Lord tundering Jaysus!

 It is 2:37am .  I just FINALLY got into my 'hotel' room. More on that later. 

My flight from Victoria to Vancouver. Uneventful.  Vancouver to Calgary.  Uneventful.  Calgary to St. John's.  Delayed by one hour but uneventful.  

I arrived at the St. John's airport just before midnight.  D'y'all remember my one Uber experience in Colombia where I got into the wrong car and it was somewhat traumatising.  And I figured it would just be safer for everyone if I just never used Uber again.  So, that...

While I was waiting for my carry on that I checked (which I also vowed never to do again but it was fine this time), I checked Uber to see what it would cost into downtown.  $22.   I went out to the taxi queue.  How much for a taxi?  $35.  Aversion to Uber ended immediately.  

I order my car, I checked the licence plate, I confirmed my driver's name matched the name on the app.  Check and check. Don was very nice.  Agreed that $35 was rediculous and dropped me at my 'hotel'.  And drove away.  

I lugged my backpack, my day pack and my ukulele up the stairs.  I had recieved a message from my 'hotel' on how to get in.  Keypad on the outside door, key inside to get into my room.  I even screen shot the code because I didn't know if i would have data when got here.  So far so good. 

I watch Don leave as I reach into my purse to get my phone.  Not there.  silly me, I must have put it in my daypack.  Not there.  I empty both onto the stoop. NOT THERE!! Curse words were expressed.  

So, me, my purse, my daypack, my backpack and my ukulele (in it's cardboard box), all head out into the rain toward the lights and noise of the downtown bars.   I find two security guards who tell me that there are a couple of Ubers on Water St.  I wander around Water St. which is full of drunk young people.  No Don.  I go back to my 'hotel' since if Don finds my phone, he will bring it there.  No Don.  it is raining.  My ukulele case is getting wet.  There is no shelter on the stoop of my 'hotel/house'.  But there are some garbage cans.  

Fingers crossed, I check the big one.  It's empty, and somewhat clean.  I stash my backpack and my ukulele.  It has a cover so at least they will be dry.  And I head back to the hopping bar scene that it downtown St. John's on a Thursday night.  

No Don.  So many taxis but Uber's don't have signs on them.  Eventually I find a guy in a car who is either an Uber driver or a drug dealer.  I knock on his window.  Not a drug dealer!!  He is an Uber driver.  And a very nice person.  REmember, I have no phone.  Which, to be honest, I could live without if not for the missing door code.  Anyway, he called Uber Customer Service who called Lost items who called Don.  This took a long time of getting bounced around but eventually, I went back to my 'hotel' and Don was there with my phone and I had to stop myself from hugging him on the rainy stoop. 

So, two for two with Uber.  

Don waited until I used my code to get in the front door.  The key was there.  So was a very freaked out downstairs 'hotel' guest since some strange man had been trying to open the door before I got there. I assured her I was just an idiot and she was safe.  

And now here I am in my comfy bed, in my dry room.  My bag and ukulele were not stolen out of the garbage.  So, in the end, it all worked out.  

Although, Uber charged me an extra $20 plus the huge tip I left Don. So, $35 is looking like a deal now.  

I'm sorry, I have no pictures since when I had my phone, nothing was noteworthy.  And then when things got noteworthy, well, I didn't have my phone at that point.  

But here is my room.  I'm going to sleep now.