Mark and I left home this morning at 6:15am. I stayed up all night trying to get things done around the house and work on my scout stuff, since we just got back home Saturday night.
We arrived at the Grand America Hotel at 10am and Mark checked in at the Registration table. The hotel is fabulous, but of course I was drawn to these beautiful flowers in the entrance. And they smelled wonderful!
After registering they directed us to a "store" they had set up special for everyone attending filled with the brand Cariloha that makes bamboo items.
The conference is sponsored by Energy Solutions. I'm excited to go the things that they are including the spouses in.
I was really happy with our hotel room since our room is actually across the street at Little America Hotel.
But when I found myself taking so many pictures, and being so excited over just a hotel room......I realized it's been far too long since I've been in a hotel. But this is such a huge bathroom; complete with a fridge, scale, etc.
This room is the size of 3 regular hotel rooms. I like it.
Since Mark and his co-worker Dan Haley left at noon to go on a tour of the Energy Solutions Clive Disposal Site, which included lunch, I headed over to Crown Burger. I went there for the first time last September with some friends. It was as yummy as I remembered. The crown burger actually has more pastrami than hamburger, and this is the junior burger :)
6:00pm The Opening Reception. WOW, it was amazing. The meeting room in the hotel is grand and beautiful. But the food was totally out of this world, absolutely delicious, and exquisite. The servers carried the food on their shoulders and walked around offering the most delicious foods to everyone. It was like a scene from a movie, it was so cool. I wish I could remember all the fancy names; Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tostada, some kind of large shrimp with a dip, and all kinds of totally awesome Hor d'oeuvres.
I wore levi's, so I was underdressed. I tried to get a picture of the huge mirrors in the fancy public bathroom and reflected back to each other into eternity.
I could not get a good picture of the inner court of the hotel.
After the first hour, the College football National Championship game between Auburn and Florida State began and and they set up buffet and dessert tables.
On the dessert table was: Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee (my favorite), Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Cherry Chocolate Tulips (totally awesome), and Mudslide Cookies (delicious).
I totally understand why my son, who is a successful business man would have trouble with his weight if he gets to attend many meeting like this one. I loved being in a room with so many intelligent men in suits.
TUESDAY
A picture of Mark on our way to Breakfast at the Grand America Hotel. It was a normal breakfast with fresh squeezed Orange Juice, sliced fruit, eggs, bacon, etc.
The inner court of the Grand America Hotel.
The lobby of the Grand America Hotel where those beautiful fresh flowers make the whole area fragrant.