Let's rehash: Steve and Luanne were scheduled to fly to Jacksonville on Friday, but Steve had to attend to some bizness on Wednesday in Atlanta. The snow was predicted, so Luanne decided to go with Steve, spend Tuesday and Wednesday night in Atlanta, then they would drive to Jacksonville on Thursday. So, they get to Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon and check into the hotel. This is where things started to change.
First of all, a scant few weeks ago, Steve and Luanne stayed at the J. W. Marriott Marquis in Miami Florida. In Atlanta, they checked into a Marriott hotel that was waaayyy down the Marriott food chain. Sure, there was a flat screen tv, but only one. There was no tv in the bathroom mirror, which was a good thing, since the mirror was barely big enough to see one's face. But since they were going to be there only a short time, they figured it would be okay.
Steve and Luanne had a sandwich at Jason's Deli and returned to the hotel. Steve went to eat Krispey Kreme with George, a family friend, and ended up pepped up on KK sugar, which would prove to be detrimental later in the night. Anyhow, soon it was time for bed, and Steve and Luanne retired for the night.
Their room was on the 7th floor with an excellent city view of downtown Atlanta and Buckhead. However, once the lights were out, Steve and Luanne also realized what else they had - a full-blown audio of Interstate 285 (or 275 or something). It was so loud that one might think they were sleeping in a cardboard box on the interstate median. But Steve and Luanne thought they could sleep through it. Steve and Luanne thought wrong.
Just after midnight, Steve could stand it no longer. As if the sugar high from the Krispey Kreme were not enough to cause hyper-anxiety, the whizzing and rumbling of the traffic on the interstate was combining with the sugar to cause hallucinations. Or something like that. He tried to make it work. He had changed beds with Luanne (two beds were cheaper than getting a king room). He had stuffed Kleenex in his ears. Luanne had even stuffed the extra pillows in the window. Steve had done everything he could think of, so he called down to the desk to ask to change rooms.
Night Manager Clarence was sympathetic, and suggested that Steve close the drapes, which were already closed in order to keep the pillows in the window. Unfortunately, that was Clarence's only suggestion, because the inn was full, as were all the Marriott sister hotels in the vicinity. Clarence and Steve said their goodbyes, and Steve hung up the phone, mumbling among other things, that a hotel change would be in order for Wednesday night. Eventually Steve got to sleep. Much more eventually later, Luanne also got to sleep for a few hours before it was time to get up.
By this morning, not only was Nashville on red alert for the onslaught of snow, but Atlanta was also getting all worked up. Steve and Luanne decided that Steve would get his Atlanta bizness done, and they would be off to Jacksonville - two days ahead of schedule. Steve would need to call to get their room early, and cancel flights and car rentals, but it was all worth it. They avoided the snow and managed to get some new luggage in the process (a trip through Vidalia, Georgia, that shall have to wait for another day).
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Today's blessings: Target and IKEA trip; road trip and block game; lunch at Truitts; Tumi store shopping; pictures from Nashville and news that everyone made it home safely; finally arriving in Jacksonville to QUIET room!
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