inauguration

The Best of Yesterday’s Inauguration Coverage (by my friend Abigail)

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

Facebook | Abigail Constantino’s Notes

What I did on Inauguration – Bullet Points Yesterday at 7:53pm

* Woke up. Rode metro. Annoyed by irresponsible gum chewer.
* Met up with Liz and Steph on corner of North Capitol around 7 am.
* Interviewed by Emerson College students making a documentary. I am a Communications genius! I should be Press Secretary.
* Diverted to 3rd Street Tunnel.
* Arrived at Mall.
* Liz and Steph hoist me up to take a picture of the crowds. Turns out Greg Rec from Portland Press Herald snapped a picture of us. Check it out! http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/inauguration/ Scroll down to Images from DC, photo 7.
* Gave up parade route plan, set blanket down at Mall, next to Smithsonian exit, around 8:00 am.
* Amanda calls, “Come over there’s plenty of room on Penn and Conn!” Folded blanket, headed towards 7th and Conn checkpoint.
* Used the cleanest port-a-john in the city.
* Found Amanda! Boo!
* Played cards, ran in place, did lunges, had friends sit on feet. Soooo cold!
* Went for a quick jog around the area. Lo and behold, a street vent!!!
* Obama inaugurated.
* Nell arrives.
* Ate sandwich
* Antics: running in place, swinging side to side, taking pictures of the Sheriffs of Wilmington County, NC’s butts, America’s Next Top Model poses, breakdancing.
* Several trips to the vent in between all of the above.
* Parade…FINALLY!
* Walked with Nell to Dupont.
* Took Metro. Home in 20 minutes. Kudos to WMATA today!

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Inauguration-y

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

I know that all of you are dying to know if we’re going to the Inauguration or not.  To be honest, I’m not sure!

DC is supposed to be just totally effing nutty in the next few days. We found out today that our friends Aggie and Jason will be driving down from Chicago after getting tickets at the Very Last Minute.  We’ve fielded at least one other inquiry about sleeping on our floor.  I can’t imagine what my friends who actually live in the city are hearing!  We heard on the radio that the market for renting out your apt for the inauguration kind of went bust – which is consolation for not doing the same thing ourselves, I guess.

I’m off work on Tuesday as a result of the inauguration – GW is closed because of its proximity to all kinds of important DC things.  The campus advisory email that went out today sounded terribly alarmist, warning members of the GW community to make sure they had cash (to avoid long lines at ATMs), to carry their GW IDs at all times when on campus, and that absolutely no one would be allowed to sleep in their offices this weekend.  I’m not sure how they’re going to enforce that last one but hey – not my problem!  I’ll be sleeping in my own bed!

The actual festivities will be going down on a day with a projected high of 32, and a low of 7.  Now, with all those people on the Mall, the body heat alone should be enough to bump it up a few degrees – but that’s pretty cold to voluntarily stand outside for hours on end with a million and a half of your best friends.  Logistically speaking, I’m not really sure how this is going to work.  Metro can’t manage to keep the escalators at Foggy Bottom running on a normal day – how’s it going to work with three times the normal population of DC swarming in for one day?

All of these things add up to my mixed feelings about trying to see some of the festivities on Tuesday.  I’m beyond thrilled about what will be taking place – the historic event, the inauguration of a president for whom I campaigned, donated money, and sent up many an anxious prayer – I’m just not sure if I want to go down to the Mall to celebrate it, or if I’d rather celebrate from my couch, glass of champagne in hand.

Either way, it’s a momentous occasion, and I’m awfully excited about it.