We’ve only recently opened up a fresh box of 2009, and the first month-packet of a dozen is nearly finished!
Oh, but what a month it’s been! For one, I’ve completed the first draft manuscript for PERFECT SHOT! But let’s take a moment to focus on the most fantabulous of January’s events. President Barack Obama’s inauguration!! The first African-American president of the United States is at the helm and—in between fretting about the crashing economy—a lot of us are still celebrating, pinching ourselves, and praying for the Obama family.
My hubby and I couldn’t miss going to the inauguration. Here’s the gist of our (well-executed but tiresome) plan. Fly from Bermuda to JFK. Grab a rental car. Cut through Manhattan:
(Hello my beloved birth place!)
And hit I-95 south to DC (with one rest-area stop…we were starving!).
Arrive safely in DC, only to be immediately greeted by this telltale sign.
Yup, vendors were out in full force selling Obama T’s, pins, hats, magnets, and even dolls!! That ole enterprising American spirit at its finest.
Then we bundled up (and grabbed a few life-saving heat packets to warm up our hands and toes) and then… We. Witnessed. History.
Congratulations to the fly 44th—our President Obama!
(And, ode to thee, oh precious jumbotron. It was about getting a good spot in front of the jumbotron, instead of in front of the Capitol.)
Here are some shots of the crowd as we braved the cold and walked the 30 minutes journey to the mall.
“MLK Is Smiling Today!” – Yes, indeed.
Sarah-girl? Is that you??
Michelle-girl? Is that you?
Marching towards change. A sea of folks, as far as the eye could see. And more Obama paraphernalia.
While in DC (hubby’s former hometown), we crashed at his generous friends’, who fed us well and were great hosts (Thanks, guys!). Aside from meeting up with lots of his friends, we hit our favorite eateries. It was such a vibin’ time to be in the capitol. It felt like half the country was there! I hit the Lincoln Memorial concert (Bruce! Bono! Beyonce!) with my Honey’s friends (while your boy was at a sports bar watching a football playoff game).
And talk about celebrity sightings. It was like Hollywood East! Our fab-u DC hosts scored us tickets to the Declare Yourself party (hosted by Jessica Alba, Jamie Fox and Hayden Panettiere; with performances by Maroon 5. Samantha Ronson DJ’ed, and yes, she deserves some of that hype. She had us jammin’ on the dance floor! And Lindsay Lohan was in tow, looking glam.
We also made time for some much-needed shopping. My old laptop and our DVD player broke down. Plus, I got enough Carol’s Daughter hair products to last me for a while. By the way, while at the store, I met Carol’s Daughter herself, Lisa Price! No surprise that she was in town for the inauguration as well.
Then it was back on the road. We made a stop in Philly. (I adore those Philly murals.)
We wanted to have breakfast at my new favorite brunch spot, Sabrina’s Cafe. Just look at (but don’t touch) the size of those portions:
(That’s TURKEY bacon, by the way.)
It was nice feasting with my hubby’s cousin Stanley, who’s a student at Temple. Before we resumed travel to JFK, we stopped by at the Art Museum so I could finally get my “Rocky” photo op.
All in all, it was wonderful to be home to experience the inauguration celebration. Even though it was freezing and there was a lot of traveling involved, we would do it again. Among those who huddled on the mall, there was a sense of camaraderie, great energy, and a strong feeling a hope in the air. Despite the crowds, people were calm and patient. Strangers exchanged smiles and shared stories. I met high school students from Louisiana on a class trip, a family from Texas with kids performing in the parade, my Honey’s old classmates from Pennsylvania. It was all love. And when we all cheered for our new president Barack Obama, we were also applauding ourselves and the strides we are making as a people.
(For additional inauguration recap, check out my Puse Ro-com blog post about the more humorous side of the big event here.)