So I am all loaded up and ready to go. Wife drops me off at the Orlando Airport, two hours early. All ready for my first Convention as a first year member of the Club. Cant get any better then this! Check in with America West...no problems and head for the gate. I am still over an hour early so I sit around with the others heading for Vegas. Everyone is excited! Its a sold out flight. Approx 200+ passengers. The last flight leaving out of Orlando Airport for the night. They come across the loud speaker letting us know we are minutes from boarding. The anticipation is building! Next anouncement. Working on a mechanical problem, will delay the boarding for 15 minutes. No problem. Gives me a chance to run to the bathroom before the 5 hour flight. Next announcement. Another delay, problem with the back door of the plane. Cannot get it to close all the way, but working on it. Now its 30 minutes over the time we were supposed to depart. Time passes. Next announcement. Anyone with connecting flights off of this Vegas flight please approach the counter. Uhh oh. Its now two hours later, "Ladies and Gentleman, America West is sorry, but we are going to have to cancel this flight due to mechanical problems." A sigh comes over the crowd of now angry passengers. For the next two hours we stand in line and wait to be re-connected to other already full planes leaving over the next two days for Vegas Connections. By time I get to the counter everything from rocketships to mules are booked. The earliest I could get out ON STANDBY was Thursday afternoon. Do to work, I was flighing back on Friday. By time I got to Vegas, I would have to turn around and fly right back. So I had them reimburse my ticket, called the very understanding Tropicana and cancelled my reservation without penalty, and had the wife come pick me up. Needless to say I am extremely bummed. I was very much looking forward to meeting all of you and passing out thank you's to all that have helped me throughout the last year. This chip rookie WAS going to the SuperBowl! Greg, I know your online during the Convention. Please pass this on to Wayne. I was pre-registered for the Convention and I wanted to make sure he got word so you didnt think I fell off the planet by not being there. Thank you. Now I am going to go crawl underneath the covers and slip into depression.....