Tuesday: Recap of the Ceremony and the Parade

The walk down North Capitol Street was fairly uneventful. For a day that all the locals had been dreading, in bated anticipation of disaster, there was a street devoid of much activity. It was only when we were closer that and accosted by the omnipresent street vendors that were hawking their wares. From the Obama Dollars to the hot pink Obama Family shirts, it was invigorating to see so many pushing their wares as people bustled down to the Capitol.

I stopped in at an Au Bon Pain few blocks away from the Yellow Gate, where we were headed ultimately. I got a coffee and a cornbread muffin as well as a commemorative edition of The Washington Post for the day; that would be my souvenir.

Finally getting down to the Capitol Grounds however, Joe and I encountered a lengthy line that stretched for several blocks west finally hitting the line for the Purple Gate. Doing our best, we tried to stay in line and move forward as best we could. The time when we got into line was perhaps 7:45. People were chatty and excited. Some jumped or shivered as the temperature continued on its slow rise. The sun came out for extended periods of time as the clouds moved through the canvas on the sky. Finally, it was just the cold painted across the blue expanse above with the sun bursting out over the painting. We began to move, a few steps at a time and then more quickly as 7:45 became 8:00 and then 8:30 and then 9:00. A few people desperate to get in quickly asked to get into line; there were adamant refusals. As we finally got into the gate, a security officer boomed that line cutters would have their tickets confiscated; he claimed he had already taken eight that morning. I wondered to myself what he was going to do with those eight tickets now.

Around 9:30, we finally made it to our seats, in the middle part of section 15, a triangle patch in the grass close to the Capitol front. (The side facing the National Mall incidentally is actually the rear-side of the Capitol; it just happens that most tourists approach the Capitol from the National Mall and it has become more iconic now. Just look at the statute on top of the Capitol Dome. It faces east.) A satellite eagle-eye view of the Mall is available.

People around us were all ages, races and walks of life. The commonality was that we were all excited for what was to come. The music selections helped to pass the time. A jumbotron gave us vistas of the Mall behind us as well as the performers. The stand itself where the oaths were to be administered was clearly visible from where we were sitting, though the individuals moving around them were mere heads bobbing around.

Finally the time came as various VIPs were introduced and seated. The crowd was raucous for the Democrats, but was mostly politely quiet for the Bush's. A smattering of boos could be heard in the sections behind us and perhaps from the Mall, but it was fairly quiet and dignified where we were sitting.

The rest everyone has seen or read about by now. My only comment is that it was emotional from where I sat. An elderly looking black woman behind me had tears in her eyes as Obama took the oath. The cheers were mighty at the conclusion.

But in DC fashion, people got up after The Moment (as CNN has come to call it). The benediction and the National Anthem was assaulted by people trying to beat the impending traffic horrors of masses of people moving. Joe and I waited until the conclusion as a majority of people did and managed to get to the front of the Capitol in time to see Bush off in his helicopter. It truly was over at that point and change had happened as peacefully as it has in this country yet again.

Epilogue
We walked to Ashley and Beth's to have some pho that Ashley had made. We watched the live coverage of the Congressional luncheon and heard about the rumors of Ted Kennedy's collapse. The parade followed as well as our thawed bodies. It was a delight to see Obama get out of his limousine and to walk; a populist in some ways, isn't he?