Travel log: Tampa...

We're back in the Sunshine State for this year's Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show, and sunny Florida hasn't disappointed on the adventure level.

The flight down was uneventful on the passenger end, but my luggage - that was another story.

I was a victim of TSA Baggage Inspection. Ah, baggage inspection. When they apparently take everything out of your luggage, try it on, model it, wad it back up, stuff it back in, sit on the suitcase to close it, and then toss it around for shits and giggles.

I think TSA Agents really like going through people's things. Just to see what they can find.


When I opened my bag at the hotel it was a wreck. My clothes were nicely folded when they left Kansas, but were horribly rearranged and wadded up. I use a small clear train bag to keep all my makeup and stuff in, and it had been taken out and moved, my hairdryer was at the other end of the suitcase and my straightening iron was buried. I did not pack like that. In fact, my packing level is expert.

That's right. 49.5 pounds. That's one-half pound away from a bigger baggage fee for it being "heavy."

Expert packers don't pack a suitcase like a dirty laundry basket looks. (At least this one doesn't).

Once my bag was somewhat unpacked we headed to the nearest food joint. In downtown Tampa you'd be surprised at what is open at midnight. Nothing. We found a Pita Pit a couple blocks away and went in. It reeked of cinnamon spray - the kind people use in the toilet - and I wasn't so sure. The guy waiting on use was about 90 pounds, and 40 of that were dreads covered by a do-rag. He was what you might call the ultimate hipster.

Once we had our pitas devoured we headed back to the hotel where I busted out the iron to try and fix the TSA debacle. At 2:30 a.m. I finally laid down to get some shut eye.

At 7:30 a.m. I was wide awake. This is going to be a long trip.

First up was setting up the HPJ booth we have at the trade show, but first was a little breakfast. Did you know in Florida you can't get breakfast after 8 a.m.? It was news to me, too. The hotel has a breakfast  area, but apparently you have to get up with the sunrise to get any. So we settled on a "bistro" sandwich. I am not a fan of eggs, so I asked about my options.

"Can I get that bacon sandwich without any egg?" I asked. I mean, this seemed like a fairly doable deal.

Blank stare back. Seriously, the gal just stared at me like I had asked her for all the money in the register.

"Can I get it with no egg?" I asked again.

Blank stare followed by a blink. "But, they're pre-made."

"Okay, so I can just pick it off myself then?"

Blank stare.

"Okay, I'll just take the morning bistro sandwich then, and some milk."

For two of us to eat breakfast is was $19.45. For a couple pieces of toast, powdered eggs, a leaf of lettuce, a juice, and my milk. Holy crap. I'm in the wrong business.

They bring our food out and I go to take the egg off and find it's scrambled. What. The. Hell. There was no bacon that I could see, some type of cheese sauce, and some scrambled eggs on some type of gourmet roll. I bit the bullet and bit the egg. I didn't gag, so I choked it down. My morning was starting off great.

I jumped the shuttle to the trade show and walked in to a flurry of activity as people begin to assemble their booths. When I get to our palette it is covered in black dust. I have no idea what it is, where it's from, or why it's there. I have two hard cases, and a box filled with things I can't carry on - like a giant knife. I had to use my keys to get into the shrink wrapped palette, to get to the knife, to get the zip ties off the hard cases.

Did I mention it's about 95 degrees in the trade show area? This was a great idea.

Once I got it unwrapped and the display put up with the help of a guy who we see every year at Ag Media Summit, I moved the furniture in and ta da - we have a booth.

Let's just hope the rest of the week is a success.