Day #512 - Conference Day

I am not a morning person so I set 3 alarm clocks to make sure I wouldn’t oversleep today. Arrived at campus at 5:30 AM Here goes …

A few bunnies and birds greeted me as I arrived at school. Animals are always a nice start to the day. Some students were gathering last minute gear outside my office and soon we were headed with a load of gear across campus. We set up and by 6:50 were greeting guests.

The conference was going extremely well. We were using a new location, so that meant new things to learn and new adjustments. Approximately 250 students checked in. These are the ‘cream of the crop’ ones, so it is exciting. Both morning speakers were great and people thanked me for arranging those.

After I got off the stage I was thinking how much fun that was! Then I realized, “WOW! A few years ago I was one of those students. At that point in life I would have felt ill for a week if I had to do a 5 minute talk in front of even 10 people! There was nothing I feared more.” Times have changed and so have I. I was having a blast on stage and sparring with one of the other speakers.

After all the guest were tucked into the various workshops and I was returning to the Check In area, I said, “Good Morning Penny Angels. Today my total focus is on the guests and speakers at this conference. If YOU want a Penny Tale today, then you will need to provide a very obvious penny, because I am not looking”. When I got to the Check In area, there was the shiniest penny you can imagine, right on the dark blue carpet in front of the card swipe table!

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The afternoon activities went really well. There was learning, networking, and so much more. Wish I could share some of the absolutely hilarious antics - I think the Penny Angels must have been involved there as well.

After the conference the team had a debriefing session, then hauled all the carts of gear back to my building. Around 7:30 p.m. I finally tried to leave. I could barely move. Must have run 10 miles today. My body had seized up. I contemplated laying down on the floor of my office and just staying there until work begins on Monday. But the dogs needed feeding.

I began the lonnnnnng trek to my truck. It felt like a marathon. The thought of penny finding crossed my mind. The little voice said, “You have only ONE penny today! That is embarrassingly meager!” I told the voice to shut up and go away. I was focusing on taking the next step forward and just making it to my truck. Then I said OUT LOUD, “Penny Angels, if you want more than one coin found today, then you will need to make it really obvious and really accessible because I’m hurting and not even going to turn my head to look! Got it?” Within 60 seconds there was a very new, very shiny 2010 shield penny right in my path in a spot that made no sense for it being there.

I guess the Angels wanted to give their 2¢ worth today.