More Pictures - The Reception for Mainers

More pictures have been loaded up. This time of the reception that Representatives Michaud and Pingree held for the residents of Maine who were traveling to Washington, D.C. for the festivities. While there, Brian took a few minutes with the representatives to chat about the Inauguration and other matters of the country and world affecting Mainers. We also spoke with other folks from "back home" and learning their perspective and seeing how everyone else felt about the incoming President and all of the other changes that were happening in the country.

Monday was a very busy day to be sure, but it was great to gain so much perspective from other people from Maine and beyond. Add to that, the fact that Gordo and I were the lucky receipients of two tickets to the Inauguration the next day. The day could not have been more perfect. Well, maybe if we had some Segways to get around on...

The Over Commercialization of Everything

Certainly this blog would not be complete without an ode to a few of the hair brained products street vendors were selling at the Inauguration. Every morning in D.C., while I was doing my radio hits, the question would pop up...What types of Obama products are available? Well, my friends (as a certain other politician would say), you could get just about anything under the sun. I know that isn't a particularly descriptive answer so I have decided to offer my thoughts on some of the products to shed light on fact that Capitialism and the desire to earn a quick buck is still very much alive in America...

Top 10 Obama Products...

10.) A mug with Obama's mug on it. For those of us who rise and shine in the morning and think of how nice it would be to drink coffee out of the President's head.

9.) Obama magnets. Like we need to feel more drawn to the man he won 53% of the popular vote.

8.) Obama belts...we're in a recession tighten'em up!

7.) Obama sweat pants. Because when I'm lounging around the house, working out, or making a late night beer run I want my political leanings to cover my as*.

6.) Obama neck ties...because the business world will take you seriously if you have a picture of the President waving on your formal wear.

5.) Sugar Cookies with Obama's face airbrushed on them. I really hope his Presidency has better taste.

4.) Obama Orange Soda...In case you feel the need to burp hope and change.

3.) T-shirts...One with Obama playing DJ mixing records, another with Obama dunking a basketball on McCain, and a third with Obama standing over a knocked out John McCain Ali style. HILARIOUS!

2.) A black t-shirt with white lettering that said "I was here and you wasn't". It totally could be sold at any event because there was no time or date on it...weird.

1.) Obama air fresheners because as the street vendor put it "smells like Obama" and I've always wanted my car to smell like another man. WTF?!?

Monday and New Pics

The immensity of what we did last week is starting to sink in. Especially when you compare interviewing and eating lobster and lamb chops with governors, senators, representatives, and ambassadors in Washington D.C. to the daily grind back in Maine it just doesn't compare. Last Monday was perfect, we got every where we needed to go on time, the Chris' scored tickets to the Inauguration and something about standing out on the balcony of the Veteran's Armed Services Committee room overlooking the capital dome just hit the spot.

There were downsides to the excursion. Walking all day for at least 10 hours in dress shoes was one of them. The journey from the Metro stop to the Embassy was more than a mile-uphill along curvy roads. Running to catch up with certain people, and having 10 minutes to find an unsecured internet connection and send a couple of sound bites was nerve racking to say the least. But all efforts paid off and were a success. Just one day before history in The District.

New Pictures posted...http://picasaweb.google.com/bpelletier2

A Byrne's Eye View

I must have started and stopped writing this post 1000 times over the last few days. I have been trying to find the words to be able to describe what being part of the Inauguration was like. The first words that come to mind are surreal, stunning, breathtaking, emotional, and incredible.

It was a roller coaster of a day. After the infamous Train o’ Sass and discovering that the city had pretty much gone feral as everyone was scrambling to find their security check point, our number one goal, was to find a jumbotron. After moving around for a bit, we found ourselves behind our checkpoint, in our Silver Ticketed area. How this happened, I will never ever know. We certainly did not pass through security and we did not hop any fences or bribe any officers or anything. It was literally one moment we were half a block away from the mall, so close we could taste the Inauguration, the next moment we were caught in a rip tide of humanity that was whisking us away towards the Mall.

Once we landed at our spot (just off center, about a ¼ mile away) to view the ceremony, we paused and took stock of what was happening. Everywhere around us, people were laughing, hugging, singing, and cheering. You could feel the electricity and the excitement in the air; feelings of optimism, hope, joy… all of these emotions just building and building. It was the type of thing you wish Bob Costas were there to help over hyperbole-ize. It was not until after we heard “…so help me God” when the place exploded like your jiffy pop when you leave it over the fire for too long. Only this time there was not putrid stench of burned pop corn. It was amazing. Gordo and I took turns standing up on a barrier and looking back towards the Washington Monument and all you could see was tens of thousands of American flags waving wildly through the air. Everywhere you looked, there were oceans of people. - Over two million people. That is almost twice population of the entire State of Maine in one place. All coming together for the same thing. It was stunning to see in person and took my breath away. I do not know how anyone could see that sight and not get a little misty eyed.

