Orlando

So Mike and I just got back from Orlando yesterday. We went down for the annual partners conference with OSI (Outback Steakhouse, Inc.) There were a few thousand OSI employees there, from various OSI companies, like Outback, Outback International, Bonefish, Flemmings, Roys, and Carrabbas. Each concept was housed at a Disney World resort. We were spoiled with airfare, lodging, transportation, food, alcohol, motivational speakers, gift bags, and a Dave Matthews Concert.


Our first day there was super long! We flew from Raleigh Durham to Orlando and were almost immediately scheduled for a 5 hour long meeting. The meeting itself was super neat, because every managing partner from all national and international Outback was there, and most with there spouse. Can't tell you about the top secret ;) material covered but it was super cool! That night we walked across the resort to Disney's Boardwalk and had dinner with some friend from Virginia whom Mike had worked with before.


Day 2 I relaxed while Mike attended another business meeting, and then we met up afterwards and headed to Downtown Disney for some shopping and lunch. That night we had hourdervs and drinks with the partners/wives from our region (North and South Carolina) before heading over to Hollywood Studios, were the company had a great casino night. The streets at Hollywood Studios were lined with blackjack tables, roulette, poker, etc. They also had more food and drinks, stilt walkers, break dancers, a band, and lots of free gifts. I opted for a poker table were I proved to be a poker natural. I cleaned house. Unfortunately the winnings weren't for real. But I love playing cards!

Michael got to meet a great American Cajun Chef, Paul Prudhomme. He is famous for is cajun flare, especially his spices that he has blended for the Magic Seasoning brand. His picture is the one with Michael and the older gentlemen,

Day 3 was a free day for us. Mike and I rented a convertible beetle, and decided to drive down to an outlet mall to do some shopping. Once done there we decided to drive a bit farther and landed at the Kennedy Space Center. Lots of interesting stuff there. The best part was Mike pushing me around in a wheelchair because of my edema. He is the BEST husband ever! Once back to the resort we caught a cab out to the Fantasy of Flight center. Here they had tons of old airplanes for us to checkout,and even better, Outback surprised us with a Dave Matthews concert, free drinks and more buffets!

We all had such a great time! Tired and ready to get home, we flew back on Wednesday morning. We were both so tired we had to take turns driving several times from Raleigh to New Bern. None the less this trip was wonderful and did nothing for my edema. But who could pass up one last couples trip with no parental responsibilities?

Stay tuned for more next week, when I report on the baby shower.