Inauguration Day - View from the National Mall

We had plans. We really did - but you know what they say, plans never survive first contact with the enemy. That enemy being defined as DC's completely back-asswards version of crowd control.

( Getting there was not half the fun )

Before the formal Inauguration they replayed the We Are One concert on the jumbotrons. Then they showed a lot of "backstage" footage of people walking through the Capitol to get into place... along with some misplaced live mikes of Congresspeople talking to each other "I came back," and worse, the Secret Service. "Junior is on his way; Junior is in the elevator."

suricattus hates Rick Warren; she turned her back on him and recited a Hebrew prayer while he prayed. I cracked her up by muttering "sports nuts" into her ear.

I managed not to cry. It was damned hard and I sobbed a few times, but I managed not to cry; in that cold, my tears probably would have frozen. The first was the line about "A voice from the Lincoln Memorial has found its way across the Mall to the Capitol." The other was the oath itself, or more accurately, "Congratulations, Mr. President." Y'know the end of Air Force One? ( spoiler )

Yeah. Like that.

I was going to come home and google how many wingnuts thought the oath wasn't valid because Obama got the words wrong, but M (who was home watching in the warmth with commentary) says it was the Chief Justice who got 'em wrong!

The speech was excellent, hitting all the right notes. We'll see how much is followed up on, but it's about damned time that the President admitted that those who do not believe as he does - who don't believe in any religion at all - have a place at the table. That's a lovely change from Bushes H.W. & W saying that we aren't citizens or patriots. I think that "We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist" is this generation's "Ask not what your country can do for you."

Y'know what surprised me? They sang My Country Tis of Thee twice and we never heard the national anthem. If ever there was a day for the national anthem... It was played after we had left earshot of the jumbotrons.

I wonder if Bush saw people in the crowd waving as his helicopter went overhead. I'm sure the rotors drowned out the singing: "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah, nah-nah-nah-nah, hey hey hey, goodbye."

Getting out is something best veiled over; it involved climbing a barrier to get back to 18th St. and not being permitted to walk over to 19th to try to circumnavigate the crowds. Nor could we walk north up to Dupont Circle, because streets north of K were also closed off!

So we walked along K and looked at the vendors - I succumbed to the "FEMA Emergency Repair Kit" and suricattus melted with glee at the vendor selling Obama's Senate seat (a small toy, with certificate.) We also lucked out massively in finding a restaurant that hadn't immediately filled up and had a good lunch and a chance to warm up before heading home.

Today I've met Australians, Canadians (there was one Canadian flag waving in the sea of American ones), an expat Frenchman, and Americans from Alaska to Florida. I've been a part of I don't know how many millions experiencing history live.

And now I never have to do it again. Because y'know what? When you're standing for hours thinking about how cold you are, you never even notice how stiff you are... until you have to climb over a barrier and walk 20 blocks. (The crowd laughed bitterly every time they said "take your seats.")

And now to hit "post" and see if anyone's got an estimate of how many people were on the mall.

ETA: I spent a great deal of time picking out a book to take. It had to be something I hadn't read in a while to hold my interest during the early morning. It had to be a duplicate and of bad quality in case it was ruined. Good thing I picked something disposable, because it went missing almost instantly...