Inauguration 2009

Hello All - I have not posted on this blog for a couple of years - but I thought it would be a good place to put our pictures and tell our little story about the inauguration. (pics above)

The night Obama was elected we knew we were going to the inauguration. How could we not go? We live right here!! At the time, PGCC wasn't scheduled to be closed and I knew we would be busy because the first day of the semester is Thursday, January 22^nd. But I couldn't imagine living right here and not going to this awesome event so I told my boss I was going no matter what!

Luckily, last week they decided to close the school. So I didn't have to take the day off after all.

Jason and I had it all planned out - we were going to go to the public area on the mall with some friends. We knew we were not going to be able to really see anything (except on the jumbo screens) but we just kept thinking - how could we live right here and not go witness history and participate in the goodwill and fun of this election?

So, you can imagine our excitement when at the very last minute, on Saturday night, a friend called us and offered some tickets she received at the last minute to the "silver" area. The silver area is the farthest from the capital building and is basically the cheap seats, nonetheless, it was a ticketed area, and we figured we were practically guaranteed a place to stand and to be able to see something.

For weeks now, the local news has been warning about this event. We were very prepared to stand for very long periods of time in gigantic crowds with limited access to food, drink, warmth or toilets.

That is why I bundled up and chose not to drink any coffee this morning. I really wanted to, but I am sooo glad I didn't!

We also saw on the news before we left this morning the long, long, long lines at the metro stations. And the weather forecast - very, very cold!

We bundled up and set out at about 7:15 a.m. this morning. The metro was not so bad at all. There were not a lot of people at our station and we actually managed to find seats on the train. By the time we got down to Metro Center (the main metro station – (http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm see link to the metro page for reference), the train was packed. We had to transfer to the blue line - and that was even more packed. But still, we've both experienced just as bad during rush hour so it wasn't a huge shock.

As we approached L'Enfant Station, an announcement was made that the train would not be stopping at that station because of crowds. We were not too worried because we were getting off on Federal Center - 1 stop past. Then, another announcement was made that the train would not be stopping there either. Everyone let out huge collective groan. We all knew (especially the people planning on getting off at L'Enfant) we were going to have to backtrack a long way to get to our ticket gate.

When the train got to Federal Center station, it slowed...and then stopped. Not expecting to get off, everyone was complaining about what was happening - when suddenly, the doors opened! I yelled to Jason "go go go!!" and we all ran and got off the train.

The station was soooooo packed. How packed was it? They stopped charging fares and they were just letting everyone exit for free. We joined the masses and went up to street level. We saw the sign "silver area" with an arrow pointing us down the street. We started walking that way when an inauguration helper pointed us in the opposite direction. So we walked, and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked....past lots and lots and lots and lots of people already in the silver line when finally, we found the end of the line over by L'Enfant station.

We stood in that spot for about an hour – only moving about half a block. There were some street vendors right next to us that kept us entertained. They were selling T-shirts and binoculars, pins and Obama watches - “Obama time two dimes!” “Obama time...two dimes!”

At first, it didn't seem so cold. But as the morning wore on, the wind picked up and it started getting really, really cold. We got to know the people in the line around us and we all started taking turns going into the buildings near us to us to warm up.

Finally, at around 10:00 a.m. The line started moving. We walked and walked and then suddenly, people started trying to cut in line. The nerve! We had been standing out there for hours, frozen to the bone and now these people were going to try to cut in front? Well, the two guys standing behind us would have none of that. They started yelling at the people who were trying to cut and the cutters actually tried to argue they'd been there all along! That's when we all joined in. We had formed our own little community in that section of the line. We had all exchanged small talk. We may not have known each others names but we certainly recognized each others faces – and we KNEW this group of line cutters had been nowhere near our little line community. We successfully exiled them. I told them that Obama would not approve!

Finally, we were back where we first came out of the subway station – hours before. We rounded the corner, could see the silver gate...we thought we were nearly there.

Then, the line died. It stopped moving. We all started to get nervous. It was 11:00. We knew that they were not letting anyone else through the gates after 11:30. Would we make it?? Then, people started walking past us telling us it was no use! They were not letting anyone else in!! We couldn't understand – we had tickets! TICKETS! We were PROMISED a space in the silver mall standing area. We had been standing in line for over 3 hours! How could they NOT let us in??

Gradually, the line turned into a mob. Our little line community began to disintegrate. We lost the tall guy with the white scarf. Then, the three women in front of us disappeared. Finally the other tall guy and the young girl were gone. We looked at each other. What do we do? Do we leave?

We couldn't turn back now. It was after 11:00. If we left now, there was no way we'd get to another area on the mall with a jumbo screen in time to see the inauguration. We decided to keep moving toward the silver gate. We figured, even if they don't let us in, maybe we'll still be able to see – or hear something.

The crowd was mad. People were disappointed. The crowd started chanting “let us in!” “let us in!” “let us in!!” and people were holding their tickets up and waving them.

Then, suddenly, we don't know what happened – but the crowd started surging forward and the next thing we knew – we made it through the silver gate! Whatever security checkpoints that were there (and holding up the line for all those hours) were gone! We got in! We could see the capitol building! We could hear music! We were so excited.

And still, the crowd kept moving...and we kept moving with it. Then, we found ourselves next to cement security barriers – with lots of open space right on the other side. Open space meant for us silver ticket people!

Next thing we know – everyone (including us) is jumping over the cement barrier. We were free! So much open space! And the crowd kept moving us forward. Then we came upon a metal security fence with even more open space on the other side of it!! We all jumped that fence and ran! Literally ran! Everyone was laughing and shouting and so happy! We made it to the silver area! We MADE IT TO THE SILVER AREA!! And it was open and free. We all moved up as close as we could to the fence surrounding the reflecting pool in front of the capitol building and then, the crowd stopped moving and we all stood there and listened to the inauguration. We were just in time.

OK, so we couldn't actually see the people up there, but we could see that there were people up there! And we were right next to a speaker so we could hear really well. There were some jumbo screens in the area on the other side of the reflecting pool. Those tall enough could see them and had an even better view. It was awesome. We were there! We really felt like we were a part of history. It was amazing. At that moment, the cold, the waiting, the lack of coffee, it was all worth it. Everyone around us was so happy. There was a lot of “whoo hooo-ing" going on and just lots of happiness. And, it was a lot warmer standing in the middle of all those people.

We stayed through the very end. And then, we fought the crowds to get home.