the Inauguration

well.
where do I start...
it was An Experience, to say the least.

It was Cold.
It was long and hard.


Ok. Everyone keeps asking how it was. They are excited and I feel like they expect me to say, "Amazing!" or "SO good" or something, and ...... I don't want to disappoint, but it was anything but.



We got there at 5:30 am and immediately started walking to the National Mall. It was cold but everyone was very excited and there were wonderful people along the way, shouting, "Welcome to DC!" It was really nice. Exciting and welcoming. I felt good, despite not bring able to sleep on the bus and it was still dark out. Walk walk walk, a few miles I think!


so we get there at 7 am (I think), and wait. they are playing music and broadcasting the concert from the day before. People are dancing and cheering. At around 8 am the cold is starting to become noticeable. It was 20 degrees the whole day, but you think, I have lots of layers and handwarmers, I'll be fine! oh.... no. not. at. all.




By the time the actual inauguration started at 11 am, we all we just about frozen. My feet burned, they were so cold. I almost fell over a couple times. Couldn't move around anymore. It was exciting when senators/governors started being announced though. I felt better. The crowd cheered when they saw Kerry or Ted Kennedy or Hilary. But the announcements for Important People's introductions took about an hour.


When Bush walked out, people booed and the broadcast was muted for a minute. I felt bad. I don't like the way he ran his presidency, it was pretty awful in fact, but people shouldn't have booed. Don't kick him when he's down. He looked tired, sad and resigned. But he's a still a person.


Finally, Obama appeared. The crowd chanted, O-BA-MA, O-BA-MA. Then the cermonies started and I was able to forget how cold and miserable I was. Obama's speech was strong, forceful, and great.


We tried to leave after that, to try and beat the rush, but most everyone had the same idea. It took us about 4 hours to get back to the bus. It was ... so bad. Like what a cold day in hell must be. That's about all I want to say, I don't want to relive it.




Then we had to wait 2 hours in the bus bc one of the girls had to go to the hospital, collapsed during the ceremony, I'm not sure. So we left DC at about 8:30 pm. Got home at 5 am.


I had to call in sick to work the next day, I felt like someone beat me up. We went 24 hours with no sleep and nothing to eat (everything was closed in DC).



So. The actual inauguration ceremony WAS amazing. But the other 30 hours were hellish. It really was the cold; I could deal with the 2 million people, but it was pretty unbearable. The cold surrounded and overtook you, and being outside in it for 10 hours... pain... just painful. Basic human needs went unmet for far too long. Now I have a bad sore throat as a souvenier.


I am posting a link to a blog of one of my coworker's daughters, who not surprisingly had similar experiences, and I think said it better than I did: Buntology


I'm about half glad I went, and half regretful. I love Obama. I think everyone knows that. I want him to be my dad. The spirit of unity and goodwill was really great to be apart of. But it doesn't keep you warm, that's for sure.

I am really grateful I got to go, but I'm never hanging out with 2 million people again!