Re: [Story-telling-ag] Once upon a time there was no Internet...

[Dave Lawrence <[e-mail]>]

Olle E. Johansson writes:
> The two of us starting this list approach storytelling from two very
> different directions. 

I'm just garrulous, when the mood strikes.

A tale from Saturday morning, previously posted to my Facebook
connections:

I've stayed in this hotel a few times before, yet its labyrinthine
pathways continue to hold new surprises.

When I checked in on mobile during the week I spent in Newark on
Thursday, the Hilton app provided a nice new feature to let me choose
my own room.  "Oh look," sez my internal narrator, "one left on the
23rd floor!  Isn't that the top?" *nab*

The only real downside is having to share an elevator with boisterous
conventioneers who need to stop at half a dozen floors on the
way. Come on, people, settle down. I'm trying to catch up on podcasts
here.  I'm way behind!

Anyway, room achieved. Last night I slept 10 hours and it was
glorious. First time in a looooong time.

When I left for breakfast this morning, I headed through the labyrinth
to where I remembered the elevator to be, and met a closed door with a
dark room beyond.  "Huh," arose my inner narrator again, "Are you not
as good at natural orientation as you believe yourself to be?"

Housekeeping staff delivered the news. Did I say there was only one
downside to being on the 23rd floor?  "Sorry luv," she would have
started if she were Yorkie, "the lifts are closed."

As fortune would have it, her manager was also on floor, and was
empowered to send me down the service lift to mezzanine level... where
the main service corridors were in an even more tangled web than the
halls outside.

After a helpful staff member led me down several pathways she
eventually realized I was not new staff and needed to go in the
complete opposite way. It was a solid long walk back.

I should have snapped a quick pic or two of the inner workings, but
didn't think of it until I was out so you only get one of the closed
tower lifts. [Not attached here to storytellers@.  You lot are
doubtless familiar.]  With a quick hug and a kiss goodbye (no that
didn't happen) I thanked my impromptu guide and emerged to the
brightly lit halls of the hotel proper.  The next challenge was to
find the Hackathon, but first: victuals!

Breakfast was good.  Not a full English but I did a reasonable
facsimile from the buffet. Went to the wrong wing first for the
Hackathon, but this at least had signs to set me right.

It's raining in London today.  Who would have thought?  The surprises
never stop.