We made it to Palm Beach!

The journey was a success - We have nothing but good things to say about the Holiday Inn Express by TF Green Airport in Providence - fun staff, pool and jacuzzi, comfortable beds and a reliable wake up call (at 345 am...). All flights went smoothly - to Washington DC then an easy connection to West Palm. Our bags were almost first off the plane (as I intended, but the boys didn't believe...) and a short cab ride - we were at the house in Palm Beach by 1130am with time for a swim before lunch.

We've had some rain and cloudy skies but it's warm and everything smells good (though the gardenias haven't bloomed yet) This afternoon cleared to amazing blue skies, and everyone learned you can get tanned even through the clouds.

My ankle is holding up - I'm doing a lot of icing and elevation, but have also walked to the local bookstore, and through the mega-Target. Might throw on the boot and try biking! The boys have tossed the football on the beach, played in the pool, and been to the court for some hoops. Oh, and rode the bike path some too. Tonight they are off exploring at City Place, though we all ate so much dinner I'm not sure how they could even move. But - count 'em! - as of this afternoon there were still three boys here!

End of the Road

Well..... OK what to report. I have no photos to illustrate what I've been up to - been too busy attending seminars on the importance of blogging and posting photos and video. Did you know for every one hit on commercial websites there are 10,000 hits on blogs? Don't worry, as soon as I figure out my niche I am jumping ALL OVER it. This is a money maker waiting to happen - though it already has for lots of people. (Hm, why am I telling you this?)

These seminars have been great and full of good ideas though in my opinion they almost all began with way too much doom and gloom. Just give me the good stuff! I don't need to be encouraged to be depressed, I can do that part all by myself.

Then yesterday and today I rushed off to man the Thomson Family Adventures booth for all of those 'Luxury Travel Agents" looking for just the right thing for their clients. Thought there were a fair amount of people clearly not taking this seriously I did meet a good number of interesting dedicated travel agents. I look forward to building a solid tribe so we can all make some money!

Now I've broken down the booth (the entire city of elaborate displays seemed to disintegrate in a matter of minutes after the close of the show), and fit it back into the shipping case (phew). I showered and packed (a complicated mathmatical challenge to fit it all back in my little bag). And hey! I have a bit of time to hit the slot machines before heading to the airport... Now that the work is done that kind of seems like a fun idea so I'm going to pull out that last $10 bill that says SLOT MACHINES on it and see how long it lasts. Wish me luck!

The Set Up

I am here to testify that it is a 15 minute brisk walk from the hotel lobby to the conference center where the Travel Expo is taking place. Yet this morning it took an hour, due to bad information and poor directions which sent me all over the place. You also have to pass through acres of slot machines in the casino (running at full tilt at 8am), and about 27 mouth watering restauarnts (thankfully most are closed this early)

The exhibition hall is a sight - a construction site of huge crates, fork lifts and chaos, and huundreds of hulking teamsters putting things together. I see furniture, beds, whirlpool tubs, towers, AV equipment - it's a city in the making!

After I get our display together (no problem!) I roam, I have breakfast, I look out to the beach (the desert version -white sand and wave pool) and pool area but it's too cold (oh and um I didn't bring a suit). Later it's time for the Buzz Marketing seminar which gives me some good ideas to work on. And of course I make best friends with the agent sitting next to me. By the end of the session we were making plans for a group to Costa Rica next December..

I did succumb to the slot machines before retiring this evening. But you know what? No more tokens or coins! Everything is paper now - tickets you buy in a machine and insert, or else you can pull out your 20's or 50's and slide those in too. You can also open an account and get a plastic card you swipe. It's annoying to have to go to one counter or another to get the right paper to play a machine - no spontaneity! - But the real truth is I just miss the kerchunk of the falling coins. My $20 bill became $50 and then backslid to $24 - now I have a piece of paper, like a coupon, worth $24 to be cashed in - or played tomorrow!

Vegas is FAR

It's 2 am and I just got to my room at Mandalay Bay. Considering I left the office for the airport at 330P I'd say it's been quite a day of travel. I could be in China by now!

OK first of all - SLOT MACHINES at the airport. I should have known, but it is kind of jolting to walk off the plane and see them RIGHT THERE. I was tired and didn't stop, though at the luggage carousel there was a huge screen showing previews of all the shows and I got so absorbed in that my bag passed me by about 3 times before I saw it.

A little cab ride took me to the hotel where a line of 40 other cabs slowly edged their way up to the hotel entrance. Vegas is a happening place! Then I had to walk about 3 blocks from the front entrance to the registration desk where there was a line of at least 20 eager guests checking in.

My room is fab - big bed, bigger bathroom with 2 sinks, a jacuzzi tub AND a shower stall AND a second room for the loo (took me a minute to locate it). One of my goals this week is to use ALL of them.

I am hungry and curious - but I am not sure I can make it back downstairs for the Action which is surely at full tilt....

Oh hey what the heck, I'm in Vegas! Guess I'll go walk around.

Test Number Two!

This is a favorite picture from work. Let's see if it enhances my blog!

Saturday in paradise

I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful day as today. Not a peep of a cloud anywhere. The Boys are awake and already downing cereal when I pop over to the cottage at 8am!! They come over to the main house for eggs bacon and English muffins, then take off for Leo's tour of the property. Hiking climbing, exploring endlessly.

Granny and I go to the outlet mall and the grocery store since morning is her free time - starting at 1pm she needs to be around for visitors to the gardens.

We're back in time for lunch - the boys obviously whipped up an appetite being outdoors - and then I drop them in the center of town for basketball. I confess I let Leo drive (he does have a legal learner's permit, and several hours practice behind the wheel) down the country road, while everyone else huddled in the back, silent. Leo did a great job.

There is some chuckling about the 'center of town' since it consists of one small building for the post office, and a mail box. Blink and you miss it. They stayed for a couple of hours, and I must report that the two-team of Leo and Parker whooped the three-team of Dustin, Nicco and David. I think there was betting behind the scenes, and now Leo and Parker do not have to do any clean up in the cottage...plus I htink they're standing just a little taller...

There are at least 15 cars parked outside, for all the garden visitors today, it's amazing.

Now they are showering so we can head into the outlet mall... I need to pick up my cell phone whch I left in the Bass store (ahem) and they want to look around. Then we'll meet Granny for a yummy dinner in an Indian restaurant in Lee.

Off to the Berkshires, October 10 2008

Milo and Maria left around 230pm; The Boys showed up at my house after school and whipped around snacking, packing and completing the mandatory bathroom visist. We were on the road by 415 which I hoped would get us a teense ahead of the traffic.

No such luck, It's a holiday weekend and EVERYONE is on the road. We *crawl*. No problem, there is a party atmosphere in the car and everyone is having fun.

At 630PM we are not even at Sturbridge which I always take as the halfway point of the 2.5 hour car ride.... Things are a little quieter in the back, but we have plenty of snacks so no one is starving

Once we pass Sturbridge things open up and I even get to go the speed limit. For about 7 minutes. Then we stop again - this time it's an accident way up ahead. Once that clears and we can speed up again - it's not almost 8PM - we see a sign indicating 29 mor emiles to the exit. ARGH. The boys are silent.

We roll in about 845PM. Granny, Milo and Maria are all fed and happy, and jump up to cook our burgers while we wash hands and feel oh so glad to be out of that car. It's like the best food we ever had in the warmest nicest kitchen ever. The boys went off for a walk in the dark (I hear they didn't get very far - it is REALLY dark here in the country) and the rest of us drifted off to bed.