What are the odds of President Obama, scheduling his visit to Denver CO to sign the STIMULUS BILL, on the same day, time and exact location David Walley and my self, were scheduled to run Infrared Spectographic Laser tests for the Denver Museum Of Nature and Science  ?
Astronomical odds !!  Especially because three weeks previously, we were offered a window of three days to test, and we picked Tuesday Feb. 17, 2009 at 1:00 pm at the office of Steve Holen, curator of Archeology, at Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
On Tuesday Feb. 17, 2009, I drove 175 miles to Denver International Airport, to pick up Mr. David Walley (Inventer of the Infrared Spectroscopic Laser).  His plane was late, and he finally arrived an hour late at 12:45 PM.  We then drove into Denver, turned off South on Colorado Ave, and proceeded to DMNS.
When we arrived at the Museum Entrance, yellow Police tape was across every entrance and exit in City Park, complete with Police or Secrete Service people checking every one going in or out.  We finally asked a Police woman what was going on and were informed President Obama was going to sign the STIMULUS BILL inside the museum at about 2:00 PM.
Knowing we would not be able to do any testing, we drove 185 miles home, and the next day I tried to call Steve Holen at the Museum.  We could not get through to Steve, and his phone said it was temporarily out of service.  As a last resort I called Director Nash's number, and his secretary said that all phones in the Museum had been disconnected since Monday, and all employees except Security and some Maintenance people, had been ordered to go home and don't come back until Wed. Feb. 18, 2009.  She said she would send Steve an EMail and have him call me.  About 11:00 AM Steve called and apologized that he could not inform us not to try testing Tuesday, but he could not do so because every one was sworn to secrecy about Obama's visit.
He said his boss called at about 10:30 PM Sunday night, and told him to come in Monday morning and clean out every thing in his office.  Steve was informed Monday that President Obama would be using Steve's office as his own office, and that the Red Phone to Moscow would be hooked up and working in Steve's office, and not to divulge any thing about the Presidents visit--period, or that he was even going to be at the Museum, and not to come  back to work until Wed., Feb. 18, 2009.
We then rescheduled our appointment with Steve for Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009 for testing.  On Thursday Feb. 19, 2009, we then drove the 185 miles up to DMNS, arriving about !0:00 PM, and spent until about 3:00 PM testing submitted artifacts.  We then took pictures in the exact same office, President Obama had used, where two days earlier he had signed the message board.
So we finally got the testing completed, and it took an extra 370 miles of driving.  Mr. Walley and I figure President Obama owes us mileage and lost wages for 2-17-09, and the extra mileage for the return trip. We are looking forward to receiving our compensation any time now through the Stimulus Bill Signing Fund, which we hope Congress will pass.


 
Respectfully submitted,


Don Seamans