Looking Back, a Review.

I still find myself thinking "I just experienced that!  I was at the Inauguration of President Obama."  Wow.

As I look at the adventures we had and the things we experienced, I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity.  From my time on the campaign and this recent trip to Washington DC I cannot help but think of all the amazing people I met on my journey.  You've heard me say it before, but I refer to these people as my "Obama Family."  To each and every person I came across on the campaign, I cannot thank you enough for the hard work you put into re-electing President Obama.  We all came together for a common cause, poured our hearts and souls into this, and came out victorious on the other side.  This last week, for me, was our celebration and validation that our hard work paid off.

This trip was the trip of a lifetime!  Never again will Washington DC mean as much to me as it did this week.  To all my family and friends who have supported me this past year, thank you.  Thank you to my mom and stepdad who joined me in DC this past week.  I enjoyed celebrating this moment in history with you.  We lived history.  We were at Obamas Inauguration.

Now if only Biden would have had a duet with Lady Gaga at the Staff  Ball, my life would be complete!

-M

PICTURES!

I found this picture on the USA Todays website.  The green arrow shows you where we were standing on Inauguration day.  Right next to that tree.  Not too bad given the nearly one million or so people behind us!

Ty and I were volunteers at the Staff Ball.  We wanted our role to be Champagne Girls, but the PIC wouldn't take us up on that.

This is where the President stopped to turn around and take one last look out at the Mall on Inauguration day.   

We toured the Capital Building and it had such beautiful architecture.  I took a ton of pictures like this....

VP Biden & Dr. Biden speaking at the Staff Ball.  They are the white spots to the  left.

View of the President & Michelle at the Staff Ball, thanks to the big screens.

View of the President & Michelle from where I was standing!

Lady Gaga.

My volunteer team at the Staff Ball!!  Such a great group of people.  More fantastic members of the "Obama Family!"

Day 7: Last Day in DC

All good things must come to an end, and so did my trip to DC.

I spent my last day enjoying the sights of the city.  I had one more day on my Trolley tour pass, so I hopped on the orange line to take a tour of the monuments and Arlington.  Most tourists have left the city by now so I had the tour all to my self for the first 15 minutes.  Then a young lady got on who was traveling alone as well.  We both were getting off at Lincoln memorial to catch the red line to Arlington, and began to chat.  She is on a month long solo vacation from Australia to the United States, staying in NYC and taking day trips to wherever she could easily get to by train.  I think I finally found someone more excited than me to be in DC!

It was nice to take in the city at a slower pace and enjoy the sites with less people.  Earlier in the day I had returned to the Hotel Harrington where we had stayed for our trip, and asked if they would keep my luggage for me so I could tour with less baggage.  The fantastic staff there was happy to hold my luggage, even though I'd checked out the day before.  I highly recommend the Hotel Harrington if any of you ever visit DC.

By 3pm I wrapped up my tours and caught the metro back to the airport.  Slightly sad to leave DC, but already starting my list of what I want to do next time!  It is nice to be home, and sleep in my own bed.  It is especially nice to snuggle up with my kitty, Sullivan.  He is quite happy to have me home!

View of the mall from Lincoln, a lot less tourists!

At the Lincoln memorial.  There were two soldiers who had their reenlisting ceremony while we were there.  Very proud of them and their service to our country.

JFK & Jackies graves with the Eternal Flame at Arlington.

A childhood friend was kind enough to let me stay with her my last night.  This was the LONGEST escalator ever that I had to take at the Metro near her house!

Arlington.

Day 2: ";Today felt like three days!"

Wow!! What a day. So much to do, so much to see, and so much was done!! We got a good nights rest, much needed after the little sleep we got the night before to catch early flights. Nancy and I waked up to the Senate building to pick up our Inauguration tickets. Great walk and easy to navigate. After collecting our ticket packets we went down to the tunnels to get some breakfast at a deli. We checked out the info in our packets, shared a muffin and sipped coffee. Our packets contained the official Inauguration invitation and program, tickets and maps, and pictures of the Pres. and VP. Its pretty great stuff, I will certainly be saving these extras!

