Hello everyone!

I just wanted to share a few pictures from the Inauguration, and tell a couple stories too.

I’m not sure how to squeeze this all into something short, but I’ll do my best.

I went down to the National Mall a few times before Tuesday and there were tens of thousands of people down there. What really surprised me was how happy everyone was. DC is a great city, but it’s not exactly known for its warm inviting attitude, but that week it was like everyone put their nasty attitudes away for a couple days and just celebrated history being made.

I volunteered with Service Nation on Monday morning, and helped out with the press pool. It was a great event, kicking off a day of a MLK day of service in SE DC. We were at Ballou Sr. High, which has gotten a little press on the Ellen show lately, for their incredible marching band.

http://www.balloumovie.com/ellen.html

My favorite speech of the morning was by Rep. John Lewis. He has an incredible story, you should google him immediately if you’re not familiar. He gave a lot of perspective, ending his speech with something I’ve been hoping to hear for a while from somebody “It’s going to be OK”. He's seen a lot, and not all of it has been pretty, and if he can be hopeful so can I. And he was followed by...Spiderman. Tobey Maguire, Maria Shriver and Ashton and Demi dedicated some of their time to the service project.

On Tuesday, I got up bright and early to head down to the Mall. I hate crowds, but this is history right? So i put on 14 layers (like the true Wisconsin girl I am) and walked down 17th St. I can't really describe the atmosphere on the Mall, so I'll add a few pictures instead. Suffice it to say, I told all my friends it was like Barackapalooza. People from all over the country and the world, just happy to be there, freezing their history making butts off.

I found a good place, far away from the madness by the security gates and up on the hill by the Washington Memorial. I was next to a Texan, a couple of Canadians, a woman from Kenya, and a woman who was possibly Romanian (She didn't speak English, but we became good friends when she shared her cashews). Later in the day, I met three teenagers from NorthEast DC who defended my view of the jumbotron, a nice lesbian couple from Boston, and a professor from Philly. All morning we talked, shared strategies for keeping warm, and applauded every time a half hour passed. One of my new "friends" took this picture of me in my many many layers of Wisconsin attire.

I don't think I have to tell you all what I felt the moment he was inaugurated, that obviously meant a lot to me. But I can tell you how cool it was to hear 2 million people listen. 2 million people were quiet enough for me to hear every word of the inaugural address. Amazing.

It took me two hours to get home (12 blocks) and I spent most of the afternoon hoping my feet would thaw in time to squeeze them into 4 inch patent leather stilettos for a ball at the American History Museum. If you haven't seen the renovations at the museum yet, you should check it out, it's a beautiful space. My friend Katie and I took full advantage of the open bar and danced into the wee hours of the AM, and then I went to sleep, for many many days.

That's it. Here's a quick life update. I'm job hunting and interviewing constantly. Once I figure out that mess, I'm out of town for a few days. And don't you worry, I'm telling every perspective employer that I'll be taking a vacation the first week in May!

Love you,
Betsy