Equally as amazing was President Obama’s speech. At times during President Obama’s speech, you could probably hear a pin drop. Nobody would say a word unless it was in hushed tones. There was the occasional “O-B-A-M-A! O-B-A-M-A!” chants that would arise. There was also the folks around us who let go the occasional affirmation, “That’s right!” or “Mmmhmmm” and the occasional “Yes sir we do!”. It was incredible. Everyone was captivated, hanging on to the every word, phrase, and expression that President Obama let fly to the crowds blow and the viewers all around the world. At one point, a police officer came by and was taking down the plastic fence that was in front of us. Normally, if the earlier parts of the day were any indication, this would have caused a stampede that surely would have gotten some hurt. However, as he cut the last piece free, he says, “Now listen everyone, you are all happy where you are, you have a great view. Just stay put and do not ruin the event for everyone. Just wait until it is all over.” He then removed the fence and one D-Bag took a step forward and the officer said, “Buddy, what did I just say? Just stay put and be cool” And we did. Nobody moved forward. There was this huge opening of space and everyone just stood back and enjoyed listening to speech. It was wild.

After the speech ended, Gordo and I made our way to the front of the Capital, pausing for a bit to slide around on the reflecting pool, which ranged from 2-3 inches thick to almost a foot. This is why we decided to not get on to the ice at the same time. The water was actually coming up over the ice on the edges, which made us pause for about ½ a second. Then we went on and slid around. One person went sliding by me exclaiming to his friend via telephone “Dude! I am the only person in the history of the world to be doing the ‘Robot’ as I skate on the reflecting pool”. And he was. He threw down a mean Robot. I am sure his friend Alexander was impressed. I then spun around doing my best Katarina Witt impression and over heard a woman ask her significant other “what happens to all the fish? Do they freeze too?” Obviously another friend of Alexander.

The rest of the day, we were walking around the city. Wandering in and out of street vendor stores looking at everything from President Obama air fresheners, to sweat pants. I am certain that if we looked hard enough we probably could have found the “official;” President Obama thong. Much to Gordo’s dismay (and to me and Brian’s relief), we did not. The last thing that I recall before we boarded the Metro to go home was the drum circle outside the Chinatown stop. It was one of those traditional city drum circles with plastic buckets and trashcans, etc as the drums. However, there were about 50-75 people surrounding this circle and with only two drummers wailing away, they all started singing about President Obama and celebrating his Inauguration. It was very cool.

It is not often that one can witness and be a part of a historical moment. The words above do not even remotely do it justice. I am not sure that I will ever find the words. I am just fortunate to have been able to be a part of it.

The Porto Potty Report

This blog is due to a special request out of San Francisco. Candace's friend Christine wanted me to get to the bottom of what quite possibly could have been one poopy situation. I'm pretty sure when Inaugural Executive Director Emmit Beliveau (a Mainer) was going over his 2 million person guest list and he saw Gordo and Byrne's names he immediately ordered up at least 5 thousand porto potties. There certainly were a lot of porto-johns...in some spots they stretched for as far as the eye could see. The toilets were located mostly on the Mall but there were thousands scattered throughout the monstrous downtown area. Many were curiously in proximity to street food vendors, which makes me wonder which was the chicken and which the egg.

There are a few criteria for judging a good porto-potty. First, how clean is it? Second, how convenient is it? And third, how much room is there inside? I give bonus points for the built in urinal and the hand sanitizer. My first porto experience in D-C happened Sunday afternoon, it took a little a while to find one near the Capital building that wasn't locked up with a zip tie. A really bad idea by the way to set down hundreds of toilets and keep them essentially padlocked with plastic. It was clean and very spacious, a shelf for setting down my pen and pad, a urinal, and hand sanitizer dispenser were part of the luxury. A near perfect experience. My second relief of that day came after the "We Are One Concert", and estimated half million people packed the mall to check out a musical show of epic proportions. After strolling the city for a couple hours following the show, we visited the WWII Memorial, which was right in the middle of all the action. I'll just say the potty I visited there was a significant step back from my previous experience. My third and final outhouse on a street corner experience came shortly after the Inauguration ceremony. It wasn't too shabby considering the number of people roaming the streets that day. Overall I have to say the porto potty experience in D-C was about as pleasurable as porto potty experiences get and cold temps meant no bugs, which is another big bonus!

2 Million People Came to Watch Me Flex?

So, Chris B. will have his own story about Inauguration 2009. Here's mine...

After we positioned ourselves in probably the Best Seats We Could Get, we just relaxed and took in the show. First Lady To Be Michelle Obama was shown on the screen, and everybody went crazy. I have to say, with all-due respect to Laura Bush, it's nice to have a borderline pin-up First Lady for once. Guess it's time for me to take down my Barbara Bush centerfold that's currently tacked to the ceiling above my bed...

The presidential party and guests were announced: Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Then, they introduced "The President of the United States, The Honorable George Walker Bush." Now, however you feel about President Bush, Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, at approximately 11:45 am was not the time to air it out. Believe me: I was no fan of Bush. He had some of the worst policies ever, time and again he picked business interests over the interests of the American People, etc. etc. But you know what? I didn't travel 500 miles to boo George W. Bush. I traveled that distance to watch Barack Obama get sworn in. And it seemed to me that a lot of people were there strictly to boo George W. Bush. You know what, folks? You will have the rest of your lives to try and bring charges against his administration, and you will have the rest of your lives to protest him wherever he goes. For one friggin' day, JUST LET IT GO. But a lot of people didn't. A cacophony of boos rose from the crowd. It was ridiculous. It was a good thing about 10 seconds later they showed me flexing on the screen, because those boos quickly turned to cheers. Wait, did I say me flexing? I meant Obama walking through the corridor.

