The Waiting Game...

I'm finally in Tampa for the CoSIDA Convention after a short flight from Birmingham. The pilot said that the flight would be an hour and ten minutes but it sure didn't feel like it. Kyle and Tony were nice enough to pick me up from the airport so I wouldn't have to pay 22 bucks for cab to my hotel (Marriot of ultimate sweetness down the street from the cruise dock. I might just jump the boat). I'm not really sure how that would have turned out and I don't even want to try to imagine it.

So, now, I'm sitting in the hotel lobby because I'm not supposed to check in until 4 p.m. and it's now just 1:30 p.m. I checked to see if I could check in early but no rooms were available yet. The nice South Korean lady at the desk told me that she would call me on my cell when a room came available. Hopefully, that's sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, I'm just chillin' in the lobby. I'm pretty hungry but who wants to eat by one's self? My friends have gone to their respective meetings, my divisional meeting had already started when I got here so that was a no-go, and the rest of my party (Joey and Zac) won't get here until 6:30 p.m. Kyle and Tony are supposed to be done with meetings around 3 so, I'm just waiting.

I'd walk down the street but I'm not really sure how safe (and comfortable) that would be toting around a laptop, especially when I don't know the city.

I'm pretty excited about the week though. I've been told this is a pretty chill convention and most people just come to hang out. Go to one or two seminars a day, especially the one just before lunch and then go have fun for the rest of the day. My plans -- to spend some quality time at the pool. I'm going to see the Red Sox play the Devil Rays Tuesday night with Mandi and Kyle said that a trip to Busch Gardens might be on the horizon for one day.

I've already seen a few people that I wasn't so excited to see, but I've also seen a few people I'd like to hang out with as well. Fun times.

Hopefully, I'll have lots of pictures to share from my four days here as well as the four days in Ft. Walton with the fam.

Until then...