cashiers, nc

A couple weeks ago cal asked if the kids and I wanted to join him on a quick work trip in cashiers/the highlands. I was probably barely listening to him and said "sure!" I don't pass on trips out of town ever. Well he claims he told me, but I never heard it, that he'd be working from 9-4 aka the whole damn day. Two days before the trip I started panicking wondering what the hell am I going to do with the kids alone all day in such a tiny town?! Will they have two cribs at the hotel?! Is there a mini fridge for all the milk I'll have to bring for the twins?! Is there a washing machine?! Is there a drive thru of any kind where I could get food and not have to get every kid out?! Is there a grocery store?!  I mean so many questions and so much panic. Cal called the hotel (Hampton Inn at cashiers, not to be confused with the High Hampton Inn) and they assured him we would have two cribs and a mini fridge! So much weight lifted off my shoulders. I looked around online and found a grocery store super close to the hotel, a couple of playgrounds, drive thru food, etc. I was ready to go! I decided last minute to only bring workout clothes with the exception of one cute outfit in case we ate somewhere nice. Again, making life easier.  I wanted the trip to be mindless. 

When we make it to the hotel, cal runs in to check us in while I sat in the car with the kids. When he comes back out, he's livid. He said "they only have one crib and the receptionist was INCREDIBLY rude to me."  

MY CLAWS ARE OUT.  

talk shit to my husband and I'm pissed. But tell him that there's only one crib for two babies (aka no one will be sleeping the whole time were here) and I'm ready to go jerry springer on this bia.  

We both go back in with all the kids, so I'm ready to hold back because I don't want to set a terrible example for the kids.  I walked up and asked the lady (breanne) for her boss or manager's phone number. She points to the business cards on the desk and said "I'm not giving out their personal info!" I said "I don't need personal info. Just a way to get in touch with them. You haven't been accommodating in any way when we were promised two cribs, you were rude to my husband, and now you're being rude to me. You are in customer service and this is unacceptable." She immediately snaps back saying she wasn't rude to cal and he corrects her. He retells the entire story of his check in and how she was rude even before the whole crib ordeal. At this point she turns even more crazy and tells us that "she will not take being treated like this" and that we needed to "go to our room!!!!!" My blood was BOILING. we said "talk to you like what? We haven't raise our voice, we haven't cussed, we are simply asking for you to come up with a solution." Then she hits us with "listen here, I work here 4 hours a week and there's nothing I can do!" UMMMM well. I'm not genius in hotel operations but she could've done a number of things. First, she could've called her manager or even pretended to call. She could offered a discount, or an upgrade to a suite, or a gift card for a free dinner somewhere. Literally she could've done ANYTHING except lash out at us. I said "how about you look into who has the other crib. See when they're leaving. Maybe it's tomorrow night!" And she comes back with "I CANNOT GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION!!!!" Did I ask for their social security numbers? Their names? Their credit card numbers? Or even their room numbers? NOPE. Again, she could've looked. She could've even lied and said "they're here two weeks. I'm so sorry!" But she said she literally wouldn't even look. She did say that our couch in the room pulls out to a bed, HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA! A pull out couch for one year old twins. HAHAHHAHAAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHA! cal ends by saying "I'm sorry if you've got something else going on in your own life, but this is no way to treat customers that you've just left with no crib for one of their babies."

At this point I grab both managers cards and storm off to the room, only to look down and see that the number listed was just the direct phone number for the hotel (insert HUGE eye roll.) The good news was that we knew she wouldn't be working for more than 4 hours of our time here and we'd quickly be in touch with someone that wouldn't treat customers like absolute trash. 

We left and grabbed a great mexican dinner, grabbed a few snacks for the kids at the grocery, and headed back to the hotel for a swim, hoping to wear everyone out so they'd sleep like rocks.... On the pull out couch JKJKJKJKJKJKJKJK!! 

After their bath we went on with our normal routine, except stuck them in the crib together. I don't know how other twins are, but mine fight.... A LOT. actually 99.8% of the time. I knew it was going to be bad. But to my surprise, they were just laughing and talking to each other. They kept laughing and talking to each other for FOUR HOURS, until midnight y'all. The twins normally go to bed around 8. Cal takes Ellis and holds him in bed, hoping both would fall asleep and then cal could stick him back in with Vance. None of this ever worked and each baby had to be held off and on THE WHOLE DAMN NIGHT. these kids normally sleep 12 hours. oh. almost forgot to tell y'all, I forgot all my pajamas. So that was neat.

At about 3:30 am, I get the idea to text one of my best friends, Jeff Hammond, that lives an hour away to see if he would bring us his packnplay to borrow. He wrote me back an hour later and said he would. And at 10am the next day, jeff delivered. I don't know if I've ever been so happy to see anyone in my life.  

We drove around with Jeff, went to a playground, grabbed lunch, caught up and then he headed back home. I promised him I would bring it back to him eventually! The packnplay was a lifesaver!

We checked out the tiny house cal was working at and it was amazing! it was designed by unbelievable architect Jeffery Dungan. He's even designed a house at Alys Beach, one of my favorite places EVER. I LOVE the idea behind tiny houses and wish I could get my life simplified enough to have one. Maybe one day! But here's the one Cal was working:

We're back home from our trip now and I got the NICEST call from the GM of the hotel. She wanted to hear the story of what happened at check in. After I told her, she apologized over and over and over again. She asked what they could possibly do and I told her we left a bag of toys (ALL my kid's favorite toys to be exact) in the room and if they could ship those back we would call it a day! She said they would be happy to and then ALSO offered us a complimentary weekend stay if we would come back! Her customer service was amazing and we will DEFINITELY be back. 

Praying this rain stops before we go anymore stir crazy over here. These boys are going to kill each other! Happy Friday y'all!

xoxo-hannah