CONVENTION 2008
 

Okay... Lynn suggested it and I'm following through... here is the Official 2008 convention thread. Maria... could we get this stickyed to the top!

Here is what I know... June 18 through the 23, 2008 thousands of squirrels, both big and little (no not size) will desend upon San Antonio, Texas. So make plans now to be one of the thousands... I know I am!

(Conversations I'm having in my head... if I get pregnant in Aug then I will be there... but I can't get pregnant between September and October... but November and December are okay.) So I think that I am officially crazy now... planning childbirth around convention! If I go into labor, will you all visit me at the hospital???? Now that would be too cool!

http://www.knibberanch.com/

One night we will be going to this place for great food, line dancing, etc.
Looks like loads of fun!!

(On a side note, one of the VST'ers made a comment that if the "cowgirl" on the VLC flyer had been on a t shirt, it might have been disapproved at EC, lol. )

I'm guessing maybe the ranch did it since it didn't include the Convention dates.

HA! I saw that as well and raised an eyebrow! lol

For real? We're going to that place as an official event? That DOES look fun.

ETA: I was looking at that website and noted this: our 12,000 square foot, air conditioned pavilion and covered veranda is situated in the middle of a six generation, historic Hill Country ranch.

A wise lesson learned from Palm Springs when the dinner had to be moved indoors due to 117 degree temps?

I teased my mom that I wasn't telling her when Convention was.. I'm just going to disappear for a while and she won't even know I'm gone. Then maybe her sick karma won't kick in??? I also told her that she has to find a new summer vacation location cuz that hospital's food stinks, the service is questionable and the decor is ugly. They don't even have a pool.

And you said you weren't at VLC!;)

Joking..partly, lol. The outside decor was fab!

So... uh.... it was just like the Duquesne dorms...

Sounds like it to me!

Hahaha.. y'all are funny!

For those who haven't been on VST before, it's tradition to bring red, buff and green candy (and chocolate!) to pass around during the business sessions. I'm seriously considering ordering m&m's from their website, with AGD imprinted on them for 2008 Convention. They're really pricey though.

So barring any more ridiculous health problems, I plan to come to San Antonio in a year. Has anyone ever brought a spouse or significant other? We were thinking of making it a vacation, and not that he isn't capable of entertaining himself, but he'd probably have fun golfing or doing "guy stuff" with the other Alpha Gam widowers.

Mine will most likely be with me.

I am going to try to bring hubby but not have him come until the final day. This way I won't feel guilty about trying to split time with him and sisters. I get to see him almost 365 days a year so he can spare 3 or 4, lol.

He doesn't play golf. Plus if he spends 3 or 4 days hanging out with your hubby..what's left for us, lol.

I found this link http://www.sanantoniocvb.com/ and there's obviously plenty to do. As much as I love golfing, I won't be doing it in the heat, and the mirror maze looks like it would freak me out.

Why do I have this premonition that while we're doing important squirrel stuff our men are going to be out trail riding pretending they are desperadoes or cowboys on a cattle drive?

Actually, there was a pool in Duquesne Towers! I'm serious!

I only know this because one of my committee members was bummed it was closed when she could have used it.

I heard there was practically a pool in some of those showers when the water didn't go down the drains properly...:p

Was that because of the roaches blocking them?

AUUUGGGH! Flashbacks! Flashbacks! ;)

back on track with Convention
 

Ok, we gotta get past the accommodations for VLC. I must say, my college dorms were a little more primitive and I wasn't all that surprised. Thankfully I was able to move into the House my senior year and escaped!

Now...yes, I'll be at Convention with bells on!

As for family, we have been trying to figure out a good post-5th-grade vacation for our oldest, and we agree that an historical tour of San Antonio sounds grand! Hubby will fly out with the children as we wind down Convention and we'll hang out for a few days afterward. That's the plan as of now.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to bring my young man along due to the bar exam, but I think we're in the clear. I hope he enjoys San Antonio for a graduation trip because that's what he is getting.

I am so proud of him for not even thinking twice about going, of course he is also meeting my whole extended family next weekend so he's either really brave, or takes a a lot of Valium when I am not looking.