From there we walked to Union Station and had fun in the corny gift shops. We really enjoyed the arrangement of Presidential bobble heads. I'll have to figure out how to post that video later. We then found a mock White House podium and set. The store staff was shocked by the squeals of joy we made as we played at the podium. We continued to browse the store and one of the clerks, Zachary, walked up with two envelopes saying "these look important." EEEEEEK we had left our Inauguration tickets on a shelf!!!! Zach, you saved our day!! At this point we decided it was best to get them back to the hotel where they would be safe until Minday. What a close call, too close!!

Once we regained with Barry we walked up to catch the Trolly tour. Had a fantastic tour guide, Adam, who was a cornucopia of fun facts and trivia. When the Trolly got to the National Cathedral we got off to tour it. Such a beautiful place of universal worship. Loved the architecture and all the little chapels. Unfortunately we didn't make it back to the Trolly stop in time to catch Adams Trolly, but our next tour guide was ok. Embassy row was next and super cool! I really enjoyed that. We also got to see VP Bidens house.

After the Trolly tour we were starvin-Marvin! Nancy wanted to take us to her favorite restaurant, Old Ebbits Grill. Such delicious food! Being the Kansans we are, Nancy and I each got a filet, and substituted mashed potatoes and green beans for the sides. Barry got a salmon sandwich. I'm not sure which was better, the salmon or the filet.... Either way, it was all good!

After dinner Nancy and I went on a walk around the White House. Cool to see all lit up. Can't wait to go back in the daylight. We then went on a mission to find an air up mattress to add to our single bed room. Let's just say we got to know the streets and subways of DC really well on this hunt!

As we neared our hotel at the end of the night I found myself saying "today has felt like three days!" We packed a lot into our day and wish we'd brought a pedometer to track how much we walked each day. Tomorrow will be easier on our feet as we plan to rent bikes to see the monuments and museums.

We are beat and enjoying the History channel in our hotel.

The photos, invitation and program that were in our Inauguration packets.

Having fun in the gift shop!  This is the point where we temporarily lost our Inauguration tickets....

National Cathedral. 

Found me some sweet shades!

American Democracy Project

When I was in college one of my favorite professors encouraged his classes to watch the 2010 State of the Union Address.  He didn't just say, "Hey, the State of the Union is tonight if anyone is interested in watching."  He facilitated class discussions on what was important to us, about how we feel the President preformed in his first year in office, and asked us to join a Twitter debate hosted by the American Democracy Project while we watched it on TV.  (ADP is a "multi-campus initiative focused on higher education's role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens for our democracy."  Click their logo below to learn more.)   This was the first time I really found myself interested in politics, and excited to dive in and learn more. Each year ESU would partake in a Twitter debate with the ADP during SOTU addresses, and in the Presidential Debates during the election this past fall.  Prior to each debate Dr. Catlett would contact me to see if I'd be interested in joining his students on the upcoming debate, and I always did my best to join in and encourage students to share.

In August, after meeting the President, word made it back to ADP that I was volunteering on the Presidents campaign here in Colorado.  ADP approached me and asked if I would be interested in being featured in a "We the People" blog sharing my experience on the campaign.  The article was released Tuesday, and I'm a little slow at sharing it with you all, but click the "We the People" image below to get to the blog!  To learn more about the American Democracy Project, click their logo below.

PS: Pictures from the Staff Ball, blog post on Day 7 & pictures still to come!  Stay tuned....

Day 6: Staff Ball

This is the day I realized our work on the campaign was done.  Not Election Day, not Inauguration Day, but at the Staff Ball.  I have never felt more appreciated than I did at this moment.

We started out with a late morning tour of the Capital building.  Our tour was arranged by Kansas Senator Jerry Moran's office, and led by his two newest interns.  As a matter of fact, we were their first tour group ever.  This tour was a great step back in time to see many of the historic pieces in the Capital.  Part of our tour took us to the entrance onto the terrace where the President's Inauguration took place.  The very spot where the President stopped on his way back in the Capital, turned around and said, "I want to take a look, one more time."  To me, that moment shows how much he respects us.  He didn't just go through the motions of the day- he appreciated every moment of it.

