So. Yesterday. I know. No Blog. But today I plan on two. I don't know if it will actually happen. I mean, probably not. BUT. I plan on two. Because believe me. I have got a lot to say!

Like. This very interesting story I am about to tell you.

Now this is the story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down. And I'd like to take a minute just sit right there, I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air. (I feel like I've used this before.)

Scratch that.

How I got involved in the Tea Party Movement.


And let's be honest, "Involved" is a term I am using extremely loosely right now.


The story is more like how I went to my first Tea Party and what it was like.


I think we can all start believing that this blog refuses to become political. Or rather, I refuse to use it as a political podium. (Stay tuned for the day I give up, and just start my very own political blog).

Which let me interject another story right here. So, my little brother is home for the week. Robbie. Or, I guess you guys can call him Rob. He sort of hates being called Robbie. But I can get away with it, because well, I'm me. And because I'm his only sister. Moving on. So, I say to him. Robbie, have you read my blog? He says, No, I didn't know you had a blog. I say, You should read it, it's kind of funny. Robbie says, Funny? I don't believe that it's funny. I say, Why not? I can be funny. He says, You and a blog? I picture pages full of your crazy political rantings and conspiracy theories. I say, Whaaaaat? (Like, from a lower volume to a high pitch one, you know wwwwwwhhhhaaaaaAAAATTTTTT????? It's a hard message to convey over the Internet apparently.) Oh no you diin't. (Yes, I spelled that right, it's another hard one to give a word picture for. I might have to start adding audio to this thing.)

What is it about me, that screams political fanatic? I mean, ok. Who am I kidding? But not here, not now. Ssshhh...


:)


Anyways, so there was this big Tea Party here in Omaha last night. For those of you who don't know what the Tea Party Movement is, or think it's a joke, let me just say that it is a mixture of people from all different walks of life, and consists of Republicans, Democrats and Independents, but mainly just a group of informed(In most cases) citizens who are tired of the way things are being run in this country.


Ok, it's mostly Conservatives. But it doesn't have to be.


So. I had never been to one, but had always been very, very curious. I mean the liberal media says they are crazy, destructive protesters, or the ever so familiar "White Mob." The conservative media thinks they are the greatest thing since the Revolutionary War, and the evening news covers them no matter what. So, being the person that I am, I decide that I need to check this thing out.

I start researching Tea Parties online to see when the next one will be in Omaha. I started this on Monday. Turns out the next party was going to be on Thursday. Last night. I was like, what? Nice.

So, I ask Zach to go with me. Thinking, oh we have the same political beliefs and are usually curious about what other people do. I mean, Zach is the one who always wants to try a Unitarian Church just to see what really goes on in there(You know because it's supposed to be a big secret.).


This is Zach's response when I ask him to go with me. "No way. That is crazy. We know what we believe. The only people that are going to be there are a bunch of weirdo racists."

That is my husband, the Conservative Libertarian. You're laughing right now if you read his Facebook posts.


Anyways, I gave up on asking other people, because really, I don't know, I kind of thought I was crazy and most people I know have kids and I wasn't about to take mine.

I am totally fine going places alone anyways. Like, I am that person that goes to dinner by herself and a movie by herself just to have some "me" time. In most cases I am totally comfortable being alone.

But, just on a hunch I invited my sister-in-law Kylee anyways. I knew she had class, but I thought, hey what the heck.

And she decided to skip class and come start a revolution with me. Isn't she sweet?


So, my kids are with my Mom and Aunt. Kylee and I are on the way. (The rally started at 5, and we left the house at oh... 4:55. Which is actually about right for me. In my mind, that is still totally on time.)

We are driving in the car when we decide. Let's break Kellie(My other sister-in-law who is still in High School and also a Track Star, so currently at Track Practice) out.

We drive to Millard North and basically kidnap her. I mean, not kidnap her. We just threw a black hood over her head and threw her in the back of my van, I mean, it wasn't really a big deal.

Did that creep anyone else out? Ok, so let me clarify the truth. She was actually done with track practice and in the locker room, so we just had to tell her to hurry up and get her things. It's not quite as melodramatic when I tell the truth......

Anyways, we get to the area and traffic is backed up for like miles and creeping along. I am thinking, ok, it is 5:30 by this point, surely everyone who is going to be at the Tea Party is there and this is just normal traffic.


Wrong. Wrong. (Charlie Murphy Style.).

The rally was at a huge lake, that has several different entrances and a miles-long walking trail around it(Zorinsky Lake for all of you familiar with Omaha) and cars were literally parked everywhere. All of the parking lots were full. All of the grass along both sides of 156th Street were full. All of the soccer fields and grassy areas were full. All of the football field and neighborhood across the street were full. I mean we were talking a lot of cars. We had to park like 25 minutes away and walk. Good thing I was in flip flops and had just gotten a pedicure so that my feet were still slippery from all of the lotion. It was a pretty smooth walk. And by smooth, I mean, I looked like I had two broken ankles and no big toes trying to walk in those darn Payless flip flops.

Finally we get to the rally. And there are bunches and bunches of people. Although, I kind of feel like everyone drove separate, because there were definitely more cars than I thought should have been.

