We got up at the crack of dawn after going to bed pretty late... The fireworks didn't start last night til almost 11 due to rain, and then of course I had to drive through major traffic back home. My roommate even got into an accident b/c of the traffic last night so I waited up worried for her. It was crazy. So at 2 a.m. we had people checking the Montana Standard website to make sure nothing had changed with the Obama situation for the parade.

It wasn't til we were up, ready, through security and AT the parade that we learned that this morning's paper had said he wouldn't be in the parade from Civic Center to Grand after all. I was pretty disappointed because from our vantage point we really couldn't see much going on at the start of the parade route (we were in front of Poore, Roth & Robinson on the West side of the street). There were agents on all the rooftops and secret service everywhere, though so we thought maybe we could end up catching a glimpse of him at some point because it seemed like everyone was on high alert.

Then he came out and spoke (over a PA) and we could hear him clearly but couldn't see him. More disappointment. He confirmed that he would be watching the parade only. Triple disappointment.

About halfway through the parade, we look off to the south (opposite direction from where Barack was sitting) and we see secret service agents frisking and wanding people in the crowd watching the parade. We were like, 'WTF?'

Then about 5 minutes or later we realize that he is, in fact, making his way down our side of the street shaking hands and holding babies. Both my camera and my friend's camera had died by then. Elation + disappointment.

He finally made his way down to us and there was a lady behind me who was shoving some sort of magazine up to him trying to get him to sign it. She totally monopolized his moment of shaking my hand so I didn't get to say anything to him. But I did get to shake his hand. And I got a couple pictures with my cell phone.

Right before I shook his hand.

Right after I shook his hand.

I'm so glad we hauled our asses out of bed and went out there and stood in front. What an awesome day. Sunburn: totally worth it.