When our tour concluded I had to then rush to the Washington Convention Center to "serve the President at the Staff Ball."  My duties were to guard an exit door that would not be used, make sure no guests tried to use that door..... real exciting.  Upon check in they had not assigned me a particular post in the convention center, so they verbally told me what kind of access credentials I needed.  Things got lost in translation and I ended up with the credentials for the Main Event.  After learning the Main Event Access Control team was short handed, I decided not to correct the mistake.

My access point to guard was inside the ballroom across from the "Talent Stage."  One guest to the Staff Ball came up and thanked me for volunteering to work the event and we got to chatting.  Turns out he still had his +1 ticket, and he told me "Ditch your post and change into a gown, join us!  You earned this too." It was tempting, believe me!  After most guests were in the ballroom they started removing volunteers font their posts in other areas and rotated them up to relieve us.  A fellow volunteer and I decided to take a quick stroll around the ballroom on our break to see what it was like to be the other half.  Since my post was officially manned I decided to utilize this ticket I now had!  As we got to the exit to go down to our break room (where my luggage and gown were kept) we were advised by the security guards not to exit, that the facility was close to capacity and the Fire Marshall was closing access.  Plan B, ditch the volunteer credentials and attend the ball anyway!

I got to see VP Biden and Dr. Biden come out and speak, followed by Jim Messina, and then POTUS & FLOTUS.  (Or as Nancy and Barry learned this week, President of the United States and First Lady of the United States.)  The Presidents speech was the best speech I've ever heard from him.  Like I said earlier, I've never felt more appreciated than I did at this moment.  Hearing the President speak from the heart, telling us how we carried him across the finish line and we were his daily motivation.    He wasn't just speaking to say some words to those of us who worked/volunteered.  His message was personal to each of us, he found a way to speak to 13,000 guests individually through one speech.  I didn't feel like a number, or a fish in the sea- I felt like I mattered.  These words I'm stringing together do not even begin to capture how I felt hearing the President speak last night.

Onto the entertainment...... Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett!!!  Some people in the crowd joked Joe Biden would come out and do a duet with Lady Gaga.  If that had actually happened I'd be totally content to die right afterwards!

More important than the people I got to see on stage were the people I saw off stage, my fellow campaigners.  Saying goodbye to Kate, my field organizer, the one who is responsible for getting me involved int eh campaign, was a beautiful moment.  I fought back the tears and lived in the joyous moment, I cannot begin to thank her for all the amazing leadership she offered the Central Denver office and just how much I appreciate her.  Thank you, Kate, for everything.

And that, my friends, was my experience at the Staff Ball.  This was a night I will forever cherish, and be

Day 5: Inauguration Day

Well folks, today I lived, breathed and experienced history first hand. I still can't believe it.

Our goal was to get up at 5am and out by 6am. Accomplished. We got coffee and breakfast and hopped on the Metro to make it to the opposite side of the Mall. We spent about an hour waking and waiting in our line. Quick and efficient security process- THANK YOU TO ALL WHO WORKED TODAY!

We first staked out a spot towards the west side of our section. But after some exploring we decided to relocate to the east side. (Turned out to be a blessing! If you saw on the news the man in the tree who was arrested, we would have been by him.) I was so thrilled to run into Eddie from the campaign and catch up with him. Eddie was a Field Organizer at the Central Denver office and helped us win Colorado!

As we waited and waited and waited some more we couldn't help but notice how friendly and happy everyone was. Yes we waited forever, yes it was chilly, yes we were on our feet for hours. But never once was anyone sour or complaining. I call these people my "Obama Family." Mutual respect for one another, kindness and compassion. This is what Obama represents, and each individual on the Mall today reflected that. It is a beautiful thing to experience.

