hank goodness it's over, because these delegates are bushed.
Conventioneering is a full-time job, and the Massachusetts delegates have taken it seriously: attending brunches, applauding corporate sponsors, erupting into high-energy cheers on the convention floor.
And they've been to, ahem, some parties, too. Which is the primary reason their farewell to Philadelphia will come with a mix of wistfulness, sleep deprivation, and relief. As delegation chairwoman Jean Inman said, ''You can only take so much excitement.''
The late nights aren't really their fault; convention sessions don't end until 11 p.m. But in the roll call of states, Massachusetts called itself ''a bedrock of Republicanism.'' So the way these delegates see it, it's their Republican duty to rock.
And compared to other delegations - Maryland gets points for stamina, and there's always Louisiana - Massachusetts kept up well, delegate Charlie Delano said. ''We're all from Boston, you know. It's no problem.''
It was choosing where to party that was tough; opportunities were ample. But among the top-billed tickets of the week was Wednesday night's Carnevale Italiano, the outdoor fest cosponsored by Governor Paul Cellucci.
It started out swimmingly, the streets of South Philly draped with banners, the plates of cavatelle going fast. Then it started to rain, turning from drizzle to downpour as the band was getting set to play ''Volare.'' And while the bandleader cried,''Don't leave! We're going to have an Italian moment,'' the crowd had already started to scatter.
No problem, they found other places to go. Delano said the average bedtime in the room he shares with other delegates is 2 a.m. He stressed that that's the average.
Fortunately, the brunches are low-key affairs; conversation often centers on who made it onto TV the night before. The delegation champ may be Dr. Dwight K. Stowell of Royalston, who cast the convention's sole vote for John McCain. But the duty-to-his-party prize goes to Jonathan Freimann, 24, of Somerville, who appeared as the lone conservative on an MTV panel on Monday, opposite a deejay, a rapper, and a spoken-word artist.
Freimann, who co-founded a pro-inclusion movement of ''Bull Moose Republicans,'' said he won points for good humor when he was asked about culture and art. His tongue-in-cheek reply: ''I don't know anything about that. I'm a Republican.''
His fellow delegates would quibble, of course; they've found happy diversions in Philadelphia's cultural offerings. The art museum won big praise. Delegate Mark Sakurada of Longmeadow loved the cheese-steaks. And one delegate skipped a speech by New York Governor George Pataki to find a medical museum, where he'd heard there was an exhibit on presidential illnesses.
Fun as that may be, the main event remained the convention floor. And whether they started out Bush or McCain supporters this week, most delegates found it hard to resist the spirit of the ticket.
The biggest booster of all is Cellucci - who was one of only two governors chosen to escort Bush to the stage last night.
Delegates found quiet ways to show Bush support, as well. Rick Barros of Cotuit put on his wing-tips last night in honor of the nominee. That's when he discovered his feet hurt. Badly. A sign it was time to go.
''Everybody's kind of missing home, missing their families, tired of the lousy food,'' Barros said. ''I love Massachusetts. When I go away, it really makes me happy to go home.''
