Dec 25 Wednesday Merry Christmas!

No work today and I rented a room at the Monte Vista Hotel which is a historic hotel in downtown Flagstaff.  It was built in 1922 and embraces its historical self and hasn’t modernized too much other than tv and WIFI.  I rented a traditional hotel room there with a shared bathroom and shower.  This is how hotels used to be back in the day.  The more expensive rooms have the bathroom en suite but that isn’t how the original hotel was built.  I like the history.  I was fairly happy that the bathroom was very close, and the shower was right next to it.  I had a nice little spa day planned and having access to the shower was necessary because I was going to color my hair.  I also was going to enjoy some nice adult beverages, so a quick easy access to the toilet was necessary.   I knew that these would be issues when I booked the room, and I debated the convenience vs the historical significance of the original set up.  I went with history.  Plus, it was cheaper, and money is tight.

I was able to check into the hotel early, around 10am.  That was going to give me a full day of hotel productivity.  The bar and restaurant attached to the hotel were both closed for the day, so shortly after I checked in, I headed out to IHOP which I’d passed on the way, and knew they were open.  Splurged on a T-bone and eggs and ordered Turkey and Stuffing for dinner.  It was Christmas and I knew nothing else was open and if I got hungry later that night, my options were limited to the Chef Boyardee in my car or the candy stores I had taken up to my room from my Dollar Tree binge.  Turns out the steak and eggs were huge, and I boxed most of it and ate on it all day.  The turkey never got touched.  I took it to work and ate most of it for lunch the following day.  Left most of the turkey though…didn’t want another episode of food poisoning.  The potatoes and broccoli seemed safer.

Once I got settled in my hotel room, I set up Harry Potter on the television and got my electronics set up.  I needed to charge my portable power supply and get my external hard drive set up on my computer.  I have 3 photo book vouchers and they all expire in February.  I needed to make a good head start on the books.  I have a 40-page book for Africa and a 40-page book for Route 66.  I got an 80-page book for the yearbook though.  On top of those two big trips, I also have the Georgia waterfall trip, Boston, Michigan, Princess Marathon weekend with Gil and Disneyland to include.  That’s going to be a pretty big book.  I was able to get the Africa book up and running and I’ve covered about a week and a half of the six-week trip.  I expect every weekend until February will include library time.  I always underestimate how much time it will take me to put together these books.   I’m going to try to type up some of the narrations during other down time and then my internet time will be more working with the application and setting things up, rather using that time to type up descriptions.

I also treated myself to alcohol, it was Christmas and I had a bathroom close by.  I cracked open the Butter Cake Moonshine and mixed it with root beer (via the recommendation of the bar tender I bought it from).  It was excellent, but I probably drank to much of it.  Never got drunk, just slow sipped all day for 12 hours.  Ended up with a horrible headache in the morning.

All in all, it was a decent Christmas.  One of the few I didn’t work and the only one I didn’t work that I didn’t spend with family.  It didn’t feel special at all but it was also nice and relaxing and uneventful.