One last story: We were spending the nights outside the city in Stamford, Connecticut, taking the train in each day.  The second day we arrived back in Stamford late in the afternoon, in cloudy, just-starting-to-rain weather.  On the walk back to the hotel, as the rain started to pick up, we first noticed a police car or two, then more, then blocked-off streets, then loudspeakers and crowds and some sort of rally.  Unknown to us, President Obama was due in town, staying just down the street.  When we found out, Patti insisted on waiting in the downpour for a glimpse.  The downpour rapidly turned torrential, with thunder and lightning.  The right-wing, sometimes nasty, demonstration quickly evaporated.  I got totally soaked.  Obama never showed up.  But it was fun standing with the real folks hoping to see the President.  The storm was the tail end of one that hit New York, with even a tornado in Brooklyn and 100 mph winds!