A Word About This City

Denver is a thoroughly decent city.
Size-wise, it is nowhere near New York or Chicago or even Philadelphia.
As a skyline, Downtown Denver doesn't inspire any spectacular sentiment, in fact I find it quite lacking.
Historically, Denver has an interesting past. Nothing out of this world, but stuff definitely worth mentioning.
Even in terms of crime, Denver is nothing to be proud of; positively or negatively.
"Well Dominic, have you anything nice to say of the city housing this illustrious event that has given you gainful employment?"
Yes. Denver is the best place for me to be right now.
I was walking through downtown yesterday on my way to the doom tent and I realized that with all of its mediocrity, Denver is an amazing place.
I've found a place that I can go to school and work within a square mile of each other. Both of which are a 10 minute bike ride away.
I live in the city that will host the Democratic Presidential Nominee for four short hectic days, hopefully giving me some ass-kicking experience in the go-between.
There are shows galore here, with venues ranging from huge to tiny. For local musicians, Denver is actually quite a place to be from, let alone play in week after week.
What little culture there is in this city is quite impactful. Critical Mass is always a good time and it would seem there are quite a lot of pissed off people ready to throw shit at me.
I really do love this city and as each day begins with sun rays peaking through the cranes building upscale apartment buildings across Speer, my gainful employment gives me at least one serene moment. I blink back the sleep and realize that I'm one day closer to anything and everything this City has in store for me.
Even if Denver has very little for me, what I've gotten out of this place (including but not limited too: an Onion internship, a glorified babysitting job, schoolin', professional contacts galore and a couple mean stares in traffic) will shape who I'll be in whatever other city I end up in.
Thanks Denver, don't you go changing on me.

Once Again, From The Top

Here I am, fourth night on the job and second in a row. This time tomorrow I'll have put in 42 hours.
I don't feel nearly as crushed as I should, probably because I know how important this all is. What I am doing may not be the "sexiest" part of journalism, but I like to think that without me this whole process would be moving less smooth, if not at all.
Thoughts or suggestions?

Time Flies

Wow, 4am came super quick tonight.
Shoshana and I played a couple games of Cribbage, a new favorite of mine.
We tore through Old School and I've donned my headphones for Lucky Number Slevin while Shoshana catches a couple winks.
Also, nothing whatsoever has happened "security" wise since I got here. Other than worrying about the rain leaking through the roof and onto computer equipment.
I want to take this time to clear something up. I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression about what I am doing. There is nothing intellectually difficult about my job, and the only physical toll is the lack of sleep.
I have the utmost respect for the people that come here during the day and set up these computers, routers and miles of wires that will someday soon connect this large white tent to the rest of the globe.
And those people making those connections? Those people are just as crucial. I was walking around the tent earlier and I noticed that some of the six-foot tables had makeshift nametags on them. Nothing more than printer paper with simple words; photography, entertainment, reception...Vance.

It was that last one that stuck out to me. I don't know whoever Vance is, and it is likely I never will. The thing that hit me was this: whomever Vance is, they were important enough not to get a generic label like "photography."
Somewhere along the line this Vance person did something right. Maybe they wrote a killer lead to some fancy feature. Maybe he/she happened to jump on the bus and made it to the scene a couple seconds before the other guy/girl. Maybe, just maybe, Vance has known the right people for all existence and would have had that paper no matter what.
Either way, Vance is something to take aim at, something to shoot for.
My name is nearly as short as Vance's and Vance isn't here now. Two important facts when you consider my current situation. The font size used for either my first or last names would have to be smaller so I may not even get a piece of paper. True to my word though, I hope not to be stuck with overnight gigs for much longer.
Long story short, I plan on moving to bigger and better things.
Short story long, I appreciate my opportunity and would gladly do it again. Steady work with the Associated Press is two things I would be happy with for the rest of my life.
I'd be content with my current gig, but some part of me wants something greater, something far more meaningful and impacting. Isn't that what makes me so awesome though? I concur.
Vance has something I don't-besides five letters on a white piece of paper taped to a conference table. Vance has experience. To tell the truth, I am assuming Vance has experience. For all I know Vance is the cousin of the cat setting up the conference table and said cousin thought Vance would love to see his name tacked on to said table. All of this could be based on a semi-practical joke gone unnoticed.
But I digress.
Assuming Vance is someone worth being, I will one day be Vance.
Wish me luck.

