At last some time to catch up on my blog entries. True, it's nearly midnight, but I have an iPod playing Johnny Cash and a giant bottle of Mt. Dew, so I think I can kick it for a while.
As for the title of this entry, you'll just have to read on to see which distributor walked into her room and was surprised to discover a man sleeping in her bed.
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Tuesday night brought us many things, not the least of which was a stomach ache from gorging on nearly every dessert offered at the banquet's dessert table. Of course, when I says "us," I just mean me. I had chocolate mousse, chocolate fudge cake, a different kind of chocolate mousse, a fruit and custard cup, a coffee flavored chocolate thing that makes me feel nostalgic just typing about it, and yet another different type of chocolate mousse. When I had finished all that, it was time to stroll over to the two chocolate fountains which erupted a steady flow of molten chocolate, into which you could dip rice krispy treats, fruit, short cakes, and other delectables.
Oh, yeah. I had dinner, too.
Distributors shared my enthusiasm for the food and desserts, and everyone was feeling quite full and happy when the awards of the evening were handed out.
And the Winners Are...
The top three teams in the Diamond Dash were:
3rd Place
Munenori Bundo
Minako Bundo
Toshiya Yanagihara
Mieko Yasui
2nd Place
Kai Lok
Cathy Lok
Joobee Ho
Yenmen Kong
1st Place
Michael D'Avolio
Lynn D'Avolio
Norma Johnson
Debra Camp
Winners walked away with pride and Neways goody bags. Congratulations to all our Diamond Dashers.
The Moberly Awards
Scott wandered the crowd with a bag full of prizes for the winners of The Moberly Awards. Here's who won:
Funniest Picture
Sayaka Shigematsu (daughter)
Masumi Shigematsu (mother)
Photo: Of them posing with a Chippendale's dancer.
Prize: Wallets
Happy Anniversary
Munenori and Minako Bundo
Prize: A Shoulder Bag and a Tie
For Bringing So Many People with Him
Roman Sobolevsky
Prize: Versace Ties
Extreme Patience
Kazuko Nukaya
Why: Found that her room was triple booked when she opened the door and surprised the people already in there.
Prize: Wallet and Purse
Most Patience
Toshiko Yamamoto
Why: Toshiko was surprised to walk into her room and find a man sleeping in her bed. No word yet on whether he became a distributor.
Prize: Wallet
Karaoke Night
Kelly Queensberry's band rocked the house for a seven song set before they turned the lead singer spotlight over to the audience. Scott Moberly, Eric Larsen, and Yoshi Komiya got things started by performing "La Bamba." Then, Shinya Akimoto got the crowd hopping with "Twist and Shout."
From there, distributor after distributor became the star of the show, fronting a live band for a moment of glitz and glory.
Sadly, I got suckered into hopping onstage and inflicting my voice upon the masses, for which, I sincerely apologize. My singing voice can best be described as a cross between a rabid raccoon getting the Heimlich Maneuver and an elephant swallowing a set of bagpipes. I torpedoed whatever rock 'n roll mojo that Eric Nugent, Jina Shin, and Jamie Anderson brought to the stage. Thankfully, the distributors who took to the stage before and after us made my shockingly poor performance a short memory for all. One of our Ukrainian distributors, whose name this investigative journalist is still tracking down, is apparently a professional opera singer, and she wowed everyone with a beautiful aria.
The night pulled distributors from their seats to the dance floor and stage, and in the end, everyone left the party abuzz and happy.
Distributor Reaction
Bev Irwin of Australia, made it a point to wander over to Koral Reid and tell her how successful the night came off. "We have people up and dancing and carrying on, and these are people who haven't done that in about 15 years," said Bev. "It's wonderful to see them carry on like that. I've never seen that. They're all bonding and having fun."
Bev went on to tell us how a member of her team had grown as a leader on this trip. "Adele [Brunier] sold our gondola boatsman on Neways while we were riding in the Venitian. She sounded more confident than ever before. Her approach has matured."
Bev concluded her conversation with Koral by again expressing her extreme gratitude to Neways for planning such an event to recognize the company's top performers, and how this positive energy will effect the entire company. "A little recognition is so important," she said. "And we appreciate all this. Everybody needs a little recognition, including the leaders. We saw so much today. More than we ever would have seen otherwise. Thank you, thank you for such a wonderful time."
Peter Anton of Australia agreed. "I enjoyed the singing and it's beautiful to be a part of this with my friends from around the world. And that's what Neways is all about: have a lot of fun; help people make a lot of money."
"Thank you for a wonderful evening!" said Lana Samarski of Australia.
Ginny and Linton Parker of Australia, who have been married for 22 years (and who sang a duet of "I've Got You Babe") said "We had a blast!"
Next stop: General Session, Wednesday Morning
