Not perhaps the brightest idea in the world

I was very conflicted last night and this morning regarding my planned trip to Cleveland today. I really wanted to make the drive, yet the television weatherfolk were predicting gloom and doom with the storm that was approaching. I dithered for a couple hours and then finally decided to err on the side of foolishness. Yes, despite warnings of a foot of snow falling and potential blizzard-like conditions at home and my destination, I hauled myself up here.

The highway wasn't all that bad. The people poking along were the ones making it more dangerous, and I say this as someone who drives a small car that weighs as much as half a ream of paper. I felt comfortable for most of the trip, so I didn't need to take the out I left myself.

You see, I already had made a hotel reservation about twenty minutes away from the festival site. That simply would not do in this case. Hotwire showed a fancy-schmancy hotel less than a mile from the event was available at the same price, although that doesn't include the hefty daily parking fee. I decided that I would have to stay there if I were to come. The only problem is that you pay upfront for your reservation with Hotwire. There's no backing out once the button has been pushed.

So, I decided that I would begin the drive without booking the closer hotel. If the weather was making interstate driving nasty, I would return home with nothing lost. If I made it to Cleveland, the first thing I would do is head to Panera to utilize their free wi-fi to make the reservation.

Of course, I got here and had to park deep in the overflow lot. A shuttle did transport me to the shopping center, but without easy access to my car, I lugged along some things I hadn't planned to carry on me. I headed directly for Panera and found that it was no longer there. So much for that plan. Fortunately, the building has free wi-fi, which I knew from past visits. I hadn't been counting on it because I'd found it to be flaky.

With my lodging settled, I marched over to the theaters and saw that my 4:45 p.m. selection was canceled. Another change in plans!

I sat through five films for the film. All the while, the snow fell steadily. A movie theater is a nice place to be on a day like today. The food court provided a nice look at the precipitation while staying out of it for the most part.

Tired after a long day, I was ready to check in at the hotel, pop on the computer for a bit, and then get some sleep. Of course, for a day that threw enough curveballs at me to keep me on my toes, one more awaited. Believe it or not, someone else was checking in at 1:45 a.m. and taking his sweet old time about it. What are the odds, especially in these conditions?

Oh well. I'm here, I'm safe, and I'm ready to enjoy some time away from home.