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eaglesvet
01-18-2009, 06:40 PM
I just finished watching We Are One, the 2-hr. live broadcast of the concert on the Washington Mall in honor of Barack Obama. It was wonderful, and I wanted to let you all know that HBO is rebroadcasting it tonight at 7 pm ET/PT and 11:30 pm ET/PT. If you don't have HBO (which we don't), go to www.hbo.com (http://www.hbo.com) a few minutes ahead of time, and register in the lower right hand corner. At least for the live broadcast, they showed it online; I can only assume they will at the 2 later rebroadcasts. The artists were top-notch: Springsteen, Mary J. Bligh, Bon Jovi, JT, Josh Groban, Sheryl Crow, John Mellencamp, Garth Brooks, U2, Beyonce, Pete Seeger. Each musician would sing 1 -3 songs, and then an actor or other celebrity would speak some awe-inspiring words about history and our future. Really made me feel warm and fuzzy, and teary, all at the same time!

Best performance for me? Surprisingly, Garth Brooks "brought the house down"--ever think you'd see a half million people all doing "Shout"?? (A song that my hubby and I banned our wedding band from playing at our reception, but it worked on the Washington Mall!) Garth played that amid 2 other songs that just really clicked for this event...American Pie, and Be Free. He plays shortly after the one hour point. But, everyone is worth watching, so I would plan on it!

And, the ending was the real tear-jerker for me. First, Barack's eloquent speech of 5 or 6 minutes with no notes, no teleprompter...that man just has it! Never mind that he can groove better than any previous Prez, judging from the camera pans over to him boppin' to the music. (They didn't show the First Family at all during Shout, so I can't tell you if he went lower on "a little bit softer now..."). And THEN, EVERYONE on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial--singers, actors, athletes--all singing This Land is Your Land with Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen leading them. Them, and a half million people. God Bless America!

Prettymaid
01-19-2009, 11:18 AM
It sounds great EV. Although I'm not a big country fan, I do appreciate Garth Brooks!

This is indeed a historic time for our country. I pray for it and President-elect Obama.

TimothyBFan
01-19-2009, 11:54 AM
I just saw bits and pieces of this on news broadcast.

I agree he does have a way with words all on his own with no one telling him what to say.

I am anxious to see what he has to say tomorrow but know I will probably cry. He has a way of moving people. There is so much riding on his presidency, it just makes you proud and scared all at the same time. Does that make any sense?

eaglesvet
01-19-2009, 02:56 PM
I just saw bits and pieces of this on news broadcast.

I agree he does have a way with words all on his own with no one telling him what to say.

I am anxious to see what he has to say tomorrow but know I will probably cry. He has a way of moving people. There is so much riding on his presidency, it just makes you proud and scared all at the same time. Does that make any sense?
Don't be scared. :) Have faith.:angel:

sodascouts
01-19-2009, 03:30 PM
I hope Obama does a great job as President and I'm behind him, but I do worry that a lot of people I know are expecting too much of him, too fast.

He's not going to be able to fix everything. That's beyond the scope of any President. I think we, as the American people, often put too much on our Presidents to "fix" things - or blame them when things go bad - when many of our problems come from our own choices as a nation. The financial crisis we're currently undergoing is one example.

We can't just look TO Obama. We have to work WITH Obama.


I am anxious to see what he has to say tomorrow but know I will probably cry. He has a way of moving people. There is so much riding on his presidency, it just makes you proud and scared all at the same time. Does that make any sense?

No reason to be scared. Regardless of whether or not he succeeds - and I hope he does - it's not the end of the world. Just as no one President can fix everything, no one President can destroy everything. Check and balances and the American way. ;)

Good luck, Obama!

Prettymaid
01-19-2009, 03:45 PM
I think we, as the American people, often put too much on our Presidents to "fix" things - or blame them when things go bad - when many of our problems come from our own choices as a nation.

I truly believe this, even though it's hard for a lot of people to admit.

