Kicked in the teeth by Murphy's Law

Every year, a trade publication hosts a conference for the pre-employment screening industry. I've been with my company since early 2004, and I guess now I'm important enough to go. This year the trade show is in Clearwater, Florida. The plan was this - we all fly down Saturday (tomorrow), get toasty on the plane ride down there, and continue getting toasty into the evening. Sunday, wow our two biggest clients by spending $900 on a boat and going deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Monday, the actual conference begins - attend a couple seminars on sales and industry trends, while networking with prospective new business.

Sounds like a plan. Of course, Murphy's Law steps in and turns this plan into a Salvadore Dali painting. The direct flight that the president, COO, and VP Operations booked, is now overbooked forcing me onto a different flight. So I have to connect in Philly and Charlotte and I won't get into Florida until late in the evening. Sunday's deep-sea fishing trip? The boat only holds 8. There are 5 people to shmooze and since I haven't known the higher-ups since third grade, I get bumped. So if life gives you lemons, make lemonade - I now have a free day in Clearwater/Tampa, and the company will pay for whatever it is I want to do. Reasonably, of course.

So this morning I wake up and I have no voice. I mean if I try to talk at any audible level, it hurts my throat. Apparently there's been some laryngitis going around and lucky me - it hits me full force the day before I go to Florida. It's been a very long time since I've last had laryngitis but I'm optimistic that by Monday, at the very least, I'll be able to talk again.

Anyway I still have all of Sunday free with no plans. I'll be in Clearwater, just outside Tampa. If anybody knows of anything to do in the area (preferably that does not require talking) I'm all ears.