Ain't No Crime To Go Back In Time!

During our 'vacation' from renovation, we've spent a few days in the Conroe, Texas area (just north of Houston), as part of the 2007 KOA Alumni Family reunion. This is a group of former franchisees and KOA employees that gather each year at a KOA The folks here at the Lake Conroe/Houston North KOA have been wonderful hosts - facilities, food, and customer service!

For us it has been a combination of fun and business. On Wednesday the group went to the NASA Space Center, but we stayed behind to get in on a conference call from the Home Office. That afternoon the 'big boss' flew in to be at the reunion for our 'auction' - and we met with him that afternoon. The auction - as always - was a lot of fun and we ended up with some nice stuff. It's all in the name of benevolence, for why else would we buy stuff . . . bring it to the auction . . . and then buy other stuff at inflated prices? Anyway, our group of about 45 folks raised over $6,000 in just a couple of hours, which will go to provide scholarships to KOA franchisees to help them attend KOA training sessions - like convention.

Thursday found me on a shopping trip with a few girlfriends. We trekked south to The Woodlands - what a mecca for shoppers. Have been to my local Marshall's a couple of times, but they introduced me to a Mega Marshall's! Only problem was we didn't spend enough time there! Then on to Ross For Less, Kirklands, World Market - with a couple of hours out for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Of course, that put us trying to get home right in the middle of rush hour traffic - and it was 6:00 p.m. before we finally found our way back to the campground. Roger and 'the boys' were golfing that day and even Roger had to admit he did pretty good!

Yesterday we had a morning 'business' session and the afternoon was antique (or in Roger's eyes . . . junk) shopping. It was very unstructured and we spent some time just sitting and talking with old friends, before our 'grand finale' dinner and entertainment.

The fajitas were fantastic - and the band, "The Grateful Geezers" were even better! However, I was a bit worried when they started setting up, for the drummer couldn't have been a day older than Russ - and if he's a 'geezer' . . . what does that make us???? Their tag line was "It Ain't No Crime To Go Back In Time" - and they played and sang music from the 50's and 60's. Course, some of those songs were hits when we were still in diapers, mind you! But, oh what fun! Think they were a bit surprised when most of the bunch hung around til the very end. Then we got to talking to some of the staff and they had to unlock doors to let us out! We literally were the last ones to leave!

And just the night before I couldn't stay awake to catch the 10:00 p.m. West Coast feed of our Thursday night show "Survivor!" Roger said he tried to wake me several times, but I would just fall back asleep in my chair. (It was all the shopping, I think).

This morning will wrap up the reunion with a "Send Off Breakfast" and everyone will head out across the country until next year. Looks like we will gather in Mystic, Connecticut in 2008!