TimothyBFan
01-19-2009, 03:49 PM
Maybe I didn't word that so well or the way I really meant it. It's not that I'm scared so much as I am worried about where this nation is headed and what the future holds for so many. I worry about my teenage children who will be heading out into this world before long and not much on the horizon for them as far as jobs go right now. I worry about friends that have lost their jobs and can't find new ones because there just aren't any. Especially around here, when so many have worked for so long for RV factories and those are being shutdown on a weekly basis. I worry about my friend Jason who will be heading to Afghanistan next month and leaving his wife and 3 kids behind for a whole year and hope he returns safely when the time comes. I worry about my brother in law who is working in Egypt right now on a secured military base and tells us he lays awake at night because he hears the bombs going off in Gaza. And that's just me--I know all of you have your own worries also.

I wish Mr Obama nothing but the best of luck (he has a very tough job ahead of him) and I have put a lot of faith into him. I pulled that lever for him myself and would not have if I didn't think he might be just what we need. I really do hope he is successful and can help get this nation back on track. Time will tell but I believe also that it is gonna take ALOT of time and I hope we can all hang in there that long!

eaglesvet
01-19-2009, 05:32 PM
I hear you now,Willie. I think we all do have to work together to pull this country back together; and I do think that we have the best of the best in the Presidency now to guide us along.

And after spending last night and today trying to figure this trip out...
I am going to the Inauguration!!!!:partytime::partytime::partytime:

I craigslisted, and found a luxury charter bus that still had a few seats left for $60 each. My friend and I are definites, and possibly my nephew and his girlfriend. We leave at 3:30 am , watch movies (or sleep), eat breakfast, get there by 8:30 am. They drop us off 5 BLOCKS FROM THE CAPITOL!!!! We see the festivities from 9 am till 2:30 pm, then get on the bus for lunch, and drive home by 9 pm, exhausted but having witnessed a piece of history I will never forget! I'll post pictures!

TimothyBFan
01-19-2009, 05:37 PM
Wow--good for you EV!! What a chance of a lifetime!! I'm really happy for you and can't wait to hear all about it! Enjoy it!

Stars
01-19-2009, 07:00 PM
EV, I am SO happy for you! I know how much it meant to you to attend this historic event, and I'm so glad that it is coming to fruition!:thumbsup:
Have a ball there, and be sure to take lots and lots of pictures! We'll all be there with you in spirit!:partytime:

ticky
01-19-2009, 07:42 PM
Cool EV!!! Have a great time!!

Brooke
01-19-2009, 08:48 PM
Ev, that is truly exciting that you are going to the inauguration! Have a wonderful time! Hopefully you will get close enough to see everything!

I wish Mr. Obama the best of luck and agree with everyone that we all must do our part. It's a long road ahead.

God Bless America.

sodascouts
01-19-2009, 09:59 PM
Wow evet! Have fun!

eaglesvet
01-19-2009, 11:31 PM
Earlier tonight, I had to go to the bus trip organizer's apt to pay for the tix, and it turns out he is an entertainment insurance agent. One of his clients is Mary J. Bligh! Should be an interesting ride. Unfortunately, I don't expect any of his clients to be joining us... Anyway, I need to get my warm layers goin' on soon--my friend is picking me up at 1:45 am, to be at the apt by 2:30 with the other 43 folks, so that the bus can leave no later than 3:30!! That is when I will sleep, I guess--no time now! The best part (well, not literally the best part, but a very good part) is that the bus will stay parked 5 blocks away, and we will be able to return to it whenever we need to use the rest room!:yay: Just in case we need to rest, we won't need to fight the others in the crowd for the Porta-Potties. (There's NO WAY I am leaving the Mall to do ANYTHING once the festivities start, that's for sure!)

Oh, BTW, don't forget to look for me on TV, OK??:wink::wink:

Stars
01-19-2009, 11:40 PM
I'll keep an "eagle eye" out for you on TV, EV!:thumbsup:

eaglesvet
01-19-2009, 11:41 PM
You're actually the only one who could at this point in time! :)

sodascouts
01-20-2009, 11:13 PM
I hope evet got in OK! Apparently there were some problems.

Purple, Blue Ticket Holders Turned Away (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/inauguration-watch/2009/01/officials_too_many_tickets_for.html)

eaglesvet
01-21-2009, 01:41 AM
:grin: ! ...:yawn:..:zzz: more tomorrow

Stars
01-21-2009, 07:18 AM
EV, can't wait to hear all about your trip to the Inauguration! I may have to wait til next week, though, unless I can get to a computer in New Orleans!:-D

Prettymaid
01-21-2009, 08:21 AM
:grin: ! ...:yawn:..:zzz: more tomorrow

I see a smile - that's a good thing!

