Whereever I May Roam

Depending on what type of traveling I'm doing (and who is paying the bill) I like to stay in hotels. Now most people probably wouldn't argue that point, but trust me, when in 'livestock/farm' mode there are other options -- staying in spare stalls in the show arena--sometimes necessary if security is an issue, sometimes just nice because the work just starts after the show day ends, and preparing for the next day's show often means being up until midnight, so sacking out at the show barn just makes sense in that way as well, it is also a lot of fun to be a part of that after hours commradarie that takes place between all of the 'stay at the barn' crowd. In some cases the barns are not all that pleasant, but for the last two reasons we want to stay 'at the barn' without staying 'in' the barn, so we stay in the trailer. Now it's okay, I mean we have matresses, and portable cots, and most of the comforts of home from coffee makers to portable DVD players, so it's not exactly roughing it (depending, of course, on your idea of 'roughing it').

But there are times I just do not want to stay in a barn, or in a trailer no matter what 'comforts of home' we have with us, so, that area of life being what it is, and costs being what they are, and the fact that we are paying for it, means I'm on the hunt for cheap hotels. What's really nice now is that even the cheaper hotels usually come with small refridgerators, coffee pots, even complimentary coffee making supplies as well as full-sized beds (okay that goes without saying, but just for comparison, a bed beats a cot, no matter what kind of mattress you have for the cot). I think age has something to do with it too, in years past, sleeping in the show barns had a sort of excitement that went beyond the necessity of working late, and even the fun of the after hours crowd... it was just fun period... lately, that boat has sailed and achy bones and chilled muscles overtake any 'fun' of sleeping in a barn at night.

Showing is still great though.

It does make me enjoy book tours and such much more. I'm not footing the bill then, and the hotels are just that much nicer--as a rule. At least, up until now I've never been asked to stay the night in a book store. LOL