Saturday: WOW...WOW...WOW!!!!!!!

The alarm got my sagging hulk out of bed at 3:30AM this morning.....UGH!!!! My thoughts at the time were...."was this Obama Rally worth it?" But....after my "morning"(still dark outside) rituals were completed, I made the Fr. Roast coffee, put it all into my Thermos, and was on the road by 4:30 for the trip up to the city for the Obama Rally, with crowds predicted to be up to 50,000.

I parked my truck in the Arch Parking Garage, and in the dark quickly made my way to the sidewalk by the street and then walked the block or so until I found about 15 people already in line at the barricade. A few had been there ALL NIGHT, and so I joined them and we were soon acquainted and chatting about the upcoming event. I was soon joined by my three friends from F'town who had driven up late last night and stayed overnight in the Hilton Hotel across the street and up a block from the Arch grounds. And....then very soon, the hoards began to arrive, lining up behind us...and then around us, which caused some shoving and a bit of early morning tempers to rise from those who had been there all night as the new arrivals tried to push their way to the front of the line.

By 9:30, the security gates were fixed...and soon, the line began to rush in and through the X-ray security machines....and on over the rise of a small hill, and then arriving at the top, the view of the massive grounds and podium, press areas, fenced areas for VIP's, etc., etc. Continuing to hurry quickly, I made it to in front of the podium, but on the 3rde-5th row back as the people continued to ebb and flow and shift and push and move around, so I never knew just which row I was in from time to time.

At 10am....a great musical group began to entertain, singing and putting on quite a show with a very good back-up instrumental group with them!!!!! REALLY enjoyable......as the music was from the era of my "good times"......like..."Proud Mary", "Celebration", "We are Family", etc., etc. And....the crowd was having a GREAT time for this hour was gathering and waiting.......and even though with my sagging, evolving hulk being so short, I couldn't get a grasp as to how MANY, MANY people were arriving!!!! But......I knew it was building up......and when the Rally began around 11:20....I jumped up to look and OMG.....I couldn't believe it!!!!!!!!!!! Only after the Rally was finished, I heard on CNN that there were 100,000 people there.......the largest rally yet!!!

Many state candidates were there to speak and then a local STL fourth grade teacher in a charter school gave a great speech, introducing Obama. And then...........WOW.....the noise factor was overwhelming as 100,000 people went wild!!!! His speech was not the "feel good" speech that I had heard last winter in McAllen, TX when I went to his much smaller rally there......it was a detailed speech as to what he plans to do in comparison with the erratic and changeable plans of McCain. It was well received, of course, and was interrupted many, many times by the throngs shouting and cheering and becoming very excited!!!! WOW......what an experience it was.

After he completed his speech and while the crowd was at it's peak, he came off of the stage and made the rounds in front of the stage talking and shaking hands and enjoying the people who were there and could reach him as he went along the front of the fenced off area. He seems soooooo at ease with ALL of this event........such a natural with a crowd of 100,000 people!!!!

All during the time before this began, during, and afterward, the Secret Service, the Swat Teams were very evident on the grounds, on top of the hotels across the street behind the crowds, and I'm certain they were IN the crowd as well, but just not visibly evident.

I made my way back to the Parking Garage and was in my truck by 1:30pm attempting to get out of the garage, which took almost a half hour. Towards the end it moved quicker as they were NOT charging anyone for parking there......guess they were just trying to get the thousands out of there as quickly as possible. However, all roads were either blocked or partially blocked for security purposes.....and it took quite some time to reach the interstate to be able to leave the city center.

I....and Sue, Audra, and Christopher.....met at the Macaroni Grill in the south part of the city and had a late lunch....sometime later. Following that great meal.....we returned to F'town, but not together.

I am rather exhausted.........it has been a long, long day and my feet are a bit tired and sore from standing soooooooooooo long.........7.5 hours! But....it was well worth it!!!!!!! Check out my post below for some pics I captured off the web of the crowds....you can enlarge them by clicking on them. The 1st Lady has my camera with the grandchildren at Dr. Jeni's....and so I had to take some pics on my 35MM camera using that awful thing called FILM!!! And, that means it has to be developed.........$$!!!! I forget how easy it is to use a digital camera.......

What can I say???????? Nothing except.....

LIFE IS JUST REALLY INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!