TimothyBFan
01-21-2009, 08:46 AM
Wakey Wakey EV--We're waiting to hear from you!

eaglesvet
01-21-2009, 10:59 AM
Hi all...you know me when I have something important to write about...I need a laarrgge block of time, which is something I won't have till tonight :computer: unfortunately. I have the rest of everyday life to catch up on in the meantime, or else!

Suffice it to say...with so many millions of people around my friend Chris and I, the cold temps reported were NOT an issue in the least. The "sheer humanity" reported literally acted like insulation! And we couldn't believe the 'best behavior' of everyone on that Mall and in the surrounding parts of the city. Not one instance of anything other than warmth, understanding, and shared experience. I know it sounds corny, but it was entirely true!

Not that everything went smoothly, by any stretch of the imagination. We managed to turn it into a slightly harrowing adventure, though I promise it was not our fault! And I KNOW you all watching at home saw and heard way more of the festivities than I did (I'll explain later); but I saw the heart of it, literally and figuratively, and it was all worth it. But I also know exactly what we'll do differently in 4 yrs...ahem, assuming that history repeats itself.:)

eaglesvet
01-22-2009, 03:58 AM
Well, here goes! I had only discovered my 'sweetheart' of a deal bus ticket to DC on Craigslist about 3pm on Monday, after a lot of searching through many different avenues. Ted, the fellow who organized the charter, was super-nice on the phone--although he asked me to "tell him about myself" before he would commit a pair of seats to me. I never did confirm exactly why--I think he wanted to see how much I really wanted those seats! But my thinking was, where else was he going to find others to fill those spots at this late hour? Anyway, after determining I was legit, we arranged that I would drive out to his apt. before 6pm to pay for the seats, so as to guarantee our spots. Of course, at 5pm it started snowing, but I didn't want to call and appear that I was wavering on my committment...so I plowed onward, easily spending twice as long as it normally would to get to his place.

Got our tix, got the 'lay of the land' as far as the itinerary would be for early the next morning, and set off for home. I knew I had a bunch of stuff to get ready and to do, and I realized it would be hopeless to attempt to get any sleep before our 1:45am departure from my house to arrive at his apt again by 2:30am. Know how weird it is to arrive at a relative stranger's apt at that hour to start a social event? Very! And he's the one I knew best! But, with music playing,and OJ and coffee flowing freely, the other 10-12 folks made us feel at home very quickly. It seemed that most of them knew each other from before, with the exception of one other woman who had also just purchased her tix today. Next to Obama, she had one of the best lines of our adventure... when asked why she wanted to go to DC so badly for the Inauguration, she simply said it had been on "her Bucket List!" Funny thing was, she probably was only in her 50's, so that just seemed like an early start for a Bucket List!

eaglesvet
01-22-2009, 07:09 AM
Next episode to come later...sorry, I had to take a break, and that seemed like a good stopping place!

Prettymaid
01-22-2009, 09:47 AM
Ted, the fellow who organized the charter, was super-nice on the phone--although he asked me to "tell him about myself" before he would commit a pair of seats to me. I never did confirm exactly why--I think he wanted to see how much I really wanted those seats!

I bet he was checking to make sure you weren't a nut! (Usually when a person starts talking freely you can tell very quickly!) :wink:

sodascouts
01-22-2009, 10:22 AM
Can't wait to hear more!

Prettymaid
01-26-2009, 10:14 AM
EV, where are you? I'm waiting to hear about your experiences at the inaugeration!

eaglesvet
01-27-2009, 06:47 AM
Sorry, I spent the last few days regaining my strength. I had been on the barest verge of a cold for the past week, and being outside all day in the DC winds definitely brought it on full-force. By the time we were on the return bus ride home, I had no voice (well, part of that was from all of the cheering--but not all of it!), and then I really muddled through the rest of the week at home/work with my tissues in one hand and the cough medicine in the other. But now I'm back on the upswing, so here goes!

