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I went to DC for the inauguration. The trip was planned, but it underwent massive changes at the last minute, and left me excited, but apprehensive. I worried for naught - I've never had such a great time in all of my years, and it's because of fellow kossacks. It's a story I hope you'll enjoy. So, though it's a bit late - Inauguration Day having been 8 days ago and all - all I can say is that it's taken me that long to recover!
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Planes, Trains and Automobiles
I found myself with plane tickets to DC, but in need of a place to stay. I was pondering staying with strangers or just giving up my tickets when Donna Marie and Lulu57 connected with me on Facebook. They invited me to a party that Lulu57 was hosting on 1/19, and out of the blue, Lulu57 offered me a place to stay. I'd met both of these wonderful ladies through their work for Netroots for the Troops, and was so touched that those encounters would turn into such great hospitality.
I flew into Dulles on Sunday morning. (And boo! hiss! to the UAL employee in LA who offered me the exit row but neglected to tell me that the seat I was in didn't recline. SUCKS to be on a redeye in those conditions. And yes, the plane was full.) I caught the DC Metro's airport flyer bus, where I got up close and personal with dozens of other excited Obama supporters and their luggage. The 50 minute bus ride was standing room only, but it was to be my first taste of the almost indescribable mood of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for things to come that permeated the DC region like sunshine during the days I was there.
From the bus, I caught the green line from L'Enfant Plaza and rode it to its terminus in MD. There, my chariot was awaiting! I met Mr. Lulu57, and our very own CSK picked me up from the metro station.
The people and the parties
Upon arrival at casa lulupalooza, I needed a nap. (Redeye in a straightbacked chair, remember?) so after chatting for a bit with Donna Marie and lulu57, I pulled out my sleeping bag and camp pad and went to sleep for a bit. When I woke up, I got to meet kossacks jez, politik and her husband, and rkelley25, and his lovely daughter. That evening I met reahti. Later that evening, I went with mr. Lulu57 to pick up FlojaRoja from the airport. It was a packed house! The first night, there was crab cakes and wine. Lots. Of. Wine.
Martin Luther King day was spent in DC with reahti as tour guide. Politik was wonderful - she had knitted all of us orange scarves and provided us with orange hats. There was NO missing our group out in public! We started out at the Smithsonian. CSK, kossack democracylover in NYC, and I wandered out onto the mall. I got some pictures of Andrea Mitchell and Doris Kearns Goodwin in the MSNBC booth. The next plan was to head to the Holocaust memorial. The line was 1.5 hurs long, and our group split up. I opted to go sightseeing with CSK and reahti. Did lots of walking, saw lots of memorials. My favorite, by far, was the FDR memorial. Please, if you have a chance, go see it. It's good for the democratic soul.
The second night was inauguration eve - and for the group of us, it was seriously better than Christmas! This evening, January 19th, was the official Lulupalooza. It was ridiculously fun. One of the best parties I've ever attended. I mean, really - put a whole bunch of liberals together on the eve of the most historic inauguration, marking the end of the worst presidency ever, and how are you not going to have the most amazing time, ever??? And seriously, any party prepped by Lulu57 and Donna Marie? If you get an invite, I don't care if you're planning your wedding for that day. Change your plans and go to that party. I mean it.
The (other) main event
Ah, inauguration day. The Politiks had silver tickets, but their plans were foiled first by the closing of the metro station they'd planned to embark from, and then when poor Politik got a migraine. It's just not right. So Ms. Pea, as she's known in casa lulupalooza, went back to bed. The rest of us headed out after reahti did some fancy figuring as far as getting to strategic metro stations. We got to our designated station, got on the train, and....waited. Packed in like sardines (only, as reminded by someone in attendance, we fortunately got to keep our heads). The metro was delayed by an accident up the track. And even packed in as we were (and believe me, it got worse as we headed on into town), the mood on the train was palpable happiness. We wended our orange draped way through the crowds and watched the inaugural from the very back of the crowd. Behind the Washington Memorial, near the WWII memorial. Even viewing from the jumbotron was amazing. Everyone in the crowd was your best friend. It was, quite simply, grand.
Silliness
Back at casa lulu, when inside, we were such geeks. There was a night when dinner needed to be ordered. Picture this - we're all in the same house, with some in the smoking room and others in the non-smoking room. A distance of perhaps 25 feet. All communication occurred via Facebook statuses and FB chat. We actually came close to having CSK, who by this time was back home, order dinner for us.
It was a wonderful few days. I made really great new friends, and came away feeling even more connected than I already did to this wonderful community. Kossacks are such great people, and I'm so privileged to be along for the ride.
So, how about you? Any Inauguration tales? Meeting Kossack tales? Share 'em here!
and without further ado....onto tonight's top comments!
