Not Exactly As Planned

I was looking forward to a Flash Mob Hallelujah Sing-Along.  I was not alone.  Not by thousands. 

Monday David, Teresa & Benjamin left home about 4:30 to pick up Joseph from work, than meet me at Alhambra & T where I had bicycled from work.  David’s planning was good.  I only got there a few minutes before the car arrived.  We loaded up my bike and crowded into the car for the drive through rush hour and holiday traffic to the Roseville Galleria. (Why do they call it ‘rush hour’ when rapid movement is impossible?)

We thought we got there in pretty good time, but after more than half an hour driving around looking for a parking lot, we began to worry.  At last we parked and scurried through Macy’s into mall.  Along with ever increasing numbers of other, equally intense, purposefully striding, excited other people. We knew we had arrived when the crowds of people made movement almost impossible.  After a bit, it began to occur to us (and many others) that the mall had not been built for masses of people standing around on the second floor.  David and Teresa moved off to try to find a vantage to look around at the packed crowd.  The boys and I started to follow them but got separated and swept up in a current that arrived at the escalator.  So, we went down.  We didn’t feel any safer because if the terrace collapsed, it would come down on us, but we weren’t really worried.  We were excitedly waiting for the Flash to begin.

About 20 minutes before the event was to occur, we began hearing the Roseville Fire Department announcing that the Galleria was closed and that we were all to leave.  Disappointing!  But understandable.  Not to everyone; some people booed.  We moved out through Penney’s the nearest anchor store and walked around to our car where we met up with David and Teresa.  The parking lot was gridlocked – and more cars were backed up on the freeway wanting to come in.  We stood outside the car and sang Christmas songs for an hour or so.We came to sing and sing we did. 

We saw a helicopter circling on another side of the building.  What we didn’t know was that some of the flash mob had gathered in a courtyard on the other side of the Galleria and sang the Hallelujah chorus.  Wish we could have been there!  or that the mob had sung as we excited.  Or that someone had started it out in the parking lot.  I think there were so many people that we could have had  pretty good surround sound!

We all felt badly for the Galleria.  We had meant for this to be a positive thing,  Instead they got closed down hours early.  (Except for the big anchors with outside entries)

Our car was finally free from gridlock enough to join the slowly moving line exiting the parking lot and we were on our way. We decided to wend our way through the Fabulous Forties “on the way home” and enjoy the lovely Christmas lights.  Then through the little, humbler, but festive neighborhood off T street.  Lovely.

By the time we got home the lunar eclipse was beginning.  We looked a little, had family scriptures, looked again. David and Teresa stayed out for the show.   I got ready for bed and had a last peak at the nearly covered moon.  Good night, Moon.