THE CHEAP MOTEL

                                                              Dad and I in 1994

     When I get to missing my Dad and I start to get down in the dumps I remember the fun times we had as a family and think of memories that make me smile. This memory definitely does that.       One of my favorite trips of all times was when my sister Damara and her husband James rented a large 12 passenger van in September of 2001 and we went on an adventurous road trip to Washington DC. Mom and Dad, Sarah, Nathan, and of course Tiffany and Jared went too.

                                                  The day before 9/11 hapened.

     One night it was getting really late and we were all ready to get a hotel room and go to sleep. We were having trouble finding the right one, you'd have to know my Dad to understand. My Dad absolutely LOVED a bargain, and couldn't stand to pay much for anything so when we saw this little cheap looking hotel we stopped and Dad and I went in to ask the price and check it out.


   I was 21 yrs old but of course that still embarrassed me. Everybody else waited in the van.
  The price was right but Dad wanted to see a room to make sure the rooms were clean. The man behind the counter just grabbed a set of keys and handed it too us.
   "Go ahead."
    So Dad and I went outside and looked for that specific room number. Aaah! We found it and I put the key in and unlocked the door as it was opening I could see inside the dark room and the floor was littered with trash and there were two big lumps in the bed.     My heart jumped to my throat when I noticed the lumps were moving and ....talking!    "What is..."  
    I immediately stepped back and tried to close the door but Dad was standing there, he didn't know! I didn't have time to explain and I was too freaked out to use my voice so I just pushed him back with both my hands, and quickly closed the door.
   "Somebody is in there!"  I whispered in a breathless rush.

                  
    My Dad didn't say a word he just turned around and sprinted! I was left in the dust, I quickly tried to take the keys out of the door and I could hear movement and footsteps on the other side of it.    I panicked!    Finally the keys were out and I turned around to leave, Dad was about 5 miles away all that was left of him was the sound of his far off footsteps. I got two giant steps away when the door swung open loudly and a huge football player looking guy stepped out.   "What is going on!" he said it in a rough angry voice and it was more of an accusation than a question.    My throat went dry and my ears burned with embarrassment. I stopped in my tracks and turned around. My tongue felt heavy, and I was wishing my Dad hadn't turned yellow and ran, my Dad, my hero. Fathers day was only 9 months away and I was not going to forget this!   I murmured my explanation and before the man could open his mouth to say anything I apologized and high tailed it.  As I was rounding the corner to the office I imagined shadows following me, was it the not-so-jolly green giant? Dad was already in the van and I just tossed the key on the counter and hollered as I was leaving. "There are people in that room!"    Dad was in the car and they were backing out. I jumped in and we left needless to say we did NOT stay at that motel.    One thing good about times like those, they make extra good stories to tell and as the years go by, the stories get funnier and I cherish them even more with each time they are told.

                             This was a picture we took at my uncles house near Washington.
                                    Yep. That is my Dad, he was a fun kinda guy!

                Here is Dad checking out the gym in one of the hotels we were at.
                         You can see Damara taking the picture in the mirror.

                  Breakfast at a hotel on that trip--not THAT motel.