Our friend Judy B. Goode called first thing in the morning. She was ranting and raving about the Republicans on TV & Facebook. We told her to put on a Gay Pride outfit and come to Tampa to join and experience the convention’s perimeter and the protesters. At 3pm Judy & Mark arrived in downtown Tampa. We couldn’t believe it and found plenty of empty parking spaces near Tampa Theatre. It was like a  ghost town. Judy found some rainbow suspenders, rainbow top and hat and rainbow streamers flying off her hat. Isn’t this suppose to be Tampa’s largest convention with over 75,00 visitors in the downtown???? There was nobody and we do mean nobody there! We walked the baron streets and could only get within 3 blocks of the Tampa Convention Center. We did encounter a few groups handing out a variety of their concerned issues literature. Near the Tampa River Walk & Kennedy Bridge we saw military gun boats patrolling the Hillsborough River. In the streets were barricades with the flip up road blocks. Just like you see on TV reports of the Middle East war zones. Wow, what has happened to our little friendly city?? At one point we walked into a traveling marching group of police officers. The khaki sand wearing officers were very nice asking us if we needed anything, water or directions. Walking away Judy said, “Darn…. even the police are nice!!!” We decided to head for Ybor City, maybe we would find some protesters there. Looked around. None there!!! We couldn’t think of any other places protesters would be this time of day.

    OK, so we had tried to protest very hard and it was now time for a beer!!! Into Hamburger Mary’s where we found Stephanie Shippae’ and Melanie Minyon sharing an order of Macho Nachos & toasting Holy Water.  When Stephanie shouted out “HEY Tea Cup meet  Ross Mathews… he’s famous and on the Tonight Show”. It was the real Ross Mathews http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Mathews!!!! Of course that could only mean on thing… Picture Time!!!  On the way home Judy said, “No protesters but we did meet Ross! It was a Great Day!”  That night we decided to protest from our living room. Drinking Patron Margaritas, eating Mark’s homemade seafood pasta and shouting at the RNC speakers on TV from our living room couch.