Working in the Woodlands

After exhibiting at ten conferences in seven states, my home school conference traveling season is now complete for the year 2005. Last weekend Perry Coghlan and I traveled to The Woodlands, Texas (located outside of Houston), to exhibit at the THSC conference on behalf of Vision Forum. We immensely enjoyed our time there, conversing with customers, visiting fellow vendors, etc. Many thanks to THSC for allowing Vision Forum to exhibit, and for running a great vendor hall.

Working with Perry was great fun. His first time representing Vison Forum at a home school conference, Perry proved to be a natural, easily picking up the nuances of a vendor book table. I look forward to working again with Perry in the future (he is also a very understanding front-seat passenger, choosing to laugh rather than complain about my directionally challenged driving).

For the past two conference seasons I have had many occasions to interact with the Farewell family, owners of Lifetime Books and Gifts. Pioneers and standard bearers, the Farewells have been traveling the country for eighteen years, exhibiting their family-encouraging resources at home school conferences from sea to shining sea. This past weekend’s THSC conference marked the final home school conference with the Farewells as owners and operators of Lifetime Books and Gifts, the end of an era in the home school world. I shall miss seeing the Farewells in the Lifetime Books and Gifts booth, but hope for continued fellowship with them on the trail as they do more speaking at conferences.

Perry and I departed The Woodlands at approximately 8:00 p.m. on Saturday evening so that we could attend our respective assemblies on Sunday. However, our modest road trip started off with us driving thirty exits in the wrong direction, an action ill-conceived to aid us toward our goal. This was followed by us getting stuck behind accident-caused traffic, the same traffic about which I had earlier that evening verbalized my delight in not encountering as we blissfully drove away from San Antonio. The Woodlands would not let us go, it appeared.

We reached San Antonio well after midnight, stopping at the office to get our respective vehicles. I headed back to my house, stopping by Krispy Kreme for my weekly donut trip (my after-Sunday service food line offering). As usual I went through the drive through, the second vehicle in line. I proceeded to wait twenty minutes in the drive through, unable to leave because of the van in front of my vehicle and two cars behind me. I had a few words of advice for the cashier when I finally reached the window at 1:28 a.m., primarily relating to how one can move a drive through line forward even when one is late in delivering the order of the first vehicle (a little tricked I learned from McDonald’s). After departing Krispy Kreme, I drove toward the house, breaking down about five minutes from said destination (gratefully I was able to make it off of 1604 E and into the Academy Sports parking lot, at about which time I lost my power steering and my brakes). Boy, was I having a fun night. I called Peter Bradrick, got some car advice, waited for approximately ten minutes, and then putt-putted my way back to my house. With the Lord’s help I made it there without further incident.

To end my evening I took a shower and then went into the kitchen for a drink of water. Unbeknownst to me, the dishwasher had overflowed and there were suds everywhere. It would have been apropos for me to have slipped and cracked my skull, but I only skidded a little bit on the wet floor. I mopped up the water, got my drink, and then retired from further activities until waking up the next morning. I am in no hurry to repeat a similar night any time soon.

All in all the weekend was great fun and throughly enjoyed by yours truly. Enjoy the pictures below.