View From a Hotel Window, 1/21/16: Novi, MI
Posted on January 21, 2016 Posted by John Scalzi 24 Comments
Look! Air conditioning units and a parking lot! This view has all the classics.
I’m here for the ConFusion convention, my “home” convention, which promises to be a blast as always. If you’re in the area and have the weekend free, then, hey, come on down. We’re fun.
NICE
Tomorrow!
Ha! I used to work in the office building in the picture. Have fun at the con.
I’ll be there tomorrow! I’ve only missed two Confusions since my first in 1992,
Also vents! Don’t forget the vents!
Warning: Trite* aphorism follows. John, it’s not about what’s on the outside, it’s about what’s on the inside that counts.
On the other hand, they could paint the The Singing Butler on the roof and it’d be much cooler. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/9c/af/e7/9cafe7b8f71666430b2bc7cee91aa7a6.jpg
Or something. Why do they always paint big art on freeways where you only have a few seconds, or maybe a half hour during rush hour, to look at it?
*Is that redundant? Aphorisms are, by nature, trite, or the definition by the Lazy Man’s Dictionary (Google.com) calls it pithy. Pithy or trite?
See you there. My first con! Although I’ve seen you at ALA several times.
I will note that I am temporarily handicapped and not impressed with the con arrangements. There are no mobility carts available at this venue. I’ll be there in my evil orthotic shoes, bringing my own wheelchair.
Sorry Michigan doesn’t have anything to offer you in the way of snow. Sheesh. Where’s winter? Obviously vacationing on the eastern seaboard.
I see a car park.
John, what precautions do you take against hotel bedbugs? Did you encounter them often on your book tour?
Novi. I heard it’s named after railroad water tower No 6.
In Novi now, huh? Used to be in Troy, which is where it was several years ago when I went.
@Pogonip: My wife and I used to travel extensively (not so much these days after active working lives, now relaxing in retirement) and over the years she developed a set of rules for handling hotel rooms:
1) Stay in reputable hotels where you can assume (hope) they change the sheets daily. We like Hiltons, Hyatts and Sheratons for their quality and dependability but of course lazy, hurried, or disgruntled housekeeping staff can put guests at risk by shirking their responsibilities at any establishment.
2) Throw those unwashed beadspreads and foot blankets (what’s the deal with those things anyway?) well away from the bed as that’s where the vermin typically congregate to plot their attacks on your person.
3) Always leave luggage on those folding stands (backless lawn chairs to my eye) or atop dresser/tables – never on the floor.
4) Always leave clothes either suspended from hangers in the closet or left indide your luggage (they typically don’t clean drawers so you can imagine placing your undies in there, then essentially sharing the undies of many previous guests who also used those drawers for their unmentionables! Ugg!
5) Whatever you do, NEVER take someone’s recommendation of checking the bed and room with a UV light. Steps 1-4 above will help to protect you, but honestly, there are always going to be things that are out of your control that you simply do NOT want to know!
Otherwise, enjoy your hotel stays! :-)
Side note about travel outside the US: lucky to never get really sick during dozens of overseas trips, but last time in Mexico (San Miguel de Allende – we may move to, or at least winter there) we were cognizant about the water, drinking only bottled water and even for brushing teeth. Then sitting in a nice restaurant sipping on pre-meal Margaritas one night I realized all that crushed ice probably didn’t come from a bottle. Got a touch of Montezuma’s Revenge but only for a day. I switched to cerveza and tequilla after that episode!
Oh hi! You are practically in my backyard! I hope you have a wonderful time!
P.S. If I were your hostess/friend/knew you, I would take you and your colleagues to Indofusion in Novi because it is the best food around. Then I would invite you for coffee at the Tuscan in downtown Northville. Alternatively, I would offer you downtown Plymouth, which has some good restaurants, bars, and an independent coffee house (PCBC), and also good walkability. All of these are within fifteen minutes of you. The crossroads at Eight and Haggerty is not the worst by any means, but it is very chain-y and big-box-y. Which, if you are cool with that, means you have quite a lot of good food/bar choices. Enjoy!
Perfection!
I can see my house from there!
Really should have a Prisoner convention in Novi. (Anyone else see the connection?)
One hopes that the storm doesn’t malinger there on its way to plague the east coast!
I met your wife at the con last night. A bunch of us were bunched up in the hallway, waiting for the reception doors to open. I asked the woman next to me if we knew each other. Turned out I was recognizing her from your pictures here. She was very gracious. So tell her the librarian in a wheel chair says hi.
Actually, bed bugs tend to congregate on the corner bottoms of mattresses and box springs, too. (Was head housekeeper at a hotel for a number of years…) not just under carpets, inside furniture stuffing, inside pillows, etc. good hotels get infestations too as guests coming from other places bring them in. But if the hotel has good staff, they should catch the infestation before it starts to spread… Never a pleasant experience, but our maids inspected bottoms of mattresses when changing sheets (and I inspected EVERY mattress and box spring myself at least once every two weeks – getting five to six rooms every day) for signs of the foul things. Ugh!
Be glad you’re not visiting the East Coast this weekend!
Thank you RJ and Pat!
I know this hotel well. Lol. Been there, stayed there. There’s an Einsteins Bagels across the street if you need one! ;)
Just about a year ago
I set out on the road
Seekin’ my fame and fortune
Lookin’ for a pot of gold
Thing got bad and things got worse
I guess you know the tune
Oh Lord, stuck in Novi again