On the drive up, I chatted on the phone with Mom & Dad for a little bit (did you get the bird food all paid for??? grin) and with Rod for a little bit. I was driving north in Florida, he was driving south/west in Arizona (and getting BLASTED by the afternoon sun...)
Just before I got to Jacksonville, there was a "front line" of clouds - a very nearly straight line and then solid clouds behind. Called Jim as I passed the Green Cove Springs exit (#328) - that's where he'll be attending school in 2 weeks.
FINALLY found my hotel (forgot to write down the address, so pulled into a McDonald's parking lot and fired up my new laptop, hooked into their wifi and got it that way...), checked in, dropped off my suitcase, checked my makeup and headed over to the office. It was super easy to find. However, when I got out of my truck - I nearly DIED! It was like 43 degrees! With a SUPER cold wind. And I had no coat. No gloves. No scarf. (HELLO, what was I thinking??????)
Met with some of the folks I would be working with and took a quick tour of the place. It's quite the place! It's Jimmy Meyer's home office (he is a Senior National Sales Director who nets over $3million each year so it BETTER be nice!) and lived up to the hype. Got to meet Jimmy for a moment - everybody I was meeting with was stuck in the wonderful snow in Atlanta the night before and until just before time to leave, I wasn't even sure if we were going to do this. They braved the highways and drove home, taking an extra 3 hours in some cases! Most of them have never even SEEN snow before, let alone driven in it. Glad I wasn't on the road with them! Talk about white knuckles! So they weren't too sympathetic when I said it was 75 when I left. (And they countered with - it was 17 and SNOWING when we left.... beat THAT! LOL)
We got all set up in a fancy conference room and I spent 2 hours going over some of the chapters most people have trouble with - 3 of the new teachers have lots of experience teaching and one is the wife of a Regional Vice President and although licensed, hasn't really done anything with it for 8 years. LOL She was pretty nervous about the whole thing.
We broke for dinner at 6 and they told me there was a Quiznos (like Subway only more $$$) next door. I thought they meant in the shopping center on the corner. So I got into my truck looked up and there was Quiznos. NEXT DOOR! How silly did I look driving NEXT DOOR! (Good thing nobody was watching...)
At 7 we got all set up in Jimmy's personal office (NICE DIGS) since they were having a training meeting in our little conference room and a HUGE orientation meeting in their "auditorium". (It really is one too! Complete with stage and sound/lighting podium/station/thingie...) We ended up with 21 students, the 4 new instructors, and me. I leaned up against the wall with a white board propped on a folding chair on one side and a HUGE 7 foot tall trophy poking me in the back on the other side. Couldn't move if my life depended on it! But it was a GREAT class with good questions, comments, and participation. (Kind of like teaching Relief Society, only insurance.....) I don't wear a watch these days (silly me) so at one point I asked how much time we had left and he said... well, you can probably finish this chapter... (I had been going for nearly 2 hours... get me talking and GOOD LUCK SHUTTING ME UP!) I had a great time. The instructors took lots of notes. We broke up about 9:30, put his office back together and then met in yet another little room for a "debriefing". (These are ORGANIZED people!) I think we got them all situated so they can duplicate this on their own. They will be running these mini cram courses twice a week, twice a month. (2nd and 4th Tues / Fri) We were finally finished around 10:30.
And then I had to go back out to my truck. Man I wish I could run without falling on my face, causing immediate shin splints, or looking like a total dork. While carrying books. And a water bottle. And I REALLY wish we had gotten around to fixing the door lock on my truck door. It's only been broken for ... 3 years? 4 years? Back when I was still teaching in Winter Springs and my truck was broken into at a Quality Inn on a Sunday morning. Sheesh, I haven't taught there in YEARS! Anyhow, I have to walk around to the passenger side, unlock the door, reach inside and pop the lock for the drivers side, relock the door, and walk around to my side. Unless it's raining. And then the inside popper doesn't work and I have to crawl over and open the drivers side door. Oh well.... I'm kinda used to it now. Except when it's raining. Or it's FREEZING OUT AND I HAVE NO COAT, GLOVES, OR SCARF!!!!!
Talked to Rod for a bit. He was having dinner with Josh and his new wife Vicki. Josh is Jim's best friend's older brother and Rod's best friend's oldest son. The family that moved to Snowflake. They got married last January and are expecting their first in March. Cute couple. Had a good visit and they took pity on him and drove him to WalMart so he could get some apples, bananas and batteries for his flashlight. I called him again to "celebrate" 11:11 on 1/11/11. (Except since he was in Phoenix, it was only 9:11, but NO WAY I was calling back in 2 hours...)
This morning I got up, it was HOT in my hotel (I turned on the heater before bed) so I didn't work out. (ICK - I hate working out when it's HOT and no fan...) so I just jumped up, brushed my teeth, put on some clothes (but still no coat or hat, etc....) stuffed everything in my suitcase and ran out to my truck. (The news said it was 33 with a windchill of 23. I tried not to think about it...) I was out of town by 7:15. Lucky too! GIANT pileup resulting in delays of over 2 hours on the highway right behind me! (I was able to listen to the radio station from Jacksonville until almost home! So listened to all the coverage of the wreck... GLAD to not be in it!)
Now I'm back at the office and ready to get back to my regular work. I still need to call my boss and let him know how it went, but he's traveling today (assuming he can get a flight out - more airport closings because of the big snow storm up north...) And then tonight it's Activity Day Girls.
Here's what's on tap....
Have a great day! (oh yah, it's going to be 32 outside here tonight. sheesh)
