Convention - Day 3 Wednesday or, what I did instead...

Okay, Day 3 was a bit crazy, indeed bizarre... No not the breakfast with the Governor who introduced a bonafide medal of honor winner and a former prisoner of war... That was all good. But shortly thereafter, my guilt got the best of me.

The night before I took my Flip Video Camera to the Xcel Center to take videos and stills for posting on the Blog (and for my own personal enjoyment). After waiting in line for more than 40 minutes (and if you didn't know... our hotel is a 45 minute bus ride to the Xcel Center as well), I emptied my pockets to pass through the magnetometer. Yes there is a sign that says no camcorders... but hey this is a Flip Video not a camcorder... unfortunately, the security person did not see the distinction... I of course tried to explain the distinction, but to no avail... I was told, leave and lose it or take it back to my hotel... a couple of Committee on Arrangements personell came over to explain that it wasn't their rule but the Center's rule... huh? I pointed out that while we were standing there nearly every phone and "still" camera (each the approximate size of my Flip Video) had passed unchallenged through security... no one could explain the distinction here either...

I was stuck, so I did what I would never do unless waterboarded or otherwise put in an awkward position... I used the "I'm on the Republican National Committee" ploy. Well, not so much a ploy, because I am on the National Committee... okay, I was trying to use my position to influence the "gatekeepers" to the Xcel Center... Did it work? Heh Heh, I first said I would take the camera to the Chairman's Suite... at least I wouldn't need to go back to the hotel. He didn't think that was a reasonable request. I then suggested to the "gatekeeper" that if he got "distracted" for a moment I might just slip in behind him and he would never know if I entered or dropped my head in shame and sulked back to my hotel which seems to be almost in Iowa. He asked me, "Who is the national committeeman from Virginia?" I answered with very limited delay, "Morton Blackwell". I'm now thinking I might actually have a chance. "Who is the national committeeman from Massachusetts?" i'm beginning to think I'm in trouble because I don't know that many of them by name... so I hesitate and he says... "come on, he's one of the oldest serving members..." as I remember, and say, "Ron Kaufman". He looks at me a little sideways and says, "Ok, slip in behind me...". Well, I didn't feel like I should risk this scenario today, so I went to Best Buy to buy a new camera... a still camera (that of course also records video...) that would pass security muster.

Howard Headlee drove me over to the store and as we walked in the first thing we heard was my daughter Julianne's hit country single, "That Song In My Head" playing over the store sound system... Hmmm, coincidence? or something more?

Found a camera... negotiated my discount, bought a couple of Julianne's cds and departed. Now I'm ready for tonghts big convention... Veep candidate Sarah Palin is speaking and I can record it and not get in trouble with security.

But first, I needed to pick up Julianne from the airport because she was coming to town to do a gig at the Hard Rock Cafe for Senator Thune and the South Dakota delegation after the convention. American Airlines... lost her luggage! It wouldn't arrive until nearly 10:00 pm but we had no way of knowing that at the time...

After a brief stop at KEEY Radio for an interview and to play a couple of her songs including her new release of Halleluiah Song, we travelled to the Hard Rock Cafe for her sound check. Oh did I mention that Chuck Wicks (Stealing Cinderella fame) was travelling with her? He announced that they were dating... Dad just doesn't need that info about his little girl.

She got through her sound check at the Hard Rock but still no clothing so she decided to go "speed shopping" at Macy's. I was going to go to the Convention in St. Paul but the event organizer and the police suggested I not try to go there due to some in street "activity" by protesters.Rage Against the Machine was playing across from Hard Rock at the Target Center, which holds thousands of people, who poured out on the street into the loving arms of SWAT and Riot Police. Needless to say, I walked next door and went shopping at Macy's with Jules and Chuck (did I mention that Chuck and Jules are dating?). I pretty much missed the convention because I was stranded due to the protesters who ended up getting a dose of tear gas and 100 of whom were arrested. Thanks alot for making me miss the most historic and impressive speech of the convention... sheesh!

(When I got back to my room, I did watch all the speeches off the GOP You Tube Site.)

Jules got a new outfit, KTVX ABC4 from Salt Lake interviewed Jules before she went on. She was fronted by a season 2 American Idol contestant. When Jules went on, she rocked the house and did really well. Chuck also sang a song accompanied by Julianne's guitarists... he rocked it... did I mention he and Julianne are dating?

The show was attended by Senator Orrin Hatch

and several of his staff, Tim and Laura Bridgewater, Val Christensen, Howard Headlee, the Heaps, Lt. Governor Gary Herbert and his wife, and of course the South Dakota delegation including Senator Thune.