Ah, that shiny new-President smell!

[vulgarweed]

His first executive order: Close Gitmo, ban torture.

I feel like I'm waking up from a very, very long nightmare. With one flourish of his pen, millions of Americans are beginning to recover from the oppressive sense of shame the Bush administration's international shitbaggery has brought on us all.

Me? Well, I've been sleep-deprived for four days straight, and I'm just beginning to recover from the oppressive - but FUCKING JOYOUS - exhaustion.

By my calculations, me and a bunch of my Chicago homies walked from RFK stadium to the Washington Monument and back on Tuesday - and not by the most direct route either. I'm guessing, counting all the meandering, it was in the neighborhood of 10 miles. This on two hours of sleep after shaking it in thrift-shop formalwear at the Big Shoulders Ball (we all wore Chicago-flag lapel pins!) Remember, our hotel was in Baltimore. We drove there and back after the ball. ><

For the inauguration? We stood by the Washington Monument in the cold wind, jumping up and down on our toes to catch glimpses of the nearest jumbotron, which was not very near. But the sound system was good, and we heard everything - down to Roberts flubbing the oath, OMG, passive-aggressive much? (Remember, Obama voted to not confirm him!) The crowd? All roughly two million of us? Like Grant Park times 10. Confused, cold, tired, frustrated - and so, SO incredibly joyous and kind to one another. Even the police and military herding us around couldn't wipe off the grins. I'm still wearing mine. I'm exhausted and achy and I caught a cold, but I would totally do it all over again and again and again.

Thanks again to lillithj and her hubby for the hospitality, the kitty and puppy love, the rides to and from the Metro station, and the awesome Mexican food!

Also good news? My parents have wireless Internet now.

Comments

[mofic.livejournal.com]

Someone else just posted "I feel like I'm in a dream" and you post"I feel like I'm waking up from a very, very long nightmare" about the same thing - Obama's presidency. I think both apply.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Obama ever wakes up in the middle of the night and says, "Michelle, I had the CRAZIEST dream. You won't believe -"

and she says, "Honey, hate to break it to you, but..."

[mofic.livejournal.com]

LOL! Hey something very strange. I had used a LGBT Obama icon on the comment above, and it has been replaced by some cartoon dragon thingie. I wonder how that happened. I'm trying to use the same icon on this one.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

Oh weird! It's an LJ glitch, I've seen it before - people's icons get switched around. It's temporary.

[tjwritter.livejournal.com]

Roberts is an ass!

I'm soooo glad you had a good time! It would suck if the only people weren't inspired by the whole day were they ones who were actually there!

As my little guy has been saying for months now...

OBAMA!OBAMA!OBAMA!

[maureenlycaon.livejournal.com]

I'm very glad you didn't get frostbitten! I watched the live stream from MSNBC.com at home.

You might like to see this.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Not paradise, but...it's just one happy-making thing after another at the moment, isn't it?

*grins wider*

[acusa-dora.livejournal.com]

I wish we could have met you. I didn't realize you would be with lillithj. I'm glad you had an amazing time. I'm still kind of in awe of everything and while telling someone my stories today I got teary-eyed. I was so happy today. I had four hours of sleep and I was feeling sick to my stomach after the journey yesterday, but in a Barack Obama world, I can't help but smile.

I honestly think that Roberts screwed up accidentally because of the "Oh shit" look on his face, but it could have been a passive-agressive thing. We wanted to put a bag over our heads when Cornyn held up Hillary's confirmation, but all is well now. It's hard being from Texas sometimes, but I tell you what, even my conservative colleagues were taken with the speech. I think the hope is contagious to some.

[waxbean.livejournal.com]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

I only watched on TV, obviously, but it really was lovely! Lucky you, to be there, cold or none!

[quantum-witch.livejournal.com]

*massive monster hugs* Get well, dear. You need your strength to enjoy the rest of the next four/eight years :)

Speaking of Roberts' flub, certain factions started immediately doing what I knew they would do - say "he's not really president!" Oh my freaking hell, people, get over it already.

[hopita.livejournal.com]

:: jealous ::

And I kept wondering:

When the TV stations kept cutting to people in other cities watching the Inuguration -- New York, Atlanta, LA -- why did they never show footage of Chicago?

Rhetorical, I realize.

Do you have pictures that will be posted eventually?