We landed after a very bumpy flight, looking forward to some mild temperatures. 115 degrees back at home gets really old after a while. The weather didn’t disappoint. 80 degrees and a great breeze coming off the Mississippi River—which is less than a block away from the hotel. Trees everywhere, grass, flowers, and the most amazing architecture! The buildings in St. Paul are gorgeous. Very old, very beautiful, and the style is like Gothem City. All we need is Batman.
We walked to dinner and it certainly was worth the trek. A place called Senor Wong’s. It’s Asian and Mexican food mixed together, just amazing. We sat next to the brick streets at our outdoor table and enjoyed some really fantastic food. Really. Quite indescribable. Our waitress has lived in the St. Paul area for 20 years and she had some suggestions on places to see while we’re here. A little known fact; mobsters from Chicago fled the police and landed here in Minnesota. The built marvelous mansions and created a network of caves and passageways underground for their drug trafficking business. She mentioned that we should get a tour of the houses, it’s something you definitely don’t see every day.
We joined other Arizona Delegates at the hotel after dinner, and got to know one another. The atmosphere was so unique. Marble floors and mahogany woodwork, and muted lighting that gave such a glow to the place. So nice. There was a jazz singer, bass player, and baby grand piano nearby entertaining us off and on. Secretary of State Jan Brewer had a little gathering in the middle of the lobby in the big red comfy chairs. We had our own gathering off to the side of the lobby, with all kinds of Republican party workers from Arizona. There was a Senator but I never did get his name.
At times the conversation went from very political to very casual, and of course after several hours of cocktails things got kinda silly. Sometime after midnight or 1 am we joined Jan Brewers’ group in the center of the lobby and the heated debates began. Don’t know if that coincided with our joining of the group, or if it was because the tempers were activated by something said, but man it got quite tense at times. I learned in that whole thing some particulars about voter registration laws and petition laws, so the whole night was not wasted. My goal in attending this convention is to learn as much as I can, and last night was no exception.
