Theme Week # 6
I knew something was wrong when they handed us the keys with a map...
When my husband and I got engaged, we decided to elope in Vegas. Spending thousands of dollars on a wedding dress worn once, a reception, and flowers that would be thrown away after the ceremony seemed like a waste.
I booked the wedding at the Little White Chapel and the room at Circus Circus. My sister, Cathy and her husband, Steve came as our witnesses.
We flew in after one in the morning. The streets were lit up and people were everywhere. The city was hopping but our asses were dragging. All we could think about was getting to our rooms and passing out in our beds.
The lobby looked like the inside of a circus tent. The ceilings were pink, blue, green, and yellow striped. A large clown statue with big floppy feelt stood in the entrance. Everything was trimmed in gold. It was bright, cheerful, and tastefully decorated.
We stood in line 45 minutes before checking in. We took our keys and map and headed to our rooms. "This place is bigger than I thought." We followed the directions which took us away from the bright colors of the tent and into a dark parking lot. I asked the security bikers if we were going the right way. Dragging our bags over speed bumps, we saw our room numbers. "Tell me this isn't right!" The buildings just old. I'm sure the rooms are beautiful.
Cathy is the princess of the family. Her white sneakers stay white, her coasters are always neatly stacked, and a dirty house to her are a couple dishes in the sink. Opening the door to our rooms, I wasn't surprised to see her face go pale. Sleazy was too nice of a description. The furniture hadn't been updated since the early seventies. The dresser drawers were off their hinges and not able to close. The dark carpte was specked with white pieces of trash. The bathroom tiles were broken and the shower curtain was wripped. Trying to calm the situation, I suggested Cathy and Steve stay in the other bed in our room. Somehow, our room didn't seem as dirty as theres. "Just don't use the comforter", I warned. "We'll change rooms in the morning."
I had almost convinced them until Cathy pulled back the comforter. There it was. The dread of dreads. "I', not sleeping in this room!" I was right there with her.
My husband called the front desk and was told nothing could be done until the morning. He hung up the phone and Cathy's face got whiter. "There is no way I am staying in this room with a bunch of bed bugs the night before my wedding!"
We grabbed our bags and rolled them down the hallway into the elevator. The ride down was quiet but Cathy's eyes were screaming.
Speed bumps, security bikers, dark parking lots, and 15 minutes later, we were greeted by the clown statue.
At this point, the tired, passive, newlywed to be was now the ravenous pitbull frothing at the mouth. "Who do I talk to about our rooms?" The receptionist pointed me to the managers desk. The claws were ready. Once false word and the jugular was mine!
A chinese man about 5'2" tall greeted me. "How may I help you?"
"I came here to get married. I realize I bought the package deal but I don't think it warrants me sleeping in a room even a hooker would have a hard time with.
With a sweet smile and soft voice, "You're getting married? Had we known that, we would have arranged for the honeymoon suite." Nails retracted, I thanked the manager and gave my sister her key. We took the elevator to our rooms...no speed bumps, just a king size bed with fluffy pillows, and a very happy sister.
When my husband and I got engaged, we decided to elope in Vegas. Spending thousands of dollars on a wedding dress worn once, a reception, and flowers that would be thrown away after the ceremony seemed like a waste.
I booked the wedding at the Little White Chapel and the room at Circus Circus. My sister, Cathy and her husband, Steve came as our witnesses.
We flew in after one in the morning. The streets were lit up and people were everywhere. The city was hopping but our asses were dragging. All we could think about was getting to our rooms and passing out in our beds.
The lobby looked like the inside of a circus tent. The ceilings were pink, blue, green, and yellow striped. A large clown statue with big floppy feelt stood in the entrance. Everything was trimmed in gold. It was bright, cheerful, and tastefully decorated.
We stood in line 45 minutes before checking in. We took our keys and map and headed to our rooms. "This place is bigger than I thought." We followed the directions which took us away from the bright colors of the tent and into a dark parking lot. I asked the security bikers if we were going the right way. Dragging our bags over speed bumps, we saw our room numbers. "Tell me this isn't right!" The buildings just old. I'm sure the rooms are beautiful.
Cathy is the princess of the family. Her white sneakers stay white, her coasters are always neatly stacked, and a dirty house to her are a couple dishes in the sink. Opening the door to our rooms, I wasn't surprised to see her face go pale. Sleazy was too nice of a description. The furniture hadn't been updated since the early seventies. The dresser drawers were off their hinges and not able to close. The dark carpte was specked with white pieces of trash. The bathroom tiles were broken and the shower curtain was wripped. Trying to calm the situation, I suggested Cathy and Steve stay in the other bed in our room. Somehow, our room didn't seem as dirty as theres. "Just don't use the comforter", I warned. "We'll change rooms in the morning."
I had almost convinced them until Cathy pulled back the comforter. There it was. The dread of dreads. "I', not sleeping in this room!" I was right there with her.
My husband called the front desk and was told nothing could be done until the morning. He hung up the phone and Cathy's face got whiter. "There is no way I am staying in this room with a bunch of bed bugs the night before my wedding!"
We grabbed our bags and rolled them down the hallway into the elevator. The ride down was quiet but Cathy's eyes were screaming.
Speed bumps, security bikers, dark parking lots, and 15 minutes later, we were greeted by the clown statue.
At this point, the tired, passive, newlywed to be was now the ravenous pitbull frothing at the mouth. "Who do I talk to about our rooms?" The receptionist pointed me to the managers desk. The claws were ready. Once false word and the jugular was mine!
A chinese man about 5'2" tall greeted me. "How may I help you?"
"I came here to get married. I realize I bought the package deal but I don't think it warrants me sleeping in a room even a hooker would have a hard time with.
With a sweet smile and soft voice, "You're getting married? Had we known that, we would have arranged for the honeymoon suite." Nails retracted, I thanked the manager and gave my sister her key. We took the elevator to our rooms...no speed bumps, just a king size bed with fluffy pillows, and a very happy sister.
posted by Mainer at 5:56 PM
5 Comments:
I remember from the three-part piece about the waitress from hell what you guys are capable of saying if pushed to the wall. A good thing for Las Vegas they swiftened up in time.
This is nice: a description wrapped within a narrative. Description gets old unless kept to bite-size pieces which you handle very neatly here, wrapping each piece in storyline.
Only one question--is the "good-taste" of the lobby sarcasm? Oversize clown statues aren't usually part of my definition of tastefulness but then again, I don't get around much.
For a place called Circus Circus!
Are good taste and Circus Circus a contradiction in terms? I wouldn't want a clown to either be my decor or design my decor....
OK, OK! The clown thing wasn't exactly classy. I would have much preferred the Eiffel Tower in the lobby at the Paris Hotel. Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice romantic scenery for this thing called education.
John, the trip was bad enough. Do you have to take the clown away!
Maybe it was a classy clown--a Picasso type harlequin clown, an Emmett Kelley clown--or maybe it was Bozo or Clarabelle or Ronald Macdonald. The devil is in the details.
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