Picture the following: You have a day in the sun. What's more you are beside a beach on glorious Galway Bay on a hot day the like of which has rarely been seen in the country.
Do you: (a) go straight to the beach with a long drink and a good book; (b) find a nearby hotel and attend a conference on economics? Most of us usually answer (a).
Government politicians who have suddenly become worried that the economy isn't the electoral asset they thought it might be answer (b).
In the seaside Galway Bay Hotel yesterday, the Soldiers of Destiny faithful gathered to attend a one-day conference on the subject of the Economy and Competitiveness.
The big guns - Brian Cowen and Micheál Martin - were rolled out to remind us that we've never had it so good.
Weather-wise, they were on the money. Economy-wise, things mustn't be quite so clear if we need Government Ministers to remind us.
Now and then, though, it seems that we might. Thanks to the lower taxes and pro-enterprise policies of the present Government, we have one of the world's most successful economy, Brian Cowen reminded us.
And we can't trust that Opposition crowd with those hard-earned gains, he went on: "Pat Rabbitte suggests that he's pro-business. But he reveals himself to be anti-business because he regards pro-business policies as a 'concession'."
And just in case you thought the Government was getting complacent, he will soon be taking measures to improve the economy in coming months, not to mention progressing the Atlantic Road corridor, planned to sweep in an arc from Donegal through to Waterford.
The delegates lapped it all up. But as far as being economically aware, they also proved that the west was very much awake, or at least not sleeping.
"What can the Government do to stem the rising tide of inflation," asked one elderly gent. "Could the Government establish a prices commission to stop pension increases being eroded by inflation, asked another."
Bluntest of all was guest speaker and director of the Galway/Mayo Institute of Technology Marion Coy. "It is important that we don't believe too much of our own guff," she said, being decidedly untrue to her name.
By and large, though, the mood was upbeat with a lot of impressive statistics, strong messaging to target voters: "The 250,000 owners of small businesses in this country are an essential part of our success story.
"Fianna Fáil is proud of the role it has played in government to support the dynamism of entrepreneurs," Cowen said.
More than any other quote, this summarises what yesterday's conference was about: The public sector and the construction sectors of our economy each employ around a quarter of a million people.
Both groups have received generous dollops of policy attention in recent years, including benchmarking pay awards (public sector) and the National Development Plan (construction sector).
The Soldiers of Destiny have done their sums well and have decided that - with that kind of potential electoral muscle - the day has come for the small business sector to have its rightful place in the sun.