Mercury is in RETROGRADE- protect your anus.

 

Mercury is fucking with everyone and everything! I felt this hard this week, both at work and in my life. Training is never an easy thing to stick to. Life happens and shit gets in the way. This week has tested my commitment to training on so many levels. Work was INSANE this week… long ass days, mental exhaustion and frankly, I was beat. I have no desire to get going some days. Sometimes when life gets in the way, we have to make the decision to keep on our paths. Today I had my 9 mile run; by mile 4.5 I knew that my shoes were trash. By mile 5 I switched to different shoes but the pain in my arch didn’t stop… mile 6 I ended up going barefoot for the last 3 miles. The pain did stop and I finished my run. My feet are SORE AS FUCK but I did it. I still have my speed work that I wasn’t able to get in because of the long ass days at work, but there’s tomorrow before I get on the road for work.

Traveling for work is a challenge when it comes to training. I have to balance work, running, sleep, trying to be social and man… the struggle is real. The best part is going new places that I seldom have time to see, doesn’t mean I don’t try though.

As I’m traveling these next 2 weeks, I thought we could all use a mini vacation with a nice serving of creepy pasta straight from the bell hops :) Enjoy my sweet creepy angels.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta ~ The Castle in the Rockies

Opening in 1888, it soon became one of the top three luxury mountain resorts in North America. In 1926 the hotel was rebuilt with the current facade due to a fire. The hotel even survived the financial Great Depression though many resorts and hotels closed their doors forever. During WW2 the hotel was forced to close their doors due to many travel restrictions due to war time. The hotel did reopen in 1945. 

I can promise all you wonderful readers that my work will not pay for a resort, or a luxury mountain resort at that. I’m a Holiday Inn & Express sorta gal (UUMMM HELLO? #Sponcerme)

Now for the actual ghost. I found most of the information on Avenuecalgary.com They broke out the haunts very well but didn’t OVER do it.

The Bride-

The story dates back to the 1920’s, the story says that on a young couples wedding day, the bride in full gown (these gowns were FAB- Lets bring this back… its the 20’s again… right?). As the bride was descending one of the many marble staircases something is said to startle her, causing her to slip and fall. Some stories say that her heel was caught in the hem of her gown, others that the gown brushed a lit candle and started on fire (girl… this is a sign… if your wedding dress starts on fire, the universe is saying to RUN) What ever story you hear, the bride ended up falling down the stairs and; sadly; died on the steps. Since then, staff and guests have reported seeing a veiled figure moving up and down the stairs. Some have also reported seeing a figure in a wedding dress dancing in the ballroom. This poor sweetie is still waiting for her first dance. Ah Baby girl, that hurts my heart.

Sam the Bellman

Stories of Sam McCAuley, a gental old Scotsman who was head bellman during the sixties and seventies, have been circulating around the hotel since his passing in 1975. Supposedly, Sam is a helpful sort of spirit, and most stories involving him mention some service he’s provided to staff or guests. One incident involved two elderly women calling the bell desk for assistance after they found their key would not work. The regular bellman was occupied with other duties and didn’t respond for 15 minutes. By the time he arrived at their door, it was unlocked. One of the women said an older bellman in a plaid jacket, matching Sam’s description exactly, had helped them. Other stories including guests seeing Sam haunting his old office (now a guest room) on the mezzanine floor as well as seeing apparitions and feeling cold spots on the sixth, seventh or ninth floors of the hotel.

Haunted Rooms

In several numberless rooms, guests have reported having the pillows yanked out from under their heads while they slept or even being pushed off the bed by some unseen entity. Bro- I like sleeping, I’m pretty good at it. If someone where to yank away my pillow, there would be a fight!

Room 873, this room has since been sealed. The hotel staff may not want additional guest tormented by the phantoms who haunt this room. The gist of it is that an entire family was murdered there and ever since, guests in the room have reported being awakened by screaming. When they turned on the lights, they would see bloody hand prints on the mirror. Depending on who tells the story, the hand prints either disappeared before hotel staff had a chance to clean them or wouldn’t come off at all. Other guests claim that despite the hotel’s best efforts, the ghosts of Room 873 are still very much in residence at Banff Springs. Some have reported seeing the spirit of the young daughter standing outside her room, as if lost.

The hotel denies any record of the murdered family in room 873, they have gone as far as claiming this room has ever existed. However, other floors have a room ending in ‘73’, the baseboard leading to where this room SHOULD exist is cut. The wall sound hollow or empty indicating a void behind, where room 873 should be.

The staff apparently will not discuss the haunting, but a ghost tour is available in October. The hotel is still open and, hey… if your feeling brave, sneak to the 8^th floor. Is there a missing room? Is there a little girl waiting for you to let her in her room? Will you have a ghostly Scotsman help you with your luggage? Perhaps you can finally let the bride have her first dance. Either way, Travel safe my sweets.

Until next week,

Crystal