The music was great and helped set the mood for the events to come. I don't need to tell you all about what happened... You watched it on TV! The Presidents speech was beautiful and moving. The crowd responded to every word. At the close of the event we all got to learn what 700,000 people exiting looks like.....

We walked back to our hotel and, yet again, took a nap. We didn't quite make it out to the Parade route in time to see much, but were able to get a "meh" view from a block and a half away.

Today was such a historic day, and I'm still in disbelief that I witnessed this! Someday I will be able to tell my children and grandchildren about this. The work done by Obama will carry on for generations to come. I am so honored and proud to have volunteered on this campaign to make sure he could continue his work. Today I celebrated. Today I lived history. Today is a memory I will forever cherish.

Eddie & I ran into each other on Inauguration day!  

The view in front and behind us at the Inauguration.  The Washington Monument was about 3/4 mile behind us.

Representing ESU at the Inauguration!

Thanks Kansas Dems for providing this great picture.  Our spot did not have this great of a view...

Day 4: the Lost Post

Unfortunately, last nights blog post was lost in space. So here is the Readers Digest version!!

Nancy & Barry went to Mt. Vernon, used public transportation, it was great.

I explored the vacant streets of DC and enjoyed breathing in the city. 2nd in the door and 1st to the 3rd floor for the First Ladies exhibit. It was amazing. Did Smithsonian museums all day. Scoped out where we'd be today for the Inauguration.

We all met up for a late afternoon nap and then headed to the Kennedy Center in hopes of getting free tickets to the Smokey Robinson show. We did have a run-in with someone Nancy & Barry knows from Wichita. After getting 0 tickets we headed to Georgetown to have dinner at Martins Tavern.

This is the restaurant where John proposed to Jackie. Dinner was delicious. We ventured to Georgetown Cupcakes but the line was a block long so we headed home. Tired and without dessert.

We went to bed.

First Ladies exhibit at the Smithsonian American History Museum.

Walking around on the Mall, I went up to scope out where our tickets would gain us access the next day.

This is the booth JFK would come and have his morning coffee and read the paper at Martins Tavern in Georgetown.  This is also the resturant where he proposed to Jackie.

Lost in Space

Well folks.... I typed up this great post about today, had the pictures picked out and ready to upload. Then the app shut down on me and we lost the text. So day 4's post will be redrafted tomorrow while we wait for the Inauguration to start.

Peace and sleep,
M

Day 3, Day of the Bicycle.

Another great and full day for us in DC! Not quite as jammed packed as yesterday, but still a lot of adventures were had.

We were a little tired from our grand day yesterday, sleeping in till 10am. We got around and finally out the door about 12-noon. Our first destination was the Mall to take part in the National Day of Service. We arrived just in time to see one of the three programs they had scheduled for this location. A welcome was made, a freshman senator from Illinois spoke, and then they started talking about this piano that was on the stage.... They were about to introduce Ben Folds!! How awesome :) If you knew me in high school you know I was ALWAYS listening to Ben Folds. I was pretty excited to see him take the stage for a few songs. Star Jones was the next speaker and then we went on our way to explore the different opportunities in the tent. Nancy wrote a postcard to active military serving overseas, Barry got a hat, and I was still smiling from seeing Ben Folds.

Our goal for today was to do the Capital Bikeshare. It was a bit of a learning curve to acquire your day pass and learn how to check out/return every 30minutes- but we were a quick study and found this a great way to tour the city. We headed out from the mall to the Jefferson memorial. Great views of the Washington monument over the lake and enjoyed the sights of Jefferson.

Our next stop was the FDR memorial. The guided tour was very informative and we enjoyed it. Quick quiz for all my Emporia friends: What program did FDR establish during the depression to help put people to work that ESU benefited from?? Our very own Welch Stadium was a WPA project that put Americans to work during the depression to help stimulate the economy.

Onto the MLK memorial where I spent a fair amount of time asking strangers if I could take their photos so their whole family could be in the picture. One father visiting with his wife and four daughters was so thankful for my offer. Helping their family document this memory was heart warming.

