Getting to the inauguration yesterday was a true journey. I intended on going to the Parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue, hmm let's just say that didn't work out as planned.
I stood at Rhode Island Ave Metro for about 30 minutes there was a distorted message that kept coming over the speakers, no one knew what the muttered voice was saying. Suddenly, a voice says loud and clear "the red line is experiencing delays; a passenger was struck by a train at Gallery Place." My sister looked at me, "well we're going to have to park and Ma's house and walk." My mom lives in the capitol hill area. My feet were already frozen and it was already about 9:20.
After about a 15 minute walk, there stood the Capitol I started to get happy, 'yes' I thought to myself. We outsmarted the tourists! Unfortunately there were the national guard. "Get on the sidewalk and walk to the left!" Just what I didn't want a Detour.
By the time we finished walking we were at the monument, but we were late and we couldn't get anywhere near a jumbo tron. We started to walk back towards the capitol, with minor delays; my sister wanted to stop at every booth and table to get Obama-rabilia, as if she were a tourist.
We ended up on the south side of the Capitol, there were no screens on that side (why wouldn't they put jumbo trons all around???) We could hear the crowd chanting "Obama, Obama" I looked at my cell phone it was 11:17...I knew that this wasn't going to work. We walked towards Eastern Market, and voila...there was a TV screen outside of a law office. What was a group of about 5 people quickly turned into a group of 50 or more. People were in the middle of the street and across the street trying to watch a 40' flat screen t.v. There was a news reporter from channel 6 news (I have no idea of what city or state). There was a vendor who was very disgruntled, while President Obama was being sworn in, he cursed "Nobody wants to buy sh*t, everyone wants to look at the f*cking TV." Despite his ignorance, and him cursing at an onlooker...things were pretty smooth.
Tears were flowing and random strangers hugging each other. I was so proud of what I was witnessing, and I was very happy that I convinced my sister to come along...that is until I realized that I had to walk about 16 blocks to get back home.
I stood at Rhode Island Ave Metro for about 30 minutes there was a distorted message that kept coming over the speakers, no one knew what the muttered voice was saying. Suddenly, a voice says loud and clear "the red line is experiencing delays; a passenger was struck by a train at Gallery Place." My sister looked at me, "well we're going to have to park and Ma's house and walk." My mom lives in the capitol hill area. My feet were already frozen and it was already about 9:20.
After about a 15 minute walk, there stood the Capitol I started to get happy, 'yes' I thought to myself. We outsmarted the tourists! Unfortunately there were the national guard. "Get on the sidewalk and walk to the left!" Just what I didn't want a Detour.
By the time we finished walking we were at the monument, but we were late and we couldn't get anywhere near a jumbo tron. We started to walk back towards the capitol, with minor delays; my sister wanted to stop at every booth and table to get Obama-rabilia, as if she were a tourist.
We ended up on the south side of the Capitol, there were no screens on that side (why wouldn't they put jumbo trons all around???) We could hear the crowd chanting "Obama, Obama" I looked at my cell phone it was 11:17...I knew that this wasn't going to work. We walked towards Eastern Market, and voila...there was a TV screen outside of a law office. What was a group of about 5 people quickly turned into a group of 50 or more. People were in the middle of the street and across the street trying to watch a 40' flat screen t.v. There was a news reporter from channel 6 news (I have no idea of what city or state). There was a vendor who was very disgruntled, while President Obama was being sworn in, he cursed "Nobody wants to buy sh*t, everyone wants to look at the f*cking TV." Despite his ignorance, and him cursing at an onlooker...things were pretty smooth.
Tears were flowing and random strangers hugging each other. I was so proud of what I was witnessing, and I was very happy that I convinced my sister to come along...that is until I realized that I had to walk about 16 blocks to get back home.
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