SDV 2006

I can't believe this was our 6th SDV (Robin, Dena and I). It was Jenn, Mary Beth and Rae Ann's 5th, and Shelley and Ellen's 4th. We got down there on Thursday night, met up with everyone and set up our stuff.

Every year we go down on Thursday night and Dena books us at the Days Inn on Rt. 30 which is less expensive than staying at the Seaview (#1 on map) an extra night. It also allows us to stop for breakfast on the way back to the hotel on Friday morning. The Days Inn on Rt. 30 (#2 on map) is like the last hotel on the road. So this year I looked for something comparable to the Days Inn and came up with the Econo Lodge (#3 on map) because it's closer to where we have to be.

So Thursday night at 11:00 p.m. we get to the Econo Lodge and I go in to get the key. The Econo Lodge was one of those drive up places where you park in front of the door. Most of the motels on the strip are like that and so is the Days Inn so it wasn't too big a deal. The Indian guy sitting inside has to buzz me in to the lobby. I get my reservation out and as he's writing out all the information I make sure we're getting a non smoking room. He said, that's not what he has on his sheet. I showed him that's what I booked because it's on my sheet. He was like arguing with me about it a little. WTF!?! Not that I could understand anything he was saying anyway.

He gave me the key and I went out to the room. I put the key in and I couldn't get the green light to come on the door to open it. So I went back into the lobby area and told the guy. He re-swiped it and I went out again. This time the green light came on and I was pushing the door open and it wasn't opening. I rammed my whole body into the damn door and it wouldn't open. I went BACK into the lobby. Of course the guy was about as happy to see me as I was to see him. I told him I couldn't get the door open and he came out. Well he opened it with no problem. We took our stuff into the room and closed the door. When we closed the door to lock it, we noticed that there wasn't a chain lock on the door, just the lock on the handle. 3 women in one room with no chain lock, I don't think so! So Robin went back in this time and told him we wanted another room. He argued with her a bit and said that he already changed our room once (smoking to non). The place was empty! What the hell is the difference!

So she comes back out and we go to the next room over and we go in and close the door. SAME THING! No chain. That was it! I took the key back to the guy, Robin and Dena packed up the car and we left. We went to the next hotel down the road which was a Best Western. I thought we'd have to spend a mint since we were just walking in off the street but Robin got us a decent price and we stayed in a nicer motel on the second floor with locks on the door.

The rest of the weekend was not as eventful. Typical SDV. I got about 28 pages done which wasn't too bad. This was the weekend of having every piece of paper but the one you need. I think I had to get up and buy or borrow something for every layout I was doing. I think I spent more time looking for paper and things I needed for my layout then actually doing the layout itself.

The hotel was nice as usual. We ended up spending a mint for lunch on Saturday cause it's not included with the SDV. Usually we order out but this time we ate at the bar in the hotel. Don't get me wrong, the three cheese onion soup and caesar salad was probably the best I had ever tasted but that and my soda was certainly not worth the $20 it cost me for lunch. The massage I had on Saturday was really good. The variety of food at this SDV is getting worse every year. We had chicken and pasta both Friday and Saturday night for dinner served 2 different ways of course. The chicken was good (better the first night) but we didn't need to have it both nights. And the lunch they gave us on Saturday was basically just salad and soup. At least we got eggs and sausage on Sunday morning. I thought they'd just just throw us bagels and fruit (which was there as well Sunday morning). They're getting cheaper and cheaper every year.

The vendors were really good and I of course bought lots of paper. I didn't win any prizes but that's ok, the prizes weren't so great either. We all just worked on our layouts. It wasn't as much fun as it usually is. The last 2 years have been like that. Ellen's not much into scrapping, she got a few pages done. Rae, Jenn, MB and Ellen went to the Elizabeth Arden spa Saturday morning so we didn't really see them until 2:00. I didn't stay up very late on Friday night but Saturday I made it until about 3am. I wasn't feeling so great on Thursday night/Friday. I felt better on Saturday.

We're making up new shirts for next year. I made them up already they're great. Everyone loves them.