It was beginning to get chilly as the sun set so we did the express tour of the Korean memorial, Lincoln & the Vietnam memorial. Getting bikes again we road up by the White House backyard and even ventured out onto city streets via bike lanes. Overall a successful day of bike riding!

After such a busy day we were ready for a good meal and found a sports bar to get dinner and watch the end of the WSU game. We also decided to catch a movie and Zero Dark Thirty seemed fitting for our location.

Another long day for these tourists, nigh three of musical beds begins.

Nancy & Barry as we went to the National Day of Service.

Hanging out with Eleanor Roosevelt at the FDR memorial.

Barry, Nancy & me at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.  The Washington Monument is behind us.

Using the bike lanes in DC.  Loved the Capital Bikeshare!

DC, Day 1

In the words of my cousins sweet 3yr old, "Made it!"

My folks arrived to DC just before me, we collected our luggage and made our way to the metro to travel to our hotel. I am always amazed at large cities public transportation! Such a wonderful way to get around. Thankfully our hotel let us check in early and we were able to drop off our luggage and do a bit of sight seeing. We walked up the street to the old Post Office, such a beautiful building. Went up the tower and took in the great views of the city. Great way to get your internal compass set. I parted ways with my folks at this point and headed to my volunteer training for the Staff Ball. I found the city pretty easy to navigate, walked to the training location and back to the hotel without getting lost!

The three of us are staying at the Harrington Hotel, luckily booking the last room they had left. It is called a "Small Queen." It's a tiny room with a little closet and bare bathroom. My mother and I are sharing the bed tonight and my stepfather volunteered to take the floor. We'll see how this sleeping arrangement works..... It's certainly tight quarters, cozy as my mom puts it. Good thing we don't plan on spending much time at our hotel!

Tomorrow weather is to get cold and possibly snowy. DC residents hear the word "snow" and react like its the end of the world. Our plan is to take the double decker tour bus. No silly chances of snow will hold us back!

Just arrived to DC!  Still in the airport :)

Old Post Office.  We went up the Bell Tower to see the great views of the city.

Another shot of the Old Post Office.

View from the Bell Tower of the Capital.

View from the Bell Tower of the Washington Monument.

Secret Service, Apps & Packing

At this rate I am going to be a pro at being vetted by Secret Service!  When I met the President in August I had to be cleared by the Secret Service.  While in DC I will be volunteering at an event that the President will be at.  Once again, I have to get checked out.  And I thought I was selected for this volunteer position because I'd already passed this test!  Guess I'm not as special as I thought.

My Aunt told me about an app that will keep you up-to-date on all the going-ons in DC for the Inauguration.  Being attached to my iPhone I had to get it.  SUCH A GREAT APP, thanks Aunt Karen!  Has maps of the city, schedule of events, live feeds of events, information about public transportation, and so much more.  This will be a great tool for us as we experience the 57th Inauguration.

One more wake up until I head out on this great adventure!  I'm too excited to sleep.  I got most of my packing done over the weekend (yes, that is how excited I am).  Tonight I'll finish off my packing and try to get to bed early, that 7am flight will come way too early.  Watch out DIA, I'm not a morning person.



I'll do my best to post stories and pictures for you.  Figured out how to blog from my phone, so it should be great!  If you have twitter, follow me!  @MeShellCork

Meeting the President, August 2012

As I pack and prepare for my trip to DC, I find myself looking back at the time I spent on the campaign.  Obviously, this special memory comes to mind.  For those of you who don't know the story I thought I'd share; for those of you who do know its time for a refresher!

In August 2012 I was selected to meet the President.  I have been writing and re-writing how I want to explain the events of that day.  Nothing I wrote seemed to quite capture the moment, so I went through my emails and pulled this out.  After meeting the President I composed this message and sent it out to my family and friends.  I apologize  its a little lengthy...

Hello family and friends!

I have some exciting news to share with you today. As many of you know, I am volunteering with the Obama campaign here in Denver. I am a Neighborhood Team Leader for my neighborhood, leading a team of volunteers in our various campaign efforts. The work I do with the campaign is very rewarding and I am so proud to be working to re-elect this amazing leader.

