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The speeches at the formal, on-the-record party. (That was witnessed by hundreds of people.)
Ahm, well, Let me back up a bit with my part of the tale. (Now that I am a bit rested.) First up: How did this happen and why did we get this special treatment?
We had had several posts in DU about the upcoming trip and how much everyone wanted to meet JK and hand-deliver the precious cards with their precious sigs. Someone here (who can out themselves if they are so inclined, I will not do so) noticed just how special it was that all these people were coming to Boston because they cared (and could.) They took a shot at trying a contact from last year and that contact responded. That contact told Mrs. Heinz about us. (Yup, it was really that easy.)
THK saw just how special it was that 'regular folks' from all across the country were coming to Boston to both contribute to the fight for the future in a donation and to try and tell JK how much he meant to them. (I told you guys this was a whopper of a thing to do. That's why all of us 'Boston folks' were willing to bend over backward and do cartwheels to make your trip as comfortable and easy as possible. This was an amazing thing to do. As was that Birthday card. OMG!) By the way, this notice came to me on Thanksgiving Eve. Ahm, that was a rather difficult date to get in touch with everyone, as some people were away and so forth.
We were put in contact with someone else who could help us coordinate the actual events the night of the party. I was asked to get some brief bios from people, so that Mrs. Heinz could review them and sort of get to know us a little bit in advance. (Something that good hostesses try and do for their guests.) She also relayed to us that she wanted this info to only go to party attendees and that we not discuss it in public. (There might be friends of friends of friends who would see and spoil the surprise.) It was her idea that we come to the party as a complete surprise for Sen. Kerry. We would stand in for all those people out there in the internet-land who worked so hard and so long and so tirelessly for Sen. Kerry last year and who are still there, plugging away. (It is, of course, both an honor and quite humbling to do this, as you can guess.)
Now, if you go back and review the threads about the Boston trip, you will see several frantic appeals to 'who is going to Boston.' I finessed the reason, but I needed to get in touch with people and relay this information. I also needed to be discreet and, ahm, relay the information in such a way that no one had a heart attack. (There were some, ahm, interesting reactions to the blunt PM from TayTay that people going to this party were going to actually meet both THK and JK. Very interesting indeed.) At one point, I accidentally posted to DU the text of what was meant to be a PM that had every bit of secret info in it. That was the fasted deleted post ever recorded at DU. No one saw it. (The 'deleted post' is in one of the Boston threads. I almost died until I got that written over.)
I managed to cajole a brief bio out of people and convince a few Boston area waverers that they really, really wanted to come to this event. Once I got a commitment from them, I explained why I was using the 'sort-of' hard sell to get them to 'Please come to Boston.' (More near heart-attacks.) We finally got a list of 14 or so people who were solidly going to be there. And I had managed to do this and still not overly arouse suspicion that something was up for this party that was really above and beyond. (No mean trick, if I do say so myself.)
I submitted the list and concentrated on helping people with the actual physical details of coming to Boston. (You read this in the Boston threads: bring boots, bring extra socks, it's cold here, etc.) Then I really began to freak out about the Nor'easter that struck Boston on the first travel day. (That was bad stress, as opposed to the good stress of planning the party and the actual events of the weekend and trying to get everything right.)
On Saturday, things really started cooking. I drove to a subway station in Boston and missed 4 organizing phone calls. (Oh boy.) I was then given the names and numbers of a few people to get in touch with. And I did. Sat afternoon, after the Beacon Hill walk, I was in Vek's room at the Park Plaza when I got a call from an event coordinator who told me, pretty much, how things would play out the next night. (This is forever more to be referred to as TayTay's seizure moments. Every detail was so wonderful that I just sort of involuntarily twitched. I couldn't believe it.) I told people what I was told and that was one happy group of people.
After a few more organizing phone calls on Sunday, I went in search of the person who would be directly dealing with us at the Party. We were given our instructions as to where to stand so that Mrs. Heinz could find us and that we needed to stick together, above all else. (No bathroom breaks after a certain point.) We were actually repositioned about 20 minutes later and were up against a wall. (It got incredibly crowded in that room, btw.) Then, Teresa was introduced and she smiled at her husband who was up front and diagonally to the right of our little group up against the wall. (about 30 feet or so away. He could see us. Well, he is pretty tall.) She told him, "I have a surprise for you." She then proceeded to introduce each and every one of us, using the bios that we had written. We each got a large round of applause and a huge round of applause when THK finished. (It was just amazing to stand there and watch the reaction of each person as they were introduced. I was so damn happy. I got introduced as the organizer of the event and got to have a little bow toward THK. It was, after all, my pleasure to be doing this. Gawd, that was so nice to watch each person and their slightly or more than slightly embarrassed reaction to being so publicly announced. It was just such a privilege to see.) I tried to peer across the room and see the reaction on Sen. Kerry's face, but the lighting was against me, so I couldn't see much.
There was a huge round of applause when Mrs. Heinz finished. I think that the wonderful choir was up next and they sang a gorgeous multi-part birthday song. Some of the actual kids from Kids For Kerry were also there and they had gotten some well-deserved recognition. After that, I think, I am a little fuzzy on the order here, Sen. Kerry was introduced and he got up on stage. He invited all the 'bloggers' to come up on stage. (Ahm, shock. Just shock. Yup, someone finally shut me up with shock. This is why my recollection of the middle part of this is so fuzzy, my brain had shut down.) We all got on stage single-file and got to shake hands with the amazing and gorgeous and wonderful Mrs. Heinz and then try and find a spot in which to stand. (And I didn't want to be in front. I wanted our visitors to be in front. That made more sense to me.)
I remember standing on stage. I remember listening to Sen. Kerry speak. I remember worrying about DD because she had been in front of me and then had some queasy moments and had to sit down for a bit. I kept checking on her to see if she was okay. I remember the 'Are we there yet Mom?' moment. I don't recall all that Sen. Kerry said. (Sorry. Overload.) Then the speech was over and the crowd began to break up.
I fussed over some people and made sure they had their picture taken with Sen. Kerry and with Teresa. (And then forgot to do the same for myself. Oh well, next time.) I had given the Birthday cards to someone else to actually give to Sen. Kerry. (Because who died and made me the bearer of all things. Honestly, why should I get all the glory moments.) I remember badgering poor GLMRGC and making sure she had her pic taken. I remember asking everyone if they were happy and did what they wanted to do. I remember my feet really, really hurt and I had a blister. After that, my mind is sort of a blur. Perhaps more details will come back with time.
I think I even met other people after the event. I have this strange memory of being introduced to people, but it is fuzzy and unclear, like it comes from a dream or from underwater or something. I hope I wasn't rude. I haven't recovered all of that memory yet. (I honest to gawd have a blank spot in my memory. I can conjure up some faces and vaguely remember my lips moving and sound coming out, but I don't remember this in any good sequence. I hope I wasn't rude. I was on extreme auto-pilot.)
And that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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