When he walked out onto the balcony...the place went bat-shit crazy. Weird how he was wearing a "Wolf Buddy" t-shirt from Teen Wolf, but still....he waved a few times, and then all the formalities started. Dianne Feinstein read a few Hallmark cards, Lil' Jon came out and pumped the crowd up, etc. Then, they swore in Vice President Joe Biden. Immediately after he was sworn in, he was escorted to the Amtrak station to catch the 1:20 home to Delaware, because that's what Joe Biden does. Joe Biden is a man of the people, and if Joe Biden wants to shout every sentence, well that's what Joe Biden's going to do, JoeBidendammit! Joe Biden!

A quartet of famous classical musicians, the only two of which I've ever heard of being Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma-Ma, played "Air and Simple Gifts." Chris B. quickly retorted, "They'll be performing Air Supply." And sure enough, Yo-Yo played the opening chords to "I'm All Out of Love," much to the crowd's - mostly comprised of Australians - delight. Then, Aretha Franklin scaled the top of the Capital building, and after she batted down a few airplanes and ate 15 hoagies, she screamed out "My Country 'Tis of Thee." It was pretty good, I guess. Midway through the song she fell asleep, but John Kerry quickly slid a Porterhouse steak down her gullet, and she belted out the last few lines.

Then, it was time for The Big Moment. That's right: Chris B. and I slow-danced across Third Street. No no no, I mean The Other Big Moment: Chief Justice John Roberts administered the Oath of Office to Barack Obama. Now, everybody's heard this story about how Roberts screwed up the oath. And from our vantage point, it appeared somebody screwed it up, but at the time, we weren't entirely sure who it was. You see, there were rows of Jumbotrons and speakers all the way back to the Lincoln Memorial. And every row would receive the video and audio about a second after the row in front did. So, you had tons of overlapping sound going on, and it was clear that Roberts and Obama were talking over each other. Some people started laughing. I really wasn't sure what to think. We couldn't tell who screwed up. But we clearly heard, "So help you God?" "So help me God."

I couldn't tell you what it was like in New York City on September 11, 2001. I wasn't alive when John F. Kennedy was shot. But I'll tell you that I was witness to one of the most encompassing experiences of my lifetime.

Roberts just managed to get out, "Congratulations, Mr. President," and - jeez, I'm getting emotional just thinking about it - the place EXPLODED! Chris B. and I agreed that the sight of 2 million people just overjoyed with about 750,000 miniature American flags waving in the air was one of the most powerful sights we've ever witnessed. People crying, hugging each other, hooting and hollering - it was unbelievable. This phrase is overused, but there are absolutely no words to describe it. I wasn't even looking at Obama by this point. It was crazy. After a few minutes, everything got real quiet, as Obama started speaking. He started off by thanking President Bush for his service to the country, and the boo-birds were out once again. This time, though, they were significantly less, and a lot more people were shushing the haters. One older woman standing next to me summed it up best: "Come on, it's over, let it go. It's over." Chris B. was correct: have some respect for the office. You may not like him, but he was the president.

ANYWAYS, Obama's speech went on for about 20 minutes or so, and I listened to every word. It was a very, very good piece of public speaking. Obama has this voice - and it's actually quite a change from most of our former presidents - that has a bit of a lilt in it, and as he talks about depressing things, like the bad economy, war, etc., it softens a bit. But when he starts talking about how we can face any challenge, his voice starts building - just like a reverend's - and the crowd starts buzzing more, and eventually everybody just starts going crazy again. I could go for eight years of this, by the way.

After President Obama's speech, there were a few more, but the crowd started dispersing. Byrne and I made our way to the frozen reflecting pool, and ice skated across it. The damn thing started cracking as we made our way across. The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful. We visited some vendors, met up with Brian, who told us about his ridiculous interview with Don King, and made our way back to Woodbridge.

I have some more serious feelings about the experience, which I'll save for my next post.

By the way, one final story: As we made the rounds with the vendors, there was noise everywhere. Guys shouting their prices, sirens everywhere, the parade going on down Pennsylvania Avenue (no, we didn't go watch the parade), just a Wall of Sound (and Sass) everywhere. About halfway down, out of nowhere, this guy's walking up the street, and he shouts at the top of his lungs:

"DOES ANYBODY HAVE A CIGARETTE?"

It was ridiculous. I think the parade actually stopped for a few minutes so somebody could find this poor guy a Marlboro Light. Needless to say, I almost lost control of my bowels.

Leaving Nothing But a Vapor Trail

Finally.... back to Maine. Back to home. And five minutes earlier than our GPS anticipated.

Today was a long day. We dropped Gordo off at his aunt's house in Bowie, MD and then Brian and I made like a tree and got out of there (a special thanks to Aunt Cathy for the super yummy warm brownies).

We essentially left nothing but a vapor trail and a long line of angered toll both workers up the east coast. Traveling from the DC area all the way back to Maine, we only used paper currency twice. Once, when they refused to accept the roll of dimes, so we had to use a twenty. The second when I made a last second exit to hit the Garden State Parkway (cutting across 6 lanes of traffic at 80 mph in the process). We ended up cutting off an entire line of cars so had to scramble for cash. All in all we had $1.06 left in change.

