A lot can happen in a few hours

But not a lot that gets you any furniture.

Last Tuesday I got a voice mail from The Frontmen that the truck was there that day (as opposed to Monday when it was supposed to be there) and that it was loading my furniture. The problem was that it was going to be there through the rest of the week loading other people's furniture as well and wasn't going to leave MD 'til late in the week. Surprising? At this point, no. Frustrating? Yes. Of course.

Tuesday was a long day at Math Camp, so I didn't feel like dealing with the hotel when I got home. Wednesday evening (around 9:00 PM) I called the front desk, asking to extend my stay again for another week(ish). Caesar (guy at the front desk) says, "We can do that, but there's one problem: we're sold out tomorrow night. There's a conference in town, and we're booked solid." [Insert: me, staring blankly at the phone] "What?" "But we're available again on Friday, so you could come back then..." "You're telling me that I've got to pack up all my stuff and move out of this room for one night but that I can come back again after that?" "That's right," he says cheerfully. " [Sigh]... okay" I respond, considerably less cheerfully. "How big is this conference? What about the other hotels in town?" "Hmmm," Caesar says (I can hear him shaking his head), "The last I heard they were pretty full."

I get off the phone and decide to call around. I search every drawer in the room. There is no phone book here. I call back downstairs and ask Caesar to connect me to the H.I.Express (the only other hotel I can think of in town that doesn't have the word "motel" in its name). He does (and then charged me for that call, I might add). HIE had one available room: smoking. Not worth it.

B/c it is The South, of course we have family friends who live in town; so I call Mz. Julianna, apologize for the short notice, explain the hotel situation, and ask if I can please use their guest room the next night. She says yes (thank you!), and I start packing up some of my stuff that night. I had only really "stocked" the room as of the day before to try to settle in for the week ahead: I had actually bought groceries. I had been to the library and gotten books. Now, I have to schlep all that stuff to the house before I go to camp in the morning. I have to take it there b/c it was 95 degrees last week with 105% humidity, and very few things can survive in a car in that kind of weather all day. Diet Cokes explode, lipsticks melt, and milk... well, let's just stay that you don't want to see (or smell) that milk ever again. EH-VER.

Math Camp starts at 8:30, but summer school is in session and starts at 8:00 => if you don't get to campus by 7:45, there's no parking. So, I get up very early, pack, & make 2 trips to the car (groceries, laundry, etc.) to load up. On the 3rd trip I stop by the front desk to make sure they didn't need anything else from me and joke with the girl, "I have to move out b/c of the conference, but I'll be back tomorrow night." "Let me see if I have any cancellations," she says. Qu'est-ce que c'est? (to quote Durant). "Really?... I mean, I could change rooms or something, if that would help..." "Oh, I don't think that will be necessary" she interrupts. [Insert: me staring blankly at her] "What?" "You're fine where you are; we have room. How long did you need to extend your stay?"

First thought: "Oh my gosh! I love this girl." Second thought: "I'm going to kill Caesar." First words out of mouth: "A week would be good; thank you SO much!" Third thought kicks in: "I gotta' haul all this stuff back upstairs?" Fourth thought quickly follows: "I am going to kill Caesar!"

So, back I go to the car, and fight my way several times back up the elevators with all the conference-goers hoofing it downstairs for the breakfast buffet. I've rarely seen people so excited about free bagels and cereal. There might have been waffles out that day, though. That would have explained the crush.

Theoretically my furniture is arriving tomorrow at what I've began to call my "weekend home." We'll see. A lot can happen in a few hours. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if the truck was attacked by a flock of wild birds or something else equally likely. Does insurance cover flocks of wild birds?...