2026 TRIP

You might ask, "Where is Mesquite, Texas and why are you stopping there?" Then again you might not but I'll tell you anyway.  My next stop of importance in Trinity, Florida where I'll visit with my son Neil, daughter-in-law Dawn and Dawn's Aunt Carol.  That's approximately 1700 miles from Albuquerque.  So to break it up and arrive at a good hour, I chose locations where there was a Hilton property and also one of my favorite restaurants when I'm on the road... Golden Corral.  As a result of the above there are no pictures of either family or friends. 

I got to my hotel and the person at the front desk was a trainee and I was her very first check in.  It seemed to go smoothly, so I thought. I left the front desk and got to my room and was sitting and doing a “number 3.” If you can add you can figure it out.  I took out my phone and went to log into the wifi which in Hilton properties means your last name and room number.  Since I’m a Mensa member I’m able to remember those two things.  Instead of gaining access it came back “guest unknown.”  My next stop was the front desk where I told the assistant manager the problem.  She asked my room number and took my phone.  She then went to her computer looked up something (presumably my name etc.) and then typed a lot on my phone and handed it back to me showing access to the internet.  Since she typed so much I asked what she typed... it just like too much.  She said since it was a great deal she’d write it down for me.  She then handed me a slip of paper on which was a very long name.  I asked what that was and she replied, “Isn’t that your name?”  I said no.  she asked if it was similar to my name. I told her not even close.  I then questioned if they checked me in under the wrong name.  Silence and a great deal of typing at her computer with a look of consternation.

Bottom line the trainee hit the wrong name on the list of people who had reservations.  So now she had to disassociate my credit card from that person’s account.  Apparently not as easy as it sounds.  While this was going on someone showed up wanting to check in but had no reservation. When he was told the rate, he felt it was too high but "dagnabbit" (I am in Texas) it was still lower than my rate.  When my account was finally fixed.  I asked what rate they had for me and when she told me what I already knew, I said “wrong” I want his rate and a discount.  Without flinching she agreed.

Next was going back to my original room to get my stuff and move to a new room because the original room I was given was not what I had booked.  The assistant manager had to accompany me because my original key card had been returned by me and I had the new ones but they wouldn't give me access to the old room to get my stuff. (are you still with me). We  get back to the room and she swipes her master fob and it doesn’t work.  She has to back to the front desk. Almost 15 minutes later she returns. Door opens I get my stuff and go to the new room.  Everything is more than fine since the room I now had was a mini suite. I move my stuff and go out for dinner.

Eating at a Golden Corral is good for several reasons.  Their food is always hot, well prepared and you can eat all you want.  There is also another reason... I'd guess that at least 80% of the people who dine there are morbidly obese.  It would be an anthropologist's joy to observe how these people can balance so many items on their plates and how much they can consume... and how fast they can do it. I if course am the exception.

I return from dinner and go to write the email that I send daily about my day's adventures. I go to log into the internet, this time on my computer.  TADA it doesn’t recognize me using my name and new room number.  So I try my name and old room number, still no good.  I call the front desk and am given a “promo code.”  I try that and it connects for a split second and then logs me out.  At that point I gave up and went to sleep.