Dear Mr. Clift:
I am a creature of habit. This fact has gotten me into trouble in numerous ways. I have a habit of kicking my dog when I'm mad at my wife. This worked well while we had Terriers, Chihuahuas or Dachshunds. But then we acquired a Newfoundland, 170 pounds, mean sucker. He took umbrage with my habit and bit me. I kicked him again, 'cause now I was really angry and he bit me again. I quickly decided I was not going to win this fiasco. I controlled my desire to kick; he controlled his desire to bite. However, I was still angry at my wife.
Another habit I have is to stay in the same motel and in the same room if I can whenever I travel to a certain place. For example, I travel to Troy, Michigan every month. Have done so for years. The company I consult with is right next door to your Courtyard Marriott. I stay there so often they know me. I almost always get a room between 125 and 135.
My secretary makes reservations for me three to six months ahead of time. In September, she made reservations for me for October, November and December 1993. She obtained a confirmation number for each month.
However, when I arrived at my Courtyard Marriott in Troy on 12 October at 8:30 pm, tired and weary, I was told I had no reservation and no room. Interestingly, they had my reservations for November and December.
My confirmation number for the nights of October 12 and 13 was 9877632.
How can this happen, sir? I thought confirmation numbers were sufficient, but now I find I will need another level of assurance. Do you have any suggestions for me for future bookings? Or, do I need to start kicking the cat like I did when I realized the Newfoundland had the upper paw?
Sincerely,
Alvin J Haytha
Source: unknown
