The President Comes To New Albany, Again

So, a few days ago our little town gets wind that George W. is coming back to New Albany and will be appearing at the old Grand Theatre on Market St. today. Last night I scoped out Market St. and ran into a neighbor and a 32 News guy. Between the two of them I figured out that the last thing that was going to happen was for him to enter through the front entrance. Most likely it would be the back door near the alley.

I took my camera to work and about 11:30 the crowds began gathering on the corner right out from where I work. The bridge/interstate traffic had been stopped on 1-64, which you can see from the street, so everyone assumed that the motorcade was coming. Well, it was a bit of a false alarm as he went to eat at Sam's on Charlestown Rd. we found out later. So, we ended up standing out there until he finally showed up around 12:35/12:40.

It was all pretty exciting I have to say. I've never actually seen anything like this and his motorcade literally passed within feet of where I was standing attempting to get a picture. The police had side streets blocked off for quite sometime and finally got their call that the main streets were on a lockdown. The secret service had been in town since last Tuesday and were everywhere in dark black trenchcoats today. One was nice and told a bunch of us where we'd have the best "seats". There were snipers on the building roofs.

Anyway, it happened pretty fast. A motorcycle and police lights could be seen in the distance as he made his way down Main. There were two limos I guess you'd call them and I was trying so darn hard to look into the tinted windows and see him that I forgot to get a pictures close up when they came by!!! But I did get lots of pictures of all the activity and one of the motorcade at a distance.

There were protestors and supports at Market and Bank St. with signs, a drum and chants. News trucks were everywhere. It was all just pretty darn exciting. I have to admit, I'm not a political person but I'm patriotic and it was neat to have the President of the U.S. a few buildings away.

I finally went back to work, cold and hungry. They had said he'd only be there like 35-40 minutes. I couldn't make it back to the corner but I looked out my window just in time to see them go by and I tried to take a pic but only got the back end of the car. The others I work with said he was waving but I kinda missed that too! This was Tim's favorite picture of course! Ha ha.

Okay, there's just been too much excitement around here lately, with Paula Deen, the Extreme Home Makeover crew and now the President. I don't know if I can stand much more of it, I'm cringing at the thought of just how many more pictures I've taken lately and how many more scrapbook layouts that means...