The hotel lobby the morning following a conference has the same forlorn feeling of a house the morning after a party or a ballroom after the bride and groom have left in the limo. But, instead of a smattering of beer bottles or champagne glasses, the space is littered with the memory of stories, conversations, and debate. Even my Twitter feed has a “the party is over” feeling this morning as practitioners commiserated with the colleague stuck in an airport and others thanked each other for the lovely time.

But while most people only manage to take home a hangover or a tulle bundle of Jordan almonds from a wedding or party, those of us who attended the 2012 Annual Convention of the AAEP carry home something more lasting and requiring less ibuprofen