I am staying at the Sierra Nevada House in my old stomping grounds, the Coloma-Lotus valley. This is a tourist area -- i.e., pretty much shut down in the winter. I am the only one staying in this antique hotel and there is no caretaker on the grounds.
There is a wraparound porch on the 2nd level where the rooms are. My room is in the back (#6, the Ranch Hand) facing a steep hillside. I have a cooler outside with milk and juice. This morning after checking email I poured cereal into my bowl and walked out -- in my bathrobe -- to get milk. The house cat "Lotus" came over and tried to sidle into my room, so I quickly shut the door. Poured the milk, turned around to go back into the room ... and the door is locked.
Okay... so I am outside in my bathrobe and slippers. The good news is that it is a full-length terry robe. The bad news is that all I have on underneath is a T-shirt, and the robe is a little small. Good news: it is sunny. Bad news: air temps still in the 40s. No room key. No car key. No public phone. And no other businesses for a half a mile in any direction (see aerial photo). I know the housekeeper is due sometime today, but since she only has my one room to clean, she might not come for hours.
WWASD? Hmm.. First ate the cereal. No sense tackling the problem with an empty stomach. I hung out on the front balcony while I ate, hoping to spot a familiar car driving by or the housekeeper pulling in, but no luck. Plan B. Check my car -- did I leave it unlocked? Nope.
Ahah! Across the road, parked along the river is a man getting fishing gear out of his trunk! So I walked across the highway in my bathrobe and slippers and explained the situation. John turned out to be a vet who has lost his job and his home and is killing time until 2 p.m. when he goes to the doc for his hepatitis-C checkup. And he is a kind man who put away his fishing gear and gave me a lift across the bridge, after apologizing that he has to start his car with a screwdriver. ;)
John dropped me off in front of the bakery and real estate office in the mini-mall, where I know enough people to figure I can get some help. I'm in luck -- the SUV belonging to the Sierra Nevada House owner, Howard, is parked in front of the bakery. But no one knows where Howard is. So I am wandering the mall looking for him. Yes, still in the bathrobe. And by the way, I really needed to wash my hair this morning. Running my fingers through it helped a bit but not much.
I thoroughly amused the tourists, who were first too polite to say anything, then openly laughed. My real estate agent was on the phone trying to track down Howard and laughing hysterically. Eric, the handsome fellow who owns the photo shop, came over to see the wacko who was wandering around in her bathrobe. When he came face to face with me, it was, "Donna!" Then he roared. "Didn't realize it was you entertaining the neighborhood." What could I do but give him a big grin and a hug?
Howard finally showed up. My knight until he threatened to make me walk back across the bridge... but I told him I had provided enough entertainment to Coloma for one morning, thank you very much.
Now I'm showered and off to my first client meeting. Sure didn't get much done this morning ... but making people laugh isn't the worst way to start the day. I can't stop chuckling myself.
Hope you all are enjoying your day's adventures.
hugs from Coloma
Donna