At any rate, we are home. We will continue posting over the next couple of days as we get more pictures sent up and as the reality of the last five days starts to sink in and we can put it into words.

Cheers

They Call Me the Wanderer

So after riding the Money Train for 2 hours, we were dropped into the middle of an absolute cluster…thing. The city was jumping, to say the least, and by the time this day would end, it would feel like it jumped right on my face for three straight days.

We started out determined to beeline directly for our ticket gate. The problem was, where is that, exactly? Is it over by Huge Uncontrollable Mob A or Huge Uncontrollable Mob F? So, we started walking…

I’d like to say I knew where the hell we ended up walking, but you see, the Flaming Pain in my legs pretty much rendered my sense of direction useless. Chris B. suggested we mark our steps on the map, much like Billy in “Family Circus.” I quickly realized we did not have enough map for this idea. I also realized I hate “Family Circus.”

We started up one street, then down another, then over another, then back up to the first. It was ridiculous: vendors hawking their merchandise, out-of-towners bumping into each other, and us, standing in the middle of an intersection, futilely tracing our big man fingers along a 1/2” section of a map. As you may or may not know, Byrne and I had silver tickets to the inauguration aka an all expense-paid trip to Absolute Chaos and back.

It was like a damn disaster movie. We had to walk through an underpass with thousands of other people, sirens blaring everywhere, people yelling. The only thing that would have completed the effect is the sound of the Army fighting a monster above us. When we eventually did find the line for the silver ticket gate, we had to walk six blocks before we even remotely began to see the end of it. The police were spending 5 minutes a person screening everybody for weapons, and 5 minutes times 7,898 people = we’re getting in next Wednesday. At that point, it was do or die. We were going to get into the inauguration if it or the police killed us. We pushed through mob after mob after mob, and eventually came to a screeching halt just outside the mall. At this point, we started to inch closer and closer, and after 25 minutes or so, we got the best possible viewpoint of the festivities…more on that later.

Quotes while walking:
Chris B: “You know what? Let’s just find a bar somewhere and watch it.”
Chris G: “My feet hurt.”

Wiiiiinnnnnnssssssttttttoooooonnnnnn!

We arrived at the station, to find, pure unmitigated chaos. Cop cars everywhere, traffic in every direction, people walking in and out of the traffic; it reminded me of a few Phish and music festivals that I have been too, except it was in the middle of a city and not Farmer Bob’s back yard. After a spin around the area, it was apparent that parking here was not an really an option so we kicked Brian’s arse to the curb so he could get into the city first, and said “See you at some point!”

Leaving me and Gordo in charge of finding legitimate parking may not have been Brian’s wisest choice of the weekend. We found the first questionable lot not occupied by police and parked the car, said a prayer and headed out. The station was about ¾ of a mile from where we parked. We traveled about half way there when it dawned on me, “Wait, I do not seem to have my ticket.” This earned me the D-Bag Day award.

Once we finally got to the Metro station, the chaos only intensified. There was a pedestrian walkway over the road from the parking garage to the station that had probably about 500-600 people in some semblance of a line and only one Metro employee telling everyone where to go. This worked for the first two minutes we were there. I was standing in line while Gordo went in search of Metro tickets and about 20 bus loads of people came pouring into the corridor blowing up any sense of order and the line that was previously established. I eventually reconnected with Gordo and we headed onto the train which was overflowing with people. After getting on the Ghost Train, I looked around and exclaimed, “Wow, sure are a lot of Wizards fans! Are you all going to the game too?” Hilarity ensued.

Here is a tip for anyone who finds themselves in a spot where you are getting on to a Metro train which is carrying about 23 times its capacity… don’t take a spot at the doors. Gordo and I were “lucky” enough to be right in the door way with three lovely ladies from the South who had a fascination with delivering huge steaming piles of unnecessary sass and beating dead horses.

The train was already filled to capacity and at every stop there were even more people trying to get on. But with our fearless Queens of Sass, nobody was getting into the train through our car. They implemented the infamous Wall of Sass defense. They positioned themselves in a way to prevent anyone from getting through. Anyone that is except for Yonosh, Alexander’s grandmother from Armenia. Apparently she was the enforcer on the Armenian National Hockey Team.

At first the Wall of Sass prevented her from getting onto the car, but not without a lot of bickering and arguing while the doors were open. The doors then shut. And then they opened again. When the doors started to shut again, Yonosh made her move. She jumped from the platform, through the doors and the doors actually closed on her. The Wall of Sass started screaming and yelling and squealing – Yonosh started literally throwing elbows and clawing her way in, physically grabbing on to Wall and pulling herself in. And she somehow was able to pull herself into the car. All in all it was very impressive seeing as she about 132 years old.

The second set of perpetrators were two gentlemen They also forced their way into the car, using a combination of pushing and shoving and by the power of the spoken word – in the form of obscenities and inappropriate language not suited to be displayed here. The next two hours went by something like this:

To the old lady, the Wall of Sass would run a rant off like so:

“Lady you should not be doing things like that! You are old you hear me? You are lucky that we are not violent people and have respect for old people otherwise we would have gotten physical with you up in here.”