The bus was full, about 45 people of all ages, from 4 to 74, I would guess. The largest group seemed to be in their 20's and 30's. Even though my friend Chris and I were two of the last to board, we snagged seats in one of the first couple of rows, right behind the coolers of food Ted had brought as part of his Inaugural Party. Party or not, my first order of the night was to try to sleep for at least a few hours, but I was a little worried by the enthusiasm of this crowd that this would be impossible. Thanks to Apple, however, the bus remained quiet enough to allow the majority of us to get some shut-eye :zzz: while the others partied in their heads with their I-Pods. :grooving:

About 6 am, the bus rolled into Stars' backyard somewhere in Delaware, at a rest stop for us to get our Starbucks fix. Ted had brought bagels, danish, and juice for us as well. After that, we pretty much stayed awake for the rest of the journey. The conversations that we had, and heard, were pretty interesting. A lot more worldly than usual...more stuff on people's Bucket Lists such as personal goals and travel destinations...political topics such as previous Presidencies...social topics such as Martin Luther King. I was amazed at how easily words flowed in this environment!

The bus arrived in DC right on schedule at 8 am. We had a parking permit to be only 5 blocks from the Capitol, whereas many charter buses had to park about a mile away at the sports stadium. What everyone failed to anticipate, however, was how effectively the DC police seemed to block off the roads leading into the Mall area with dump trucks and other large vehicles! As our bus took the exit and rounded the bend, we were stopped in our tracks by said dump truck. As our fearless leader exited the bus to negotiate a way through with the police, throngs of people seemed to appear from nowhere, filling the streets to head toward the Mall. Had we known that we were going to spend the next 2 1/2 hours :sad: on the bus as the driver attempted to plod through the ever-increasing traffic, find a passage into that area of the city, and then finally find any place at all to park---we would've bailed out at that time too, and joined those throngs streaming toward the Mall. But, in the words :singer: of Pink, "Who knew?" Besides, we kinda wanted to know where the bus was going to wind up parked for our end-of-the-day return to it...
(~back in a few~)

eaglesvet
01-27-2009, 01:11 PM
Remember I said that I learned some things I would definitely do differently the next time around? 1st Note to Self: If the bus gets stuck in a 'parking lot' of traffic anywhere remotely near the National Mall, get out and hoof it then. Washington is basically a grid, and I have a cell phone. I will find the bus later, and they won't leave without me.

First, for some basic orientation before we leave the bus...the National Mall is a large rectangular park that stretches from 3rd St on the east to 14th St on the west. The Capitol Building is located on the eastern border at the level of 1st St, while the Washington Monument is located just to the west of 14th St. Continuing directly westward from the WM is the Constitutional Gardens, which is another large park leading to the other memorials (WWII, Vietnam Wall, and Lincoln.) The "sea of humanity" that you saw on TV filled not only the Mall but also a good deal of the Constitutional Gardens (although I couldn't see how far back.)

Our bus finally landed at 10:30 am on the Potomac waterfront at 9th St, southeast of the Washington Monument. As everyone put their four other layers of clothing on, Ted passed out the foil tins of lunch his sister had made up: fried chicken and tuna-macaroni salad! That and a bottle of water, and we were all set! Knowing ahead of time that we were each allowed only a 6'' x 8'' carry-in bag, Chris and I had worn our 'Michelin-Man parkas' with the huge cargo pockets. In went the lunches, drinks, tissues, Chapstick, throat lozenges, money, hand and toe warmers, maps, cameras, cell phones, kitchen sink... We actually found no need for the 6'' x 8'' bag!
We sighted the Monument, and off we went!

However, the sea of humanity was streaming in along with us as well, so it made for slow going. People from every walk of life were converging on every walk of DC, as well as the streets themselves--streets that thankfully had been closed to vehicular traffic by those dump truck/bus barricades I had mentioned before. Along the way were dozens of street vendors selling everything Obama...it took us about 5 minutes to make our first button purchases. We had to dress properly for our first Inauguration! The more we trudged along with the crowds, and the closer it got to 11am, the more we realized that scoring spots on the Mall "central" was an impossible dream--at least not in time to witness any of the ceremony. So, we set our sights a little lower, aiming to get within a good view of a large video screen near the WM end of the Mall...which was apparently the first place security was letting people attempt to enter the grounds.

