When you spend a week in a hotel, you get to know the staff who are there daily. One day, while downstairs in the breakfast area, I was hanging out with Molly, watching TV - kind of killing some time while our room was being cleaned. Dan was out having his all-day physical for ORNL. I ended up having a nice conversation with the hotel assistant manager Vanessa. She became familiar with us and our efforts all week to find a house...and she asked how we were doing from time to time.
As the week went on, we had our company appointed relocation adviser show us around town and she took us to some rental properties in the Knoxville / Oak Ridge areas. She was very helpful, funny, nice and full of useful information.
One day, completely on our own, we found that incredible, giant home for rent out in Kingston. Again, on our own, we called about it and were told we could see the home the next day. Thus began our brief love affair with the "Harbour View" home. Our heads and hearts were clouded from rationality at the sight of that awesome home. Wow! We came back to the hotel in a daze that it could be our next home for just one year with the option to buy after that if we wanted to. We decided to think it over for a day or two.
We kept looking into other options, feeling that one had to be too good to be true. As we looked on Craigslist at a few homes, one did catch our eye...so we replied to the ad. Just so you know, anytime that someone needs your credit report just to look at a house...walk in - walk out...be warned...do NOT fall for it. No one needs your credit report just to look inside a house.
When you are desperate and tired, judgment can easily slide for what seems like a good deal. Long story short, we did a Google search on the name and company and found nothing but warnings about a scam. Dan ended up spending an hour or so on the phone getting protection and calling the card company about a "phishy" deal online. Dan and I were in a panic, feeling like we'd just given our most important information to the airwaves for anyone to use. Luckily, we are covered, protected and all is fine.
While Dan was repairing the possible damage, I was trying to keep a very squirmy and tired Molly happy. We had already checked out and were heading home, waiting in the lobby for a call from this bogus ad. What a waste of time and energy to be snookered when we were down. We felt so disheartened and disillusioned. About this time, Vanessa came over to talk with us.
Now, it should be noted that we had spent a sleepless night worrying about what to do. Then about 12am, 2am, then 4am, a drunk idiot from the restaurant next door was hassling our neighbor about something...banging on the door over and over with a six pack of Bud longnecks. Earlier in the day, I happened to notice this guy getting off the elevator holding his beer bottle with his cruddy finger stuck in the top...what a classy guy. That was just a tip-off...I do hate to judge a person by how he holds his open container of booze in a high class public place....but that's just me.
I told Vanessa about our house situation, the credit scare and the drunk moron that kept us up all night and smoked in his room...it really stank. She saw how we were so tired...maybe too tired to make a long trip back to Richmond so late in the day. She offered to give us one night's stay for free if we chose to. I told her we'd think about it.
Then I told her about the house in Kingston...and I saw her cringe at the mention of Kingston. She asked if we'd ever heard about the TVA Coal Ash Spill of Dec. 2008. Well, evidently there was a little accident there that caused a huge environmental contamination of the ground water and the whole town was affected, some homes were destroyed by the deluge of muck and filthy flood waters. I spent hours looking up info and was horrified at what I saw. Erin Brockovich is even fighting for these peoples' cause for gosh sakes!! Needless to say, we let that big house go. There is no way I would live in that town if I didn't have to. No wonder it was such a great deal. I think I cried a little bit on the inside, but was very grateful we were not committed to that house yet.
No one in Kingston mentioned this to us...the realtor, the Chamber of Commerce people...no one. Thank you again hotel manager for being honest with us!! This news after all that had happened just amazed us. We were stunned. We decided to take her up on the offer of that free room so our heads could stop spinning and we could get some rest.
What a week!
Miss Molly kept us entertained and busy through it all. She seemed to have a good time. Enjoy a few photos of the little one.
Ah, the couch is all mine. Can someone turn on the "TeeBee?"
Oh Great and Powerful TeeBee! When you are on, I am quiet and my parents can hear themselves think.
Is this bed mine? It is? 'nigh-'nigh!
Be honest. Does this hat make my head look big?
I am "write" handed.
I was so sleepy, I didn't make it to my own crib, so I slept here.
Who is that man talking to my daddy? (the waiter) Go away strange man that I do not know. I am going to make you go away with my ice-cold baby stare...go away, go away...not working, he's still here. Oh well, I'll just color.
So, you plopped me into my crib when I'm wide awake because I'm not helping you as I run around getting into things and messing stuff up while you're packing? That's isn't what you call "helping?" (note the snowy weather outside...)
Watching TeeBee with Daddy.
Checking out the freshly cleaned room after we got back from our day out.
No comments:
Post a Comment