I have a random and rather silly request. You know the Lay's Brand "Pickle Chips" you have there? They're potato chips that taste like pickle slices. You can get them in any HyVee, Walgreens or gas station there. Well, we don't have them here in California so everytime I visit there or my family visits me here they bring me a few reinforcement bags.
Well anyway, I just finished my last chip and am now going through withdrawals worthy of hospitalization. I was wondering if anyone could send me a couple bags to get me through until I come to visit hopefully in December.
Two should be sufficient, as I try to eat them sparingly because they're much more of a delicacy to me than any French pastry or imported Italian cheese.
Please let me know what you can do, and thank you in advance!
- Stevie
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Are We There Yet?
In my travels over the years, I’ve stayed in many Hotels, Motels and Inns. This is a short guide to where NOT to stay, what to look for, and what to do to improve your stay if you’ve been suckered into staying at a crappy second rate hotel.
First, if you want to get a better rate, online is usually the best way to go. Try to get the second or third cheapest so you don’t end up like the people in horror movies who think, “This place is just too good to be true!” I know that room for $37 SOUNDS like a deal, but what seems too good to be true usually is.
Second, Make sure you ask them to look at the room before you pay for it, (if you have not booked online first). This is especially true when stopping in “shady” places. If the alarm clock is nailed to the desk, run! …before you say that it’s not possible to nail an alarm clock to a desk, I have personally experienced this. I stayed in a hotel in Sylmar, California with that exact issue.
In one particular town in Oklahoma, (which couldn’t have had any more than 1,000 people), lay one of the scariest Motel 6’s I’ve ever stayed at in my life. There was an electronic beeping coming from under the bed all night, (and BELIEVE you me, I slept with my clothes on), what I’m sure were rats or cockroaches scurrying up and down in the walls, and people standing outside my door at 3:45 am talking loudly about “the people in 243” (MY room number). Being very early in the morning, and after a 14 hour day on the road, I was convinced that they were going to burst in any moment and perform unspeakable acts to us. I SWEAR I didn’t think I was going to live through the night. …but at least they had a good continental breakfast.
At the Portofino Inn by Disneyland in Anaheim, California, they promised a large, one bedroom suite for $169. With my laziness and lack of planning, we ended up being AT Disneyland and needing a place to stay, so this sounded like a dream come true. WRONG! I’ve seen bigger dorm rooms than this “suite.” The “living room” area was separated from the “bedroom” by a 60s patterned curtain pulled across a track in the ceiling. Bonus: There was no screen in the LARGE window I wanted to sit on and we were on the top floor. They should probably look into that, as I very nearly threw myself out the window for getting tricked into paying that much for this piece of crap room.
Third, do not pay extra for a hotel just because it has a pool or weight room. Chances are that whenever you get back from the days activities or if you’ve been traveling all day, you’re just going to want to crash in the room and take advantage of the cable and “free” wireless access. I stayed at the Hilton in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the next day at the Hilton in Denver, Colorado thinking I’d use both of these features. I passed out asleep for 11 hours straight both times…right up until checkout. Bye bye, $438!
Fourth, make sure you find out about late checkout times. You don’t want to be stuck paying for another day for the simple fact that you’re getting your things together and are 15 minutes over the checkout time. Most hotels offer a checkout time that is an hour later than what’s posted. This is essential after a night of hardcore partying. Um...I mean watching wholesome movies on cable TV.
Fifth, NEVER sleep on, sit on or touch the comforter with bare skin. Period.
Sixth, when staying at the more expensive hotels *cough* Hilton *cough* make sure you LOOK AT THE ROOM FIRST to determine if it’s worth it. I stayed at the Hilton Anaheim, right outside of Disneyland, on the top floor, or “executive level” and was told that there was an incredible view of the Disneyland fireworks from our room. We got there and guess what? We were on the OTHER side of the hotel. Obviously, we were upset and called the front desk. They didn’t have any rooms facing Disneyland on that floor, but they DID have one a few floors lower, and said that they would still let us have access to the Executive Lounge. Alright, fine.
