CES 2008 is less than a month away and I’m getting antsy. It’s not because this will be my first time in Vegas (I’m rather looking for some Swingers-styled action), but because there’s a twinge of nervousness that’s growing exponentially as I begin to realize the full scope of this undertaking.

CES, with the unbelievably massive Las Vegas convention Center and seemingly infinite stretch of hotels lining the strip, is enough to break a person - at least that’s what I hear. An editor has told me that CES nearly caused her to uproot her hair after a cab driver (one of the many imported from L.A. to handle the glut of attendees) made her miss four vital appointments due to his unfamiliarity with Sin City.

A colleague who works for another publication commented on the Flash-like speed and agility required to navigate the floor as a mad rush of journalists and tech nerds move from booth to booth. He also suggested wearing the most comfortable shoes that I can get my paws on, because by the end of the show, the dogs will be barking. And just to prove the “anything can and will happen” nature of Vegas, a former managing editor recalled to me a harrowing time when a loaner EV-DO card that he’d been using was cut off on the show floor. Ouch.

So where does that leave me, a CES Virgin? I’m making sure that I arrange transportation with vendors for those long treks from hotel meeting place to hotel meeting place, carrying my own EV-DO card, and packing my Wallabee Clarks, which true fans of the mocassin hail as the world’s most comfortable shoe.

I’d like to think that the wise words bestowed upon me by CES veterans will prevent anything short of Armageddon from tossing my plans for a loop, but I have a feeling that the unpredictable mistress that is the CES carries a wildcard at all times, just to keep things spicy. After all, no one wants to return from CES without at least one horror story to boost the “I barely survived Vegas” cool factor, so here’s hoping for a minimum of fuss, just a bare minimum.