Editorial
Front Page - Friday, December 11, 2009
View from the Cheap Seats
Sweet dreams
Bill James
I find myself in Eureka Springs. I am here to prepare for a jury trial that is scheduled to go the first two weeks of the year. I am in a hotel that is on top of a bar. That is what I said, a bar. I heard about this “hotel” from a local attorney that is helping with the case. He knows the owner. I liked the idea of sleeping above a bar during the trial. I thought it would make a great story and at least a couple of good columns.
There is a restaurant beside the bar, and there was some twangy banjo music playing that could be heard while we ate dinner. I had the prime rib and it was pretty good.The room is cold and I shiver as I lay here typing this on my trusty iPhone. There is a sitting room, but I have thrown away better furniture than what is available to relax upon. The tv is in the bedroom and there are actually 30-40 channels on the cable. I was supposed to be here last night and decided to come today. I guess they decided to wait until I arrived to turn on the heat.
The heat has finally overtaken the chill in the room. It is now half past 11 and the banjo music downstairs has stopped. That is good, as they play directly below my bed. Sometimes what you think will be neat is anything but.The only problem I really have with the place is a pretty low level of security. My associate Birc Morledge, who is in the next room, put it best when he proclaimed that “I would feel safer sleeping in my home with my front door wide open.” Even though the locks are pretty weak, I think he exaggerates . . . just a bit.
That being said, I have piled several pieces of furniture in front of the door to slow down any would-be attackers. I am still vulnerable, but have certainly increased my chances of thwarting an assault. Plus, due to sheer luck, I got the room that requires a would-be attacker to go through the sitting room before they get to me. That will give me time to open my eyes to at least give myself a fighting chance. Birc, on the other hand, has the room with the bed right in front of the door. If they go after him first, I should be able to get away safely. That is, of course, to call for help.
As I type this, images of a movie with Clint Eastwood in a room above a saloon flash in my head. Sadly however, I do not have a cool hat and stick of dynamite to protect myself.
I am unsure about the freshness of the sheets. I may sleep on top of the sheets. The street in front is completely silent. The misting rain and the cold give downtown Eureka Springs the look of a Christmas card. It is time to go to bed.
Fortunately, I found the linens on the bed to be clean and had a pretty good night’s sleep. I did wake up to discover that, of course, there is no hair dryer and I did not bring one with me. In addition, the only soap in the place was hand soap. I used that to wash my hair before I tried to air dry it into a respectable style. Thankfully, it is raining outside and that gives me an excuse for less-than-perfect hair.
I was pleased to find that Birc also made it through the night alive. That cut down on the written statements and other
paperwork that would have had to be done before I left the premises. After we “checked out” by leaving the keys on the dresser, we went about looking for alternate arrangements for our upcoming two-week stay. I went to the New Orleans Hotel and negotiated a nice price that was actually very comparable to the price I had paid the night before. I like New Orleans and this particular hotel is actually closer to the courthouse. Apparently, Eureka Springs is a bit of a ghost town during the month of January. I can’t wait.
I now look back on my night above the bar with some fondness. I am also amused that I was actually concerned about my safety. In my youth, I would not have given the place a second
thought. In fact, I would have been happy to live there above the bar. Of course, in my youth, I did not always use the best judgment.
On the other hand, there are thousands of people here in Arkansas that would have given anything to have the warmth and comfort I had staying over the bar. Even with the banjo music.
That is especially important to remember at this time of year. That doesn’t mean I am going back. You see, as I get older I find that I like nicer things, warmth and comfort, with a minimum of risk. Maybe, I am just getting soft.
Regardless of the reason, I do not think I am alone, nor is it uncommon to feel that way in the CHEAP SEATS!
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