The meetings with the hotel staff were brutal mostly because our director is VERY DIRECT, quite demanding and 100% to the point about everything even if that means being rude. And if you know me, you know very well that I don't deal with confrontation and I am probably TOO nice most of the time. I will just find a way to work around it. But this whole weekend was about me dealing with problems and confronting our staff and the hotel's staff about those problems. I did not enjoy being in charge!! All turned out ok once I got over a few rough patches like a broken printer, keys that didn't work, not enough food, a broken projector and the fact that no one had reserved me a room.
So for those of you that keep up with my blog regularly, the insanity started last Sunday and hopefully ends today!!! That's why I have been MIA for a week. I also just couldn't bring myself to pay $20 a day for internet at the hotel. But hopefully a few pictures from my trip will make up for my lack of posting.
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We pulled into town and Rosemary (having worked this conference before) knew exactly where she wanted to have lunch. Mi Tierra. So we went and as I was walking into the door, the decorations overwhelmed me. There were so many and they were everywhere. The first picture is the ceiling of the bakery. The second picture is the ceiling of the dining room.
As we walked into the door, my eyes went to the ceiling first and then quickly moved to all of the glass cases full of mexican pastries and treats of all kinds. This picture just shows one of the cases and there were 5 in all. I bought a pecan praline and Vanilla Creme Campechana. Once all of the work for the day was over, I retired to my room and gorged myself on my treats. Before we left to go home, we made one more stop to get a few more pastries to take home to friends and family. I bought a pinapple campechana, another vanilla creme campechana, a strawberry empanada, and 3 churros (plain, carmel filled and vanilla creme filled) MMMMMmmmmm.
We bought treats and had lunch at Mi Tierra and then headed over to the market. I assumed it was going to be really cool stuff but I honestly got bored really fast. Each market store had the same mexican pottery, pinatas, jewelry and San Antonio T-shirts. It was SO touristy!! Here is Rosemary and Diane leaving one shop and going to another within the market place.
After lunch and shopping, the meetings started. First with my staff, then the hotel staff, then the hotel event staff, then our combined staff with the director. Whew!!! I was exhausted by the end of the night. The director of our program took us all out to dinner to a German steakhouse called Little Rhien's on the Riverwalk. OMG!! I had a filet and grilled shrimp with a ceasar salad, asperagus and mushrooms. I don't think I have ever had a filet that delicious!! On the way to dinner, we found a stone sculpture in the sidewalk of the United States. I couldn't resist. Sweet Home Alabama...I miss you!!! Relax...I got a picture of Texas too. The second picture is Rosemary standing on the Capital.
***********************************The next day, we all had breakfast and then worked our tails off getting things ready for the students and speakers to come in later on that night. After the sessions were over, we decided to take a tour of the Riverwalk. We hopped ont he first river boat and learned lots of cool stuff. We saw the bridge where Jennifer Lopez cried in the movie Selena, we saw the hotel where John Edwards and George Lopez were a few weeks earlier, we saw the hospital where Carol Burnett and Tommy Lee Jones were born, lots of baby ducks and so much more. Here are a few pictures I took while in motion (sorry) of the views.
Here is a picture of the stage where Sanda Bullock performed her talent int he preliminaries in the movie Miss Congeniality.
...And the rest I will tell you tomorrow. Make sure to check back in!!
3 comments:
I was there like two years ago for a school conference and took my picture with Alabama, too. I was looking for that picture so I could show you but can't find it. I'm sorry you had to go on your birthday! You'll have to schedule another camping trip to celebrate!
What a trip! Its too bad how it all turned out with how your boss threw everything at you last minute. But, it seems like you muddled through and had a great time.
Lots of good food and treats too! Yummy!
Just so you know, Alabama misses you too.
Tillman says hey. :D
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