Monday, February 10, 2014

Everybody Who's Anybody

New Bridge Opening 2014-02-08 11

All the swells showed up for the new bridge opening. Well, at least of the political class. Lots of ordinary people came, too, like the chap in the second picture. And me, too, more or less ordinary except for the bag and two cameras hanging off me, one of which had a telephoto lens as big as Crocodile Dundee's knife.

It took a long time for the official opening ceremonies to get going. Only a fraction of the dignitaries who were present made it onto the small stage. In the third picture, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon braved the cold with a woman I cannot identify. The governor's actual first name is Jeremiah but that's too many syllables for a modern American politician. There was another governor, Pat (instead of Patrick); U.S. Senators who go by Claire, her actual name, and Dick (instead of Richard); and U.S. Representatives who introduce themselves as Bill (instead of William, but that's okay because he's an old friend of mine), Lacey (two syllables, his middle name, to distinguish himself from his father who previously held the seat, both of them William) and Ann, whose district I live in but who emphatically does not represent me.

I almost hit the Governor of Illinois in the head with said large telephoto lens in the crowd afterward but fortunately (for me, mostly) no harm done.

Lots more to come. BTW there is all sorts of interesting stuff about about the design and construction of the bridge here.                  

New Bridge Opening 2014-02-08 10

New Bridge Opening 2014-02-08 12

8 comments:

cieldequimper said...

Politicians on your blog. Wow.

So what would have happened if you had (accidentally) hit him on the head?

Birdman said...

Tight image of the Gov. Good work.

Luis Gomez said...

Great shots!

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

A good friend of mine from high school posted a photo of himself and his wife on the bridge, so I gues you are right that everybody who's anybody was there.

William Kendall said...

I see Santa's occupying his time wisely now that Christmas is over...

So, Representative Ann is that bad, huh?

PerthDailyPhoto said...

I hope the Arch won't feel neglected now that there's a new gal in town Bob :)

Stefan Jansson said...

He has a Governor look I think.

Jack said...

So, the governor wears a Santa Claus hat. Did I get that right? Or was it Lacey?