Wow, I couldn't believe it, I was inside President Obama's Official Second Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center! The top floor was for the Military Ball; the first floor was for the elite. Funny thing is, all the performers, like Usher, Smokey Robinson (I think it was), Alicia Keys performed on one floor and then rotated to the second floor. That was efficient in that it minimized transportation and security costs, the budge being a huge concern for B.O.'s second inauguration. Slimming down from 20 official balls to 2 was really tightening the budget!
Each ball took the entire length of the convention center, first floor and second, one inaugural ball directly and completely above the other. The buffet tables were set up on either end. Three stages lined the banquet halls. The red, white, and blue lighting, you can see it on YouTube had some sort of weird glow to it. Every time I tried to take a pic or video, all you could see was either darkness or a bright glare. I think the Secret Service had some funny light filters installed so that it was difficult to take pics unless you were directly across where the press was staged in the back.
Unfortunately, I did miss Fun. Whose songs I like since they have an upbeat, fun, happy rhythm to all their songs. That's okay, I was at the Inaugural Ball! And Obama's nonetheless. I don't think, if Hillary 2016 happened, that I would be as blown away and as ecstatic as that night! I probably wouldn't have such a bright pink gown on either! The eats were good (but they took them away too soon, budget problems again, I think). It's a good thing I concentrated on the buffet before anything else! But even I couldn't think entirely about food this evening. (Just largely.)
Shortly after I arrived, the Biden's came in. It was funny, when they were announced, we didn't know what stage they would enter on and after it was evident that they were entering on the FAR stage of course, a small, safe, orderly stampede trotted to the far stage to take pics. I didn't, as I'm not used to being in heels and my phone doesn't take good quality pics anyway. That was exciting and I could catch a tiny glimpse of the Second Couple. But what I was really waiting for was the First Couple.
After more time to eat, I did phone one of my friends and ask, "Hey! Guess where I am?" And he says, "No." I said, "Yea, really." I held up my phone to let him hear the general ecstatic crowd and he said, "Wow, have fun!" Which I did! I walked to the front corner of the hall and saw the souvenir table. Now usually, I will barely buy a postcard when I travel, but today, that night, I bought my heart out. I really wanted an inaugural blanket in navy blue instead of burgundy red. I didn't want to lug it around all night, so decided to purchase it later. When I came back, they sold out! Too bad, and they sold out online as well. (I can't even find one on eBay! If someone sees one, give a holler please!) That's okay, I got lots of magnets, pins, maps, engraved pens, totes that I pinned the pins on, things I would NEVER buy, and a pair of champagne glasses, which really bugged my family, most of them voting straight Republican, lol.
When the First Couple was announced, I could feel a general rumbling in the floor. This was going to be a controlled stampede of slightly larger proportions than the one that met with the arrival of Vice President Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden. I was standing on the far stage, the opposite of the one on which the Second Couple made their entrance. Some people thought that since the Second Couple entered on the far (stage) right, the First Couple would enter on the far (stage) left. No such luck.
The First Couple entered on the same stage as the Bidens and there was another stampede, in which I was left in the dust, lol. No matter, because I couldn't have outrun the general gorgeously dressed herd of politicos had I tried. And concentrating on taking pics instead of absorbing in the amazing things and happenings all around me...I figured I could watch it on the news or YouTube, which I did. So yes, I was there when Michelle Obama debuted her red gown for the second inauguration, a red number by Jason Wu again. I did stick my phone in the air to catch something of the First Couple as they danced but the only thing I caught was their exiting the stage hand in hand. After that, the remainder of the singers performed. I was pretty ecstatic but realized there was none of them I'd actually pay to go to see them at their concert, great as they were. Every time a performer would finish on stage, there was a general stampede from one floor to the other floor because if you liked Jennifer Hudson, you wanted to videotape her twice, not once, lol.
By this time, I was really thirsty because all the food tables had been taken away, gasp! Somewhere during one of the performances, I assume, because even the nonalcoholic drinks were gone. So, I had to stand in line at the open bar for a simple orange juice. And it was slow.
Very slow. As in over half and hour slow to get some apple juice. I could've reached over a dozen times to grab a cup and can of juice, but figured I should be genteel this night. I took my OJ and wandered to the other ball on the second floor. It was much the same, identical, practically. Evidently, security wanted to minimize people roaming from first floor to second and vice versa. The people at the military ball were in general younger and a tad louder, which was cool given the reason we were partying!
After the the celebrity performers were done, people started hopping onto the three stages to take a pic in front of the glowing stages. The Seal of the President of the United States was emblazoned in laser lights on each stage. Everyone was taking pics of each other. Someone helped me up on the almost 5 foot-stage, very tricky in heels and pants that sweep the floor and a skirt/dress that gets stuck between revolving doors (yes, it's happened to me). And right when it was my turn to take the pic, had to wait for all my fellow party goers who got there first, the Secret Service ushered us away. In other words, we Could Not Be There On The Stage. And when Secret Service commands, everyone listens. So, I couldn't get my pic. It's not a "can i get a pic first?" type of situation, but I still asked, and when SS shook their heads, I was helped down from the stage to the floor.
Then there was the announcement that the party was over! It was shortly after midnight, way to soon, I thought, for an inaugural ball. The lights were slowly turned on and they let us linger for a good hour longer. I limped to the back in my heels and climbed some stairs where there were seats in the back, taking it a-all in... because this was a once in a lifetime kinda' thing! A few other women were there sitting, resting their sore toes, as well. When finally we were ushered out, I dawdled at the Inaugural Store set outside the banquet halls, but no fleece blanket, too bad. There was a set of flags lining one side of the foyer and i helped a young girl take a pic beside her national flag. And asked her to take mine, and then a group of nice young men offered to take both of us in one pic, they thought we were together, so I said okay, not wanting to turn down a random act of kindness, lol.
Outside, I could see the wind whipping and hear the icy gales. That's when my feet really started hurting because it was two blocks to the taxi cabs and everyone else caught one right ahead of me. I was too tired to run after one. Finally, a cabby let me share a cab with another customer going in the same direction but dropped me off two block from my hotel (my hotel was only 5 blocks from the Convention Center) and said to walk that way, he pointed, for only two blocks. Well, I did, but no hotel and no, I wasn't going to pull out a map in 35 mile per hour winds, it was hard enough to keep from being blown away! Then one of those bicycle peddlers with a cab in the back offered me a ride and I took it, even for 2 blocks for somehow I was still two blocks away. The bicycle cabbie said he came all the way from New York to get some work during the inauguration, so when he got me to the front of my hotel, I tipped him more than the regular cabbie that drove me one block and still left me not knowing how to get home.
Rushing inside, I got some hot tea and went up to my room, in a trance. I felt as if I had frostbite on my toes (don't wear open-toe heels in the winter, btw!) I couldn't believe it! I got to the swearing-in ceremony AND the Official Inaugural Ball! Who would have guess one week ago where I would be and how I would get there! That was truly an awesome once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am sooo happy I decided to go. Everyone was so scared for me that it would be co-old and rain in the morning but I wasn't--sometimes you just have to brave things, lol! A little icy rain may mean nothing to you, but it does when you've got the insulation of Gore-Tex (not Thinsulate) meaning I've got virtually no insulation on my! I barely made it out of my clothes and could sleep well after the sun came up. Finally, when I crashed, it was a slumber of the deepest and most peaceful magnitudes.
