All Things Bubba

Well, I guess I'm committed. I bought my plane tickets to Phoenix tonight. It's not real convenient, getting from upstate NY to Phoenix. I have a 36-minute layover in Charlotte, NC. Yes, I know. That short a layover is trouble. But there was no way to avoid it, without a lot more expense and inconvenience.

I rented a car, too, but still have not booked a hotel. There are lots of hotels in the Phoenix area, and I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to get something, somewhere. Right now I'm leaning toward a Super-8. Older, not fancy, but clean and with free high speed Internet access.

Of course it would be nice to stay in a better hotel. I'll wait a few days, and see if any deals appear. When I went to Providence, I got a room in a five-star hotel for less than the Comfort Inn in Pawtucket (which was sold out anyway).

Though Phoenix hotel prices really aren't that bad. The Four Points Sheraton, where the Mariners stay, is only $127 a night. Somehow, I always envisioned major league baseball players staying at more luxurious digs.

I'm also surprised that the team hotel isn't sold out. You'd think the lure of possibly running into Ichiro in the elevator or at the ice machine would be irresistible to fans. (Though they probably have a secure floor for their celebrity guests. And I bet they never have to wander the hotel in search of a working ice machine, either.)

Anyways, I hope I don't regret this. No, it's not going to bankrupt me. But all signs are pointing to a downturn in the economy. It could be bad. Like, Great Depression bad. I can't help wondering if maybe I should be saving more money instead. From what I've heard from people in the banking/finance business...what's going on now with the mortgage crisis is like nothing anyone has ever seen. They honestly have no clue how it's going to turn out, and they're a lot more worried than the media is reporting.

OTOH, if my future will involve sleeping on a piece of cardboard on a sidewalk grate, maybe that's all the more reason to live it up now.