They would then turn to the two gents and fire off some spite in their direction:

“How would you feel if some guy did that to your daughter or mother or sister or wife or girlfriend? You would knock someone out if they did what you did, evil doer. Well, you sir are a shame to all men everywhere and you are lucky that we did not get violent on you too”

Then, the women would turn to each other and amicably talk about their children or the weather, etc. and then BOOM… they were back at it. They would take turns lobbing verbal assault after verbal assault at these people. As if constantly running the D-Bag Bus back and forth over these people were not enough, the women decided to take photos of the “train crashers” so they could “Show everyone back home the rude and dangerous people they met on the train” (yes that is an exact quote) This lead to the perhaps the best exchange:

Man with sunglasses: “Look, if you had laid your hands on me, I would have knocked you out woman and I ain’t playin’ either.”
Wall of Sass ringleader: “Boy, I would kick your ass into next Tuesday”.
Man with sunglasses: “Shit, you ain’t got nothin’ you old feisty bitch”

Nothing like a good old fashioned verbal fisticuffs to get yourself in the mood for a once in a lifetime historic, world changing event.

Deciding that we had about enough of this stupid women, we decided to get off at Metro Center, about 32 stops early figuring that armed with maps and directions there should be little problem figuring out where we needed to be.

Riiiiiiiiiigggggggggghhhhhhttttttttttt.

Obama, Oprah, and Don King

Reporting from the Inauguration was such a rush! Nearly 2 million people packed the mall. As I arrived on the Capital steps, I got choked up at the sight of the ocean of people streached out as far as the eye could see. I got to interview Don King, who was wearing the silliest jacket of all time, proving once again that "Only in America" can such d-bags become obsenely rich and famous. I asked him how he felt being there to witness history. I've listened to the audio about a dozen times and I still can't figure out if he answered that question, but he did tell me that he loved me. Now I feel bad that I didn't return the good tiding.

Getting there was an adventure to say the least. Hundreds of people packed into the trains like wacky tabacky into a glass pipe, space was tighter than Richard Simmons pants, and it was a great feeling finally get off the train only to be jostled around like a pinball wizard through the train station, (its a good thing my wrists are so supple). Up the stairs and out on the street there were even more people, walking in different directions. It was like a commute from hell times 2 million but the end result was worth every second.

Today we begin our journey back to Maine, the drive north will be long, the climb into bed at the end of the day steep, but after the last 3 days in Washington one thing is clear...This has been a trip we will never forget!

More photos, blogs, and memories to come.

Technical Difficulties

As if the ridiculous schedules, volume of work and the sheer mental, emotional and physical exhaustion weren't enough to put us behind in our efforts to keep you up to date, we have encountered a slight snag. The laptop with all of the photos on it (my laptop) has crashed.

After a brief consult with the "From Maine to D.C." Chief Technical Advisor, Ben "Jamin" Litchfield, it is apparent that for the moment, we are sans pictures. Additionally, we have called in favors from the Secret Service to track down Alexander and his train crashing grandmother, Yonosh, as they are the prime suspects in this horrific crime.

Do You Know What's Awesome?

This.

I must have asked this question and replied with that answer to Gordo today as we were standing on the Mall watching the Inauguration Ceremony today.

There was so much happening today. We experienced emotions ranging from frustration and anger all the way through to pure joy, appreciation and pride... but mostly, it was just us being overwhelmed. It was a crazy day with so many stories and so much to share, that it is going to take us a little while here to process.

We are going to be posting a couple more times today / tomorrow and pictures are of course coming along too (again go to http://picasaweb.google.com/bpelletier2 to view photos).

For now, we three weary souls are going to sit back and relax and find some food (we have not eaten since about 4:00 AM) and probably a beer or two.

Cheers to a very special day.

Coffee, Advil and History

Good Morning!

Despite the fact that it felt like we went to bed only about 10 minutes ago, we are back at it. With some coffee, bagles, and advil for breakfast we are feeling pretty good! We are headed out to find a metro stop somewhere and from there, it is on the big show.

Look for Brian somewhere down in front, probably holding the cue cards for the ceremony. His credentials get him access to be right down in the middle of it all. Meanwhile C-to-the-G and I are headed to the Silver Ticketing area which places us right at the foot of the reflection pool in front of the Capitol. We will be the two huge dudes wearing hunter orange mickey mouse ears. Okay maybe not, but look for us anyway.

Have a good day everyone and we will check in with you all later this afternoon.

Gordo Has a Boot-Chuckin' Good TIme

While Chris B. and Brian made their way to the New Zealand Embassy for the luncheon, I stayed behind and covered a protest that was being put on by a woman from Maine. On this, the last day of George W. Bush’s administration, what is it this woman could be protesting, I wondered? Mondays? Air? No no. This woman, Jamilla Joe Camel Shaffeighalg or something like that, was leading a group of people in calling for the arrest and prosecution of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for war crimes. How exactly to best serve this noble cause? Well, simply do what any other organization dying for some respect does: get 250 people together and have them throw shoes at a 30-foot inflatable George W. Bush.

