Ask and you will receive...eventually

We have discussed asking for what you want when dining out rather than just accepting whatever is on the menu as the only way to successfully tackle our eating choices. I am a firm believer in that approach. I am careful to be respectful when substituting one menu item for another and don’t go overboard in my requests.

Taking care of yourself needs to be a priority, and last evening, when I checked into my hotel, I got to experience that first hand with my room. I approached the hotel desk person with a big smile and greeting. It was close to midnight, the lobby was empty and I was tired. I mentioned how nice it would be to have a room that looked at something “pretty” as I was staying at the hotel for six days.

I then proceeded to the room on the second floor of a nine- story building. I opened the shades to see my “pretty” view and found a gigantic flat roof that was even with my windows. Never mind how ugly that was, because it was, I didn’t feel safe. It was the equivalent of staying in a first floor motel room, which I don’t do either if I am alone.

So, I left my luggage in the room, went back to the desk, and explained that the safety issue was a deal breaker for me, and I needed to change rooms. I also told her that the view from the window was far from “pretty.” She told me that there was only one room in the hotel left and it was a smoking room.

I now was faced with the lesser of two evils…my safety versus my health. I chose the smoking room with the caveat that I would move, yet again, in the morning to a non-smoking room once people started checking out.

I never unpacked my clothes because the room smelled that bad. I couldn’t open the windows because they are permanently shut, so I went to bed and waited for this morning to get out of there.

And, as of two visits to the front desk to get it to happen, I am now in a non-smoking room…one floor above the room I started with over the roof. But at least it’s higher up, so I’m done moving around.

Based upon this saga, it should be easy to ask for a vegetable instead of pasta substitution the next time I’m in a restaurant.

Talk to you soon.