As my friends and family know, I rarely stray from a travel radius of about five square miles. When I do, it is usually to attend an event, visit a loved one or spend the day at Disneyland, an annual trek for the Strichart family. To prove my point, I drive a 2003 Honda Accord that sports about 45,000 miles.
Earlier this month I did a bit of traveling after being named the 70th Assembly District’s Woman of the Year. Thanks to Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, the award included a trip to Sacramento for a tour of the state capitol building, a lovely brunch and lunch reception and a very empowering ceremony honoring all of the California State Assembly district’s awardees. It was such a beautiful experience, thanks to Patrick O’Donnell and his staff in Long Beach and Sacramento, one that I will always remember.
Arriving the night before the event, I checked into a hotel near the capitol building and immediately unpacked. I wanted to make sure that my wardrobe would be wrinkle-free for the next day’s activities. After hanging up my clothing I checked out the in-room coffee service, safe, and all the other amenities, including the honor bar. If my memory serves me, I believe the M&Ms were priced at something like $17. Well, maybe just $4.50, nevertheless, a bit pricey.
As I was getting ready to leave the room to go find a place to have dinner, I noticed a small black velvet bag near the television stand. Knowing it didn’t belong to me, I quickly scooped it up and saw that it contained a lovely little silver necklace imprinted with the words “I Love You More.” Feeling bad for whoever lost the little treasure, I scurried downstairs and turned it in to the front desk. The woman there assured me she would try to find the rightful owner. She figured it probably belonged to whoever had the room the night before.
At that point it was nearing 7:30pm, and I was ready to find a place to dine. Walking just a block or two from the hotel, I found a Claim Jumper Restaurant. Knowing that they had a portion of the menu dedicated to gluten-free items, I quickly ordered my meal. Waiting for my food to arrive, I decided to call my hubby Steve and let him know that I arrived safely. After chatting for a few moments, I told him about the little necklace I found and that I turned it in to the front desk.
Just then he yelled out words that I will not print here. Shocked at his behavior, I was speechless. He then, in a very loud voice, informs me that he put the necklace in my luggage as a surprise. In a very stern tone, I told him not to yell at me and asked him how the heck I was supposed to know it was intended for me when I found it on the floor? Apparently it had tumbled to the ground when I removed my pants from the suitcase. After a few moments of a rather heated discussion, he insisted that I call the hotel and tell them what happened. Figuring I would just tell them in person, and telling him so, he argued with me and insisted I call the hotel’s front desk, “now.” Even after telling him that with my cell phone’s roaming charges, I could instead have paid for that over-priced bag of hotel M&Ms, and by the way, he didn’t think I was funny, I gave in and called the hotel.
The hotel clerk whom I had given the necklace to answered the phone. When I told her the story, she assured me that the necklace would be there for me when I got back from dinner. An hour or so later, Steve called me on my cell phone and apologized for being such a so-and-so. I quickly forgave him and wore the necklace the next day to the Woman of the Year event. Oh, believe me, I have told this story dozens of times by now, and I couldn’t resist sharing it with you, our loyal readers.
I want to thank Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell and his Long Beach and Sacramento staff for making my stay in Sacramento one to remember. I appreciate everything they did for me to make me feel comfortable and welcome.
