HugShyHermit lead-foots it around rusting Ohio in his Honda; windows down, sunroof back, wearing an Indians baseball cap and sunglasses from Everythings-A-Dollar. At the loudest setting the carfactory stereo allows (which is pretty loud), The Pixies gasp and scream. (Bossanova. Hands down, my favorite recent CD purchase.)

"You know, don't you, that The Pixies are from Dayton."

No!

Yes! (Well... kind of. Kim Deal, the bassist, has her roots here.)

The woman who told me this was the hostess of the swanky John Kerry fundraiser I attended a week or so ago. It was at her loft, an upper floor of an old factory, with floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows and a three-sided panorama. From its vantage, you could see that the Downtown nests at the joint of the Great Miami River in a shallow valley.

The woman collects modern art, and she had a troupe of life-sized cherubs in "distressed" paper-mache placed at random throughout the room. They gave the appearance of odd additional guests or giant chess pieces, wise and sensuous.

The booze flowed. Like a flash flood. There was a speech: This is the first year Democrats in Ohio have jumped to volunteer as strong as they have in opposition to the current administration! Latest polls showed Kerry ahead. Resounding cheers and wolf-whistles. More booze.

There was entertainment. Turns out I'd already met one of the entertainers, and I met the rest that night. There was a trip to the roof. A sudden downpour that caught everyone running for the elevator. Manic laughter and booze.

I woke up with phone numbers in my pockets. Jose. And "Skeeter." I don't know who they are. The hostess has sent me a new invitation. I hope you can join us for the 4th of July!

Yes... I believe I will...