You're either on the bus or off the bus. It's not exactly Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, but that famous sixties mantra is a good way to describe how people in Denver, regardless of their politics, are feeling about the Democratic National Convention.

Denver public relations pros are definitely "on the bus". PRSA Colorado volunteers will be escorting visiting media around and basically making sure they have a good time. They will join hundreds of other volunteers in cowboy hats and Crocs putting on a good show for all of the out of town visitors. It is Denver's chance to shine and no one wants to blow it.

Not wanting to miss the fun, I'll be working the DNC media studio where visiting politicians and delegates can do TV and radio interviews with their local media back home. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how it all works and be on the scene when history is made. The downside is that during the convention week I need to be there at 3am every day so we can coordinate East Coast interviews on the 5am newscasts. I am not exactly a morning person, so looking my best at 3am will be a real challenge. But as we say in show biz, the show must go on and luckily, I won't be the one being interviewed.

Despite all the excitement there are lots of people in Denver who are decidedly "off the bus". They get more and more grumpy with every new announcement about road closures, detours and other disruptions. Some are heading to the mountains. Some are making a killing renting out their own homes. But most of them will simply ride out the storm by avoiding downtown.

Personally, I am glad the DNC is coming to Denver. It is the biggest thing around here since the last time the Democratic Nation Convention came to town 100 years ago. Some people still think of us as a cow town, but a lot has changed since then. We can't hide all our blemishes, but when the lights are on and the cameras are rolling, I expect that Denver will look pretty good. Even to those folks who didn't get a seat on the bus.