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 With all of the events of the inaugural weekend, we are happy to have our very own "inaugural insider", Becky Updike, in on the action. With a busy weekend planned, Becky will brave the crowds and the cold to keep us up to date on what's happening in DC during this historic occasion.
Inauguration Weekend Part 2: Inauguration Day - Worth the Wait
1/20/2009
 Inauguration Day began very early for the folks who decided to brave the traffic and nippy weather. We rushed through a quick breakfast while watching CNN report live from the Capitol. People had been flocking to the Capitol and Mall area since about 4:00 am. (I should confess I was not among them. By a long shot.) We were fortunate enough to have a driver and access pass that allowed us to pass an endless line of busses and cabs and drive most of the way to Capitol Hill, where we hopped out at 1st and Pennsylvania, just behind the US Supreme Court building.
As we walked toward the Capitol, the energy was palpable and the air was frigid. It was 22 degrees with a wind chill of 10 degrees, and there was a mutual unspoken understanding that we’d all throw fashion out the window and wear layers of most everything we brought in our suitcases. We had purple tickets, which were granted by members of  Congress to 52,000 people. The tickets provided standing access to the lawn between the Capitol steps and the reflecting pool. (Remember where Jenny jumped into the water in Forrest Gump? We were near there.) If you watched the news, you may have heard the plight of purple ticket holders… we were most fortunate to be among those who actually got in.
The purple pass problem was simply that too many people were trying to enter into a small number of security entrances. I’ve never been in a crowd like this one. Bear in mind almost 2 million people were trying to pack into a relatively small area, and it quickly became packed—literally. My colleagues and I held hands in a chain, and often the crowd was so thick that I could not see the person whose hand I held. We spent more than an hour simply trying to hold on to each other’s hands or coats while the crowd pushed and pressed increasingly tightly together. Let’s just say it was no place for someone with claustrophobia. I have a new appreciation for the term “packed like sardines”. Even so, there was a neat sense of camaraderie in the crowd and even some spontaneous group singing. I never would have imagined laughing and singing “This Land Is Your Land” at 9:00 in the morning with thousands of strangers.
After a couple of hours pressed in the midst of our thousands of new friends, we finally made our way to the purple gate. People were quite anxious and there was even a little pushing and yelling. It was easy to see how crowds get out of control— we were lucky this one didn’t. Once inside, we were rushed by Capitol police and TSA to security lines to go through metal detectors. A fence separated us from the sea of thousands of bodies packed together and growing increasingly anxious about whether or not they would gain entry. (The tickets said that no one would be permitted entrance after a certain time, which was rapidly approaching.) We later learned that several ticket holders did not ever make it in time and were stuck in tunnels and crowds, including elected officials, Congressional staffers and others who had traveled from all over the U.S. to see this once in a lifetime event.
 Once we passed the gate, we maneuvered our way toward the lawn to find a place to stand. Live music from a military band played as we walked around people and through trees and literally through a large bush to find a clearing. The Capitol was decorated with star-clad fabric banners and various versions of the American flag—the 13 star flag and others. The sight of the flags and bands and the sound of music brought me to tears. It was a timeless image, one that has been repeated 43 times before through times of war, peace, struggle and success. Today would add a new chapter, as we swear in the 44th President on the same ground where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of his belief in a dream forty years prior.
 As the ceremony unfolded we forgot all about our popsicle toes and fingers, and fixed our eyes on history in the making. The ceremony began with an invocation, wherein thousands stood shoulder to shoulder and spoke The Lord’s Prayer in unison. Cheers and tears followed at various moments, all of which you probably saw on TV. The ceremony closed with the National Anthem, and again everyone on our line of sight sang along with hands over hearts. I’ve never witnessed a public prayer or a National Anthem with participation by so many people. It was truly moving and unforgettable.
The evening was capped off with 10 official Inaugural balls at the Washington Convention Center. Security blocked the perimeter of the Convention Center for about four blocks on every side, and the only autos permitted inside the perimeter where those of the highest ranked elected officials. We made our way through the cold and security barriers and finally into the Western Ball. Mark Anthony performed live, and the room was abuzz  with beautifully dressed people. At one point, Mark Anthony invited his wife Jennifer Lopez to join him to perform a song. It was “completely unplanned” or so he said. We met and spoke with Colorado Governor Bill Ritter and also newly elected Congressman Jared Polis. Later Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden appeared on stage for a brief greeting and a dance.
At 11:30 pm, we noticed that men in military uniforms were beginning to line the stage with chairs. Soon after, a military band in formal uniforms took the seats with their instruments. We thought we were getting a special concert… and were shocked when they began with a booming version of “Hail to the Chief”, which played for only a few seconds before President Obama and his wife Michelle stepped out on the stage. The crowd erupted with welcoming cheers. President Obama spoke for a few minutes about how he’s counting on the same ground swell of supporters that carried his campaign to also help in achieving the new agenda. After he spoke, he and Michelle danced together. We all giggled when one of them accidentally stepped on the hem of Michelle’s dress and she stopped, fixed the dress, and nodded to resume the dance.
