19th
Inauguration Day is Jan. 20, the day after the Martin Luther King Jr holiday — talk about “I have a dream,” from the Lincoln Memorial to the steps of the Capitol to the executive mansion that slaves built. That also means two federal holidays back to back and a rare four-day weekend for me.
The Washington Post, besides graphing weather of inaugural past, is reporting on what The Day is shaping up to be like, comparing the event plans underway to the logistical fiasco that was the bicentennial celebration in 1976. But D.C. has changed a lot since then; Independence Day now regularly cordons off the Mall with security checkpoints and rehearses the region in disaster evacuation procedure. They even ask white people to take a sip from their beverage containers!
Craigslist is flooded with “inauguration specials” and I kinda want to find a new apartment in time to rent it out to Obamamania, too. Might even be tempted to chaffeur out-o’-towners for a dime.
On the other hand, it might be kinda cool to cycle downtown and people watch the crowds. But may your god have mercy on those who take Metro or get on a freeway when millions are on the move in mass. Mewonders if a local press pass and camera crew might get primo seats.
And on one of the itchy feet, four-day weekends are a good chance to get out of town myself.