As the crowds got thicker and slower (though surprisingly well-controlled and polite), Chris and I were determined to wiggle and squeeze our way onto that green and in view of one of those screens! We passed large trees with 3 to 5 adults in them, viewing from on high (not for us, thank you); and lines of "Don's John's" porta-potties with folks on top of them as well (definitely not for us!) (Note the 'Little Thing that Reminded Me of the Eagles.') No, we would settle for a viewing spot on terra firma...and we eventually reached it by 11:15am or so. We had made it! :yay: We were in the shadows of the Washington Monument, I'd say about a couple hundred yards away. Thankfully, both Chris and I are tall, and could see over and around many of the people around us...except for the blue-pom-pom-hat guy and the thick-green-poufy-hat guy. We did have to maneuver ourselves a bit during the proceedings to avoid these "hat-encounters", but that really was a minor issue. We were there, and that was what mattered! And as I had previously mentioned elsewhere, there was no feeling the cold...the wall of people surrounding us were the best insulation anyone could ask for.

The crowd we "inaugurated" with was very diverse: all ages from infant to grandparent; all races; teachers with their grammar-school students, military personnel, college students, business people, homeless people. Incredible. Unifying. People actually did move over for shorter people to squeeze in; and if someone tried to climb on another's shoulders and was asked to get down, they complied immediately and politely. Couldn't believe it!

We got to our post just in time to see the former Presidents arrive on the scene. In our corner of the woods, Bush was boo'd...which was the only show of discord that I saw/heard. Could've done without that, even though I was glad to see him go. He still deserves respect at an event of this magnitude. I hope the TV audience and Bush himself did not hear any booing. Afterwards, only multitudes of cheers from our gang, with the graciousness to stop immediately as the next words of the speaker started up again, so that we would not miss a single historic moment! The two most emotional moments for me came before Obama even spoke. When Senator Dianne Feinstein said (and I am paraphrasing here) the line about the challenge of Martin Luther King leaving the steps of the Lincoln Memorial 44 years ago, and finally hitting the walls of the White House today--well, I lost it there. The beauty of that symbolism totally touched me! Then, when Reverend Lowery led the masses in the Lord's Prayer, and everyone prayed out loud, I again became teary-eyed. Again, it was so unifying; and then to have it end with choruses of "Amen" echoing around us--beautiful.

Chris and I (and everyone else) were transfixed by the screen during Obama's Swearing-In Ceremony and Inaugural Address. Obviously, I noticed the flub during the Presidential Oath, but of course had no idea who was right and who was wrong at the time! I loved, loved, loved the color of Michelle Obama's dress and coat...although the video screens made it look more of a celery color. And the girls were adorable. Anyway, it wasn't till after Obama finished his address that Chris and I looked at each other and at the others in the crowd, and realized the number of tear-streaked faces around us (including ours). Then, for whatever reason, a fair number of people began leaving the Mall, not even waiting for the end of the ceremonies! We were shocked, but realized that this was our chance to make it to the center of the rear of the Mall...which is what we did. We were like salmon spawning, but we fought the onslaught of people exiting to get there...just to get a full look around at everything. Unfortunately, it made it so we really couldn't concentrate on what seemed to be a wonderful poem...so I will have to read the text of it sometime soon!

(~more later~)

Brooke
01-27-2009, 05:13 PM
Wow, ev, I feel like I'm there with you. Good job!

eaglesvet
02-09-2009, 11:55 AM
I'm hoping I can post my Inauguration souveniers that I bought on the DC streets. The first post will show two buttons I found almost immediately, on our way from the bus to the Mall. The middle one lights up with flashing white lights behind it...I couldn't pass it up!! The top one is a bit more formal, so I decided on that to balance out my outfit. The rectangular item with the famous "Hope" portrait of Obama is my nifty refrigerator magnet.

eaglesvet
02-09-2009, 12:04 PM
This is the Official Inauguration Program that I bought after the event, as Chris and I were attempting to make our way back from the parade route to the bus. I even got it on a close-out special from a street vendor! No, really, he was the first and only person I even saw selling them, so I would've paid him more than face value for it...it was just my luck he was trying to be done with them by that time of the day!

I realize now that I never finished telling y'all about the rest of our adventures after the Swearing-In Ceremony...so I'll have to get down to that hopefully tonight or tomorrow.

Alright, the Program is too large to upload. Let me see what I can do about that. Maybe nothing...