We moved to the lower floor, saw the fireworks, Ooo’d and Ahhh’d, then went to bed at 3:45 am. At 7:00 am there came a knock at the door. It was the maid. After telling her what should have been an obvious fact that we were still IN the room, she left. Then we got a call from the front desk asking what we were doing in there…um, sleeping? Next came the security knocking at the door, telling us that we are not registered in this room. After explaining last night’s situation, the security guard left. This was followed by a call from the front desk. After explaining last night’s situation AGAIN, I was told they’d, “Call right back.” They had to call the woman who was working check-in last night and figure out what had happened. It turns out that she had moved us and given us a key to the new room, but had not told anyone about the change or enter our new room in the computer. We got 4 hours of sleep, had a lot of frustration and have not stayed in a Hilton since.
Another instance of this was my first time in New York City at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park division. We were staying on the top floor of this very posh hotel, and were told that we would have a breathtaking view of Central Park. We got to our floor bursting with excitement and just about ran to the room. This is when we discovered that our room was on the OPPOSITE side of the hotel, with a breathtaking view of some building instead of Central Park. Talk about disappointing. A few days later when we checked out, I realized that I had left my favorite stuffed animal (which my friend had given to me when I was in the hospital going in for surgery to help ease my fear) in the room. We went back in and asked to go back up to the room to search. We did, and searched every inch of the room, but we had no luck. This means that in the half an hour it took me to realize it was gone, someone had found it had taken it. I hope someone’s kid was very happy…
Seventh, hotel staff take note: YOU can be the reason people choose to return or never return to your hotel. For instance, I was staying at The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada after having just gotten married. We were on our way up to our suite and walked right past the front desk and security. Later, after changing out of my wedding dress and his tuxedo into “street clothes,” we had to go outside to retrieve my phone from the driver of the cab I left my phone in the previous night. When coming back in, the front desk AND the security stopped us to check our room key, because we “didn’t look like we belonged there.” Long story short, wear a wedding dress and you can get into the suites at The Venetian.
Another instance of staff rudeness/incompetence was last month, when I stayed at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada. There was a LOT of construction clogging the streets, and when we FINALLY made it to Planet Hollywood, we discovered that the street we needed to turn on to get to our hotel was blocked off. We circled the block again and again trying to find a way to the parking structure. After 45 minutes and a whole lot of frustration, we ended up going through the Paris hotel’s parking to come out the other side by Planet Hollywood. Ya think you could have mentioned some of this, P.H.??? Anyway, when trying to figure out where to park to check in and get a bellhop to take our things to our room, we must have asked 6 people, and not ONCE did we get a clear answer. There were 7 of us there so a few had to split up and ask different people...who still did not give us an exact place to do this.
After FINALLY stumbling upon the correct place to park and get our things out of the car, (which, by the way, Valet was the only way to get our things taken up to the room, and being that there was 7 girls, we had a LOT of things) we went to check in. The line was practically out the door. We waited somewhat patiently for an hour. By the time we got up to the counter, our patience was wearing thin. We made reservations for two adjoining rooms with two beds each back in March, (we needed them for August) and were told that the rooms they have are one on the 17th floor and one on the 30th floor. Obviously we did not want to be 13 floors away from the rest of the party, so that was not going to work. We asked if they had any adjoining rooms. After about 15 solid minutes of typing and looking on her computer while the rest of us sighed, rolled our eyes, and cast death stares her way, she said they have two adjoining rooms. One had two beds, but the other only had one. At this point, we were all pretty much just FINISHED with all of this so I asked for a rollaway bed to be sent up and we took the adjoining rooms. Over the next few days the staff was rude and seemed irritated whenever we asked a question. Everything turned out alright in the end, and the rooms themselves were lovely. However, I will more than likely NOT be returning to Planet Hollywood for another stay.
