Neak,

I, um... don't know how to tell you this... but, I can't walk on water! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

So, if I go the wrong way, there will be ...


.
.
.
.
only a brief trail of bubbles.

Besides, I'm back home already. Break it to her gently, OK?

I might as well tell y'all more about my trip.

I ended up staying at the Rescue Mission, but first, I had intended to stay at the "Elegante". It just sounded like a really nice place and I always wanted to stay in a really ritzy hotel at least once.

So, I got a ride over there with a woman on a Harley - who heard me talking about it and said she was headed over there. Funny thing, she kinda laughed when we got there, and rode off. It was, by then, about 1:30am. As I walked into the "Royal Ritz Elagente Motel and Pawn Shop", I noticed that the doorman didn't open the door. It was propped open with a big rock and he was just standing there looking around - up and down the sidewalk. and when I walked into the lobby, there was another doorman on the inside. Or maybe he he was a bellhop, but he didn't look very friendly. I didn't have any bags (having apparently left my bag in that truck that brought me to Toledo), so I guess he was just grumpy that he didn't have a chance at a tip. It was rather chilly in there, and most folk (evem the desk clerk) were wearing coats.

In the lobby, there was a very tall man in a full length fur coat sitting on a green velvet sofa - with too young ladies sitting on either side. Boy! Did those girls look cold! (with the door open and all) I was thinkin' that if that fella was a gentleman, he would have taken off his coat and it would have at least covered those girls' legs. But he just sat there, alternately looking very stern and smiling.

The desk clerk was busy. It took me a moment to figure that out. One side of the lobby was lined with glass cases full of pistols - and 4 or 5 men were walking around looking at them. One was mumbling something to the desk clerk and he was mumbling something back. He didn't even look at me, so I rang the little bell. Then, he looked at me .... like I had better not bother him again if I knew what was good for me.

The girls on the sofa shivered and fidgeted.

The tall man looked at the ceiling.

The inside doorman (or bellhop or whatever) looked through me.

I waited.... and waited... until the desk clerk had sold 6 pistols and there were still 4 or 5 guys milling around. Two or three of those girls on the sofa had gotten up and walked out - but some other girls had sat down in their places. I got to thinking that "The Royal Ritz etc." was probably full and they were too polite to say so... so I walked out too.

At just that moment, a white van drove slowly by with "Downtown Rescue Mission" on the side in big red letters - with a cross on there too. I stared at it, and the driver stopped and backed up, lowering his window. "You need a place to sleep?", he called out. "Yeah!", I replied. By this time, I was beginning to be a bit more flexible. "Come over here and let me look at you.", he said. That seemed strange, but I complied. "Get in", he ordered, jabbing his thumb toward the rear as the side door slid open. I complied. Just down the block, he asked me to get out and help some other customers into the courtesy van. I guess they had to wait a long time, because they were sleeping on the sidewalk! They didn't smell so good either.

So, at last, at a quarter to 3, we arrived.

But, as soon as I got inside, I had to listen to a lecture about "the rules". The rules could be summarized as "don't break any laws", but it took them at least a half-hour to say that. The two guys who came in the van with me were still sleeping, but I think they already knew the rules, so that was OK. The Rescue Mission guys gave me a "kit" containing a stained (but clean) towel, a bar of soap, undershorts, a t-shirt and sweat pants. I tried to tell them that I didn't need that, but they insisted - and insisted that I take a shower. "It's a rule", they said.

At last, I was in a cot, in a room with 7 others - at almost 4am it seemed.

I don't want to bore you, but they woke me up at 7 and made me do "kitchen duty". (One of the rules, apparently). I finally got out of the place at 9:30 - having still only had 3 hours' sleep! (but the morning Bible lesson was nice.)

How I got home is a story for another day.

I'm still exhausted. I'd better sleep. My own bed at home is a very nice thing!

-AD