CountryMouse's Refuge

I want to rave a little bit about where we stayed Sunday night. It's the Garfield Suites Hotel. It *says* that rates start at $99 a night, but we got a one-bedroom suite (and they DO mean a suite--it's like an apartment!) for $80!

The staff was very helpful, everything was immaculate, it was just so beautiful and posh and ROOMY and relaxing. I almost wish we could've stayed another night...but there's no place like home. :-)

The first best thing was the full kitchen--I need to be able to fix my own meals, and this was perfect. There was even a toaster, a coffee maker, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, glasses, plates, silverware, pots & pans, cooking utensils, etc.!

The second best thing was its being situated right on/near all the major bus lines. Bunnicula was able to hop the bus the next morning to come back out to our apartment (which is right on one of the bus lines) to check on it, to see if the electricity was back on and/or pick up a few other things for us. We don't have a car, so being at another motel/hotel would've been very very inconvenient in trying to find out our apartment's situation/condition. So this was ideal.

There was a nice huge colour TV (in an armoire) in the living room; and a smaller colour TV in the bedroom (which we never used because we were so tired). Both had tons of cable channels. We did watch a little bit of the local news in the living room before bedtime. We got a better idea of just how bad and widespread all the damage was around the area. =8-O

Next time we go to a hotel/motel, I need to remember to bring my laptop and not the UMPC: my UMPC only does WiFi but has no port for connecting otherwise to the 'Net. That was the only downside for me.

Anyway, if you *have* to be out of your home and stay in a motel/hotel in the Cincinnati area, the Garfield Suites Hotel is just lovely!

(cross-posted and slightly altered from a mailing list I'm on)

Cat'r called collect from a pay phone this morning to let us know he was okay. ::whew!:: Still no power at his house/in his neighbourhood in L'ville. He works across the river in Indiana, so he has been able to phone me from there today, plus he's finally charging his cell phone there too. :-)

Bunnicula made a quick run (and I mean "race walking" quick) to our nearest Kroger store around 9am. It opened early this morning, but thank goodness not too many people had found out yet. I can't eat regular food, so I needed a LOT of jars of Beech-Nut baby beef, Stage 1 (not another brand--the others put citric acid in--eek!). He cleaned them out of the 16 jars they had. He also got himself some soup, some Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs, and some turkey pepperoni. There was only one other person in line ahead of him. When people find out/probably have now found out that they are open, it will be like locusts descending. People are looking for non-perishable foods! Lots of folks are still without power. This morning earlier I had phoned a Kroger in another neighbourhood over, but they said their baby food aisle had been picked clean. That they did three times the usual amount of business yesterday.

The only thing I can compare this with (from what I've heard) is if, during war rationing times, some store would get sugar in or something "rare". Then there'd be a run on it. We've never had that kind of run on foods for an approaching hurricane, since, well, we don't GET hurricanes here...except we did. :-/ In the Midwest.

The place where we usually get our fresh meats and vegetables took a terrible hit and had to toss all their perishables. They were frantically opening last evening to sell what non-perishables they had. It's a Fresh Market store. I will phone them in a day or two to see what their status is re: meat.

Cat'r eats out, so he's been finding places to eat okay; B. and I are doing pretty well. He just got himself a hoagy from LaRosa's up the street (which I think did not lose power). He's saving some of the non-perishable stuff for evening or later.

What I have been twittering about today:

• 02:55 Slept 6:30pm to 1am. Have not heard from Cat'r for 12 hours. His cell phone dead I think, no power in his town still I guess. Worried. #
• 12:15 Cat'r's fine and at work. B. scored me *lots* of jars of baby beef. He got turkey pepperoni. Also canned soup &c. #
• 12:19 Once people know our local Kroger is open, it will be like locusts descendng. B. said there was only 1 person in line ahead. #
• 18:32 Have laptop on, checking battery. Battery goes down if laptop not used, 1 way or another. Supper now, Keith O. later. Maybe "Mad Men" too. #

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