My Bad!

After the show in Tupelo, MS, we boarded our buses for the journey to New Orleans. I was nervous about this check in because I have never had good luck at New Orleans hotels. It seemed my worry was for nothing as Brooke, the front desk agent, even met the buses outside with the key packets at 4:30am.

I staggered to my bed and was asleep by 5:30am. My cell phone rang at 9am with my contact in Biloxi asking why the group had not checked in last night. I explained we were checking in there tonight. “Oh, my bad.” She said and hung up. This had me spooked. I got up from bed and checked my hotel contract and rooming list. It was correct. It was her “bad.” I lay back in bed when the phone rang 30 minutes later. “The hotel is saying I have no room.” The bus driver said exasperatedly. I explained he was already checked in and pre-keyed. He should not tell the front desk he was there to check in, just that a key was waiting there for him. Situation resolved. The phone rang again. The hairdresser called to say the hotel had called her in her room to say she needed to come down and pay for her room immediately.

All room and tax charges are routed to the master folio and none of the touring personnel pays for their rooms. I called and spoke to two more front desk people.

Freshly showered and dressed, I walked towards the French Quarter. Bourbon Street was a mistake. There is nothing there except tee shirt shops, strip clubs and tourist restaurants. When I wasn’t dodging urine and stale beer, I was trying to get past tourists walking slow enough as though not to be noticed by an imagined motion detector.

I found a place for an early lunch and an oyster po’ boy sandwich. It was beyond perfection. I walked back to the hotel, packed up and headed down to the buses. Today is Valentine’s Day and like New Year’s Eve, it is a time when being single stings. The swirl of flowers, cards and chocolate-covered strawberries remind you that you have not found someone to share romantic silliness. Being away from home and the boss on tour means you are not going to anytime soon.