Inaugaration Tickets Wanted

About two days after Obama won, I woke up and felt strongly that I wanted to be at the inaugaration, the swearing-in. I couldn't shake this visceral pull. I will be out in DC at the appropriate time, visiting my fiancee, so that's halfway there, right? Right?

The answer is maybe.

I heard that 240,000 tickets are going to be given out to Congress People. I heard that my Congressional Rep will get a bunch. So, I did like many others and called her office. They took my name. They said they didn't know how many tickets they would even get, nor how they were going to distribute them. A lottery was suggested. So they took down my name and how many tickets I would like.

So tonight I heard on NPR that even though the tickets are being given away, the scalpers are ready. One price was as high as 40 grand. Another scalper said $500 to $1700. A bargain. Senator Dianne Feinstein is introducing legislation to make scalping inaugaration tickets a Federal Crime.

And there's all the talk about the lack of hotel rooms in DC for the Big Day. Area residents are doing creative things to cater to the multitudes like renting tent space in their backyards, renting out their condos for $3,000 a night. I can't plunk down $1500 for a ticket. I can't plunk down much.

I started wondering if it was ok to pray to God for tickets?? I decided no, that wouldn't be ok. I mean, I don't pray to God for things like a BMW, so why should this be different? (OK, I admit I DID pray to God for the Cubs to win the Worlds Series this year, but apparently God is a Phillies fan.)

So, I'm just going to be open and see what happens. I feel so much desire to be there, even if it's cold and packed (which it will be). A huge moment in my life. I have the images of assasination seared into my brain: JFK, MLK, RFK and on and on. Death after death after death. This feels like a birth and I want to be in attendance.

Then I had this dream. And in the dream, God was offering me two tickets: one was to Game 7 of a Cubs World Series game. The other to Obama's inaugaration....before I could make a choice, I woke up! OH no! Stay tuned!