I'm clearly behind and late with my updates, but getting over a nasty cold and looking for jobs really do take up your time (well minus the fact that I also help out my aunt with odds and ends.)
Sunday, January 18th - Opening Inaugural Ceremonies aka Obamarama Concert
Obama definitely brought the cold from Chicago to DC that weekend because it was definitely the weather for layers, scarfs, hats, long johns, and gloves. The Inaugural Concert had a great lineup with gates opening at 8am and performance starting at 2:30pm. My DC ladies decided to meet at the Farragut metro at 10am to walk together towards the Lincoln Memorial. I didn't think it would be crowded by the time we got there, but it was insane-ish. The line into the memorial area wasn't bad, but when we got in, people were everywhere.
You can see people lying on their blankets, taking naps and staying warm, most of them being there since 7am (<--crazy). One complaint I do have is that if you're coming out to a free concert with your blanket and complain about people getting your blanket dirty because they're trying to get through, get over it. Should have known better. Do you really think it's going to stay clean, eh? Well, wrong! The crowd was intense for me. Not a lot of comraderie that I would like, but then again they did want to see the artists and celebrities for free. This may be one of the few times I coudn't stand being short. I barely saw anybody on stage, especially when everywhere around me it was tall people. I did see Tom Hanks, but everything else was by audio or the brief seconds I saw the screen. There were only (if I remember) just 3 or 4 screens of the stage for the audience, all which by the way were at the front near the stage and not distributed so well. I would really like to know how the PIC planned this event, especially when they were expecting 1/2 a million to come out. Although I didn't get to see much, the experience was amazing! Cheers for Obama and reveling in the songs and support was an amazing experience.
Even with my short stature, it was so worth the wait, the results of tired legs, and being able to watch the rerun on HBO. It was exciting every time the camera panned over the crowds. Inside my head I was saying, "I was there! Right in the mess of the crowd, right there!" LOL.
Monday and Tuesday - Sick Days and Inauguration
Unfortunately, my small cough from that morning ended up turning into a bad cold. Woke up Monday morning feeling all nauseous. Had to cancel my volunteering :( and stayed in bed all day. Sore throat, coughing non-stop, headache, not hungry, ugh. So I took some Nyquil and knocked out, hoping I could still make it out to Inauguration. Well my body told me, no. Major sadness. I ended up watching the Inauguration from my sofa instead. It would have been great to go out, but at least I went to one of the celebratory events. Thank goodness.
Neighborhood Inaugural Ball was great to watch in the comforts of my bedroom. The defining moment that night was when Barack and Michelle Obama had their first dance as President and First Lady. Both looked very lovely and definitely in love. The warm feeling they had for each other definitely radiated out to the US. As they danced to "At Last" sung by Beyonce, it definitely felt like old school music was coming back. Watching the dance brought tears to my eyes. You can see the emotions when Beyonce sang, which was moving and powerful. The overwhelming feeling that we're living in the ages of the first black US president and seeing the power shift in the office in hopes for change in the US.
I'm still hoping for Obama and the US, even if there are a couple mistakes he's made so far. But he's still learning, and thankfully it's not at the end of his presidential term, where he can't learn from the mistakes. I have faith and optimism for you, Obama.
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