Flashing Lights

For those of you who know where I live, you can understand my trepidation when I see flashing lights across the river from me. It happens often enough that I don't think much about it anymore, but it still makes me go hmmm. I often wonder what the reason is for all those lights on West Street. Is there some big emergency downtown, is it a drill, or is it just someone important (foreign dignitary, political figure, etc) who needs to go somewhere fast and the rest of us have are supposed to get out of their way.

Speaking of foreign dignitaries, how many of you had while growing up (or have now) the "Pope Room". You know, the room that is always immaculate, gets vacuumed daily, and no one is allowed in? It's kept just in case the Pope or some other foreign dignitary should drop in unannounced for a visit. All of my Italian friends had one. In 15 years of knowing them, I was allowed in the room once. They all said that was the only time they were ever in there as well. Graduation Day. For that day, and that day only we were allowed in the room to have pictures taken. Without shoes on of course. After the 5 or 6 pictures, we were immediately told to get out of the room.