Tonight is a big game for my Iowa State Cyclones. Kansas – our Big 12 conference nemesis – recently lost on the road to Kansas State and with a win tonight, revenge for our 1-point road loss to Baylor, we’ll be tied for first place.

Yesterday, the weather for today was forecast to be challenging at best. Five to six inches of snow (nine by one account), strong winds and frigid temps made it entirely feasible that we might not be able to make the hour commute for tonight’s game. So we made reservations for two nights here at the Quality Inn (a nice enough place) with plans to work remotely all day at the hotel before tip-off tonight at 8:00.

Almost perfect planning. The execution? Not so much. Unpacking my suitcase on our arrival last night, I was chagrined to discover that I had failed to pack any underwear. Today I’m ‘commando’ as my bra and panties dry from the hand-washing I administered before bedtime.

Next up: While prepping my laptop for work this morning, a heavy groan escaped my lips when I realized that I had forgotten to bring with me the security fob that I needed in order to login.

Sigh.

The last day being 57 years young – my birthday is tomorrow – and here I am, holed up in a hotel conference room alongside my husband as he works (he’d remembered to bring HIS fob), with snow and wind and bitter cold escalating in intensity just beyond the front door lobby, not far from where we’re sitting. Fortunately I have my Kindle with me here and a couple of magazines, my crochet project and my cell phone is outfitted with the requisite Facebook and WordPress apps to keep me plugged in and connected with the outside world. To periodically stretch my legs, I walk the second floor ‘concourse’ with its lovely view of the pool just below. Since bringing a suit failed to materialize, just like my underwear and fob, would anyone mind or notice if I chose to swim a few laps au naturel?

All of this – no change of underwear, unable to work today, having to burn another day of PTO, shelling out $200 for two nights of lodging – all of it just so we won’t miss tonight’s basketball game.

Guys: You better win this one.