“I feel like I’ve got an ice pick digging into my gut,” is what I heard through the earpiece of my phone. Then, a pregnant silence. “Excuse me?” I stammered in reply. This is not the kind of conversation one would expect when calling a place of business to pay a bill with a credit card. “Yep,” he continued, “I’ve got a lot of expense tied up in being in Nashville. I’m supposed to be on my way to set up at the AAEP Convention trade show but can’t get there. All the planes are canceled and the roads are sheets of ice between Oklahoma and Tennessee.” Oh. Well, that explained his bizarre comment.

And so it began. Seems like the Bermuda Triangle in which I fell during the mid-September Colorado Flood had opened its maws in other parts of the country, as well. Storm Cleon certainly created a challenge to travel through the central part of the United States, and began icing its way East, with Storm Dion set for a one-two punch.

So, much to my surprise, as I reached for a chocolate in a bowl next to a booth in the trade show, there, next to the bowl, is the very person with whom I was speaking on the phone days ago who said he couldn’t make it. I said, “Oh hi.” He said, “It’s you. Because of you, I figured out how to get here. Had my wife route me through Atlanta.”

Why is this such a big deal? The tradeshow at the AAEP Convention is one of the largest venues for pharmaceutical distributors and equipment vendors to show veterinarians the latest and greatest in tools and supplies. New innovations and improved pharmaceuticals enable us to do a better job for the horses. We get an education in cutting edge technology in addition to the scientific platform of lectures