MikeA
02-09-2009, 12:19 PM
If exception can't be made for your "upload" let me know, I'll make plenty of room for it on my site and provide you with a link to it.

Ive always been a dreamer
02-09-2009, 12:24 PM
Those buttons are cool, ev. Yeah, I have been waiting for the rest of your story. :wink:

Another option with downloading your program is to scan it as PDF file. You should be able to easily 'shrink' the PDF to an acceptable size. Also, if you upload the file to Photobucket, it will shrink it automatically.

eaglesvet
02-09-2009, 12:53 PM
OK, I just received some speedy assistance from the wonderful Ticky, and I am up and running again. Here's the Official Program:

sodascouts
02-09-2009, 02:06 PM
Evet, thanks for posting those. I'm sure you'll treasure them forever!

eaglesvet
02-11-2009, 04:00 AM
2nd Note to Self: Next time, try to arrive with some kind of tickets in hand---ideally, to both the Swearing-In Ceremony as well as the Inaugural Parade. Tickets to a concert or even a ball would be icing on the cake. This is assuming, of course, that the "Inauguration-Gate" ticket fiasco of 2009 is fully investigated and resolved in due time before 2013!
~~~

So, as Chris and I watched the end of the Inaugural festivities from a slightly more centralized area of the National Mall than where we stood previously, many other people continued to stream out. When the video coverage ended, Chris decided she really wanted to walk with part of the sea of humanity toward the Washington Monument to check it out. Easier said than done, as that was also in the direction of the roadway out, 14th Street. But, after scrambling up and over a couple of barricades between the street and the Constitutional Gardens surrounding the Monument, we were home free! In the several minutes we looked around the base of the Monument, we noted quite a few groups of college students and of foreign families doing the same, and taking photographs to commemorate the occasion.

eaglesvet
02-11-2009, 12:15 PM
As we left the WM, we could see several marching bands rehearsing for the Inaugural Parade in the adjacent park known as The Ellipse, located across Constitution Ave. just north of where we were. That's when I told Chris of the plan I had been harboring of my own...if time permitted, I really wanted to see at least part of the parade. Well, according to my watch, time was about to permit... although I could tell that Chris was just a touch less enthusiastic than I was. But, it was only 1:00, and we didn't have to be back on the bus util 3:30...what could go wrong? The way I looked at it was this: if we could plan it so our route back to the bus intersected the parade route for any number of blocks, my wish would be fulfilled--plus we would board the bus on time.

So, off we started. We soon realized that even though we needed to go north to Pennsylvania Ave. (the parade route), and then eventually east (to our bus on 9th St.), the fences and barricades were only permitting the crowd to exit the Constitution Gardens one way--that being four long blocks west of us at 18th St. Plan or no plan, we had to get out to get on with it, so we went along with the rest of the herd trudging through the Gardens--eventually, s l o w l y, funneling into one of the exit points at 18th St.

eaglesvet
02-12-2009, 06:01 AM
More to follow...

sodascouts
02-12-2009, 12:03 PM
I figured there was more - looking forward to it!

Fan_For_Life
02-19-2009, 08:38 PM
I hope Obama does a great job as President and I'm behind him, but I do worry that a lot of people I know are expecting too much of him, too fast.

He's not going to be able to fix everything. That's beyond the scope of any President. I think we, as the American people, often put too much on our Presidents to "fix" things - or blame them when things go bad - when many of our problems come from our own choices as a nation. The financial crisis we're currently undergoing is one example.

We can't just look TO Obama. We have to work WITH Obama.



No reason to be scared. Regardless of whether or not he succeeds - and I hope he does - it's not the end of the world. Just as no one President can fix everything, no one President can destroy everything. Check and balances and the American way. ;)

Good luck, Obama!

I almost voted undecided.

When I saw how humbly President Elect Barack Obama took the stage on election night, I was completely convinced I had voted for the right man. All the talk of confidence in winning, with all the public endorsements made, and still he comes out taken-back that he had been elected. It struck a good chord in my heart to see a man up there not boasting at the chest. He seems very level-headed.

With President Barack Obama, I have confidence that things will not be Business As Usual. And so far it hasn't. Not sure how all the math and money works but I see a man getting things done for America....so far.