Tomorrow is the big day!

Who else is super excited about the Inauguration tomorrow?  Come on, I know someone's with me.  Watching all the stuff on the news about DC and the Inauguration really has me excited.  Several people have asked if I wish that Matt and I still lived in DC so that we could take part in some of the activities.  I'd have to say yes.  And no.  

Knowing what it's like to navigate around the city during large tourist/visitor seasons (the Cherry Blossom Festival, 4th of July, really all of summer), I have to say that I'm glad I don't have to deal with all the craziness.  Today on the news, I heard that law enforcement has closed of three square miles of downtown DC.  For a local, that's a bitch.  Additionally, they have closed certain metro stations - I'm thinking maybe the Smithsonian station, because they close that during July 4th.  Once again - for a local, these issues make it kind of tough to get around.  Add to that the fact that, were we still living in DC, I'd still be working at GWU Hospital - a mere few blocks from the excitement and the White House.  What a nightmare.  I can only imagine the influx of emergency room patients the hospital will have tomorrow!  

If we were still in DC, and Matt was still in the Army doing EOD work, the Inauguration would also be a nightmare for him.  He has said for the past two years that he is so happy he won't have to work this event - it will be absolute chaos.

But on the other hand...I keep thinking of the energy, the patriotism, and - what the heck! - the celebrities who are plastered all over my former city!  What fun!  Oprah broadcasted her show at the Kennedy Center today - literally just a couple of blocks from my former place of employment.  I sure would love to see a celebrity.  So far, the only "celebrities" I've seen in DC (or anywhere, actually) are Laura Bush, Dick Cheney, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta (love him, by the way!  Another Michigan grad!).  And to be honest, I'm not really sure they count as "celebrities" - mostly just persons of interest.  

This is truly a historical time for Washington DC, the nation, and the world.  Do I wish I were there?  Absolutely, kind of.  You know, it's complicated.  But I know that tomorrow, along with millions of other Americans, I'll be glued to the TV screen, watching President-elect Barack Obama make history.