Celebration- Final Day

I have had a great time down here in San Diego the past 4 days!  I have learned a lot, but even more importantly, I have met so many wonderful people, many of whom I know will become lifelong friends and business partners.

Last night after having dinner with my family at The Old Spaghetti Factory (http://www.osf.com/locations/sandiego.html), Mark and I went walking with Tristan back to the Marriott Marina, by the convention center, where I stayed the first night.   On the way, we walked past the Hard Rock Hotel, and decided to go in because I wanted to show Mark the pool and outdoor bar on 4th floor roof called Float.  We went up a different way than I had gone the last time I came there, and ended up walking down a hallway of guest rooms.  It was creepy!!  I would never stay there.  The halls and doors are all dark purple, and feel almost as if they have been burned.  It feels more like a haunted house than a luxury hotel!  Yikes.  We were laughing and curling our index fingers, saying "Red Rum, Red Rum!"

Out at the pool, the evening crowd had not yet arrived, and we were the only ones there beside the bartenders.  After a moment, however, another couple with a baby around Tristan's age walked up.  They started chatting with us about how they were part of the Fire Fighter's Union Convention, which is currently sharing the convention center with Isagenix.  He told me that he was curious about our convention, and I told him that I could probably sneak him in today if he'd like.  I gave them an individually packaged IsaLean Shake and a Want More Energy drink mix, along with my contact info.  They were excited about the weight loss oppurtunity, so I expect to hear from them sometime today.  Mark and the guy really hit it off.  I think he may well have his first Associate!

After that, we walked back over to the Marriott, intending to go for a walk along the harbor, but got sidetracked walking through the hotel.  First, I ran into a woman named Dana, who I knew from Ron Reid's weekly conference call.  Dana has lost 300 lbs on Isagenix.  At 28, she weighed 800 lbs, and was hospitalized.  She couldn't fit in any regualar vehicle or ambulance, so she had to be taken home in the bed of a pickup truck.  When she was released from the hospital, her discharge form said that she was being sent home "to die with dignity."

Dana was in the lobby of the hotel surrounded by a small crowd of people.  She is still in a wheelchair, and is going to need physical therapy once she gets down to a walking weight.  But she is glowing! She seems joyful and full of hope for her future.  And she just got engaged!  I met her fiance (I think his name was Stephan), and they both seemed so happy.  I was so touched by what she has achieved, and what her future holds.

After that, Tristan was on a rampage, running up and down the halls of the lobby (thankfully, it is a very large lobby.)  People kept laughing and telling me how adorable he is.  So adorable if you are not the one chasing him and trying to keep him from riding up and down the escalators!!

Mark and I got a beer and sat by the pool, stripped Tristan down and let him do what he'd been begging to do- go back in the pool.  It was a warm, tropical-feeling night.  We could almost pretend that we were in Hawaii.  It was the perfect end to an exciting day.

Today, Tuesday, I got to the convention center around 9:30, and watched some of the general session. There was training on some useful new tools in the back office, and some Martial Arts demonstrations (not so useful, but whatever.)  After a while, I was tired of sitting and headed back to the pool.  It was a beautiful day!  Summer has finally come to Southern California!  I did some work on my laptop, made a few calls, and had a chicken caesar salad and a pina colada. Now that's what I call a productive workday!

I ran into Rowena again by the pool, and we chatted and caught up, then went over to the Isagenix product store at the convention center, to pick up some marketing and training materials.  The final general session is still going on right now, but I was tired and came back to the hotel room to rest.  I also got a bit too much sun, being at the pool from 11:30- 2:30.  I put on sunblock, but too late.  I borrowed some from a family near me once I started feeling like I was burning. I had several bottles of my own sunblock, but had packed most of my stuff into the car this morning when we checked out of our room. (I am using Beth and Judy's hotel room now.  They were thoughtful and left me a key.)

I am trying to decide whether to stay for the 80s Dance Party tonight or head home.  It sounds like a lot of fun, but doesn't start until 8pm and I am so tired!  It's been a long and fun convention, but I am ready for a relaxing night at home now.  I just think I had better wait until a little later to leave, or I will get stuck in traffic heading back up to O.C. on the 5 freeway.  I miss the days when there was never any congestion between OC and SD, and you could zip from South OC to SD in an hour or less.