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.