Mike DeWine Ice Cream Social

COLUMBUS--Every year, for over 30 years, former US Senator Mike De Wine (R-OH) has held an ice cream social on his property in Western Ohio. My girlfriend Kristina has been before and had invitations to this year's event.

It was a beautiful day as we set out driving West. Of course, with the weather as it has been this year, there was no guarantee it would stay that way. She was beautiful in a summer dress, blue straw hat and heart-shaped American flag pin. The event gave me an occasion to wear my new Brooks Brother's tie festooned with little elephants and the Pentagon-shaped American flag pin my friend got me, well, at the Pentagon.

We must have exuded more importance than we actually posses since, beginning with the guy at the gate, continuing through the event and ending with one of the candidates, people said things like, "Oh, I know who you are," "I know we've met before but tell me your name again," and "Just tell them who you are and they'll put you up front."

It must have been the tie and being with the prettiest girl there (whose dress was nearly identical to the stylish Mrs. DeWine)!

Bad weather began to form and come our way and we moved, along with much of the crowd, inside the DeWine's well-appointed family room (a building they call "the barn"). Mr. DeWine came in and, as his right as man-of-the-house, took up his remote to find the local weather channel. And then the weather passed without a drop of rain falling. The band (the talented and hilarious Crazy Joe and the Mad River Outlaws, the Kings of Nerd-a-Billy) began playing again, the speakers spoke, CHANGE (which brought some laughs and a lot of applause) in the upcoming elections was promised and the festivities continued.

After mingling some more we left after being photographed with Mr. DeWine, and for the rest of the day no one asked if I was somebody important. I was still with the prettiest girl around, however, so I didn't mind very much at all...