Catching my breath

This is my 1,115th post, imagine that!  Even if I haven't been around (here) much lately, I've been around... trying to catch my breath!  I'm not a runner, with running shoes, but I feel like I've been running for the last five weeks or so.  As a client wrote me last night, after seeing an email I had sent out:

Vacations are funny things...we work twice as hard to complete things before we go and three times as hard when we get back just to catch up....vacations are over rated.... go to bed already!

He's so right, it's not even funny.  He referred to my time away as vacation, and yes it was time away from the office thus almost a vacation, but let's just agree that it wasn't a relaxing time.

We actually drove from Montréal to Nashville, with a one night sleep in Ashland, OH., near Cleveland. The drive was fine, except the part I drove. We were hit by a storm and couldn't see much, but other than that it was good. We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN - what a place!

Delta Island, in the middle of it all.

The Falls, by the main lobby.

Before entering the Cascades area.

The walkway over the conservatory, towards Magnolia area.

Back of some area, near Magnolia.

It's huge!  Did I say that already?  I don't remember walking so much IN an hotel.  I thought the Bellagio in Vegas was big, geez.  The conference was good, learned a lot, but I must say a week of having my little brain stuffed with all kind of information is rough.  Plus add to that all the social events, the going to bed late and getting up early, it's tough!  When Friday afternoon came around, I splurged and booked myself a massage.  It was a real splurge since it cost $160USD for a 50 min. massage.  It was good, but I paid $80 for a 60 min. on directly on the beach on the Big Island in Hawai'i and for the location alone I would have paid more.  Granted "Relache" (the spa at the Gaylord) is beautiful and I was treated with lots of attention.  The array of products they had lined up for me to use, between make up remover, hair products, cucumber for my eyes while in the steam room, the razor in the shower, name it they provided it, but still... It was a bit steep, but it did feel good for my very tired feet.

During our week in Nashville, only went twice downtown (once by bus, once by taxi) to real tourists traps, i.e. Margaritaville and Wildhorse Saloon, for corporate things.  We also walked to the Grand Ole Opry (right next door to the Gaylord) and actually had an amazing night and this coming from a non-country fan.  That night (also a corporate event) featured Montgomery Gentry, Diamond Rio, Jake Owen (what a cutie!) and Trace Adkins (he's one BIG boy!).  A fun night.

I leave you with a pleasant surprise I saw on a day I got lost on the property... that explained a lot of sore feet... huh.

Po (King Fu Panda)