When they finished the dance, President Obama simply grabbed the microphone and said “Let’s go change America.” The crowd cheered again as they made their exit.
It was a perfect way to conclude an amazing celebration of hope and possibility, and I was truly honored to be a part.
Inauguration Weekend Part 1: Planes, Trains, J-Lo and Anderson Cooper
1/18/2009
Long story short, I got really lucky and landed a ticket to the Presidential Inauguration. It just happened that a long time friend and supporter of Tennyson Center and Every Child Matters knew of an extra ticket package and I was lucky enough to get it. As a life-long fan of the political process, I’ll be forever humbled and grateful for the opportunity.
 The journey began with a late Saturday night flight from Denver into Philly (the closest I could afford to get to DC as plane tickets to DC were in the $2000 range). I caught the first Amtrak out of Philly today, departing Philadelphia’s historic 30th Street Station less than 24 hours after the Obama family departed Philly on the same route. I wondered about all the pomp and circumstance the Obamas must have encountered in that same train station just a day earlier. President Elect Obama wanted to take the train to DC to following in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, who had also traveled via train to his own inauguration. I pondered the privilege of traveling the same tracks as Obama and Lincoln as I stood shivering and eating my Egg McMuffin on the train platform while awaiting the train in the cold, snowy darkness just before sunrise today.
Though sleep deprived, I couldn’t help but stare out the window of the train departing Philly, through Delaware, Maryland and into DC. I wondered how the landscape looked through Obama’s eyes the day earlier. Most of what we passed painted a portrait of the challenges Obama will face in his presidency. The train rolled by crowded, run-down apartments and row homes, some vacant with broken windows, and others with graffiti stained walls and children’s toys and tricycles on porches, patios and lawns. The view from the train window periodically revealed out-dated and obviously under funded schools and vacant businesses with broken and boarded-up windows. Such is the economy and the reality of much of today’s America. Even so, the energy inside the train was palpable, packed with passengers wearing Obama, shirts and buttons. Hope is alive, at least in this train.
Once in DC, I caught my ride to the Emily’s List luncheon. As we drove through the packed streets of Georgetown, a car load of young ladies in front of us began screaming and pointing to the sidewalk—clearly a star sighting. A look to our right revealed CNN”s Anderson Cooper, walking down the sidewalk, waving bashfully and blushing a little as though not yet used to his stardom.
 We arrived at the Emily’s List luncheon at the Hilton, to join more than 2,000 people celebrating the election of several new women in public office. Featured speakers included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Secretary-designate of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano; Secretary-designate of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and several others. They all spoke about their hope and vision for a better future for children and families in our country. Several mentioned the momentum of SCHIP, which was vetoed last year and is already well on its way to being passed early this session. SCHIP will provide access to health care for many uninsured children nationally, and its passage is critical.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she’s been asked by several reporters to comment on what she’ll be thinking about during the Inauguration ceremony. She said she’d be thinking the historical nature of the day, but also about the impact of a loving and strong grandmother and mother in the life of Barack Obama, and how these women were so instrumental in giving Barack the confidence and courage to dream big dreams and achieve what some would think impossible. She invited the women and elected officials in the room to consider the special role mothers and grandmothers have in encouraging children to dream and believe in new possibilities for greatness.
 My next stop was the Every Child Matters Children’s Inaugural Ball. ECM hosted the event at the Washington Historical Society. Banners hanging down the outside of the building celebrated presidential achievements for children through the years, as several families and children streamed in and out of the building. The standing-room only event featured live music, performances, activities and great kid-friendly food including mini-corn dogs on sticks. It was indeed a celebration of how the presidency can impact the lives of children and the hope for new and expanded improvements for children and families in the future. Great job making kids a political priority yet again, ECM crew!
All the while thousands of people descended on the Mall to get a glimpse of the star-studded concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. If you didn’t catch it on TV yet, it’s well-worth the view. I thought about attending the concert but couldn’t make it in time, as the number of people in DC is making travel challenging and slow, at best.
We arrived back to the hotel to find some photographers waiting out front. We learned Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo… Jenny from the block…) and her husband Mark Anthony are staying at our hotel. I wonder if their coffee pot is any faster than ours.
That’s the scoop from Day 1. Armed with Starbucks and hand warmers, we are heading out to brave the traffic. Stay tuned for more…
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Hip, Hip, Hooray! I think I may have seen you in the ticket area on TV a few minutes ago...you were the one in the coat and gloves, but no corn in the ears, right? We are all living this in part through you...keep up the great work. 