Did anyone else stumble over the phase "my young man"??? I did... I thought it was a son not a Potential Hubby (we can shorten that to PH... like PNM). Any guy who is meeting the whole EXTENDED family is a PH in my book!

Me2
 

:D

I'm going so hubby better come or I'll go without him.;)

Well you all know that my hubby will be there... maybe if there is enough IHQ will organize something just for them!

I think the term boyfriend is kind of goofy at our age, so I call him that, but I guess significant other works as well. He also has no qualms about changing my one year old nephew's dirty diapers, or carrying him around in a baby Bjorn or back pack so I'm pretty sure I'm keeping him. The question is will he want to keep me after meeting the WHOLE family next weekend? He's even staying in a hotel suite with my sister and my infant nephew, what a trooper.

To soften the blow we're going camping and rafting Sunday/Monday, and we're going to the Full Sail Brewery enroute to the family reunion next Friday. If he can make it through recruitment I'm buying him something nice. He volunteered to bring me Starbucks at the chapter house, so I hope he likes clapping and singing.

OHHHH HE IS A KEEPER... diapers and chants... what a guy!!!

So, there's always a silver lining, right? I'll be at Convention with no obstacles...

Oh Dee...

so sadly i don't think i'll be making it to convention next summer.. hopefully this may change.

Just looking over this thread and had the thought.... I was 8 months pregnant at 1997 Convention. Never, ever was there a better excuse to wear Keds to Feast of Roses! Florida water [pre bottled water craze] + pregnancy = massive water retention in the ankles/feet.

Ah... memories.

So, any news you want to share with us?? :D

Here's hoping that the hotel room will be a flat rate so that the number of people in the room can split the cost.

Here's hoping Delta has an extremely low cost airfare around the time we need to book in order to get the early registration rate.

So, are people thinking about extending their time in San Antonio before Convention or after? Since I'm probably sending one kid to Europe during that time and the other kid will be going to Boy Scout shortly after, I think *I* deserve some extra vacation time in San Antonio too. Time to pamper myself, shop, etc. I've earned it, right?

PS. Lynn, if you don't have a flight but want to turn in your convention registration, you can always let them know your flight info later.

Thanks, Dee. Since I'm the one paying for it next go-around, I can be more selective when making airplane reservations.

Yea, hubby and I have already discussed it. We haven't been back to SA since we left Texas. He is going to start looking for another job soon b/c this one is becoming a REAL drag, lol. But, hopefully, he will be able to take a few days off. If he doesn't, then I'll hang around with whomever's there. ;)

Hey Dr.D, no news yet. You all will be one of the first to know. I just don't know if I were 8 months prego how an 18 hour drive would be... lets just say a lot of stops will have to be made and the rental car would need to have a BIG back seat for naps.

If hubby goes then our return trip might be through Louisiana to see my brother and his family and to show hubby where I grew up.

Out of curiousity, I checked air fares and now they are over $400. No telling how high they will be next spring when we are making reservations.:(

airfares...
 

We can hope for a springtime airfare war?! Such usually happens in late March :)

So no worries right now...
 

So apparently I will be able to attend convention and most likely will not be 8 months along... which is for the best. Apparently there are a few issues going on but according to the doctors... it is fixable.

A man (from San Antonio, of course) once told me that San Antonio is the most romantic city in the world. Maybe you just need to bring your husband there!

I decided to start transferring a little bit each month to my savings account for Convention.

Plans are definitely in the works.... but good to see that the plans are somewhat confirmed by the website :)

Convention info!

I'm excited by all that will be happening at Convention - it promises to be tons of fun!

Y'all are going to make me real jealous... especially since I've always wanted to go to San Antonio.

I hope that most will be able to stay Sunday night and not going to work on Monday.;)

I don't think it will make a lot of sense to travel Sunday night for anybody in the east because of both the distance and the time zones. I can't imagine leaving after dinner on Sunday and getting home at a decent hour (in time to still get to work the next day).

I'm thinking I might stay til Wednesday, but I need to find out my daughter's departure date for Europe before I decide for sure.