It's time for another tradeshow — for me. I know some of y'all just recently got home from Orlando, but I rarely make it all the way to the other side of the country for tradeshows. Vegas and Long Beach are the big shows for me.

I have been busy this week making my "things to do before I leave" list and my "things to look for/get at the show" list. I think I have everything crossed off the "before I leave" list, but I'm worried I'm forgetting a ton of things that are supposed to be on the other list.

I get to trade in more gel polishes that have cured in the bottles (sigh), see if anyone who builds manicuring desks is at the show, look for countless little doodads and thing-a-majiggers that ought to exist but probably don't, and cash in on the drink that Denise owes me for my birthday.

And entertain the BF by riding the monorail.

I like tradeshows, I really do. But they really do get stale. Too many of the classes are the same classes by the same educators for the same manufacturers that have been offered at all the other tradeshows for the last five years. Too many of the exhibitors are — well, I expect them to be the same exhibitors year after year, but they aren't. Every show is wrought with counting the companies that have down-sized their booths or are just MIA altogether. But I've already told you how I feel about that — I haven't changed my mind.

I don't know exactly what the answer is to keeping it new and fresh, but if that's the challenge I face every day in my real-life job in the salon, then why should I expect the companies that make up the industry behind the salon to live up to any lower standard?

Nevertheless, I'll be there! Maybe not with bells on, but my toenails are done. And the BF will be with me and we'll be looking for a bunch of things that should exist but don't and I'm sure to have an opinion about it all that I'm willing to share if you wanna hang out.

You can find us on the monorail.