Carolina Dreamin' (South Carolina that is)

The 2010 Chem-Dry Convention was held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this year. We had been hearing for the previous several weeks about how this was the coldest, wettest winter the east coast had experienced in many years, but we were SURE it would be nice and warm by the time we got there.

Well, we knew that was not going to be the case when we checked in at the convention and they gave everyone sweatshirts. DANG!

It was beautiful looking out off of our hotel balcony. Myrtle Beach has some really great beaches. Lots of white, soft sand. And very clean.

We didn't let the weather hinder us though. On Monday, we made a trip to Wilmington to tour the battleship North Carolina. Lisa and Uncle John on the deck. That was one BIG SHIP! Very interesting tour. Life aboard a battleship was a life without privacy, but amazing the technology built into a ship over 70 years old.

Lisa and I checked into our room at the convention on Monday evening. The girl at the desk said, "Oh, you have the 3 rooms." I said, "No. We just booked one." She didn't say anything else. Just handed me our keys to the room. When we got up to our room, we knew something was up. The door to our "ROOM" was double doors. When we walked in, it was the biggest hotel room we have ever been in. HOLY COW!!!!!!


The convention was fun. Lisa got to do some POWER shopping with her new friend, Margaret Mortensen and old aquaintences, the Nancy Andrus and Tamara Tanavana. One of the highlights was Thursday evening at the closing session formal dinner where they hand out the awards. We were able to present the 2010 Chem-Dry of the Year award to our good friends, The Andrus's and Tanavasa's from Oregon.

AND.... on Thursday afternoon, Uncle John and I decided we could not come all the way to the east coast, on the beautiful beach and not go for a swim. The picture is of a guy telling me that the water temperature was 46 degrees. I knew it was cold, but I really didn't need to know it was 46. Well, we still went in, genius's
that we were.

It only took about 10 minutes in the hot tub afterwards to thaw out.

On Friday morning,(the best weather since we arrived), we went for a walk on the beach. We noticed a bunch of seagulls gathering and realized they wanted us to feed them.

We took a couple of granola bars, broke them up and tossed them to the birds. It was kinda like the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds". They were everywhere. Lisa got one to eat from her hand while it was flying. We were throwing pieces of the bars up in the air and they were catching them before they even started coming back down.

All in all, it was a very fun, tiring, trip. EXCEPT for the ride home. We booked with Delta airlines and chose our seats, (I thought), way back in January. Well, if you read the fine print, it says that your seat assignments are "Subject to Change." Well, change they did!" We got to the airport and ended up with the seats in the very back of the plane for BOTH flights. Thanks DELTA. I over heard several years ago two flight attendants talking, (Not DELTA). One said to the other, "What is the best way to survive flying DELTA?" Answer - "Don't Even Leave The Airport!"

You know, I think she was right.