Tell Me The Truth, Do You Think I'm Pretty?

I'm sick.

No, not that kind, I've got a cold. Who the heck gets a cold days before spring?! I'm blaming it on the little girl with the sniffles at storytime when I tool my daughter to the library last week.

I hate being sick. I really do.

I've been wanting to do a little bit on all the things you can find at a hotel, and I guess this is as good a time as any. So, what if you are staying at a hotel, or more likely, a motel, and you get a cold? What to do?

Well, you'd be surprised at what those people have behind their desks up there at the front desk. Most clerks will have little packs of Tylenol or even Alka Seltzer, and that might get you through a night, or at least through a day long enough to get to a pharm to pick up something a little more potent.

But here's my few tips for helping out in the hotel room when you are feeling bad. Most rooms have coffee pots in them, or hot water in a lounge, which will really help sooth a sore throat. Stuffed up nose? Open up that little picnic pack they give you with a fork and spoon. Get the salt out and mix that with some warm water. It works pretty well as a decongestant. Aches and pains will melt a little in a really warm shower, but I wouldn't recommend a bath. Oh, a bath would be good, but you really don't know who's feet have been in there before you. You're already sick enough.

I always liked to think about little tricks and tips while I travel. I've become pretty good at packing well, but if you forget stuff, it's kinda fun to go see what you can find. Most places have a cheap toothbrush and toothpaste. But bring your own razor. The ones most hotels keep are probably good for bloodletting, but not for my chin. They are, however, pretty good at removing pill and fuzz from sweaters.

Once, my wife and I were heading out for a fancy dinner in some cosmopolitan city we were visiting, and I wanted to tame a vicious cowlick so I didn't look like Dennis the Menace. Mixing a packet of sugar in some water makes a pretty nice hair gel.

At least the bees thought so.