What a great weekend!
My girlfriend, MsPattey came in town and, as usual, we were ripping and running from the moment she got off the plane embarking on our adventure. I picked her up at the airport and we headed straight for the metro to go downtown to the Official Inauguration Souvenir Store. We bought some buttons, a great set of highball glasses and some other doodads; however, they were running some serious inauguration extortion in the “official” store. There were plenty of of stands and shops around with much more reasonable prices to partake in…especially if you wanted a bobble head of any President you could think of.
The next day we spent the day at Pentagon City Mall and, well, let’s say, some bargains were found and dollars were spent. I haven’t shopped like that in FOREVER! It was a blast. We shopped for so long that we damn near passed out from lack of sustenance ending up at Harry’s in the mall where we proceed to eat like savages. Not a word was said as we consumed inhaled our burgers. Not one word.
Sunday morning we had brunch at National Harbor – my BloodyMary was AWESOME and shopped some more. Later that evening, we went to a Pre-Inauguration Party at the Navy Yard. Another fabulous time with friends and we even got to meet James Cotton, Tuskegee Airman who had recently received a Tuskegee Airmen Congressional Gold Medal. What a treat!
Monday morning came around real fast and it was time to head down to the Inauguration ceremony. Tickets in hand, we boarded the metro and headed downtown to make our way to the Gold Ticket holder security checkpoint. It was just amazing how many people simply did NOT read the back of their ticket which said in big letters what your could and could not bring into the security area. Somebody got a huge donation of chairs, coolers, backpacks and a host of other items that were CLEARLY marked prohibited.
READING IS FUNDAMENTAL.
Getting through our checkpoint was like being in a heard of sheep, but went pretty smoothly and quickly. We were in the gold section by 9:30am and then it was a hurry up and wait situation. We kept ourselves busy taking pictures, talking to people and taking in the scenery – the pomp & circumstance of the day.
This was the first inauguration I had ever been to. Pretty damn neat. Watching on the TV is warm and all, but actually being there – a much more tangible, emotional moment. I was glad I was part of the experience; glad to be sharing it with my girlfriend.
While the getting in was pretty easy, the getting out and back to the metro station was a whole different story. It took us an hour to get 2 blocks. From 3rd & C to D street and the Federal Center Metro. The line at the metro was unbelievable! We decided to walk back to L’Enfant Plaza station and when we got there, the line/crowd was even larger and not moving. Apparently, the station was closed for reasons were not privy to. (Found out later that it was temporarily shut down due to overcrowding) Melt down time…both MsPattey and I only had about 10% power on our phones and we needed to find the closest metro stop that might be open. We ended up walking from L’Enfant Plaza to the Waterfront metro (about 10 LONG AZZ blocks) and we were on our way back home.
By time we got back to the house – EXHAUSTED – we had barely enough time to get ready and back on the metro to go to the Ambassadors Ball.
We weren’t the only people in all their black tie finery on the Metro and we weren’t the only ladies wearing a pair of fold up ballet slippers (or just plain slippers) to walk from the Metro to the Convention Center or Carnegie Library. It was wonderful seeing all of “the beautiful” people out and about in all their finery – Imma need some people to wear a damn coat – and to mix and mingle. We saw Miss USA and Miss Teen USA at the Ambassadors Ball along with a bunch of other dignitaries from all over the world…didn’t know not a near one, but who cares. It was a Ball!
Another TravelDiva & HandiHOTness Adventure!!!
