A Day of Travel to the Confernece in Birmingham

I can't even describe "O dark hundred"....  it is so dark, cold and quiet, I am sure that we are not meant to be moving around at this hour. (I just wanted to go back to bed) This makes you wonder, what about the pilots and staff - how much sleep have they had? MORE than me I hope. Anyway, it was an early morning start, check in bag, go through security and then off to your gate. (I just cannot believe how many people are up and traveling so early- where are they all going? It was a very long day of travel......  going from Sacramento to Houston Texas and then onto Birmingham Alabama. I was a little concerned about the Isaac and the weather coming up Florida and the Gulf. Thank goodness there was nothing for my travel day. Birmingham did get a little rain earlier in the day.

While waiting at the airport to be picked up I met alot people coming in from all over the country , who are attending the FGS Conference. Our shuttles were full.

The Sheraton Birmingham Hotel is beautiful, my room is great and I am on the 16th floor overlooking the inside of the hotel. It's wonderful.

I was able to register this evening. Now that is out of the way, and I can sleep in a little bit in the morning. I have been studying the schedule of classes, special offerings, drawings, raffles, luncheons etc and trying to get organized. Last week I did download the FGS app and have that programmed in my iPhone and my iPad, & marked my paper schdule  (I know I know overkill but then I will be covered whatever way I go.) I was able to download the syllabus onto my iPad so that will be handy. We did receive a CD with the syllabus but my mini computer does not have a CD player and I forgot to bring the little portable CD player. Oh well, I tried to remember what I would need but that just wasn't even thought about.

I think if you would describe Birmingham it would probably be - diversity. There is alot of diversity and variety in entertainment, cuisine, the arts, fun places... Bouillabaisse and barbeque. Fried Okra and foie gras. Sushi, sweet tea, and seven layer salads. Slab of ribs and rack of lamb. Tapas and turnip greens. ....... There is Alabama's Splash Adventure Water park - Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame -- Alabama Museum of Health Sciences -- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame -- Birmingham Botanical Gardens -- Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail -- Birmingham History Center -- Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum and a wonderful Birmingham Public Library,  Birmingham Race Course, and Birmingham Zoo and so much more. I hope to actually get to some of these great attractions.

Birmingham - the city that changed the world. .... remembering the second American Revolution took place in the streets of Birmingham Alabama. The city was a battlefield for America's Civil Rights Movement, a struggle for simple decency and common sense.

.....coming to you directly from Birmingham with Sandra Gardner Benward