Ticking off the miles
February 8th, 2009 by rsm
I figured it up. Well, I also saw it in the latest oil change. In the last 2 months I have put over 10,000 miles for the Army on my personal vehicle traveling from one place to another. I’m back out again.
School starts in a few hours. I have to go report in. Normally I like cheesy, 50s motor lodges, but when I rolled into town last night, I was NOT in the mood for any of that. I wanted a good night’s sleep, but there’s only so much the Army will reimburse a soldier for in terms of their lodging. Makes sense. Otherwise we’d all be getting deluxe suites… just ask any state official who’s on a “business” trip.
So the first place I pull up to… yeah, police show up as I’m checking in. I never sign. I bid them a good evening. Next place… checked in, amid a lobby full of loud, drunken 50+ year old German women.
Get to the room. Completely creeped-out. I’ve seen better rooms in a David Lynch dream-sequence. Then the bugs ran across the bed. Yeah, quick call and a refund. (”Sir, refunds may take a couple of days to appear on your credit card.”… “No problem. If it is not there in 24 hours, I’ll contest the charges and file a credit-fraud report.”)
But there’s a particular hotel chain that always seems to provide a great place. Rhymes with Brampton. I’ll be shelling out an extra $50 of my own money just to have stayed here, and it’s worth every penny. Much better to have a comfortable night than start off a new school battling crab-louse. After all, I’m not in the Navy.
Those places remind me of a place we stayed once when I was a kid. The bed sagged so much, my parent pulled the mattress down on the floor and found a switchblade knife! Needless to say, we didn’t stay there. *g*
The extra money is among the best bucks you’ll ever spend.
Things have improved a lot for the military since my days (it was post-Custer, but not by much). Military quarters used to be very bare bones, sort of like a youth-hostel in Bulgaria. Now, they are all a lot like Holiday Inns (of the ’60s design).
Asian quarters on bases were really pathetic.
But, on the road your per-diem will never cover it and if you frugally attempt to live within that limit you will suffer a Hobbesian existence–nasty, brutal and not as short as you might wish at the time.
I stayed in on of the “rhymes-with-Bampton” rooms when we were at Benning watching MacGyver’s baby brother graduate from Ranger school. Best night’s sleep I’ve *ever* had.
And, being a sleeper, I can say that I’ve had some really good night’s sleeps. But this one was, by far, awesome.
Though the “Heavenly Bed” at the Westin Arlington in DC that year was incredible too.
Given that you like cheesy 50’s motor lodges, I’m assuming you follow Lileks? Stay safe on the road and try not to enjoy school too much…
hmmm… seems to me the Navy’s sleeping quarters are much cleaner… least that’s what dad and squid tell me. are we getting less adventurous?
When I was in Grad School and was invited to speak at conference I would always (without exception) bring my very high tech sleeping bag with all its accessories.
It always assured me a comfortable, climate controlled & clean place to sleep, even in the nicest of hotel beds or the barest of dorm room floors.
In recent years, when I’ve flown during the holidays, I have always brought my sleeping bag along and can easily and quickly let my son lay down for a nap during flight delays.
Its the best investment I have ever made. Hopefully one of these days I will actually use it to go camping!
A gift for a brave warrior:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syC1ZGLqRMU