Iggy Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Has anyone here ever gone to Time Out For Women? Did you enjoy it? I leave Friday afternoon for a 3 hour trip to Portland, OR for the 2014 TOFW at the Oregon Convention Center. Six other sisters from my branch are going too. One sister is travelling with her husband and will stay with one of their sons, his wife and their children. The others are all traveling in one vehicle, and we all have rooms at the Red Lion Inn on the River in Portland. We are sharing rooms, two to a room, each room has two queen beds. I am so excited - and eager. The only thing is, the other sisters don't plan on eating a real meal. They are going to Panera - for sandwiches and soup/salad. That is okay for the meal on friday. BUT I am not about to order a sandwich and salad to go, put in the fridge at the hotel overnight to eat the next afternoon. If I could eat salad and NOT have to be near a bathroom for the next 4 hours, I would buy one of Safeways pre-made ones. I love them - but they go right through me. I'll make my own sandwiches at home, along with Campbells To-Go soup that I will heat up at the hotel. No way is this chickie paying restaurant prices for a sandwich - especially a cold sandwich. ANY WHO--- has anyone gone to a TOFW before?? Thoughts???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I haven't but I have always wanted to go to it. Iggy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 My wife has gone both times they were in the St Louis area. She and the other Sisters that attended enjoyed it. Iggy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crypto Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I like Panera, it is a satisfying meal for a lunch. Not much food though, and most sandwiches don't taste as good after sitting. I haven't heard about TOFM before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane_Doe Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I've been to TOFM a couple of time. It's a very Utah style motivational girls pow-wow. Iggy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iggy Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Heard about it three years ago after some of the sisters had gone to it. Two years ago I really wanted to go - but again those sisters who went didn't alert the rest of us at the Branch. Last year, again no one announced it early enough to get the reduced group rate. So I went online and signed up for the email announcement from TOFW in my area. As soon as I got the email, I printed it out and announced it at RS. Every other Sunday I brought it up again. The same women are going plus two - myself and another sister. It is NOT sponsored by the LDS Church, it is sponsored by Deseret Books. BUT it is an all LDS venue. I know you get a TOFW tote - but what else is included? Did any of you take notes? Even if I start taking notes, I get so interested I forget to write. It really doesn't cost that much - Friday night and Saturday morning & afternoon for $55.00 IF you register and pay at least a month in advance AND have at least 4 in your group. Two hotels there offer discounts on rooms if you tell them you are going to TOFW. Like I said we all shared rooms - So the total cost of the double queen for 2 adults was $128.00 (includes tax). Divide that in two and it is $64.00 + $55.00 for TOFW. $119.00 for the weekend not including the food. I will give $10.00 to the driver to pay for gas. She is only asking $5.00 per person, but I feel it should be $10.00. One of the sisters rents a vacation home in Portland and she and her 5 daughters (including DIL) go as a group. They stay over until Monday - going to the Temple Saturday night and then each year they pick a different Ward to go to Church on Sunday. The husbands go with to take care of the children and to have dinner ready for them on Saturday, and then do the Sunday meals. I think that is a wonderful tradition they have started. It will be in Portland next year - 13 & 14th of November. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roseslipper Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I have heard that time out for woman is fun, educational and spiritual. Hope u have a great time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 A lot of women in my ward go to it when it goes to Orlando. They all have lots of good things to say about it. Bring a notebook but don't worry much about it - just relax and enjoy the time... it's not just the lessons that brings spiritual upliftment, the time with women - in and out of the sessions - separated from the rigors and worries of the family - is very beneficial. I've never been to one though. I'm not comfortable with women enough to spend two days solid. :-( And Panera is great! I love the Chicken and Wild Rice soup in a bread bowl with a side of gala apple. If that is not available, I get the Broccoli and Cheddar soup in a bread bowl - not as good but still very good. I usually eat the whole thing so I don't have anything left to pack for later. And then I get the Bear Claw or the Chocolate Pastry for desert for 99 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohdanko Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 I have gone to TOFW a number of times and