Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Yeah We Did

Well, in case you've just come out of your cave high in the Himalayas, we have a new president and I, for one, am completely thrilled. Yesterday, I did not have to go to work because Obama, with his mighty powers, ensured that it would snow and get icy and really cold in Asheville and thus I got a snow day, weather be praised. Therefore I was able to sit in the newly habitable downstairs TV room and watch about an hour and a half of the inauguration which made me feel very citizenish and virtuous and also teared me up a bit. I also got worried about everyone in the cold without hats - 80% of your body heat, people. 80%! - and wondered if I mailed the hat I was knitting to the White House whether somebody would ever wear it but I decided that the symbolism was a little heavy handed - it's a black and white striped hat - and I'm totally sick of all the symbolism/race/etc stuff. Yes, it is a historic occasion and now if we could all just move on and stop pointing it out I would be thrilled.

Well, they seem to have survived the whole inauguration without hats at any rate. My GOD it is nice to have people you like and respect in the White House and also my god, was there ever a first lady who disappeared into the woodwork like Laura Bush and what the hell is the backstory there, she really is a Stepford wife or what? and also also my god, I really hope I never have to see the Avatar of Evil, aka Dick Cheney ever again; how is it that being in a wheelchair, which would elicit sympathy for any human person, only makes him even creepier?

Then in the afternoon I went over the laundromat with the five giant bags and baskets of laundry I had accumulated by cleaning the downstairs. The laundromat was packed and, what is worse, it was packed with coughing, sniffling children. So I got the washers going and beat a hasty retreat across the street to the bar where they were showing the inaugural parade and yet again I managed to get teary eyed and just a little indignant about their lack of hats. I mean, my children have had this hat thing dinned into them for years. Was it all for naught? Am I wrong here? Whatever, the Obamas both looked so wonderful walking together. You know, I've never watched an inauguration before or paid any attention to it whatsoever but there you have it: there's never been a president and first lady I felt this way about before either. Oh and my entire house is sparkling clean and all my laundry is done and, hey, I am ready for the new administration.

3 comments:

Edgy Mama said...

Tell me you're not turning into one of those women who corners young moms in the grocery store, and says, "You need to put a hat on that baby/child. She's going to get pneumonia."

Anonymous said...

I am totally with you on the hat thing, and on the "glad to have people I like and respect in the White House" thing, too.

Unknown said...

My friend asked me how they were going to get Cheney down to his seat on the Inaugural platform. I had a great idea- images of pushing that evil man's wheelchair down the stairs flashed through my brain. But that seemed kind of antithetical to the "new day" feel of the entire inauguration. Cheney kind of looked like Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life"- sneer and all. I was so happy to watch Shrub sit there with his little chimp smirk- I hope he was just a bit uncomfortable listening to Obama's speech. I bet that was the first time he had heard outright criticism of virtually everything he has done while in office. I was glued to the tv when the helicopter was taking off- kind of humming "the wicked witch is dead" or at least he is really gone. A dream come true!