Road Warrior

I’m a creature of habit, a man of routine. My recent increase in work travel has forced me to try to become more flexible, though, which I think is a good thing. My wife might disagree, what with the night sweats and panic-stricken Sunday night dreams, but such is the price of progress.

So I hit the road again this fine Monday with a sunny spirit and a skip in my step. This time I was driving, not flying, and Savannah was my destination. I have to tell you that it’s quite tough to keep that smile plastered on your face when your car shuts down on you and the steering wheel locks up as you cross the scenic bridge over Savannah doing about 65 miles per hour. Mercifully, that noted Audi craftmanship kicked in and kept my car (which has given me troubles on more than one occasion) going until I found a nice quiet place to stop.

So after making peace with being at the mercy of a Savannah mechanic not of my choosing and watching the Audi assume its all too familiar spot affixed to the back of a tow truck, I made my way into the Savannah Westin hoping to get the evening back on track. Unfortunately, the check-in experience only added to my annoyance. After giving me my room key, the desk attendant informed me that I was eligible to select the "green option". This gave me the right to decline housekeeping services during my stay in exchange for a $5 gift card that could be used in Starwood restaurants. I have to admit that after mulling it over for awhile, it doesn't seem like such a bad deal. Given that in my single days I routinely bedded down in a residence that didn't see what would be referred to as housekeeping services for six month stretches, skipping two days of sheet changes isn't such a rough proposition. I think it was two things that bothered me. First, they really shouldn't present it to you as though you've qualified for an exciting offer. When I heard "You're eligible for...", I was envisioning a free canister of mixed nuts or perhaps an exciting free authentic Savannah souvenir. Second, it truly drives me crazy when such things are labeled as green. The only reason they offer it is because somebody somewhere crunched the numbers and figured out that the average total cost of cleaning a room is somewhere north of $5. I'm more than fine with that, but don't try to guilt me into accepting under false pretenses.

So after all of that, I've made my way to my admittedly pleasant hotel room and am watching what appear to be the final minutes of the Braves season. Bobby Cox looks pretty bummed out, but I'm giving him a run for his money.