one night that I have planned on spending in my car. If it were summer, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But it's cold as hell outside right now, and it's a little colder where I am headed. Unless I leave the engine running all night, I am going to freeze to death. Plus I will be ... filthy. I will have to do the old "cup o' shower" in a fast food restroom.

I have racked my brain for options, and I keep coming up dry. At one point I thought maybe I could stay at a campground, with electric. Then I could stay warm at night with an electric heater, and maybe even catch a hot bath in the morning. Sadly, camp grounds don't open until March ... on account of it being so fucking cold. I checked out bed and breakfast joints in the area, but those cost more than a hotel ... on account of the luxurious clean sheets and hot meals (who needs those). I thought that the YMCA also had "rooms" available which consisted of a cot, and a shared bath. But I guess I made that up, because I couldn't find any.

In the morning I will be running up to the local "buy and sell" movie shop to sell off a few DVD's from the collection.

How about I end on a quote that nobody will appreciate?

In the Nanny From Hell episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, the nanny tells Larry David, "So basically I'm a homeless person ... except I don't stink!". Man, that was a funny episode. I hope I don't have to sell that season of episodes away. I haven't watched them all yet!

Next episode: How to survive three days away from home, buying only fuel!

Historic Comments
The cheapest place to stay is a Hostel, check for them in your area online.
Anonymous | 01.06.06 - 9:46 pm | #

You were right about Hostels. Killer concept. I think I caught something about them on a show on the Discovery channel a ways back. I found one outside of town near a State park. It was about an hour drive, but hell, for $20 it was well worth it! That place had a 'self serve kitchen', lockers, and even Internet access. Only problems is, they will only book "large groups" until January 20th. What's that about?

All the other Hostels I could find were in Baltimore. Which I wouldn't mind driving to, but it literally takes nearly three hours to get in and out of because of DC traffic.

I will be looking for Hostels for anywhere else I go. They seem like a good idea. And hell, as noisey as some of my neighbors have been in Hotels, I don't realy mind "bunkin" with strangers.

-Ray

Oh, and here is a nice URL for anyone interested in Hostels:
http://www.hihostels.com/
Ray Dios Haque | 01.06.06 - 11:27 pm | #