Red Roof Charleston North

Miserable in 2005 at the Inns of Charleston - AFB

by grandmaR

"Feb 26th - Saturday"

We were on our way before 10:00 and drove the rest of the way up US 278, and turned toward Beaufort. I had intended to go into Bluffton and take pictures of the Squat and Gobble, but when I had done my medications for the next two weeks I discovered I was almost out of one of them, and I needed to get a refill at the Charleston AFB pharmacy so I didn't stop.

When we got almost to Beaufort, I wanted to go up 21 to US 17, so we turned at the appropriate place, and promptly stopped for a funeral with several white limousines to turn into a little church beside a trailer park. I don't know why they had to stop all the traffic on the highway until everyone got parked, but they did. It took many minutes.

We got to the AFB about 12:30, and found that the pharmacy closed at 11 on Saturday and did not open again until Monday. Bob cashed a check and we had lunch and he went to the commissary. Bob didn't think we could get out to our son's house before he left for work, so I called and talked to him, and we checked in about 2 hours early. Bob elicited the information that we could call and extend after we had stayed here one or two nights.

While we were waiting to check in, I called our daughter and found out that the East Martello Tower where I had ordered Bob's b-day present had gotten the wrong address for sending it to our son, and that's why it hadn't arrived yet. Also our granddaughter had forgotten to take her mom's 25th anniversary present home to her.

The room is on the second floor and there is no elevator. We have a living room with a TV and a kitchenette, a bathroom which passes through to the bedroom with another kitchenette. No utensils or plates.

We went down and looked at Lucette's boat and phoned her to tell her that it was OK, but the electricity isn't on at their boat. I also got my passport stamped at the Fort Sumter visitor's center.

Then we went to Lowes for Bob to buy some solder to fix the plumbing when we get home and we had dinner at Sticky Fingers.

"Feb 27th - Sunday"

Bob has a bad cough and doesn't feel very well. He didn't sleep well, and this morning he explained to me that all the water sounds that I've been hearing is because there is a leak in the toilet and it flushes every 6 minutes. He looked at it and said the flapper was too small.

We drove out to our son's and had a nice stuffed pepper dinner that our DIL prepared. Sneakers was begging at the table - he was really cute. SOMEBODY must be feeding him.

I saw our granddaughter's medal that she won for her drawing. Our grandson's drawing of himself and his dog is up on the dining room wall. We got to hear our granddaughter play the keyboard and our grandson play the violin.

They have a new black kitten. They gave Bob his birthday presents (nuts - pistachio and almond).

When our son left for work, we left too. Bob isn't feeling at all well, and the room we are in has no utensils or plates. So I stopped at KFC and got some chicken and sides in dishes that I thought would work for cereal. Bob was miserable all night and did not get much sleep.

"Feb 28th - Monday"

The Mercedes was hard to start this morning. We went to the Inn and asked for two more nights, and canceled the reservation at the Goose Creek EconoLodge. Then we went to the pharmacy, but they don't stock my prescription.

While Bob was in the Exchange, I looked up the Navy Hospital on the map, so we drove down there. Security there is really tight - they not only wanted to see Bob's ID, but mine too. They don't carry my medicine either. They suggested I go to a civilian pharmacy. So I did. But the civilian pharmacy said there was a SC law against importing prescriptions from another state, and I'd have to get my doctor to call them. I know he's not in the office on Monday, plus I have no confidence in his office calling anyone back

I have NO pictures from today or tomorrow.

"March 1st - Tuesday"

Bob is still miserable. Plus he tried to start the MB and it would not start. The battery is getting run down from trying to start. I called the desk and they said I could not get a tow truck unless we could get to the gate (about 2 miles) and escort them in. She gave me the number for security.

Security told me that they were prohibited from jump starting a vehicle with any AF vehicles. He could hear Bob coughing in the background, so he said that he'd allow a tow truck through the gate if I could get one to come and called him Our son would not be allowed through the gate either unless we could come and escort him in. So I called him and told him that we could not come out today. We were all disappointed and frustrated.

Bob thinks that a new battery will solve the problem but we have no way to get one. He also thinks that the cold may have something to do with it and we have no extension cord to plug in the block heater (it's a diesel). We walked to Burger King for dinner - it is cold and damp, and he is worse than ever after that. Plus I've started coughing too like I was in \ Key West.

