Belgium, Yes Belgium

This past week was an adventure and a half. We just did seven Official Visits in six days. Wow! Since they were all "relatively" close to the Bay Area, lucky me, I got to work three of the four work days and then rush out the door to get to somewhere else. Doing all these OVs in a row, and taking Wednesday off work because Tuesday night was just a hair too far to go home, really threw me for a loop on trying to remember what day it was and where we were going next.

Tuesday was not actually Belgium, it was Healdsburg, but I wished several times for my old watch, which showed the day of the week and not just the date on the face. So we started in Healdsburg on Tuesday night with a lovely Social OV with a train theme and learned all about the various train lines that first linked the East and North San Francisco Bay Areas. Listening to the accounts of what folk had to go through just to cross a hundred miles really makes you wonder why we complain so much about the distance we travel to visit other Chapters. On the other hand, they did not have traffic jams, but I think the roads were equally bad in both eras. I learned the difference between standard, narrow and wide gauge rails and discovered that we have yet another annoying thing for which we can thank the British system of weights and measures. :-)

Because of the distance back home from Healdsburg, we decided to take Wednesday off and have a lovely spa day. My escort and I and three others in the Grand Family went to the Raindance Spa in Sonoma (Great place! Friendly staff and nice facilities). I went for the whole enchilada -since I don't spa very often, when I do, I like to do it all, so I had a massage, facial, spa manicure and spa pedicure. After I win the lottery, I am definitely getting myself a massage guy with a travel table who can come to my house and do the massage thing two or three times a week. I am putting this near the top of my list, right after quitting work and taking that cruise around the world (36 countries in 105 days, valet service and pets allowed in the suite grade cabins - you see, it really is on my list.) I bet they have a massage guy on the boat too! We had a lovely lunch at the spa and eventually had to shower and dress and head to Martinez for a traditional OV where we did Good of the Order in the dining room after the meeting was closed and had a philosophical discussion about the symbolism in our Order. But after that OV, we had to drive home and I had to head to work before driving to Burlingame for another Traditional OV, this time with a baseball theme.

It was on Thursday that I began to doubt not only the day of the week, but the year. There we were with the baseball diamond marked on the floor and baseball shirts. We sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game and ate hot dogs and chips. The dislocation effect however, is because we sang that song and ate more hot dogs than I even want to contemplate in 2008, when baseball was a theme element for the year. I didn't know you could get flashbacks off a hot dog! The entertainment was a great spoof of Abbott and Costello's Who's on First. As Grand Conductress, I am now "Why?" which makes good sense since I am often the person asking this question about old customs and traditions. :-)

On Friday, we attended a Social OV with a Cocktails at Tiffany's theme. I got to wear one of my black cocktail suits, which I usually only wear for work events and received many lovely compliments on it. The light refreshments were a bit overwhelming in quantity and variety and proved what I have been telling people when asked how I am doing - I am getting short of money, time and sleep, but I am in NO danger of starving! There was a nice silent auction for the WGM's project and some good speakers about scholarships and our scholarship fund. On Saturday, we headed to Lodi for a Traditional OV and then to Murphys for a Social Style OV where The Great Panda Express Train Robbery mystery story was enacted for our enjoyment. We got to dress for the Old West and I got to visit with many friends from the area. Murphys is also fun for shopping and many of those Gold Country have lovely antique shops. Finally, on Sunday, we headed to Merced, where we had the most fabulous breakfast with far more dishes served than I could even remember, let alone eat, and then our final OV of the trip with an Easter Egg Hunt theme.

I knew that week long trips could be exhausting, but working during most of it made it ever so much more so and my heart goes out to all of the north folk who also worked during the week as we attended these OVs. The two week long trips I am looking at having will at least be far enough away that I don't have to get up early to go to work because I will only be doing some work in the hotel and in the car. Whew! Next weekend we are resting and recuperating, I hope.