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A blend I made using a photo from On My Way Here and from the nighttime view from my hotel room in Raleigh.
- Mom and I got back from Raleigh on Monday night. We had a terrific time. I enjoyed my first Champions Gala for the National Inclusion Project!We didn't venture out in Raleigh but a few times, but we found it to be the friendliest city that we've been to in the United States!
- We left Chattanooga on Thursday Morning and rode as far as Statesville,NC(near Asheville) before we stopped to spend the night. I have had a cold so I went to the doctor and was given a penicillin shot and a prescription cough syrup a few days before I left home. The cough syrup knocked me out for most of Thursday, so I weaned myself of of it for a few days so I wouldn't sleep through the Gala! The only problem I had was running out of sugar free cough drops in the evening portion of the Gala on Saturday .
- The Gala was fantastic! Everything except the children's carnival was held within a short walking distance. I was a little shy about mingling with others because I was trying to find my way around everything. I didn't see Clay except at a distance at the evening portion of the Gala. Clay's mom and I passed by each other a few times, but she was usually visiting with someone. I met Chris Burke in the lobby of the Marriott City Center in Raleigh and shook his hand.I met Jennifer Breland-Dykes who works for Dragon Con. I also met quite a few Claymates who I'd only met online.
- The awards , presentations and etcetera were so inspiring. Clay's performance was also. You are going to LOVE the new song! I think it is his best song yet.
- Closest that Mom and I got to Clay;
- I wore a black dress for the evening program, but I didn't get any pictures on my camera, but my mom took some on her disposable camera. Cameras and cell phones were allowed everywhere but inside the auditorium during the evening. I bid on a few things during the silent auction but I didn't win them. A 20 dollar raffle ticket for 2 VIP tickets to next years' Gala and an opening bid for the calendars was all I made. I just wish I'd won the lottery before I went-but I'm lucky that I got to go!
- My mom didn't have a ticket to the Gala but she sat in the lobby knitting dish cloths for a woman's club meeting on Tuesday morning. Still, she had some fun meeting the Claymates sand everything. She met Kyle, the guy that did the sound for the Gala. He offered to take her backstage, but my mom said she better not, that I 'd be jealous(I would be , too.)! She asked Jerome how much longer the program would be-he told her 1 or 2 more songs.Fletcher Auditorium had switched the men's and women's' restrooms for the evening since the attendees were mostly women. Mom pointed the way for the men and jokingly said that she was the "restroom manager." The staff and the manager of Fletcher Auditorium joked and said that she was doing a great job.
- I loved the Marriott City Center. My only complaint was the Italian restaurant. The food for the Gala was great, but mom and I ate one night at the restaurant and the food wasn't that great and the prices were high. We like Olive Garden better. The motel was a bit pricier than the ones we normally stay at, but it was great to be so close to everything for the Gala. Mom and I decided that it probably would have wound up about the same cost if we stayed at a less expensive motel and had to pay for gas and parking. We were on the 12th floor. Their elevator was the fastest I've ever been in! We will be back here next year for the Gala!
- There's so much I could say about the Gala and still not give an accurate reflection iof what it was like. We had a book and a ring that lit up red, yellow and blue as ouir favors and a goody bag. I wish I could have another ring or know where they got them, because I have 2 great nieces send 1 ring! I also wish I'd thought to bring my ring to the evening portion of the Gala. There were lots of them lighting up all over Fletcher Auditorium.
- We had no traffic problems throughout the trip, until we got about 30 miles from home in Cleveland, TN. A truck had jacknifed near a scenic overlook and had traffic backed up for 10 miles for about 2 hours. When we got home, we went to bed-even though it was just after 6 PM. We rode to Raleigh in 2 days and came back in 1. Most of Sunday was spent relaxing in the Motel. We did shop a bit and ate at the Olive Garden in Raleigh. A neighbor had given us a gift card. Here I am at the porch of the Olive Garden in Raleigh;
- More photos;
In Raleigh Marriott City Center's Lobby
In fromt of Fletcher Auditorium
Thank you card from local camper.
- Thumbnail from opening graphic;
Good info. Lucky me I recently found your blog by accident (stumbleupon).
ReplyDeleteI have saved as a favorite for later!
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