Travel Inn: No Vacancy

I traded McDonald's and their free wireless for Joe Patti's Seafood Market which according to Yelp is the best spot in Pensacola for fresh seafood. Welp, Yelp didn't tell me they'd be closed at 7PM on a Friday...

Sam's Seafood across the street was not closed, however, and had a sign that boasted "best grouper sandwich in town." I'll tell you what, that was the best grouper sandwich I have ever had in Pensacola, FL.

After that I thought it would be nice to go to a cheap motel, lay on a bed and watch TV.

Nope.

Consuela Garmin led the way to Travel Inn. Sounds safe enough right?

I went in and slid my $32 (20, 5, 4 x 1's, 7 quarters, 7 dimes, 9 nickels, 10 pennies) through the bullet-proof glass.

On the way to my room, across the street and around back to a parking lot walled in on three sides, I met five of the locals... Four of them asked if I was partyin' tonight: weed, coke or boys/girls? With one insisting that I was ripped off and should have stayed in his room. Would have only cost me $10.

Notice the duct tape over HBO

If I could just get to my room and lock my door, I'd be safe. Right?

Wrong.

My room did not have a lock. The dead bolt was missing. The latch was broken and the lock on the door knob did not latch.

Needless to say, I got the hell out of there.

When I told the sad looking man that I would not be staying and asked for my money back, he asked why. I told him my door did not lock. Not satisfied with my response, he asked if there were a lot of people out there, with a knowing look.

I nodded and he slid my money back.

On the way back to my car the first man I met came back up to me:

Hey man, you find your room?

Hey man, where you going?

Hey man, like weed?

Hey man, you gonna sleep in my room?

Hey man, gotta couple bucks, I can get a bowl of noodles.

After I was in my car, a woman with no teeth or clothes came up to me:

Hey man, come here.

Hey man, I need to talk to you.
NO YOU DON'T

Hey man, wanna f*ck?

Hey man, come back here!

F*ck you man!

I sped off to the nearest Walmart Bed 'n Breakfast, parked and listened to the rain soak Lucy through the night. Read more!

Should I stay or should I go?

I am on vacation until Thursday. As such, I had planned an exploratory journey along the gulf coast starting in Pensacola at the Naval Aviation Museum and ending in New Orleans.

While I was at the museum, I found out that the Air Force band was having a free show, including a catered dinner. I was set to go and then asked to leave because cut-offs do not count as business casual. Not to be deterred I found the nearest thrift store to purchase a pair of pants so I might gain entry to the concert.

The first Thrift Store I went to, Classy Cat Thrift Store, was not open.

On my way to the second, Salvation Army, a sure thing, I got a call from a 305 number. 305 is the area code for Miami and the FL Keys. It was a place I interviewed with in the Keys to offer me an internship AND an instructor position from Jan-May.

Holy smokes! Excellent news right?

Maybe.
This whole week I have agonized over getting this job and whether I would/how to leave my current situation, and gone back and forth between being really excited about staying in GA and miserable over it.

There are reasons to stay and reasons to go, and at this point I can barely see straight (partially due to the rain that continues to blast Lucy’s windshield and partially due to the news I’d just been dealt).

I get to Salvation Army and it's a grocery store now. They don't sell pants.

Confused and defeated I have taken refuge in a local McDonald's which I know from my couch-surfing days has free wi-fi. Here I can look up other sweet shit to do in Pensacola. I don't have any idea where I am staying tonight and until I figure that out, I can't exactly get on with my evening. I am half tempted to go get a sixer or three and go to a cheap motel and watch TV for the rest of the evening.

If I decide to go work in FL, I should probably go right back to GA to tell them in person. As it stands the next time they will see me is the first day of the next term of service.

I knew this was going to happen. I knew I was going to get this job and I knew it would be too little too late. If I don't take it I am going to be disappointed in myself for continuing on more predictable path. Currently I am staying afloat and I don't know if there's any way to do that in Florida (figuratively, obviously I could just go into the ocean and float all I wanted). Read more!

26

Today I turned 26. Read more!