Melissa's Place

The Diamond in the Rough

Mark and I went to a wedding in Owen Sound this past weekend. I was faced with the surprisingly difficult task of selecting a lodging for us for the evening. When I showed obvious distress over the choices, Mark said, “Didn’t you live in Owen Sound for years?” I did. However, I never EVER had to stay at a hotel or motel let alone pick one.

Some hotels in Owen Sound were a bit on the expensive side – the safe choices, like The Days Inn and the Travelodge. Some were a bit too cheap, like the Springmount Motel that was only $40 a night. I thought I was going fairly middle-of-the-road (the economic sweet spot, if you will) by choosing The Diamond Motel.

When we pulled into the parking lot yesterday though, and saw that part of the property was quarantined off with police caution tape, I knew we had landed somewhere other than a sweet spot. The owner was fairly nice; he showed me how to work the heater (you have to turn on the fan for a while before turning on the heat). The bathroom door was a tiny bit too large for the frame, so escaping was a bit tricky. There was a kitchenette reminiscent of a 70’s era when puke-yellow was hip, as well as a set of dishes and a very shallow kitchen sink. But my favourite quirk was this morning when I heard a yelp from Mark as he got into the shower. When he came out, I expected his explanation to be a water temperature issue, instead I got, “Don’t adjust the shower head. It falls off.”

A diamond in the rough indeed.