I just returned from my trip to Baltimore for Jim's last surgery.
I stayed once again at the Best Western  mostly for the free parking, hospital discount and the shuttle service  back and forth to Hopkins.. They also offer a huge buffet breakfast , included,  and a reasonably priced lunch and dinner menu.The food is not bad and the kitchen also caters Toby's Dinner Theater which is on the premises.
 I don't know what it is about me, but it seems when I travel alone I tend to attract other people who are also alone and generally in the same situation.
 The first night I was there was my Birthday so I went to the dining room the have a few cocktails and dinner. I has just started on my first martini, when the older lady walked over to my table and asked if she could join me.
 I agreed, so we introduced ourselves and and began a conversation. She was from Michigan, outside Ann Arbor and was retired from U of Michigan for many years. She was in Baltimore to have a check up at the Wilmer Eye Center at Hopkins, which is #2 in the world, according to her, with Miami being # 1.
 She was born with one blind eye,which was not noticeable at all, and now has some sort of growth threatening her good eye. She hadn't been satisfied with the treatment at U of M so she had been coming to Wilmer for several years..
 She explained that last year she had stayed at the Days Inn at the Harbor but they had no dining in house and it had rained the entire time she was in town and it was difficult to find a place nearby to eat..
  Unfortunately, with our "IFFY " forecast for snow this time,  her  flight had already been cancelled for the next day already so she was happy to be in a hotel with amenities that she could use such as the free shuttle and the restaurant.
 I enjoyed our dinner together and even though she wasn't a drinker at all,  she didn't mind that I was.She finished and paid her bill and we said goodnight .
 The next day I went about my business at the hospital, taking the 6AM shuttle and staying with Jim in Pre op. When the surgery was completed, he was taken to a room on the 4th floor when I joined him.
 We decided to order lunch for him, and I ordered a guest tray as well. I like the system there. Each patient is given a menu and you call your own order in for each meal. It takes about 60 minutes to deliver it but it hand carried individually on a tray. Suddenly the staff decided that he needed to go to dialysis so by the time his food came he had been transported away. We agreed that I would leave for the day as he would not return to his room until after 7 PM.
 I thought about venturing out for dinner but I was extremely tired so I once again decided to dine at the hotel. Once again I was sipping a cocktail when Ann showed up again. She apologized for wearing the same clothes but she hadn't packed much for an overnight trip. So our conversation continued and we shared  stories about our traveling experiences, failed marriages, unfulfilled relationships, mentally ill children , recipes for making candy, etc etc. so many confidences that are easy to share with a stranger.....
 She turned up again the next day  in the lobby as I was waiting for the shuttle. The earliest flight she could book wasn't until Friday..  I was beginning to feel like I was being stalked, but I had  checked out of my room , loaded the car and wanted to spend a few more hours with Jim.
 She said she had bought a ticket for the dinner theater which was playing THE WIZ. I was sorry that I was leaving because i think i may have enjoyed the show but we once again said our goodbyes
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