It's been interesting and a little annoying to have the convention visit our great city. Considering the hype of having 40,000 + people converge on a city, it sure seemed empty. Oh don't get me wrong there was still additional traffic and a few more people milling about at lunchtime, but for the way they were portraying the whoopla - there sure wasn't a whole lot of whoop.
If anything the band playing in our "park" at lunchtime was a tad annoying as you really could only hear the drum and base for the three hours that it was playing and that can be pretty distracting when you are trying to work.
Today, they received word that a large protest was happening at 4 p.m. so they told us to leave no later than 3:30 and implied that if you didn't that you would pretty much be responsible for your destiny.
We don't get a lot of "snow days" at work. Pretty much when 9/11 happened and everyone around us knew that we too had offices near a world trade center...our president came on (granted it was a different one) and said that he wouldn't give the terrorists the satisfaction and he was going to stay and work and invited us to consider doing the same. Thereby leaving the "choice" to no work in your own hands.
Granted it's a tad different when you see the idiots who don't know any better roaming around wreaking havoc on three days of news hanging out at your park, but still, we typically don't get time off.
The other thing I was able to do this week was see the Civic Fest. It was interesting insofar as I found our entire trip to Washington DC interesting a few years ago, however I'm glad that all I had to pay for was parking because really - it was okay but not that highly spectacular.
I love doll houses and miniature things so I did find the replica of the white house so fascinating. I remember at some point trying to build the white house for a school project with columns out of paper towel rolls. I imagine this took considerable more effort.
I like the whole idea of politics. Sort of. However I will be really glad when the city gets back to normal next week. And perhaps when the election is finally over. It was interesting to say I was in the vacinity of the event however really all it was was a minor inconvenience.
I do feel sorry for the small business owners who opened up stores in the st. paul skyway because really when I roamed the halls at lunchtime, the stalls were pretty empty. Of course I also said when they were going up that really they were delusional if they thought that convention goers really wanted crafts and chocolate shaped obamas and sparkly dresses. The store right across the street (some sort of swanky boutique from edina) was the most ludicrous thing I've seen (right next to the college "trade show" of sorts across from eddingtons.) I think they just expected hordes of people milling about at the lunch hour when really there are a few people sitting on benches, talking on cell phones but the rest of everyone must have just stayed inside the X or headed back to Minneapolis on the bus.
Who would want to traipse approximately a mile showing multiple badges just to go look at purses and accessories and maybe eat at McDonald's if you had easy access to cossettas? Oops - no easy access to cossettas either. And even if you did want to go there you'd have to practically walk an extra mile - for something you don't even know is there.
These poor storefronts look bored and I'm sure they are thinking of how much money they really are losing in this venture. I'm sure in the end the Committee will say it was great and everything was dandy but I'm sure if they asked, the business would honestly tell them that the hype wasn't worth the effort.
So in a few days, St. Paul will roll up their streets again, the anarchy will go back to high school and their lives in the suburbs, and the storefronts will close probably more broke than when they started and will a whole lot of red, white and blue accessories they will NEVER be able to get rid of. The RNC will be history and I will be able to say that I observed it from a mere four blocks away.
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