Well, me and 150 other people who attended the Vermont Software Developers' Alliance 5th annual sunset cruise.

Apparently, the Democratic candidate for governor was scheduled to be at a gubernatorial candidate debate, and she passed up the opportunity to spend a few hours hanging out with members of the VTSDA and the Vermont Biosciences Alliance on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III. The event, incidentally, was sold out.

If I'd known Bartlett was playing hooky from the debate, I would have snapped a photo of her with my iPhone, for photographic proof, and maybe asked her why she decided to talk tech rather than spar with her opponents. But, alas, I didn't make the connection. I was there to talk with the VTSDA and VBSA about the upcoming Vermont 3.0 Tech Jam, which Seven Days helps organize.

Coincidentally, there was a large gathering of Vermont Republicans on the boat's lower level (the VTSDA crowd was on the second level). I spotted State Auditor Tom Salmon, Lt. Governor hopeful Phil Scott, Secretary of State candidate Jason Gibbs, and Lt. Governor and gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie among the attendees. That might be why we had a police boat escorting us on our cruise...

Illustration by Marc Nadel.