(DISCLAIMER) this, which you are about to read is a crafty way of saying I'm a pu$$y for not making it...
Well, seeing as I did not attend OEX East I'd say that was a solid lesson in itself that could be summed up by the chorus of "The Gambler" Not to take away from anyone's LL's. All the gear in the world, all of the preparation etc. is great but sometimes it's best to take the advice of Kenny Rogers. I understand all about being prepared and being able to hack it and all of that. I also understand that commitments have to be honored as well. Part of good preparation is anticipating the worst case scenario and then mitigating the risk-reward factor and good ol' ORM. But for the regular Joe's out there not manning a booth or paying to attend courses, teaching courses and the like; sometimes you "gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run". It's one thing being out "in the bush" when unexpected weather strikes and you have to make due, it's another when the most rudimentary of technology issues out severe weather warnings and you have to make the uncool decision to wave off. Even in the Marine Corps sometimes the "if it ain't rainin' we ain't trainin" saying has to be put on the shelf to stay dry. With that said; kudos and "BZ" to Tim, Andy, Jay, Steve and everyone else who represented AA and those brave souls who dared and lived to tell the tale! I, on the other hand; feel like I got punked by the National Weather Service because the weather here was not as bad as it was forecasted to be and I missed out on back to back soggy weekends... and sometimes that Kenny Rogers is just plain ol' full of $H!T!