generally leave feeling very uplifted, particularly by the music. That said, there is a commercialization of the gospel aspect to it that bothers me, and I have yet to resolve that in my mind. This last year I actually worked as a cashier at the one in the Cincinnati area, and the amount of money changing hands is mind boggling. On the other hand, the attendees do seem to get a lot out of it. That said, I haven't met anyone else who is bothered by it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iggy Posted November 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2014 (edited) I went, I enjoyed, I am going again. And again. And Again. We were 45 minutes late getting there. We hit bumper to bumper traffic. The Oregon Colosseum where our TOFW was held, also was FULL with other venues - Even with a handicap sticker, we had to park in the lower 20. Our rooms at the Red Lion Inn were wonderful. There was a 25 year celebration for one of the raido/tv stations. What a loud group. They met in the lobby for no-host drinks, then went in for their dinner. We couldn't hear to register - had to write notes back and forth with the hotel staff. At least on the trip to TOFW went at a steady 50 mile an hour clip until we hit the off ramp and downtown. We hit every red light! It was nice and quiet at the hotel that night - at least it was around my room. The two rooms where the other sisters were in nearer the lobby were across the hall from two suites. One was a wedding anniversary party and the other was a wedding couple. Both partied well into the wee hours. If it had been me across from them, I would not have hesitated to call the front desk at 3 AM and requested they quiet the party goers. We all met at the lobby at 7 AM, traveled 0.7 miles to Elmer's Restaurant for breakfast. There were two cars in the parking lot when we got there. Got seated, and then waited, and waited, and waited, etc., for 10 minutes for our waitress. We hailed a busboy going into the waitress/kitchen area - finally our waitress came, took our orders and left. NO one had a difficult, or long cook time order, yet after 20 minutes we still were not served. One loud: Waitress! brought her out to explain that orders for a table of 8 on the other side of the restaurant was up before us. What? When did they come in???? Because she took so long to initially get to us, they got waited on first. We were 10 minutes late for the start of TOFW because of that. Even though we told the hostess that we were in a rush, needing to get served ASAP - we knew what we wanted as we had red the menu online the night before. I asked our waitress if Elmer's policy is that she share her tips with the hostess and/or cook staff? Yep. So she got poor tips from us. One of the sisters filled out the Courtesy cards too. Food was good - though my hollandaise sauce on my omelet was cool and not hot- and the eggs benedict eggs were way overcooked and with cold hollandaise also. TOFW - Saturday: It was great! Mary Ellen Edmunds - what a woman, what a sense of humor. She provided depth and humor in her The Sunbeam Influence. Tamu Smith & Zandra Vranes. Two black women (their words) teaching us how to live life with a little more SASS - http://tofw.com/Tamu_Smith_Zandra_Vranes_/p/48 . Mercy River, Whitney Johnson, D. Kelly Ogden, Laurel C. Day, Terryl and Fiona Givens, Sandra Turley. Josh Wright and Elaine Dalton. Coming home we stopped at Deseret Book Store, while there one of our sisters got a text regarding another sister in our branch. Sister Eva W had gone to the emergency room on friday with heart arrhythmia symptoms. Her condition worsened and she was taken to Corvallis by ambulance to the Good Sam's heart center. Corvallis is on our way home, and it was 6:45 PM -still visiting hours at the hospital. Could we please go see her? When we got there, she had just been taken into surgery - for quadruple bypass. Her daughter and son-in-law were there. Sister Eva W is a beloved sister to the entire branch. She has taught seminary for nearly 15 years, she is my favorite music director. The YW and the YM really like her - they actually seek her out at all of our branch activities! Actually she is one of my favorite people. She is type II diabetic and when I am in dire need of a supporting voice, she is it. Back to TOFW - I am going next year. 2015 ~ Living Proof. Edited November 9, 2014 by Iggy classylady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 TOFW is coming to Salt Lake in 2 weeks. Unfortunately I didn't plan in advance to go and now I'm working. I'll think about it for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iggy Posted November 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 It will be in St. George next year - Nov 6 & 7. classylady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 It will be in St. George next year - Nov 6 & 7. Well that might be a deal breaker for me. No problem going to St. George. But at that time of year you never know what the weather will be like. Unless I pay at the door. But to pay upfront might be a bit risky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 Oh I see Salt Lake City is TBD. Iggy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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