From Casual Wednesday:
I want to nominate this one for top comments:
Wyvern, commenting on NMDan's dairy The genius of Obama attacking Rush Limbaugh, discusses The Genius of Obama. I'm not sure if I ever want to meet a howler monkey on meth, though.
From Phonegery:
martydd starts an amusing exchange, here.
mspicata's take on TARP, here.
from Samer:
hcc in VA starts a riff about Republicans and evolution in a diary on SCHIP.
From sardonyx:
Dallasdoc writes an excellent comment on Strategy and Overton Windows, as FishOutofWater agrees in the direct reply. Unfortunately, the playbook cited therein draws a...spirited...series of responses downthread.
my picks:
Okay, so I sorta suck today. However, I was out doing hopefully fruitful job search related stuff most of the day, and (due to issues unrelated to the job search activity time suck) my eyes are freaking killing me today, making staring at a computer screen actually pain inducing.
This comment, by Jeffersonian, in response to fitz2, was suggested for TC, but not sent to the inbox...so I removed the middleman. :)
Churchill speaks for me today. Yeah, I'm a buzzkill.
More of the same, only this one is uplifting and has good advice, too. By leftyboy666.
Tonight's Top Mojo is brought to us by the ever fabulous and wonderful brillig - thanks, brillig!!!
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first comments and C&J:
1) You don't want whistleblower protection... by wiscmass — 162
2) I'm a former lurker, too. I lurked because by RadioGirl — 129
3) i like this new approach by mdmslle — 108
4) point of contention by My Philosophy — 103
5) Im getting sick by GlowNZ — 102
6) as we Quakers say, I will hold you in the light by teacherken — 99
7) cause frankly, i think by mysticlaker — 96
8) Second that by Theston — 89
9) Speaking as a formerly by gchaucer2 — 77
10) SOOPER Wonder Woozle! by boofdah — 77
11) I am praying for you by Bouwerie Boy — 77
12) Ice stops everything by WineRev — 76
13) There is always good stuff here to read... by swampus — 74
14) You built something by laying down bricks by arthura — 73
15) 66 by Debbie in ME — 71
16) And don't forget... by wiscmass — 70
17) Whistleblowers Tried to Stop the Market Meltdown! by Jesselyn Radack — 69
18) I Was Organizing My Thousands Of Images Yesterday by webranding — 69
19) I have an engineering degree- by Red no more — 69
20) don't like? don't read by Debbie in ME — 68
21) Not a single Republican???!! by Sand in Florida — 67
22) Strategy and Overton Windows by Dallasdoc — 65
23) I'm only 4 hours old by funluvn1 — 64
24) Don't let the kitteh know that I iz in hiz dish: by boofdah — 63
25) Hey, you are my buddy here by NearlyNormal — 62
26) Here's another by leftynyc — 62
27) Did everyone see this - a zoo where chimp by leftynyc — 62
28) Here is a must read from by DJShay — 61
29) The proper reaction to the current weather..... by mayim — 61
30) Thank you by Porfiry — 60
31) Blessed Be, IKB2. by bablhous — 60
32) Uh huh... by SmartAleq — 60
Top 30 comments with no exclusions:
1) tip jar for another snowy day by mysticlaker — 632
2) Tips for the Red Cross and stem cell research. by ImpeachKingBushII — 481
3) Tips for the stressed-out unemployed by Laurdet — 420
4) Tips for a former lurker by Deoliver47 — 416
5) Tippies for hippies. by One Pissed Off Liberal — 378
6) Hi, Vlad. I agree; his tone was perfect -- by trivium — 339
7) Tips for turning the other 5? by Red no more — 298
8) Tip Jar (for the economy) by Jesselyn Radack — 294
9) tip jar by trivium — 252
10) tips by thereisnospoon — 223
11) good post. by Vladislaw — 198
12) Tip Jar - 28 January by Jerome a Paris — 190
13) You don't want whistleblower protection... by wiscmass — 162
14) Tips, flames, etc,,, by triciawyse — 161
15) I'm a former lurker, too. I lurked because by RadioGirl — 129
16) i like this new approach by mdmslle — 108
17) point of contention by My Philosophy — 103
18) Im getting sick by GlowNZ — 102
19) as we Quakers say, I will hold you in the light by teacherken — 100
20) Tips for getting under Republicans' skin by darthstar — 99
21) Weirdness on Tip jar. by WineRev — 97
22) On to by Frankenoid — 97
23) cause frankly, i think by mysticlaker — 96
24) Forgive the shortitude by droogie6655321 — 90
25) Second that by Theston — 89
26) Tips / Mojo: 28 January 2009 by A Siegel — 89
27) Tips for net detectives by Keith Pickering — 86
28) Tips by DanK Is Back — 80
29) I am praying for you by Bouwerie Boy — 78
30) The dirty secret of capitalism... by JeffLieber — 78