Most recently, I was staying at The Oak Tree Inn in Monrovia, California. The staff was rude and the room was stuffy and cramped, but it DID have a refrigerator, which was an unexpected delight. I asked for 2 more cups to be sent up and was told, “You can sure come down and get some.” The next day, I called and got a later checkout time from a woman at the front desk so I could sleep a little longer. About half an hour later, the man from the front desk came up and knocked on the door. I said, “Yes?” and he OPENED the door with his keycard. …I was lying in bed naked after taking a shower while nursing a hangover. Thank GOODNESS I had the blanket and sheet pulled up, but they were under my arms so it was obvious that I at least had no shirt on. If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, he proceeded to try and have a conversation with me before my curt answers drove him away. A little while later, (at the posted checkout time), I got a call from the same woman I told I needed a later checkout time saying, “Staying another day?” I said, “No” and she said, “Oh, were you the one who called me asking for a later checkout time?” So much for that extra sleep…
After all this talk about terrible hotels, I thought I’d say that there ARE some good hotels out there, The Hotel Peppertree a couple miles away from Disneyland in Anaheim, California for example. It was $150 for two nights in a large hotel room with a FULL kitchen and very large, sliding, mirrored closet with a bureau. It was also across from a supermarket so you can stock that full kitchen, and there was a video rental place a couple blocks away that rented new movies for $1. They give complimentary DVD players to all the guests for use during your stay! They also have a Cantina and Mexican restaurant at the hotel from which you can order their delicious food and however many drinks you want that they let you take it back to your room, alcohol included.
Another awesome hotel was at the Morongo Indian Casino and Resort in Cabazon, California. We paid $70 for an absolutely incredible room, (and on a Friday night no less!) There was a VERY wide and tall windowsill I sat on a LOT, a sliding door into a very large bathroom with an amazing shower that had both a tiled seat in it and a large frosted glass window to the bedroom that glowed green with your silhouette. Very romantic if you go with your wife or husband, or very embarrassing if you go with your friends.
The Holiday Inn in Kansas City, Missouri was another wonderful hotel with very nice staff and beautiful rooms. It was within walking distance of the “Country Club Plaza” part of town which contained all of the restaurants and night life in very beautiful old buildings. It was also called the “City of Fountains” and they weren’t kidding!
I wish I could think of more hotels that I enjoyed, but it looks as if I am a magnet for bad hotel experiences. I hope this has been enlightening and I also hope that this guide will help you to never have any of this happen. May your travels be safe, fun, and bed-bug free. :)
First, if you want to get a better rate, online is usually the best way to go. Try to get the second or third cheapest so you don’t end up like the people in horror movies who think, “This place is just too good to be true!” I know that room for $37 SOUNDS like a deal, but what seems too good to be true usually is.
Second, Make sure you ask them to look at the room before you pay for it, (if you have not booked online first). This is especially true when stopping in “shady” places. If the alarm clock is nailed to the desk, run! …before you say that it’s not possible to nail an alarm clock to a desk, I have personally experienced this. I stayed in a hotel in Sylmar, California with that exact issue.
In one particular town in Oklahoma, (which couldn’t have had any more than 1,000 people), lay one of the scariest Motel 6’s I’ve ever stayed at in my life. There was an electronic beeping coming from under the bed all night, (and BELIEVE you me, I slept with my clothes on), what I’m sure were rats or cockroaches scurrying up and down in the walls, and people standing outside my door at 3:45 am talking loudly about “the people in 243” (MY room number). Being very early in the morning, and after a 14 hour day on the road, I was convinced that they were going to burst in any moment and perform unspeakable acts to us. I SWEAR I didn’t think I was going to live through the night. …but at least they had a good continental breakfast.
At the Portofino Inn by Disneyland in Anaheim, California, they promised a large, one bedroom suite for $169. With my laziness and lack of planning, we ended up being AT Disneyland and needing a place to stay, so this sounded like a dream come true. WRONG! I’ve seen bigger dorm rooms than this “suite.” The “living room” area was separated from the “bedroom” by a 60s patterned curtain pulled across a track in the ceiling. Bonus: There was no screen in the LARGE window I wanted to sit on and we were on the top floor. They should probably look into that, as I very nearly threw myself out the window for getting tricked into paying that much for this piece of crap room.
Third, do not pay extra for a hotel just because it has a pool or weight room. Chances are that whenever you get back from the days activities or if you’ve been traveling all day, you’re just going to want to crash in the room and take advantage of the cable and “free” wireless access. I stayed at the Hilton in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the next day at the Hilton in Denver, Colorado thinking I’d use both of these features. I passed out asleep for 11 hours straight both times…right up until checkout. Bye bye, $438!
