A couple of weeks ago, my friend Sylvestre and I went down to Springfield to take in Illinois’ inaugural festivities against the backdrop of the last days of the legislative session. It was an exciting and strange couple of days for a variety of reasons — and there were definitely moments when I thought, “Toto, we’re not in the West Loop anymore.”

After receiving my invitation to the inauguration, I had to secure tickets to each activity online — including the ball and the swearing in ceremony — before they sold out. So after the swearing in, we grabbed our tickets to the Executive Mansion Meet and Greet and headed over.

Coming from the West Loop, where people host events for the likes of President Obama and Mayor Daley in their homes, we’re used to VIP events. So naturally, I looked forward to spending a few minutes with Governor Quinn and touring “The People’s House.” When we arrived, the line stretched around the block. After an hour of boring talk about the cold weather and watching what appeared to be a falcon eating a pigeon, we finally made it inside the mansion.

Within minutes, we were ushered up to the second floor, relieved of our coats and bags, scooted in-frame with the Governor for a photo and handed our belongings by a side door to exit the building post-haste.

We can treasure that memory with an 11 by 14 portrait for only $65.

Of all the events, I was most looking forward to the Inaugural Ball. But I figured if I was going to dance with the Governor, I needed a new dress. I went shopping with my West Loop friends June and Becca, and after a few duds we found the perfect one.

The event was black tie optional, and Illinoisans from around the state definitely exercised their “options.” There were men in khaki pants and jeans and women in sundresses and outfits oft seen outside some of our local Lake Street clubs.

There were also eye-popping wardrobe malfunctions, beyond the ill-fitting tuxedo making its once-a-decade appearance. The ultimate mistake, made by more than one woman, was the dress with a very high slit paired with control-top pantyhose. There’s nothing wrong with a little extra coverage, unless your coverage isn’t covered.

Incidentally, I was told by Shirley Madigan that I looked very elegant in my floor-length ball gown and custom jewelry from Takohl Design on West Peoria Street, though I wasn’t able to appropriately respond. I was flustered having stopped to say hello to her and her husband, Speaker of the House Michael Madigan. Instead of mentioning any one of the important bills up for a vote that week, or commenting on the events of the day, all I could muster was a smile and a “Thank you.”

I later joked that the Speaker often appears so intense that he might actually have the power to steal peoples’ souls. And I would have only been half joking to point to legislators’ soulless dance moves at the ball to support my conjecture.

I never did get to dance with the Governor.

Along with the inauguration and the excitement of a new session, we were in Springfield during the last few days of Illinois’ 96th legislative session. A lot of meaningful bills were flying about the Capitol, and both chambers were finally willing to take on the tough issues like increasing revenues, cutting back on spending programs and education reform. For example, Sylvestre and I arrived in just enough time to watch the House vote to end the free transit rides for seniors that former Governor Blagojevich had instituted without a source of revenue to pay for them (the program will now go back to requiring proof of financial hardship).

When we headed back to Chicago on Tuesday to beat an impending snow storm, we missed the most momentous vote. The income tax hike has long been needed, with varied bills getting batted about for years. Its passage was a huge step in restoring Illinois’ financial health. Unfortunately, it wasn’t passed on principle, but rather through a lame duck legislature — a bit hazy from all the inaugural fun.