Today, the President made a campaign stop in Denver and gave an amazing speech on the topic of Women’s health. Not only did I have the amazing opportunity to go and see him speak, I was also invited to meet our President and have my picture taken with him before the event. (I’m sure you all can imagine how ecstatic I was when I heard this news!) So today, I got to meet the man I am working so hard to re-elect.

Thinking I would be SO nervous, I practiced what I would want to tell him. Being a team leader, I talked to the team of volunteers I manage and got their feedback on what they want me to tell him. The general consensus was “Thank you.”

First we gathered outside, got checked in, and waited….. Then we were brought in through security, purses searched, walked through metal detectors, and waited some more. We were lead to the meeting area where we…… you guessed it, waited again. FINALLY we were assembled into a line and got to see the President walk into the photo area. When it was our turn a staff member said “Mr. President, this is Elena & Michelle.”

Elena was so nervous all she said was “Hi, I’m Elena.” I introduced myself and he said “Michelle, I’m very fond of that name!” I then proceeded to share with him that I grew up near El Dorado, Kansas, where his grandmother lived. He replied with “Wow, we could be cousins!” Our picture was taken, and we were ushered on.

It was that short. But in that short time, I felt like I had just spent a few moments with a long lost friend.

From there we then went into the auditorium where he would soon be speaking. We were escorted to the standing area just in front of the podium, had a great view! Some of the volunteers on my team got special VIP tickets to be in the crowd of women on the stage. One of which you can see on the CNN broadcast!

Being there listening to our President speak was amazing. I was so moved by his speech and the things he stands for, I was crying. I am so proud to be working to re-elect our President.

A BIG thank you to all of you who continue to support me as I journey through life in Denver. I am truly proud of the work I am doing, and am excited to see what else life will bring me!

-Michelle

This link will let you watch the speech. I was to the Presidents’ right standing in front of the podium.
http://www.c-span.org/Campaign2012/Events/President-Obama-Begins-2-Day-Campaign-Tour-of-Colorado/10737432954-1/

Farewell to Kate

My time volunteering on the campaign brought so many amazing people into my life. One of which is Kate Bass. Kate was the first person on the campaign that I met, she is the one who I said "yeah, I'll do anything!" to. Tonight we had a farewell fiesta for her as she embarks on her next journey: Haiti.
It was so great to gather with fellow volunteers and campaigners this evening. We all, very comfortably, returned to our lives on the campaign. To make it feel right I made sure to supply fresh baked cookies and beer. We reminisced, shared stories, updates on life after the campaign, and simply enjoyed being together again. These people were my Obama Family. They will forever hold a very special place in my heart. I am thankful for the work each of them did on the campaign, and know they will all continue to do amazing things with the rest of their lives. There were even talks of coming back together for a Hillary 2016 campaign......

Rebecca, Kate & myself.  Sadly this was our best picture, we had a lot of great outtakes.  

The Dress Obama magnet on the fridge had no clothes.  I figured we could put the Presidential Seal to good use.

Getting Involved: Obama 2012

Who knew that getting involved in the Obama 2012 Campaign would have such an impact on my life!  And it all started with a bad day at work.  I came home and saw a post on facebook about joining the campaign for a neighborhood canvass the next day and signed up for my first shift.  Saturday morning I had a quick 30-minute training and hit the streets to update my neighbors voter registration.  I was hooked!  Next thing I know I'm a team captain on the West Wash Park team; recruiting volunteers, managing phone banks and directing neighborhood canvasses.  As our team continued to grow and have success we divided and I became the Neighborhood Team Leader for the South Speer team.  Thankfully the South Speer team blossomed with a great core of volunteers.  All of my spare time from May-November went towards the campaign.  Every moment of it was fantastic, I met some amazing people, and had some memorable experiences!

On election night I joined my fellow volunteers as we watched the results roll in.  Seeing Colorado go blue was such a joyous moment!  All our hard work had paid of, it was time to celebrate.