When I was 6, I went to the zoo. I went to the monkey cages, to be exact. In that monkey cage were two monkeys. After they stared at the crowd for a few minutes, they proceeded to make…”whoopee” right there in front of everybody. Following that, they picked up their own excrement and started throwing it at each other and eventually at us. Finally, they picked each other’s lice out and had a tasty meal, then fell asleep dangling upside down in a tree. That day was slightly less ridiculous than watching an octogenarian throw a pair of high heels at a blow-up doll that looks like a 60-year-old national disgrace.

As you may know, a few weeks ago President Bush was attacked by an Iraqi journalist, who decided to throw his shoes at W. during a press conference. George Jr. is a pretty athletic guy, as it turns out, and was able to pull some Matrix-like moves on the guy and dodged the shoes no problem. Now, while over in the Middle East showing the bottoms of your shoes to anyone is considered giving somebody the finger, over here Americans are just looking for an excuse to hurl shoes.

During the shoe-throwing, there were also speeches by several activists, and some demonstrations as well. What I thought was interesting was the progression of protesting, which went something like this:

Boo, Bush! Yay, Obama!
Boo, Bush! Boo, Cheney!
Boo, Bush! Arrest him!
Obama’s our only hope!
Yay, Obama!
Obama hired a former Bush staff member!
…..
Boo, Obama! Boo, Bush!
Boo, everything!

Seriously, is anybody ever happy?!?!?! Two months ago, everybody was dancing in the street because Obama was elected. Now they’re booing this man because he had the gall to hire people who have government experience? Is anything ever good enough for anybody?

After the carnival of hippies wrapped up their speech and beat a dead horse for almost an hour, they formed a marching squad, and this cavalcade of headaches proceeded down Connecticut Avenue toward the White House. At some point, they banged a left, while my interest went the complete opposite way, so I decided to go on a little sight-seeing tour. And as with all my tours, this one ended at the Dubliner Pub in the Phoenix Park Hotel with a cold Guinness and a smile.

Two Quick Hits

First off, we are a tad slower with the pics than anticipated. For that, we apologize. If it helps make you feel better, just blame Alexander Quincy or his toad brother Roni. Or Delaware. Either way, the fact is that todate we have captured around 1000 pictures and our interns are taking longer to sort through them than they should. Don't worry, Gordo is out back flogging them as I type. (ummm, apparently we don't have interns. That explains a lot. But now I wonder who Gordo is flogging... hmmm....)

Secondly, a wise, wise, wise woman advised me that we should post the link to our pictures to make it a little easier to find. So here it is: http://picasaweb.google.com/bpelletier2

Okay, off to finish my meal of Domino's, beer and Advil and perhaps load a few pictures and videos.

Cheers!

Today was... Perfect

The honor of Chris & Chris' presence is officially requested at the ceremonies attending the Inauguration of the President and Vice President of the United States.

How is it you may ask that Christopher A. Gordon and myself, Christopher M. Byrne, were so fortunate to receive not one but two tickets to the Inauguration Ceremonies the night before the big day? No, not by scouring the land for scalpers as I did for Phish in Albany in 1999. And no, we did not beat people up and turn them upside down shaking out their lunch money in hopes of finding two tickets.

The truth is that after watching International Media Sensation, Brian J. Pelletier smoothly and confidently work his way through the mayor of Portland, Governor Baldacci, Senators Snowe and Collins, Representatives Pingree and Michaud, and the New Zealand Ambassador to the United States, Roy Ferguson; I picked up a few tricks of my own. More on that in a bit.

So how is it, you say, that I found myself in a private conference room with the International Media Sensation and Ambassador Ferguson? I am not really sure. After the longest walk of my life (to this point) Brian and I arrived at the New Zealand Embassy promptly after 11 AM preparing to interview the Maine Congressional Delegation, the Governor and anyone else we might find. Little did we know that the Ambassador's handlers had arranged for a one-on-one interview for Brian. I was lucky enough to be a fly in the wall and exchange a few pleasantries with the Ambassador before he was off to his next interview. All of this and we did not even create an international incident! Probably because Brian talked me out of asking him if we could exile Alexander Quincy (or his brother Roni) to New Zealand.

After that interview, Brian and I moved around the room, rubbing elbows with all sorts Maine business folks. Another highlight of this part of the day... meeting Greg Lagerquist. I am still pinching myself that I saw Harry Smith and Greg Lagerquist in the same 24 hour period. Simply unbelievable. Another highlight was sampling a wide variety of foods from Maine and New Zealand including lobster claws (yes, I have never tried lobster before), lamb chops, sea food chowder and much more. They also featured Cold River Vodka and wines from New Zealand. It was quite a pleasant affair.

After we wrapped (as they say in the biz) Brian and I had to haul ass back to the Capitol to meet Congresswoman Pingree and Congressman Michaud for a reception they were holding for Maine residents. Their advantage is that they had a car. We had our feet. Brian and I met the Congresswoman outside of her office building with her Communications Director. We were a little nervous at first as there was a line stretching out many blocks as people from all over were trying to get to their rep's offices to pick up tickets. Not to worry however as with a waver of her hand, Rep. Pingree had us walking right through security in front of everyone with out even an ID check. There is where the magic happened.