"March 2nd - Wednesday"

We got a bit more sleep last night and feel better. Bob has had an idea - there is an Enterprise rental car place on the base. We will rent a car and go get a battery. So I call. They say they will be here by 10:30. Bob goes out to try to get the battery out of the MB and discovers that he is missing a socket wrench and can't get it out. (It actually has gotten down to the bottom of the tool box so he can't find it.)

After we get the car, we go to the exchange and they don't have any helpful tools. Then we go to Walmart, but they don't have the right size of battery. Finally we stop at Advance Auto Parts. He's forgets to buy an extension cord, but he gets a jump start thing that you plug into the wall to charge the battery on IT and then unplug and take it out to the car and jump the car battery with your charger.

Then we go to our son's and they give us lunch. Our granddaughter is home from school on a half day. Bob and our son go to install the new battery in the car. We go to get our grandson at school - he has to ride two buses plus the school has no lockers so he has to carry one or two instruments and all his books around with him. I think his backpack is heavier than he is. But he made a mistake and rode the bus, so we go back and pick him up at the bus stop.

Bob and our son come back and say the MB still won't start with a fresh battery. So we will have to try the charger to jump it tomorrow.

I thought I saw a Bessingers BBQ place on Trolley Road, so we go out to see, but can't find it. The phone book only has one on Savannah Rd (Route 17) which I must have seen on the way to the hospital. So we had dinner at McAlister's.

Our son and grandson shared a 6" French Dip with potato salad ($5.79), and our daughter and DIL shared a BLT ($5.19) and a bacon spud ($5.39). Bob had 6" roast beef and cole slaw ($4.99), and I had The Big Nasty ($7.54) which was roast beef with cheddar, and onions. I had a fruit cup and potato salad on the side. I didn't realize that our son and DIL were sharing their sandwiches, nor did I realize that The Big Nasty came with gravy on it. It was all good, but Bob and I couldn't finish ours. If I'd known how big it was, I'd have shared with Bob.

"March 3rd - Thursday"

Bob got us up pretty early so that we could try the new jump start device and jump the car. It still would not start. So....

I started phoning, while Bob stuffed everything possible into the little compact rental car (coughing as he did so).

First I phoned the local Mercedes dealer and explained the problem. Wonder of wonders, the guy I spoke to was very helpful and said he could send someone out to give it a jump, but I explained why I didn't think that would help. So he said he could take it today (!!!) and to give him a call when I got someone to bring it in.

Second I called base Security. They said yes that a tow truck could come in - I'd have to tell them what gate to go to and I'd have to call back and tell them when he was coming and what towing company it was.

Third I called AAA. They said they would send a tow truck and it would probably be Jenkins, and they'd call when they were 10 minutes away.

Fourth I called base security again to tell them who was coming.

Meanwhile Bob went to the front desk to check out, and then he was going to get the rental car extended.

The towing company called and said I would have to meet them at the gate and they'd be there in 15 minutes. She absolutely refused to believe that the base would let the driver on unless we met them at the gate.

I called security again and they said that they absolutely WOULD let him on the base.

So I called Enterprise, but Bob hadn't been there yet. I called the Inns of Charleston and they said he hadn't checked out. Then after some conversation, she changed her mind and said he had checked out.

(As a side note - they said they'd charge me $1/day for internet access, but they did not.)

So I called Enterprise again, and got the girl just as Bob walked in the door. She let me talk to him, and he said he'd go to the gate. .

Then AAA called me back. She asked if the driver had got there yet, and I said no that Bob was somewhere en route to the gate and so was the driver. So she called the towing company and had them page the driver, while I was on the phone, and she came back to me and said that Bob and the tow truck were both at the gate.

Actually, the base DID let the driver onto the base, BUT he had no idea where anything was on the base, and of course security wouldn't tell him. So in order for him to find us, Bob had to lead him in.

We followed the tow truck drive to the Mercedes place (tipped him $5), and left the car - the repair guy said he'd call when the problem was diagnosed. So we started out for our next destination - Fort Fisher Recreation Area.

We had alternate plans in place for if it was fixed Thursday, if it was fixed Friday or if we had to come back and get it Monday.

We followed US 17 across the Cooper River, and through the Francis Marion National Forest

Next - McClellanville