Occupational Hazards

An occupational hazard is sharing your room with others. In Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, it was mosquitos. Although, in fairness, I didn't exactly share my room with them. More like slaughtered them with my killing towel to the best of my abilities.

Not Obvious: The sheer number of skeeter carcases (sp?) on this towel.

Still not obvious.

Skeeter blood smear.

But not all of the others need killing. Some fall into the capture and release category. Here in Coolin, Idaho, I'm not nearly as vicious. A coffee cup, a piece of paper, and a quick jog outside. But not before I snapped a picture.

******

Part of living on the road is getting to stay in hotels. Some hotels are noteworthy for their denizens and flophouse-y-ness. Some are noteworthy for their utter and complete mediocrity and un-noteworthiness. Some, though...Some are like the Hotel Davenport.

Lithus and I spent last Friday night there. We needed to get out of the bush, needed some elegance and sophistication; needed to remember that a world that includes chamber music, room service, and valet is indeed still our world.

It was everything we needed, wanted, and hoped it would be. The room was spacious. There was actual and for real art on the walls. The bed was hand-carved. The bathroom was marble. Even the toilet paper was lux.

Check out the bed:

What you can't tell from this picture is the fact that, at 5'2", I had to step on the bed rail in order to get onto this thing with any kind of grace. It's massively tall. (See the art on the wall? Actual paint.)

Another part of life on the road is just how often you forget where you are. You'd be surprised how many times Lithus and I look at each other and ask "Where are we again?" The only question we ask more often is "What day is it today?" ~ but that's for another post.

Forgetting where you are isn't all that bad, so long as one of us can remember in short order. And luckily, I have never peed anywhere inappropriate, as I have heard tell of other people who live on the road. However, sometimes, you happen to be in, I don't know, let's say Spokane. And you happen to be getting a little *ahem* amorous. This is not the best time to forget where you are. Because when you jump up out of bed for a quick second, you will forget that you haven't just gotten into bed but have had to ascend into bed and you will fall out. You will also catch yourself with your calf. There will be laughter and unsexy snorting. And the next morning, you will get into the (marble, extra-large) shower and notice this:

A week out, it will still look like this:

But you know what? Forgetting where we are is part of the life I love and the Hotel Davenport is oh so worth it (did you see the bed???????).

Should you ever be in Spokane, Washington, even for just a night, stay at the Davenport. Request a Davenport Deluxe King. Just remember where you are. ;)