Four days at the Sheraton Mirage for our Managers' Conference was certainly a treat. Apparently a "great deal" was negotiated which made the whole episode not as expensive as it looks.
The best thing about the entire stay - the incredible beds. I've never slept in anything more comfortable in 48 years of sleeping! The mattress, the sheets, the pillows, the doona - I felt like I was wrapped in a cocoon each night. If I could guarantee an experience like that every night I'd consider buying a new bed and give up my beloved old wrought iron hooped bed.
The worst thing about the entire stay - the temperature of the air conditioning. It must have been set to freezing.
I was most excited with this. I don't have a bath at home so to be able to fill this tub with very hot water and sink into it was absolute bliss. I even fell asleep in there, just like I used to in Grade 11 and 12 when I'd finish my homework very late at night and climb into my brothers' bath water and just add hot.
The water in the "canals" really was as blue and clear as it looks in these photos. Oh for a pool cleaner at home like the ones they use here!?!
Behind these windows sits the breakfast room. What a view. Our conference was held on the top floor.
This isn't even the pool - it sits at the far row of white umbrellas - the pool bar is the gazebo on the right.
Inside the building.
Looking out over the pool to the ocean beyond.
There were several Neptune statues around the place. Some wag suggested Gibbo climb up beside him so we could get a photo. He didn't.
Each morning there was "boot camp" on the beach - beach sprints, push ups, situps, medicine ball excercises, yoga etc etc. It was tough but good and rather invigorating. A great way to start the day.
The conference went well; Gibbo's presentations were well received. The mentos on the tables are a bad idea. Once I start on them, I can't stop. We ate constantly. As part of the conference a session on Wellbeing was held. We all had the opportunity to visit a health professional on-site and have some general checks done (blood sugar, cholestrol and skin check). I did the whole thing but Gibbo just did the skin check (considering he gets monitored pretty well by his own doctor). My blood sugar was fine but my cholestrol is quite high - who would have thought - I'm built like a coathanger and I have high cholestrol. It's of concern because of my family history of heart disease (my Dad has a heart condition and had his first heart attack at 42; he's now a healthy 75). So I need to work on lowering my cholestrol to a level that is lower than normal. Both our skin checks were clear. I thought having this session available was an excellent initiative and was pleased to see most of the people took up the opportunity to attend, even those hardened blokes from the northern stations.
On the second night we went to the Outback Spectacular. I really enjoyed it but spent half the time close to tears because the music from The Man From Snowy River featured heavily. I know that music intimately and it made the whole show quite emotional for me. The main story was The Heroes of the Light Horse - that was all a bit sad but the rest of the show was light hearted and very entertaining.
On the last night we took the Wagyu Group out for dinner at Hogs Breath just across the road. Nearly everyone had steak! I had the pork ribs. Delicious.
We got up extra early on the Thursday morning and drove to the coast airport and caught the 6.10am to Sydney.....where an adventure of a totally different kind unfolded...but that story deserves a blog or two of its' own.