Fourth, make sure you find out about late checkout times. You don’t want to be stuck paying for another day for the simple fact that you’re getting your things together and are 15 minutes over the checkout time. Most hotels offer a checkout time that is an hour later than what’s posted. This is essential after a night of hardcore partying. Um...I mean watching wholesome movies on cable TV.
Fifth, NEVER sleep on, sit on or touch the comforter with bare skin. Period.
Sixth, when staying at the more expensive hotels *cough* Hilton *cough* make sure you LOOK AT THE ROOM FIRST to determine if it’s worth it. I stayed at the Hilton Anaheim, right outside of Disneyland, on the top floor, or “executive level” and was told that there was an incredible view of the Disneyland fireworks from our room. We got there and guess what? We were on the OTHER side of the hotel. Obviously, we were upset and called the front desk. They didn’t have any rooms facing Disneyland on that floor, but they DID have one a few floors lower, and said that they would still let us have access to the Executive Lounge. Alright, fine.
We moved to the lower floor, saw the fireworks, Ooo’d and Ahhh’d, then went to bed at 3:45 am. At 7:00 am there came a knock at the door. It was the maid. After telling her what should have been an obvious fact that we were still IN the room, she left. Then we got a call from the front desk asking what we were doing in there…um, sleeping? Next came the security knocking at the door, telling us that we are not registered in this room. After explaining last night’s situation, the security guard left. This was followed by a call from the front desk. After explaining last night’s situation AGAIN, I was told they’d, “Call right back.” They had to call the woman who was working check-in last night and figure out what had happened. It turns out that she had moved us and given us a key to the new room, but had not told anyone about the change or enter our new room in the computer. We got 4 hours of sleep, had a lot of frustration and have not stayed in a Hilton since.
Another instance of this was my first time in New York City at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park division. We were staying on the top floor of this very posh hotel, and were told that we would have a breathtaking view of Central Park. We got to our floor bursting with excitement and just about ran to the room. This is when we discovered that our room was on the OPPOSITE side of the hotel, with a breathtaking view of some building instead of Central Park. Talk about disappointing. A few days later when we checked out, I realized that I had left my favorite stuffed animal (which my friend had given to me when I was in the hospital going in for surgery to help ease my fear) in the room. We went back in and asked to go back up to the room to search. We did, and searched every inch of the room, but we had no luck. This means that in the half an hour it took me to realize it was gone, someone had found it had taken it. I hope someone’s kid was very happy…
Seventh, hotel staff take note: YOU can be the reason people choose to return or never return to your hotel. For instance, I was staying at The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada after having just gotten married. We were on our way up to our suite and walked right past the front desk and security. Later, after changing out of my wedding dress and his tuxedo into “street clothes,” we had to go outside to retrieve my phone from the driver of the cab I left my phone in the previous night. When coming back in, the front desk AND the security stopped us to check our room key, because we “didn’t look like we belonged there.” Long story short, wear a wedding dress and you can get into the suites at The Venetian.
Another instance of staff rudeness/incompetence was last month, when I stayed at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada. There was a LOT of construction clogging the streets, and when we FINALLY made it to Planet Hollywood, we discovered that the street we needed to turn on to get to our hotel was blocked off. We circled the block again and again trying to find a way to the parking structure. After 45 minutes and a whole lot of frustration, we ended up going through the Paris hotel’s parking to come out the other side by Planet Hollywood. Ya think you could have mentioned some of this, P.H.??? Anyway, when trying to figure out where to park to check in and get a bellhop to take our things to our room, we must have asked 6 people, and not ONCE did we get a clear answer. There were 7 of us there so a few had to split up and ask different people...who still did not give us an exact place to do this.
After FINALLY stumbling upon the correct place to park and get our things out of the car, (which, by the way, Valet was the only way to get our things taken up to the room, and being that there was 7 girls, we had a LOT of things) we went to check in. The line was practically out the door. We waited somewhat patiently for an hour. By the time we got up to the counter, our patience was wearing thin. We made reservations for two adjoining rooms with two beds each back in March, (we needed them for August) and were told that the rooms they have are one on the 17th floor and one on the 30th floor. Obviously we did not want to be 13 floors away from the rest of the party, so that was not going to work. We asked if they had any adjoining rooms. After about 15 solid minutes of typing and looking on her computer while the rest of us sighed, rolled our eyes, and cast death stares her way, she said they have two adjoining rooms. One had two beds, but the other only had one. At this point, we were all pretty much just FINISHED with all of this so I asked for a rollaway bed to be sent up and we took the adjoining rooms. Over the next few days the staff was rude and seemed irritated whenever we asked a question. Everything turned out alright in the end, and the rooms themselves were lovely. However, I will more than likely NOT be returning to Planet Hollywood for another stay.
