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The New Header: A lightly loaded Banana Boat heading out. This image:  Hotel view with a courtyard view taken from our 3^rd floor balcony.

It’s the last rose for a while.  When we got there, we found all the roses chopped down.  I was heartbroken, but I understand the previous owner of the hotel cried buckets and was very angry.  They were her carefully nurtured babies.

I understand too about change and that commercial properties need to make changes to stay viable.  Yes, the new hotel owners are planning to demolish all the one story structures, create a new convention building, waterpark, and large parking garage.  We all still mourned the loss of the roses while we moved from meeting to panel, to dance to speaker and back to our jobs.

I signed up to monitor the 6am to 12 noon Marathon meetings….they run 24 hours a day while we are there.  George was the chair, and with Stacy, and Alexis took the other hours.  Dominic said he would be there every day until one in the morning bringing people for other hours if we needed them.  Dominic was the one who didn’t show.

Once at seven AM, I found myself running a meeting.  That wasn’t too bad.  What you needed to do was make sure they had the paperwork, read the “Read This First” sheet, show them the book to sign for the newcomer at the last meeting, and get out of their way.  

Alexis stayed in the room to monitor every meeting every night until I arrived.  As a result, she was up for almost three full days.  We got her a bed at the hotel, but she wouldn’t use it.  Once she Ubered home for a few hours.  I worried about her sleep deprived decisions continually.

To survive, G and I took naps.  We made all the major speakers as well as the ice cream social.  The deserts and pastries were very good.  Beyond good in several places.  The breakfast and dinners were not very good.  Cold eggs are ugly.  Black bacon doesn’t make it in my mind.  The sausages were superb.   

We going back to volunteering as ushers not attending the big events next year.  We signed up for very simple jobs for the next year…mind numbing, simple jobs that won’t lead to sleep deprivation.  The best part of this staycation was seeing all our hundreds of friends many known for almost thirty years.  I came home very tired but smiling, napped, ate, then went to the Sunday meeting where we have commitments.  Silly us.

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• Himself:  Still feeling fragile.  Catching up on four days work.
• Herself:  Wonderful to see Margot for two days.  Woke feeling pretty good.  Groceries and laundry.
• Reading:  Mrs. Polifax until the last three Gamache’s arrive.
• Watching:  Falling asleep over “Antiques Roadshow.”
• Gratitudes:  That we were able to go to the convention.