Mr. Jack Goes to Washington.

Yeah, hi.....so. My eldest son left for D.C. Saturday morning. He was well prepared and I was still terrified.

Guess what? I was right to be terrified. He got to Washington Dulles, and walked off and left his bag on the airplane. The PILOT of the plane called us to tell us he had found it and he would put it at the correct baggage area. Oh.my.GOD. So, I am trying to call Jack, and his phone is off. We are calling the PYIC (Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference) people on our other phone, and after waiting FOREVER for someone to answer, they tell us that they have our son on a shuttle to his hotel. Hmmmm...strange. I am talking to my son on his phone and MY son is wandering around Dulles airport baggage claim aimlessly. There is nobody at the baggage claim we were told to use. Why? Well, because they changed it from baggage claim #2 to baggage claim #10. I was trying to direct Jack over the phone on how to find someone...he was walking up to people he thought were dressed like him and asking, "Uh, hey...are you with that White House thing?" What? WHITE HOUSE THING? Oh dear lord.
Well, finally, we got him hooked up with an employee of the PYIC. She filed a baggage claim with United airlines. She got him on his shuttle. She assured me they would get him some toiletries and pajamas and take him to buy clothes for Sunday. Great...I spent a ton of money on a tux, suit, ties, etc. and he won't have it. But I knew where he was. Good. So, I wait awhile, we felt relatively calm. Then, as it got later and later I began to worry. Jack was supposed to call me from his hotel room. I got a text message at about midnight our time, 1am Washington time telling me he was on a bus and had not eaten yet. So, he had no eaten in over 24 hours. He is 16. I'm surprised he wasn't eating the seat upholstery by that time. To top it off, his phone was going dead. Battery was running low. We lost touch with him. So, we call his hotel, where we are told that yes, he is there eating pizza. Great. Let us talk to him, please. Uhhhh....well...all the buses have arrived and the kids are eating pizza. Great. Put my son on the line, please. Half an hour of going back and forth like this, my son's bus DOES arrive and he is put on the phone. I forced him to get me a PYIC rep on the phone and I filled her ear and she also promised me things. I instructed Jack to eat all he could and call me when he was in his room. He called me about 2 hours later. About 3am Washington time. They had to be up and dressed and ready to go the next day at 5:30.
He did attend the opening celebration. Sort of. He was allowed to leave the group at the Lincoln Memorial and go do his own thing. His thing is Paleontology. He went to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. He has been there before...it's PALEONTOLOGY...it's not changing! Anyhow, he "heard some music or something", and wandered outside. He was somehow behind where the stage was. He was standing there when a bunch "of cop cars and motorcycle cops drove by..then an SUV with guys hanging out the windows with guns....well, their guns weren't PULLED, but they had guns...then I saw Obama get out of his car. So. yeah. Pretty cool." WHAT? WHAT???? How the hell did he get back there and stay back there? Good God Almighty! Somehow, he then met back up with his group, (After walking to the Washington Monument to look down at the Lincoln Memorial and the crowd...he said it was amazing), and they went to hear Colin Powell speak. My said, "hey, I got a picture of Colin Powell." I got excited. Finally! Something we wanted to happen! Then he paused and said, "Well, it's Colin Powell on the Jumbotron.." what? I paid how much for this, again? I said, "Did you hear Desmond Tutu's speech?" he said, "Um, there was another guy, so yeah...I think so. We were kind of far from the podium.." Great. We were told they would have "round table" "question and answer" times with Colin Powell and Al Gore. Not a political Woodstock. Instead of full meals, they've been given boxed breakfast and lunches on the buses. The restaurant at which they eat supper is 2 hours away from their hotels. Smart planning. I know of at least ONE child who had a diabetic episode and got no help and had it not been for her sister and a hotel employee, God only knows what would have happened. I know of several kids who were supposed to have Kosher meals, and have not. Today, I am not sure what they are doing, but I am terrified about tomorrow and even more scared to have him attempt to navigate his way home. Pray for Mr. Jack. He is really a pretty awesome kid.