It was like everyone drove separate just to stick it to Global Warming.

Those silly Republicans.

There is this stage set up and three big tour buses. (Because this is like a nationwide Tea Party Tour, called the Tea Party Express and they started in Nevada and are driving all over the country and will end up in Washington DC on Tax Day.)


And when we arrived, we were lucky enough to hear a Mexican Rapper. I don't remember his name, and I am not being racist. He was very proud to be a Mexican, a Conservative, and a Rapper with his pants pulled up and his shirt tucked in(His words, not mine).

Let me just tell you, political or not, there is nothing that gets a crowd more pumped up than a Rap Song about the Constitution.

Doesn't sound interesting enough?

How about four middle-aged white woman that never learned how to hip hop as background singers/dancers?

Huh? Huh? I know you are all mad you missed it now.

We weren't exactly sure what to think.

But then there was a speaker.

And then there was like a Southern Gospel singer.

And then there was another speaker.

At some point we ran into the two protesters that showed up. I mean, protesters, protesting the Tea Party.

One was someone who had planned to protest, like she made up a real sign that had all kinds of liberal slogans on it, and at one point I think she tried to chant, but I mean, it was only her chanting so it didn't last very long and then eventually she gave up and left.

The other protester was like this woman who was actually out exercising, like walking around the lake. And what it looked like, was she stumbled upon the Tea Party, ran back to her car, grabbed a crumpled up, old piece of paper or maybe it was trash, dug out a pen and scribbled "Yes We Did" on it. I mean, ok, no matter your political leanings, the protesters were not very organized.

The second lady though, kind of crazy. (Don't start hating me now, I'll give equal time to the crazy conservatives that showed up.) Seriously though, she was like picking fights and screaming about the elections and then she would get on her cell phone and start making fun of the Tea Party to whoever she was talking to. I mean, it was kind of weird.

I was like, Lady, listen, if these people cared about getting made fun of, they certainly would not have come to a Tea Party wearing the American Flag on their head, carrying a flag that says Minutemen and holding a sign that says some dirty reference to Harry Reid being a Tea Bagger.

A rude cell phone call, just wasn't going to cut it.

She eventually gave up.

Ok, after the protesters was another speaker.

And then, the main event: Lloyd..... Something.... Lloyd, I don't know. He wrote a book called, "Confessions of a Black Conservative." He was definitely black, definitely a cowboy, and definitely, ok probably, in my opinion... maybe gay.

He was like the Ace in the Hole for these people. (Is that a real saying? Ace in the Hole. If it is, I don't actually know what it means. But..... I'm going to use it anyways.)

Anyways, he was very proud of himself and the crowd loved him. I thought he was great.

He was not only an author. But. A singer as well. He sold both his book and his cd at the same table.

He led the crowd in both I'm Proud To Be An American and God Bless America.

Ok, no matter your political leanings, let's all be honest with each other, Proud To Be An American comes on and we are all standing up, singing along, waving our hands like we just don't care.

Minus the hands waving, even I got in on it.

It's an emotional song. I am proud to be an American.

I just heard that there was like almost three thousand people at this event. Personally, it didn't feel like 3,000 to me, but what do I know? I'm not a very good judge of those things.

All of the news stations were there. They were walking around interviewing people, not us, we looked normal, they only interview the weirdos.

Which brings me to my next point and what I really wanted to talk about in this blog. I know, six hours later. There are four types of people that come to these events.

Uber-Americans: Like the Annie-get-your-gun-I-drive-a-Harley-wear-an-American-flag-bandanna-and-probably-have-lots-of-facial-hair-don't-mess-with-my-second-amendment type of Americans.

Delusional Americans: You know, the ones their own parties don't even understand. They are the most extreme. Like this one lady, wearing a crazy hat, carrying around a sign that said, "Sarah Palin the Great Impostor" on one side and "Tea Partiers Against Palin" on the other. I don't even know what she meant to be honest. She is a Tea Partier, but hates Sarah Palin? I think she's on the wrong side. But still, she would carry around her sign, duct-taped to a super long pole, bobbing it up and down through the crowd the entire time. Whatev. Those are the ones that the News Media likes to get.

Families, using their children to make a statement Americans: You know these. These are on the news a lot too. Like when we got there, there was a young family leaving and at first we thought the kids were playing with balloons, but the closer we got we realized it was a paper-mache-d ball and chain tied to the child's ankle that said "Health Care" across it. I mean, I get the point. It's clever. But please don't exploit your children.

And finally, The Rest of us Americans: The concerned Americans, worried about the future of this country, the nightmare of a Health Care Bill that only 35% of Americans even wanted and that 0% of Americans actually know what's in it, the scary reality of our almost $13 trillion debt, and the control in our lives Government is trying to dictate.

There, that's my political soap box. No matter what your political leanings, those are scary realities. Things to be concerned about.

So, I'll probably give the Tea Party another go, like one that isn't so much of a side show and more of a specifically Nebraska thing. Personally, I don't need all of the "Recording Artists" singing about how bad things are right now. I have a pretty good idea without putting it to bad music from an 80's synthesizer. But I am a concerned citizen and so I'll do my civic duty and educate myself, I suppose.