Lol - well, plans and all that - don't ALWAYS work out - but sometimes it's for the best.

To better explain - one of the other things I wanted to make sure to do while here is get same-day cancellations envelopes as gifts for each of the people in Dr Spear's office as well as my best nurses. 12 years ago at Clinton's 2nd Inauguration which I came to with my mom, the main post office sold a set of three envelopes - one of Clinton and Gore with a DC cancellation, one of Clinton alone with Little Rock cancellation and one of Gore with Nashville cancellation - all dated Jan 20. I bought these and had a local framing shop matte them as one piece and it is my main souvenir item of the 97 Inauguration. So this time - I wanted to just get the single envelope as gifts.

So - saw something finally online that looked like the Postal Museum (which is next to Union Station and 3 blocks from my hotel) would open at 8AM and have stuff. So while Dan got ready to go over to the Purple Standing section, I first went to the Post office and Postal Museum (they're in the same building). The Post Office said the Postal Museum wasn't open yet - but they (the post office) did have a cheesy sealed item for $14.95 - but not what I was looking for (but I still got one for myself). But they said they should have items about 10 AM when the Postal Museum opened. Ok - so after the Inauguration ceremony, I figure I'd head back.

8:15 or so I'm back the hotel - Dan's ready and we leave for the entrance to the Purple section. And.....

CHAOS!!!

The tickets said gates would open at 8AM (though some signage said 9AM) - and all around were just crowds, none of whom knew exactly what was going on. Where there should have been the entrance to the Purple section (according to the map), instead were crowds who all had Yellow tickets and were saying they were in line for the Yellow entrance. We kept moving back (further east from the Capitol) but still not sure where we were, when the gates would open, where EXACTLY the gate was. We'd see a large crowd movement, start towards it, and then everything stood still again. About 9:10AM, we did finally see people on the OTHER side of the barriers and moving towards the mags (large metal detectors, like at airports). Then we saw where those people were entering - DOH - BACK where we originally thought but which had been blocked by the yellow ticket people.

We try to start moving that way - but was slow going and since everyone ELSE also saw the crowds moving, was getting VERY dense. It got actually scary and very claustrophic and panic-inducing - and after really not seeing much movement, Dan and I just decided to get out of there. (Later we heard that the mags for the purple section actually broke and they were hand-wanding people - which would be one more reason the lines were moving so slow). It still took about 5 minutes of going against the flow - telling people that we were LEAVING, "please can we get through" - before getting out of the crowd (still in a "crowd" - but one where we could move more freely). And a few minutes later, we were back at our hotel (about 10AM), figuring we would watch it at a watch party we knew was going on in our hotel.

The main ceremony wouldn't start until noon - so after relaxing for a little bit, I figured - hey, it's after 10AM, I'll go back to the post office and try again.

So - Post Office - nothing happening in there. No problem - down the hallway and I was in the Postal Museum. And after not seeing any lines, asked a security guard "Where are they selling the same-day cancellation Inauguration items?" Another museum employee was just coming up to brief the guard so both of us listened - supposedly the Postal Store WOULD have some items, but they were en-route and wouldn't be there for 20 minutes. Ok - that wasn't bad... I looked around a few of the exhibits for 20 minutes then went into the Postal Store.

ACK - one clerk, who was cancelling items that the three people in line had brought in on their own. After 5 minutes she finally came back to the window and I asked if they were going to be offering anything OTHER than the cheesy $14.95 item - "Nope". DOH...

On my way out - one more try, I went up to the counter at the Post Office and asked once more - is there anything they had Inauguration related other than the $14.95 item. The clerk said no - BUT - he then pulls out a very nice envelope with Obama's picture and a BIG Jan 20 cancellation - JUST what I was looking for. He says "This is my personal one - but they are selling them at a US Mail truck kiosk at the corner of "F" and New Jersey"...

OMFG

Um - that's one block north of my hotel - the one thing I've been looking for all this time was SO close to my hotel. So I left - headed to F and New Jersey and sure enough, they had the envelopes. I got a batch of them and made it back to the hotel JUST in time to join up with Dan at the watch party. YAY.

The ceremony - was FANTASTIC. I teared up quite a few times... And the watch party was warm, had food - lol. Dan and I agree that it's pretty much a good thing that we couldn't get into the Purple section.

OH - and one thing we almost regretted was not leaving before 8:15AM to try to get into the Purple section. Until we ran into another group at the watch party - that left at 6AM this morning, and ALSO didn't get into the Purple section.

Long day is done (though it's not even 6PM here) - Dan and I are in the hotel room, still coasting off a major endorphin high from today. We're both feeling great, and just happy for this new era that has dawned. We're still here in DC until late afternoon on Thursday - not sure exactly what we're doing tomorrow, but likely to hit up a few more of the Smithsonians. At some point, we're gonna try to get out to the new Air and Space annex Museum that is out near Dulles airport (which is where we are flying out of - so we might go early, check in all the luggage, take a cab to the museum then back and fly home.