Most recently, I was staying at The Oak Tree Inn in Monrovia, California. The staff was rude and the room was stuffy and cramped, but it DID have a refrigerator, which was an unexpected delight. I asked for 2 more cups to be sent up and was told, “You can sure come down and get some.” The next day, I called and got a later checkout time from a woman at the front desk so I could sleep a little longer. About half an hour later, the man from the front desk came up and knocked on the door. I said, “Yes?” and he OPENED the door with his keycard. …I was lying in bed naked after taking a shower while nursing a hangover. Thank GOODNESS I had the blanket and sheet pulled up, but they were under my arms so it was obvious that I at least had no shirt on. If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, he proceeded to try and have a conversation with me before my curt answers drove him away. A little while later, (at the posted checkout time), I got a call from the same woman I told I needed a later checkout time saying, “Staying another day?” I said, “No” and she said, “Oh, were you the one who called me asking for a later checkout time?” So much for that extra sleep…
After all this talk about terrible hotels, I thought I’d say that there ARE some good hotels out there, The Hotel Peppertree a couple miles away from Disneyland in Anaheim, California for example. It was $150 for two nights in a large hotel room with a FULL kitchen and very large, sliding, mirrored closet with a bureau. It was also across from a supermarket so you can stock that full kitchen, and there was a video rental place a couple blocks away that rented new movies for $1. They give complimentary DVD players to all the guests for use during your stay! They also have a Cantina and Mexican restaurant at the hotel from which you can order their delicious food and however many drinks you want that they let you take it back to your room, alcohol included.
Another awesome hotel was at the Morongo Indian Casino and Resort in Cabazon, California. We paid $70 for an absolutely incredible room, (and on a Friday night no less!) There was a VERY wide and tall windowsill I sat on a LOT, a sliding door into a very large bathroom with an amazing shower that had both a tiled seat in it and a large frosted glass window to the bedroom that glowed green with your silhouette. Very romantic if you go with your wife or husband, or very embarrassing if you go with your friends.
The Holiday Inn in Kansas City, Missouri was another wonderful hotel with very nice staff and beautiful rooms. It was within walking distance of the “Country Club Plaza” part of town which contained all of the restaurants and night life in very beautiful old buildings. It was also called the “City of Fountains” and they weren’t kidding!
I wish I could think of more hotels that I enjoyed, but it looks as if I am a magnet for bad hotel experiences. I hope this has been enlightening and I also hope that this guide will help you to never have any of this happen. May your travels be safe, fun, and bed-bug free. :)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Oh, California, How Could You?
As most of you who live in California know, it is now illegal to text or talk on the phone while driving. I have just a few tips for those of you who would like to continue in this idiotic, yet some would say necessary, habit. When I’m driving and I feel the urge to text slowly envelop me, here’s what I do to avoid getting nailed by the boys in blue (and I don’t mean our beloved Dodgers).
If any police officers are reading this, it was um…all just a joke…I ALWAYS follow ALL the laws…oh, and my name is Harriet. If not, my name is Stevie, and it’s been a pleasure.
- Before the law was passed, I was able to keep my phone even with my view of the road so I could text while still keeping my eyes on the other idiots with phones. Now, I have to keep it low, which in turn forces me to look down, so it’s a LOT more dangerous to continue my unsafe road habits.
- I have a truck, so keeping my phone lower than the windows is key. Cops have low cars so I can easily avoid detection. Frankly, I never understood why cops had such low cars (other than the obvious factor of speed) because if they had say, a monster truck like “Truck-A-Saurus” they could see inside everyone else’s cab and more easily give out their bogus tickets. I use the word “bogus” to keep it family friendly. Otherwise, I’d have a few choice words for them that would not be suitable for anyone under 21…or the elderly.
