I got a ticket to the Sarah Palin rally that was held a mile from my house yesterday. I had worked the night before (and I had to be at work at 7pm Friday night), so I slept until 3pm, showered, got ready for work, and then drove to Verizon Wireless Music Center (where the rally was held). I stood in line from 3:45 until 4:30, when I finally got to my “place” (I was going to say “seat,” but I’m not a VIP so I didn’t get a seat. Standing in line, the guy in front of me got swindled by a button salesman: “buttons, one for $5, they are twice as expensive near the front!” The guy in line bought one. Then we got up to the front and there were the button salespeople: “Buttons, 2 for $5!” HA!I got my electronics frisked by TSA agents (you know, airport security). No problem. Some of the USSS guys looked like they were still in high school. But they all had the requisite black suit, sunglasses, and pig’s tail cord coming out of their ears. I walked to the lawn area (nosebleed section) and waited. The IN attorney general spoke for several minutes. Then “Tony Bennett got up to speak. No, not that one. This one is younger, and is running for State Superintendent of Public Education (SSOPE?). Lots of cracks about his name. Ha ha. How sad to go through life explaining that no, you are not that Tony Bennett, and then you have to use it in a political career. He probably hates that joke.

Some lady I didn’t know came out to do the pledge of allegiance. People shouted out “UNDER GOD” when it got to that point. Then some other lady I didn’t know sang the national anthem. Then Mrs Aaron Tippin came out to sing “God Bless America” and introduce her husband, who sang three songs: Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly, Kiss This, and Drill Here Drill Now. Then the Lt Governor of Indiana gave a 10 minute speech, which was good. After this, the crowd was treated to a half hour of music. Not live music, but taped music. Ummm, let’s see…there was “Centerfield” by John Fogerty, “Thunderstruck” by ACDC, “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins, and “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face” by Shania Twain. There were other songs, but that was a good sampling. Kind of an odd selection if you ask me. Anyway, I just sat down and read my new Julie Czerneda e-book at this point.

They introduced Governor Palin at 5:45 and she spoke for about 30 minutes. It was really good stuff, and I really enjoyed hearing her live. I wish I could have been closer, since being 100 yards away takes some of the fun out of it. I can’t think of any one thing she said that struck me, but the crowd was applauding every other word, so it was hard to get a flow going.

I tried to leave at 6:15, since she was still talking, and I needed to leave for work so as not to be late. I walked over to the exit, and the police officers and US Secret Service wouldn’t let us leave. We thought they were just waiting until she was done talking, but she finished, and they still wouldn’t let us through. Ten minutes of waiting there…we thought they were just letting people leave in an orderly fashion (closest to the exits first, you know). Eventually, the middle section was empty, and they STILL weren’t letting us out. People started getting angry. Finally a K9 cop told us that since the upper section had people who had not been searched, we would not be allowed down near where the future VP was still shaking hands. We then understood, but we still wanted to leave. He pointed us to the exit at the top of the bowl (those of you familiar with the music center will understand this bit). I walked through that, then walked through a gate, then 200 yards down a drive, then 200 yards down to 238, then 50 yards west, then 200 yards north to my car. Then I waited in line for a Loooooong time to get out of the VWMC parking lot. I found it interesting that the people I graciously let in front of me didn’t then let others in. Selfish. I finally got to work at 7:30, but the nurses I was relieving were still giving report to others, and I already knew the patients, so it was no big deal.

I enjoyed seeing Sarah Palin. I enjoyed hearing her speak. I didn’t enjoy the logistics. Next time I go to one of these things, I will clear my schedule so I don’t have to be anywhere. I could just as well have sat down and read my book for another half hour if I didn’t have to go to work. Live and learn.