We all made it! I pulled an all-nighter due to my jitters and left for D.C. early this morning. I shared a good conversation with my taxi driver; Yellow Cab drivers are always great small talkers. Anyway, I sat next to a guy on the plane that treated me as an airplane virgin; he constantly reminded me that I couldn’t use my iPhone during takeoff and landing and that my luggage had to be stowed entirely under the seat. After that leg of my journey, I quickly rushed to my transfer flight. I shared a nice sprint with a woman who is also going to the inauguration. In the end, we both got to the plane before take-off, and now we are both here in Washington D.C. YAY!
My friend, Joe, picked me up from the airport and gave me a nice tour of Washington D.C. I got to see all the set-up that is taking place in preparation for one of the biggest presidential bashes this city has ever seen. You can feel all the Obama spirit in this town from the posters to the murals to the vendors sending random Obama crap to the spuradic cheers from the crowds; the atmosphere is amazing.
Joe and I shared a nice meal at “Ben’s Chili Bowl.” A few days before Obama and Mayor of D.C. Adrian Fenty grabbed a bite of the restaurant’s famous Chili Half-Smoke: a chili hot dog with mustard and onions. I was also fortunate enough to enjoy one today; pure deliciousness. I don’t know if it was whether or not because Obama was there just a few days before, but this place was hopping. Joe and I had to fend for ourselves in our quest to seize a table in the small diner. In the end, it was all worth it. The store owners pride themselves in that they only give out free meals to Bill Cosby and the Obamas.
In other news, contributors to the Washington Post offered good places to view the inauguration. Check it out here. Well, I’m heading out with other College Dems to the pre-inauguration concert. Mary J. Blidge, baby!!!