Philip’s On a Mission
Tonight’s the night. Philip is going to spend the night outside the White House. It’s not job related and he’s not protesting anything, nor is he holding vigil. He is on a Mission. A Mission to Obtain Tickets to the 2006 White House Easter Egg Roll. Now that we are back in the District, we have been looking forward to attending the annual Easter Egg Roll for several months. We went in 2001, but it was cancelled because of rain. In 2002 we tried again and great fun was had by all. The event is so popular that parents line up in the wee hours of the morning to get the free first-come, first-served tickets. It’s surprisingly safe and the lined-up, cold and uncomfortable parents actually form a comraderie, an esprit-de-corps if you will, bonding through the night as they wait to get the highly sought after tickets. At some point in the night, the Park Police usually show up and start handing out numbers to avoid late-comers trying to cut into the line. Once the actual handing out of the tickets begins, the line moves quickly and the bleary-eyed, triumphant parents return home through rush hour traffic.
The actual Easter Egg Roll will be on the Monday following Easter. There will be many free events open to the general public on the Ellipse. Free Krispy Kreme donuts, all you can carry, is one of the highlights. I’m hoping they are there this year! Ticket holders line up according to the time on their tickets and are admitted to the White House South lawn. In addition to the Easter Egg Roll itself, there are usually people like the First Lady and White House Chief of Staff there reading stories to the children. There will be live entertainment (this year they are having AJ and Aly) and crafts, too. I read that Curious George, Clifford and Sasha Cohen (the ice skater) will be there, too. I hope I don’t make a fool of myself trying to meet Sasha Cohen. (It’s a good thing Michele Kwan won’t be there. Young children might get hurt as I plowed through the crowd to see her.) Once you’re on the lawn, you can stay as long as you want. As you leave, you get handed a goodie bag and a poster. The White House Easter Egg Roll poster is a collector’s item -we have ours framed and will get around to hanging them some day. But the most highly sought after item in the bag is the wooden commemorative egg. Watch for them on ebay – these free little eggs go for around $30. How in the world somebody could sell his child’s egg on ebay…well, we won’t go there.
Anyway…tonight’s the night. I hope it doesn’t rain.
