Overheard At The Zoo

Sunday was the little one's tenth birthday. In leiu of a party, the family and her best friend headed out to the NC Zoo. Left to right, College girl, Best friend, Little One and Oldest.

One of the last exhibits we saw was the lions.

 

Folks were commenting on how momma cat wandered off.

Being ten she has a comment for everything. Very similar to when she was 9 or 8 or 7 even.

She said in a daddy lion voice, "Hurry back down here, I can't hold my leg up like this forever".

Out loud. In a crowd.

She got a few laughs.

They may never let her give Zoo tours.

What Price RNC/DNC?

I woke this morning to the sound of fighter jets over my house.  The invasion has begun.

Charlotte, NC is hosting the DNC this year. I was disappointed to find out we were chosen but we were and now we deal with the influx.

The City leaders have been spouting how downtown will be business as usual.  Ask the many folks who can’t park there now because they have closed most of the parking decks. They have also closed most of the streets downtown and moved the bus station away from uptown.

My daughter went downtown yesterday to the gym and felt intimidated when she was being followed by a SWAT Team. There is a greater police presence in the surrounding area where I live. They passed laws giving the police more power to search folks without cause. They tried to make it a permanent law but in the end it only runs thru the Convention. They also brought in police from all around and gave them jurisdiction.

I don’t stand with the Occupy Wall Street folks or many of the other groups picketing downtown during this Convention but I do respect their right to free speech. Well the DNC didn’t see fit to see it like that. They had groups apply to protest and march and then gave them a limited areas to move in. This is the USA folks we have rights but our City was quick to set many of them aside just to host this party.

Today’s paper suggested that the forecasted economic windfall is going to fall short. Really? Surprised?

Do we need a week to nominate a person that is basically running unopposed in his party? Do we need to spend millions on a big party so lots of folks can get drunk? Do we really need to shut down a city? Are there not bigger issues to address than completely remodeling the football stadium?

Is it really worth the freedoms they took from folks to have a party?

And to top it off, the wife went to the store to get balloons for my oldest’s birthday tonite only to find out there is no helium available in the Charlotte area. Did they have to use it all?

I don’t rant much but dang it, don’t wake me up with fighter jets on Saturday morning.