a coating of winter

So, after a nice day of snowfall, Our Fair City awoke today to a nasty coating of ice. While all the schools in the surrounding suburbs were closed because of the weather, DCPS called a two hour delay.

What did our new Commander in Chief think of all this hoopla in Our Fair City? Per the Christian Science Monitor:

At a photo op before his meeting Wednesday morning with business leaders, [President Obama] joked about how DC schools can’t handle wintry weather, according to a press pool report. Think again, Mr. President. Unlike the surrounding jurisdictions, which closed schools because of icy conditions, DC public schools were open for business, after a two-hour delay.
But Obama’s children, who attend the private Sidwell Friends, didn’t have school.
“My children’s school was canceled today, because of what? Some ice?” he said to laughter, according to an unofficial transcript of his remarks provided by Jon Ward of the Washington Times. “As my children pointed out, in Chicago, school is never canceled,” and kids even go out for recess on snow days, he added, to more laughter.

My response, Mr. President?

Should the US Congress deign to provide the citizens of the District of Columbia, who incidentally suffer abiding in the same city as the federal legislature without having any representation therein, funds the procurement and maintenance of appropriate snow and removal machinery in the next budget that, for some twisted region, lawmakers from across the country have control over, then maybe we can talk! Harumph!

(Thanks to my pal Ian Livingston for the photo!)

an aside. . .

After this incredible day (again, I promise, I'll write the story soon!) during which the girls both wanted a piece of me all day, both wanted me to hold them, both wanted me to push their respective strollers, etc, Husband Ben suggested that I change my subtitle from 'so much to do, so little time' to 'so much to do, so little me'.  

Good idea!  Thank you Husband.

Inauguration Insanity pt. 2

YES WE DID!

Way in the back - never actually did see the Capital Building in person except from our own upstairs windows, but who cares?!?!

More on the trek later.

For now, just look at these smiles - all because we FINALLY have a NEW PRESIDENT!!!!!!

Inauguration Insanity pt. 1

Obamamania is afoot!

My Dear City has become a complete madhouse, and I love it.

Yesterday Husband Ben, Neighbor Hugh and I left the girls at home with Nana and toodled on down to brave the COLD and the INSANITY that was the "We Are One" concert on the mall. First we went to wait for a bus, but a taxi came by at such a seredipitous moment that we just couldn't resist.

Given that we were leaving the house at 12:30pm, we knew that we would not get close to the action. Plus we were pretty sure that several flasks of Jamesons Irish Whiskey, although medicinal in purpose, would be frowned upon at the security checkpoint.

So we stayed way Way WAY in the Way WAY back behind the last jumbotron. The mood was pretty awesome - even back there - and when Bishop Robinson gave his opening prayer even the least religious among us was moved to tears. (ASIDE: If you didn't hear, there's been an uproar about the fact that HBO didn't broadcast the prayer, which pissed a lot of people, including me, off!)

Anyway, we hung out between the Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial under the watchful eye of these guys.

One of the most fascinating parts of the whole show, though, was Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen's version of "This Land Is Your Land". We all grew up with the song, we all learned it in elementary school. But really, we only learned the refrain and first verse. They sang, and got the crowd singing along (!), and sang at least four verses of the song including the alternate verses. . . the one that goes 'There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me/Sign was painted, it said private property/But on the back side it didn't say nothing/That side was made for you and me.' People so easily forget that Woody Guthrie was not only a famous folk singer, but also had extremely left politics. . . but I digress. . .

Then of course, the the big man himself, THE O, spoke to the probably three quarter of a million people gathered:

(See there, on the jumbotron? I think you might be able to see a speck way Way WAY far away on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. . . if you squint really hard.)

The music and the speeches were great, but really, it was all about the crowd. There was sheer joy and incredible excitement on everybody's faces, in every direction. And when it was over, the departure took on the pallor of a stampeding herd of wildebeests.

By now slightly tipsy (remember the Jamesons?) we made our way home. Husband Ben had to work today (!!!!!), so we left him home with Nana and the girls and went out to the AWESOME Burning Bush party in my neighborhood. (Cecily sums it up just about right here.) CATHARSIS!

Needless to say, I came home about three sheets to the wind sometime after 2am. It appears that Obamamania has made me stop acting like a mommy.

Conversations I

Gryphon: "So Mommy do you know what sp- spa- spontaneous combustion means?"

Wow! They went to the Air and Space Museum today - they must have learned something about engines or something! That's really cool. . . I can't wait to hear her answer!

Me: "Tell me what it means, honey!"

Gryphon: "It means that we stand up really tall and then Ms. Lacey says 'SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION' and then we all jump around like crazy kids and explode."

Ah.

yes we can

As we hurried down the sidewalk, scurrying through the cold to across the street before the light changed, the older man, a stranger, trotting beside me broke into a crooked smile and said "Yes we can."

"Yes we can," I responded.

Once we were safely across he said, "Do you think it will really get better?"

"It has to," I said.

"I'm one of the little people," he said, "I've lost almost all of my 401K - and there wasn't very much to begin with. You're right, it has to get better."

yes we can