Over the course of the reception, Brian was busy landing the final two interviews with Representatives Pingree and Michaud. During this time, I managed to develop a relationship with Ed (the two Communication Director for Rep. Michaud). Utilizing this new found friendship to the fullest and putting into practice some of the suave moves I witnessed from Brian at the Embassy, I casually laid out our plight - Brian with full media access and Gordo and I left out to rot with the 2.5 Million other common folk. And picking up what I was laying down, Ed sensed that I needed his assistance. Approximately an hour later, bam - two tickets to the ceremony in the Silver area. That's how I roll.

Okay, so maybe that is not entirely accurate. I did make friends with Ed. Brian does have suave moves. I was actually fortunate enough to be the lucky recipient of two extra tickets which Rep. Michaud raffled off. My name was in a bucket with about 200 other people for five sets of tickets. I was number four. WOOOO HOOO!! (And Ed laugh and tell me he was glad that he did not have to rig it so I could get the tickets... so that counts for something).

At any rate, as Brian and I were walking all over creation, and actually talking to the Ambassador, the Representatives, Senators and the Governor, and meeting all the other Mainers, and fellow travels on the train... it started to sink in a little bit more.... This is freaking awesome. And that does not even scratch the surface.

Day One: Act II

If you had been in Dupont Circle on Sunday afternoon, you would have seen a peculiar sight. Three grown men, in the throes of exhaustion, throwing themselves into three seats in a random eating establishment, like a truckload of potatoes hitting a brick wall. We didn’t care what we ate; we didn’t care if we ever moved again. As we say in Maine, "Ma our dogs were barking!"

After a 10-minute lunch that we stretched out to an hour easily, we somehow scraped and crawled our way over to the Washington Monument for the We Are One Inauguration Concert which was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Why the Washington Monument? Well you see, apparently 750,985 other people had the same idea we did. After taking a south/southeast position adjacent to the WM, we were soon treated to a star-studded spectacle, including performances by Bruuuuuuce Springsteen, Beyonce, Josh Groban, Stevie Wonder, Usher, Shakira, U2, and Garth Brooks (who we all tentatively agreed gave the best performance, after singing “American Pie” and “Shout!”). Between each performance were speeches by pairs of celebrities. Here’s where it was confusing. I realize the whole point of Obama’s election is that We Are One, and different people should be able to get together, no matter their backgrounds, or professions. But in what lifetime would you ever see Laura Linney and Martin Luther King III giving a tandem speech, followed by Steve Carell and Jamie Foxx? It was getting to the point we were placing bets on what the next duo would be. Bets were closed when we realized Woody Harrelson and Louis Farrakhan would not be making appearances together.

Since we were so far back, we had to watch the concert on a giant Jumbotron screen, which was good because there’s nothing quite like watching Arlo Guthrie in HD. Then it was time for a speech from the man of the hour, President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama, who gave a short but eloquent speech. Then, all the celebrities and performers came back out on stage for a rendition of “This Land is Your Land,” prompting Byrne to bark out, “Did Tom Hanks get the memo that he’s not allowed to sing? In public? Ever?” After the concert ended, it was time to fight our way through the crowds for the better part of an hour. Yet screaming police car after screaming police car kept us alert while we fought our way to the metro station. It was here where we split up. Byrne and Brian stayed in D.C. and walked around a bit more, while I took off for Bowie, MD to have dinner with my Aunt Cathy and her family. I had a great time, and was even able to come back with some souvenirs, including a 6-pack of Obama cookies, to which my cousin Michael quickly retorted, “They taste like Hope and Change.” It was then back to the New Carrolton Metro Station for the longest possible train ride back to Woodbridge, but it was so worth it. I was supposed to write this blog when I returned, yet Lady Fall Asleep got to me first.

Day One: Act I

“Preparations” is the one word that could sum the hustle and bustle of the Mall area when we skipped on to the scene around 10 AM. The area was full of activity: Dozens of work crews were hauling fences, hanging signage, lights, etc. in every direction; TV Stations from across the country were running around setting up their trucks and gear; Security and Law Enforcement groups were starting to shut down streets and set up check points. Our own first task of the day was to meet with the Sanford High School Marching Band and their director for some interviewing.

After a couple of brief telephone calls, we were hot on their trail and bound for Union Station. As we approached, we found a group of students, who immediately fell under the spell of Brian’s whimsical charm and eagerly gushed about their experiences (be sure to catch the report by listening to WGAN!). Things were looking up – task #1 was completed almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Sir Gordo was off to Union Station proper. No, not for another interview. It was a hunt for AAA batteries for Recorder #2. Little did we know that this sudden task would lead him almost back to Delaware (where they undoubtedly would have charged him $3.72 just to ask for directions to the nearest CVS). However, with some last second intervention from an apathetic book store employee, he was pointed in the right direction. Just in time too, since we did not end up needing Recorder #2 today.

The final step of our own prepartions was to get our fearless leader – known to you as the Award Winning Journalist and Beacon of Hope, Brian J. Pelletier - his media credentials. All that this required of us was to find a Metro station, head to Dupont Circle and then moonwalking our way over the CBS headquarters. After an hour of walking over every inch of the same 3 blocks (twice), we found the elusive Metro Station and made it to CBS where the unbelievable happened. We saw in the lobby the host of the CBS Early Show, Harry Smith (easily one of the top 262 moments in Byrne’s life). We then hopped into the Willy Wonka Elevator with a gumbah security guard and headed up to floor ten – by pressing the button for the third floor. Once in the CBS News radio studio, the credentials were acquired and we were back on our merry way.

