Obama Mania

On Sunday I found out something that completely changed my plans for the week: Barack Obama, you know...the 44th President of the United States of America, was planning a visit to Montana and Yellowstone. I-was-psyched.

All I have been able to think about the last few days is getting to see him. Now, I admit, I'm not exactly an Obama fanatic, but I am a fan of America and it's presidents. I respect Obama as well as all the other men that have risen to that distinguished office.

Every day this week I've been reading the papers and searching online for more details about his visit and every day a little more information was released. This is what it boils down to. President Obama will arive in Belgrade, Montana (right next to Bozeman) early Friday afternoon and will speak at a town-hall meeting about the proposed health care reform. He held a similar meeting in New Hampshire earlier this week. After speaking, Obama and the entire first family will travel down to Yellowstone to do some sightseeing. It is suspected that he will travel by helicopter from Belgrade to the park. His visit in the park is meant to boost interest in travel to the national parks. Following his time here, he will go to Colorado and then the Grand Canyon.

Tuesday night I found out details about how to actually get into the meeting. All available tickets were split between two distribution centers: the Belgrade City Hall and the Bozeman City Hall. Tickets were available for distribution beginning at 9 am this morning. When I first found this out I thought I would try to drive there in the middle of the night and get in line for tickets around 5 or 6 am.

Then yesterday afternoon I realized that if I really wanted these tickets I would really have to fight for them. After all, only 300-500 tickets were going to be available for the general public. So, I left West Yellowstone around 6 pm yesterday and arrived in Belgrade around 8 pm to sit in line. I decided to go to the Belgrade City Hall since it is a much smaller city than Bozeman and I figured I would have a better chance at getting tickets.

At 8:30, after stocking up on snacks and with McDonald's in hand, I got in line for tickets. I had a long wait in store, but I figured it was worth it. When I got there I was the 15th person in line which was a relief, because I knew I was definitely in the running for the tickets unless if a ton of people would cut in line.

While waiting I chatted with a man named Kevin who was in front of me and a man named LaVon who was in line behind me. There were other fun people there that made the time pass by fast. There were also some loudmouths who thought they knew everything...and nobody wanted to hear it.

The time did really go by fast...I took a ton of stuff to do and hardly got any of it done. Around 10:50 there was the first argument about people "cutting" in line. Around 11:30 a man told me I looked "cool" with my headlamp on...I couldn't tell if hew as serious or being sarcastic. Around 11:53 a lady freaked out when she thought her dog ran away...he ended up being under her chair. At midnight I laid down in my sleeping bag on the moist ground wrapped up in numerous sweatshirts and blankets. I fell asleep watching the stars...I actually saw 7 shooting stars! At 5:30 am I woke up to people whispering about people cutting in line while everyone was asleep. At 6:45 LaVon jokingly shouted at me "Hey Nebraska! Are you going to lay in that sleeping bag until 8:45...right before they hand out them tickets?" I said, "Yes, what of it!?" Around 7 am I was up and all packed. When I went to bed there had been about 50 people in line, when I woke up there were a couple hundred. I passed by the last hour by reading an issue of TIME magazine all about the health care reform so I could be more knowledgeable on the topic.

To our surprise, at 8:15 the line started moving....they decided to start passing out the tickets 45 minutes early. So by 8:20 I had two tickets to see Obama in hand. I was so excited! Then I was just worried that I would be jumped and robbed on my way back to my car! I kind of felt bad for all the people who didn't get tickets...they just didn't get there early enough I guess. One lady who had been near the front of the line went to the bathroom and ended up not getting tickets. I witnessed her breakdown...not a pretty sight.

Anyways, tomorrow is the big day. Since I got two tickets Jacob is going to go with me (Nate left early this morning to head back to Nebraska). The gates open at 10:45 so I want to get there by 10 am. Obama won't speak until 12:55 pm and I suspect he'll speak for about an hour. Afterward, I'm flooring-it to Colorado for Amy and Matt's wedding. Now, I just need to think of a legitimate question to ask Obama...something that won't make me look dumb. If I get to ask him a question I'm totally going to put that on my resume: "I have interviewed the President of the United States." Even if it's only one question it still counts.

Regardless, just being there is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...something I will share with my children and even grandchildren some day. I still can't believe that I'm getting the chance to see him. Go figure, I go out to the middle of nowhere for the summer and end of meeting the most powerful man in the world. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool.