Yes-how did it go? And did you freeze to death? My friend's kid (in the band) had on two pairs of long underwear, polartec pants and top-and still could not feel her feet by the time they passed the review stand.
I know the feeling. :laughing:
I had on long underwear, long sleeve shirt, sweater, heavy jacket, gloves, scarf, hat, about 100 hand warmers all over my body, 2 pair of socks and tennis shoes and by the end of the day, my nose felt like an ice cube. End of the day? I mean, by about 6am. :laughing:
It was amazing to say the least. Excuse any spelling errors, I'm just gonna write and collapse after this.
The night before, we went to a black tie affair for the folks who gave a lot of money. There were presidents of banks, companies, lobbyiest, lots and lots of very, very rich people. Michael calls them 'the rats on the Titanic' because he said most of them jump ship and join whatever party they think is going to win and they can give money to and get their way. :laughing:
He ran into a lot of folks he knew. It was a bit surreal for me. I have to admit, most of them were pretty nice for rich folks. :crazytongue:
We were introduced to Rahm Emanuel by a staffer of a senator. Michael and he are talking and Michael goes "I have some advise for the new president."
You could see Emanuel tense up. lol.
Michael tells him this (I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea!)
"Right after Katrina, I met with Bill Clinton and we were talking about our kids. Mr Clinton told me when he was president, Chelsea didn't like to clean her room. One time, she had a big weekend planned and was giving HIllary and the staff fits. So, Hillary grounded her. Chelsea went to Daddy. Mr Clinton said that while Chelsea was doing the waterworks, Mama walked in. As a joke, he said 'you know, I'm the president and I can pardon any person for a crime.' He said HIllary gave him a look that turned him cold.
Mr Emanuel, tell the President that they may be the President of the United States, but presidential pardons stop at the kids bedroom"
Emanuel joked, "You know, I always thought President Clinton was a smarter man than that"
:laughing: :laughing:
Randy ended up with Gout and couldn't get out of bed. With it being so cold, we decided to leave the kids at the hotel room. After a lot of whining, Flamer promised the kids to take them to the grand stand and watch the parade. That ended up being the best option
We got up at 2am. Ok, Michael got up at 2am, I never went to bed. I was too excited.
Michael had room service set up to come at 2am and bring us dinner/breakfast/lunch because we weren't going to be back until late.
I think it was 10 degrees outside awhen we got out there around 3am and the streets were full of people like it was 3pm. Everyone was nice, laughing, people would come and up and just hug you for no reason.
My face hurt from smiling so much. And the tears, the amount of tears I saw. People would just break down in tears standing there. Someoen would go up and hug them not for comfort but just out of joy.
We had six tickets to section 5 of the seating area that was below where Obama was. They were really great seats and of course Michael got them from a Senator that he knows.
I asked Michael what are we going to do with 6 tickets and he smiled and said "We'll figure it out."
So, we are in the mall just walking around. People are trying to walk across the frozen Reflection pool, the place is packed by 7am.
Mind you, people would just start talking to you, sharing their struggles, the civil rights movement, etc. I learned more about what blacks really went through in those few hours than I ever learned in any class or on any show.
Security was very tight but very nice. You had to open up your coat, they looked in bags, on and on. But people were being very nice standing in line.
There was this old black couple standing around and being me, I started to talk to them.
Michael and I are talking to them and they are telling him that they came from MIssissippi to see the inagural. I think they were both in their 80s and you could tell it was really hard for them to stand there and she's leaning on a 4 prong cane.
She starts telliing us how she was a grand daughter of a slave, how bad things where years ago. She kept saying over and over "I still can't believe this day has finally come."
Her daughter and some other family comes up and tells the elderly lady that there isn't any place to sit down and of course starts fretting over her mother.
Michael looks at me and I know what he's thinking. He pulls out the tickets and hands it to them and tells them to go up to the front and sit down and enjoy it.
The woman didn't realize what they were at first and tehn her eyes got really wide and she says "Oh mister, these are very good seats. I can't take them."
Michael went "Yes Ma'am you can." and she gave him a kiss on the cheek and she strated to cry.