All in all, Act I was a success with only one harmless hiccup. Outside of some shady navigating and a sudden case of map-illiteracy, we found ourselves to be in good shape to run over to the "We Are One" concert celebration.

(Day One: Act II will be posted tomorrow with all of the supporting pictures and video)

Mmm..... Tastes Like Chicken

Hello again!

We have finally returned back to Inauguration Headquarters at the Medrano Residence, weary after a long day of walking... and walking... and walking... and walking. Thankfully, the District of Columbia does not charge a toll for every block that you walk. I am sure that it probably costs $28.45 to walk through Dover.

More details will follow later, as well as pictures and video of our escapades. Interviews were successful and the "We Are One" concert was incredible. For now, it is time to eat some home made chicken stew while trying to avoid getting drilled.

Cheers!

Wii the People

After a night of laughter and Wii Sports, We Three Kings of Entertainment are shoving out to the greater Washington, D.C. area for an incredible day. The Sanford Marching Band is up first, then we'll brave the elements and the crowds for the concert of a lifetime.

Brief tangent: we were supposed to go see Oprah at the Kennedy Center, or at least interview folks heading inside to see Oprah. However, as other priorities shall take us away from this, I would just like to say how greatly disappointed I am that I will not have an opportunity to win a brand new car, or go crazy along with 500 other housewives win I win a free copy of "Sex and the City: The Movie."

Good tidings, and we'll talk to you later today!

Fear and Loathing in Washington, D.C.

Greetings from balmy (considering the temperature) Woodbridge, Virginia, home for the next three days to a trio of entrepreneurs of entertainment and excitement known collectively as CCB (Chris Byrne, Chris Gordon, and Brian Pelletier).

On a chilly and nail-bitingly cold Southern Maine morning, these three amigos blazed a trail through New England, the tri-state area, Delaware, and D.C. The trip itself was uneventful, save for a couple of sassy exchanges with some particularly ornery Delaware toll booth workers (seriously, President-Elect Obama's first order of business should be to put a minimum 50 miles between toll booths south of Massachusetts. Maine/NH/Mass? $4>. Delaware/Maryland? $17.85. And much to our "embarassment," we quickly discovered the lawlessness of leaving our windshield wipers on while handing over our hard-earned nickels and dimes).

Upon our entrance into The Great State of Maryland (birthplace of one Christopher Adam Gordon), we realized the effect the New Jersey air quality had upon us, as silliness ensued. But upon reaching the home of Jenny and Miguel Medrano, friends to Chris B. and Brian, and new friends to Chris G. As we unwind from a day of toll booths and a sultry female voice emanating from the GPS, we are eagerly anticipating what Sunday will bring. Brian will be talking with the Sanford High School Marching Band, and then it's onto the Lincoln Memorial to take in a concert consisting of - among others - Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, U2, and John Legend. If only Wham! would reunite for one final showing of peace and harmony...

PIC OF THE DAY

The electricity in the New Jersey air is almost as powerful as the other smells.

More Inaugural Details

Schedule of Events:

Saturday:

Drive baby drive to D.C.

Sunday:

AM-Catching up with the Sanford Marching Band

PM-Rally at the Lincoln Memorial w/Obama, and special guests...look for us on HBO! we'll be the guys without pants.

http://www.hbo.com/weareone/

Monday:

AM-Jamilla El-Shafei of Kennebunk chucks clogs, pumps, and sneaks at President Bush on his last day in office.

www.shoebush.org

NOON-Lunch at the New Zealand Embassy w/Maine's Congressional Delegation, The Gov, and George Mitchell.

PM-Congressman Mike Michaud and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree host a reception for Mainers in D.C.

Tuesday:

AM-Watch the Parade

NOON-Swearing in ceremonies

Wednesday:

Drive home

Radio Schedule

Got Brian? These radio stations do and so should you!

Sunday

8:08-WGAN (John McDonald) 560am

Monday

6:50-BIG HITS (Chuck) 100.9 fm

7:08-WGAN (Ken & Mike) 560 am

7:35-WPOR (Jon, Joe & Alisha) 101.9 fm

8:08-COAST (Tim & Eva) 93.1 fm

Tuesday:

6:35-WCLZ 98.9 fm

6:50-BIG HITS 100.9 fm

7:08-WGAN 560 am

7:35-WPOR 101.9 fm

8:08-COAST 93.1 fm

Wednesday:

6:35-WCLZ 98.9 fm

6:50-BIG HITS 100.9 fm

7:08-WPOR 101.9 fm

7:38-WGAN 560 am

8:08-COAST 93.1 fm

Not in Maine? No worries the following websites stream live audio...

www.989wclz.com

www.y1009.com

www.coast931.com

www.wpor.com

So you're a late riser. No sense in missing out on all of the fun, just go to www.560wgan.com and click on the audio archive.

Inaugural Trip

On Saturday, January 17th, 2009, 3 men from Maine will embark on an epic journey to Washington D.C. to take in the festivities surrounding Barrack Obama's Inauguration. This blog will document that journey, the events, the people, the gay old times that are sure to ensue.