Enjoying Time With Yourself

Day Two In Chucktown.  Typically, several of my colleagues stay at Embassy as well, but not this time.  That means, when out of meetings, I am on my own.

An obvious thing you can do when you are on your own in Chucktown is SHOP!  Especially because the mall is right across the street from Embassy.  Needless to say I SHOPPED!

Not too bad, right?  Except I went back a second time.  Too embarrassed to show you the result of that trip!  I have a friend who purposely does not pack any outfits to wear when she comes to Charleston on business.  She says it forces her to shop for clothes because she hates to shop.  Can you imagine?  Maybe I could become her personal shopper?

Did only two miles on the hotel treadmill this evening because I figured I walked at least a mile at the mall.  “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” is getting really good.  Starts out a bit slow but stay with it!

Went out to eat at Tidewater Grill.  Some people have a problem with dining out by themselves, but I don’t mind.  Think about it……you don’t have to worry about talking with your mouth full and you don’t have to share the bread.  BTW, their menu is online, Lindsey!

At Manager’s Special I ran into a gal I’ve known since Junior High School.  I see her here quite often as she is a “regular” too.  When she saw me she said “So you are at your Home Away From Home”.  I thought “Cool, she read my blog!”  Thank you, Facebook!  And thank you, old friend.  You made my day!

Finally, one thing I really like to do late at night when I am alone in my room is look out the window at the city.

The view out my windows at home are woods, woods and more woods (and my neighbor’s stuff), so this is cool!

Until next trip to Chucktown!

What do you like to do when you spend time alone?

Home Away From Home

Back in Chucktown for two days. It was an audiobook drive…..”Led Astray” by Sandra Brown. Got behind a semi carrying what looked like a train car.  All of a sudden pieces from it started flying out of it and I had to swerve around them like a Nascar driver avoiding debris on the racetrack.  Traveling has its exciting moments.

I went to my Hilton Honor Account today and counted the nights I had spent at Embassy Suites Charleston in the past year.  Would you believe 50!  That means that I spent 1/7 of my year there.  I think that officially makes it my home away from home.

Home Away From Home

My room is one of the ones on the next to the top floor at the front of the hotel. Those are the ten smoking rooms 🙂 When I check in, I am greeted by first name.The bartender at Manager’s Special knows my drink as well as the bartender in the Sport’s Bar and Grill.I am not the only “regular” at Embassy Suites Charleston. Over the years I have met Helicopter Joe, Imaginary Joe, Computer Mike.It’s fun  to make up names about people you see on occasion, but don’t really know. I wonder if they have a nickname for me?

 I thought this would be a great time to introduce Embassy Bear. Yes, I actually have an official Embassy Bear!

See the logo on his little foot? He is happy to be back home for a couple of days!So what do I do while staying at Embassy? I am sans colleagues tonight so I went to the fitness room and walked three miles on the treadmill while reading “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Next, I went down to Manager’s Special……free drinks and snacks from 5:30 to 7:30.

Got this pic off web. Weird as she does not work here anymore!

My goodies! Miller Lite, Nachos and iPad!

Went back to room after only two “wine glasses” of beer 🙂  Embassy is great about keeping the place up-to-date.  Last year they replaced the carpet throughout the hotel and put in new flat screens in all the rooms.

My TVs at home are antiques so I like!

This year, they renovated all of the bathrooms.

It was interesting to stay here during that several month process.  The construction company was a fairly small one.  Met the “head guy” at Manager’s Special one night.  He was Russian I think……great guy!  I think the crew stayed here during the renovations.  They were always at breakfast and MS.  They started on the ninth floor and worked their way down.  Everytime I came here I couldn’t  believe the progress they had made!  They were on the third floor when I was here last month and they are finished now.  Kinda miss them.  One thing I can’t understand….all of the King rooms have only showers and the Doubles have shower/baths.  What is the reasoning behind that?  Did someone take a poll and the results showed that people who stayed in King’s were shower only people?  If so, they missed the mark with me.  I have King on my Hilton Profile but I am a bath gal all the way!  I WILL be changing my profile.

Okay, one more thing about Embassy tonight then I am off to bed…..conference call in morning before my meeting 😦 Embassy is an atrium style hotel meaning there is a big open area in the middle of the hotel that goes up nine floors.

Looking down from my room

For those of you who don’t know, I have a bit of a fear of heights.  It took some courage just to take this picture.  When I first came here, I had to hug the walls a bit when on the upper levels in order to stay as far away as I could from the rail.  I am happy to say that I am getting a bit better now. 

Facing demons at Embassy!

What is your favorite hotel?