Her husband was bawling, she was bawling, we were bawling, it was amazing. But, you know what? That's Michael.
There were about 10 family members but it was amazing becuase everyoen was saying the others should go. Total selfless.
Behind us was a white couple with their kids, who were both in their teens or 20s. Dressed very well, obviously had money.
Michael and I went walking around. About 10 minutes later, someone gabs Michael by the shoulder. It's that white guy who was behind us.
He's crying. His tells us his son, who is 18 and thinks he's better than everyone, saw what Micahel did and then he and his sister walked away. When tehy came back, they had given their tickets, in section 1, to a black couple.
he told Michael that his son said listening to that woman made him realize how hard people have had it and seeing what Michael did made him realize what a jerk he was. They gave away their tickets to someone too and the family were going to watch it from the mall like the rest of us.
Again, I'm in tears.
I was talking on the phone with my SIL at about 10:00 and the phones went dead. The jammed every phone in the area. You couldn't call.
We watched from probably the middle of the mall, not really great place to see but they had Jumbotrons and to be honest, the people around us made it amazing. I was hugged so many times by people who didn't know me and the lady next to me kept grabbing me and crying! lol.
When he took the oath, which I knew he messed up being a former law clerk! lol, the cheer that went up was amazing.
When Bush's name was mentioned, a few folks started to boo. But this old BIG black lady next to us belted out, "That's enough! Martin stood at the top of the Promised Land and we will march into it with dignity and pride!"
People around here were shamed into silence and some applauded her.
Everyone around me was crying through Obama's speech.
We tried to get to the parade route but even tho Michael knows the area really well, there was no way to get there. Pennsylvania Ave was blocked off and there was only one way through a bunch of security checkpoints and we figured we'd never get there until really late.
But with all the crowds, there weren't any probelms. People were VERY patient. Michael said it was more like Asia than America. lol
I tried to call Flamer to tell him we woudln't be come, but no phone service still. Michael had already told him if they went, don't be shocked if we didnt' get there.
I was glad we didn't take the kids becuase getting to a bathroom was NOT going to happen. One lady actually told me that her family were all wearing Depends just in case. TMI :nono: :laughing:
So, we went back to the hotel and took a really long hot shower and ordered room service. I was so hungry.
About 6:30, Flamer, Randy and the kids showed up. Poor Randy was hobbling really bad. Michael had dinner sent up to us, it was about 8:30 pm before it showed up but we were already gone. The kids said the parade was fun and Flamer said the excitement was great.
We went to the Neighborhood ball first. A total blast. We danced, talked with a bunch of kids from the inner city that were just so happy to be there. We saw some adorable kids from Atlanta that had written a song about Obama. They were beaming like you couldn't believe. There were people there from every walks of life and everyone had a blast together.
I have to say, it was the better of the two. I had more fun. The only thing was drinks and food were NOT free, which other balls were. Not as many corporate sponsors to pay for it, which was a shame. :nono:
Michele's dress was beautiful upclose. It really wasnt' as beautiful on tv. And I loved that she wore white. Such a powerful statement of simplicity and yet daring to wear white and to wear a designer noone heard of --yes, I am going gay on all of you here! HA!!! :crazytongue:
After a while, we went to the Midlantic Ball. I didnt' want to go but as Michael said, when the Governor sends you tickets, you go! lol.
That was nice but a very rich man's ball. MIcahel flows around at ease, I'm still a bit more awkward in those situations.
Our friend Chad and his family went to the BET ball. They had a blast. People were just hugging each other, crying. He met a bunch of famous people and Tam had a blast too.
BET interviewed his Grandmother and I think she was on tv that night. I have it all tivoed at home so we are going to check.
While we were going home, I thought of a scene in "X" about Malcom X. He went to Mecca and saw the many races, many people, many differnet tribes all there, happy and peaceful and he is so overjoyed.
I really think I saw heaven or what I see as what heaven should be. No dogma, no color, no sex or race or beliefs that push down others.
it was one of the best days in my life. Something that I will never forget.
When we got home that night, it was around 4am and just went to bed so happy.
I'm going to bed now but I haven't stopped smiling yet!!!! :headbang:
