vancouver part deux

im sitting in the opus hotels complimentary business centre, which is a good thing since the in-room internet would run me CAN$17/night. thats steep even in funny money. im loathe to pay much for hotels, so reconciling $365/night was a hard sell. i was swayed by the memories of my first stay a year ago when my ex and i enjoyed a sleek and gorgeous deluxe room with an enclosed glass soaking tub for a spontaneous weekend up norte. im here again, this time with korean mean bean and thousands of homo americans eager to celebrate pride in a place that doesnt outlaw our relationships and families.

my expectations were unrealistic. the past few minutes have brewed a tenseness in my stomach borne of unrealized expectations. ive heard it said that expectations are a precursor to resentment. how true. call me naughty, but im on the verge of a tantrum. sure, i have travel diva tendencies, but the less than impeccable hotel check-in process was preceded by a maze of construction fencing. once registered, we found our tiny room adjacent to the workout facility. both boasted prime voyeuristic views of the busy restaurants across the street. when i opened our curtain, the movement and proximity caused three people eating dinner to look at me. just minutes ago, the friendly woman from housekeeping offered me two sets of earplugs for saturday morning construction. t-minus ten seconds to hollering.

i have been in host mode for the past 10 days. as a solitary bloke, 24/7 cohabitation is an exhausting experiment made more challenging when playing the role of key to the city for an international guest. im in rare form right now and fear what the next 24 hrs will bring. with disaster looming, i secretly hope for absurd decibels of construction noise tomorrow am so i can channel all of my personal chaos into a bitchy (yet well-crafted) letter to hotel management demanding a refund.