Night Number Thr33

Here we go again folks.
Tonight I find out I truly am the lucky one. Last night the two overnight cats got rained on. In the tent.
Yeah, apparently when the setter-uppers were doing their thing, they put up giant flood lights that aren't necessarily water tight.
We had a freak rain storm in Denver and my compatriots ended up scrambling to cover computers with sheets up plastic. Although something to do would have been nice, I'm kind of glad I didn't have to do that.
Update (12:34am): The Rain Has Begun. I spoke to soon.
Anyway, tonight should be fun. I've got my laptop, a couple movies and a burrito to last me through the night.
Fun fact: After 6 hours in class Tuesday, 10 hours of layout for my school paper The Metropolitan (where I am assistant news editor), 3 hours of class Wednesday, 5 hours of delivering The Onion Wednesday, 10 hours here Wednesday and 6 hours of class Thursday, I got to sleep 15 hours Thursday night. That's the first time I got to sleep before 9pm in almost six years. Huh.
Hunkering down now, wish me luck.

Second Batch of Random Thoughts

• 6am came a lot quicker tonight than it did Monday. The factors that play into this include but are not limited to: lower temperature and more distractions (see: internet, writing, homework, Star Wars, lack of trains)
• Not to bum anyone out, but I really wish my mom could have seen this and experienced this with me.
• At last count I had two cups of coffee. I might need a third or a fifth by the time classes roll around…in four hours.
• Speaking of classes, what the hell was I thinking taking this gig knowing I’d have to make it through four classes in seven hours after spending ten hours holding down the fort?
• I wish better words came to mind for me to express “f**k it is cold.”
• Crickets operate at a frequency/decibel level that penetrates my headphones.
• Good morning sun, how I’ve missed you and wish I could have slept before I saw you again.
• This will all be worth something when I’m older. Character building is good for me, blah blah blah.

Comment Replies

As promised, here are replies to your comments. For a reference point, please click the comments link under my first post on August 11.

Mike - Sadly I was not sleeping, but I do appreciate your confidence in me.

David - My phone number can be found on Facebook, feel free to hunt it down. The convention officially starts on August 25 (my friggin' birthday) but there will be Associated Press writers in the tent 24/7 starting soon...I hope.

Tricia - I'm glad you waited patiently, but I must disappoint you: I was in fact not "working." What I was doing was sitting on my butt staring at flickering lights and listening to crickets. The combination of those two things, I've recently found out, is just enough to keep me awake.

Greg - You're a good friend and I can always count on you to bring up serious concerns. Such as the inevitable zombie attacks that will be the culmination of this experience.

Irina - Youth is awesome, I agree. Hopefully my experience babysitting these computers and desk chairs won't leave me emotionally and physically youth-less.

Shaun - You asked and you received. Also, you will be happy to know I have "taken stock." Thank goodness I have all this time on my hands to get homework done. If only I had bought some textbooks.....

Nana - There is very little traffic at this time of night/morning, but the ceasless train noises ought to keep the undead at bay.

Evelyne (Mouma) - There is security roaming around the grounds as well. They are lucky enough to have heated trailers to retreat to though.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time not only to read what I have to say but to comment on it as well. Special thanks to Shannon for informing me that people where actually responding to my post.

Mindless Post The First

• It requires 52 steps to get myself a cup of coffee.
• My next overnight shift, I shall bring a copy of the AP Style Book, if only to make myself feel more official. (Even this bullet could be incorrect and it worries me that professors of mine may be reading this and judging my ability to journalism [or their ability to teach])
• On the same note, you’ll notice none of my posts contain the words “its” or “it’s.”
• Coffee count: Two glorious cups, one minor spill.
• Non-dairy creamer is gross, but crucial.
• I’m getting a lot of writing done. Hooray.