- When I see a cop, I automatically do what every Californian who values self-preservation would do; drop that phone like it’s the Spawn of the Devil and wave innocently at the cops, (who were no doubt handing someone else a horrendous ticket).
If any police officers are reading this, it was um…all just a joke…I ALWAYS follow ALL the laws…oh, and my name is Harriet. If not, my name is Stevie, and it’s been a pleasure.
Scary, Strange, Amusing Day
Last week I had a VERY strange day. I hope you don't mind my rambling. If you do...oh well. Just kidding :)
First, I ran into an old High School teacher at the Pasadena Courthouse. I was there for Jury Duty, not because I was being indicted lol. She didn't remember me. (Guess I really HAVE changed in my 5 years since H.S.). I told her my name and she said, "Oh yeah, Hi." ...then had to ride 5 floors down with her as it stopped on EVERY floor. Awkward Turtle...or rather, Awkward Turtle 15 minutes in an elevator you don't care for with your high school teacher you never cared for.
ANYWHO...
Then the WEIRDEST thing happened to me on the way home. I was driving along going 80...I mean 65...yeah, I ALWAYS go the speed limit....
A car pretty much exploded with long strips of film. (Only in L.A., huh?) I was amused and horrified so I changed lanes to get out from behind it.
I watched in slow motion as a very long strip of a film someone probably worked long and hard on (no pun intended, even though that quite possibly was what the film was about) floated over the length of my truck. I started laughing and kept driving along.
That's when I noticed my antenna was bending. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw that my truck had a 50 foot tail of FILM STRIP flying around all willy nilly behind me.
Still laughing my ass off, I noticed there was a huge gap of cars around me, as no one wanted to get tangled like THAT unfortunate truck.
That's when the 18 Wheeler got on...the laughing quickly came to a stop.
I desparately tried to exit the freeway before he got close enough to get tangled in it and rip off my antenna. ...mission impossible.
Bye Bye Goofy antenna ball! ...and while it went bouncing down the freeway in a big ball of green and black defeat, I couldn't stop thinking about Goofy's laugh *Hyuck Hyuck!*
...the film strip lived to ensnare another vehicle, and I giggled all the way home.
- Stevie
First, I ran into an old High School teacher at the Pasadena Courthouse. I was there for Jury Duty, not because I was being indicted lol. She didn't remember me. (Guess I really HAVE changed in my 5 years since H.S.). I told her my name and she said, "Oh yeah, Hi." ...then had to ride 5 floors down with her as it stopped on EVERY floor. Awkward Turtle...or rather, Awkward Turtle 15 minutes in an elevator you don't care for with your high school teacher you never cared for.
ANYWHO...
Then the WEIRDEST thing happened to me on the way home. I was driving along going 80...I mean 65...yeah, I ALWAYS go the speed limit....
A car pretty much exploded with long strips of film. (Only in L.A., huh?) I was amused and horrified so I changed lanes to get out from behind it.
I watched in slow motion as a very long strip of a film someone probably worked long and hard on (no pun intended, even though that quite possibly was what the film was about) floated over the length of my truck. I started laughing and kept driving along.
That's when I noticed my antenna was bending. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw that my truck had a 50 foot tail of FILM STRIP flying around all willy nilly behind me.
Still laughing my ass off, I noticed there was a huge gap of cars around me, as no one wanted to get tangled like THAT unfortunate truck.
That's when the 18 Wheeler got on...the laughing quickly came to a stop.
I desparately tried to exit the freeway before he got close enough to get tangled in it and rip off my antenna. ...mission impossible.
Bye Bye Goofy antenna ball! ...and while it went bouncing down the freeway in a big ball of green and black defeat, I couldn't stop thinking about Goofy's laugh *Hyuck Hyuck!*
...the film strip lived to ensnare another vehicle, and I giggled all the way home.
- Stevie
Welcome to Thoughts From My Butt!
After speaking with a friend of mine, I decided that I might try writing. This is just a little blog of things I think about. Observations, musings, and obviously...thoughts. I hope you like it. If not, oh well, this is for me not you. Haha j/k. Thanks for reading :)
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