It’s cold in DC.
20 degrees feels like 16.
And I’m 75.
I wasn’t invited to the Rotunda swearing in, so another option was going downtown to Capital One Arena for a Watch Party. To do that I would have to leave by 6am on foot, then bus and Metro for 45 minutes to get in line before 7am when the doors opened. And then wait for hours in the cold because the line will be long.
I did the math. I came to my senses and watched the morning events from the warmth of my bed. After the Inaugural Address, I decided to go downtown to Capital One to see what I missed.
Good thing I stayed home. Icicles were hanging from the cars in my neighborhood. And the Metro station I wanted was blocked and not available because of Security. I discovered that the arena line downtown was a mile long already at 6am. People waited for up to seven hours and still did not get in. The Arena only seats 20,000 and 77 million voted for Trump. They’re not all here, but many from across the country.
The security checkpoint for entry into the Arena was closed, but it looked like a refugee camp with heaping piles of backpacks, bags and personal items that people just abandoned in order to be allowed through. They didn’t come this far for nothing. One vendor told me women were throwing away their purses just to gain entry. I already knew this from my Saturday night NHL hockey game at the same arena. No bags allowed, unless parents with diapers.
Vendors were selling anything and everything Trumpish. It was like going to a sacred pilgrimage site abroad only to wade through a gauntlet of commercial hecklers. You could tell who was from out of town as they were all decked out in Trump gear. Like fans at a Super Bowl with all the apparel. Just no tailgating. Several religious groups were vocally sharing their redemption. But those who had watched the Swearing In Ceremony at noon already felt redeemed.
One woman had a sign which I thought was "I Miss Biden." But looking closer it read "I Miss Eden." I asked her what she believed in. She said everything, just not religion. Finally a breath of fresh air.
Even PETA had a presence, well, a poster which pleaded with Trump to make a cut of $23 million from animal research at the NIH. Something for Elon Musk at DOGE. Efficiency in government seems to have popular support.
Did I say it was cold. My body was warmly dressed, but this was a new experience for my face. I went into a Hard Rock Cafe for a hot drink. They were out of coffee! How can that be . . . it says “Cafe.” But I found a Starbucks with no line inside. I was shocked. At least they still had coffee.
I wandered over to Pennsylvania Avenue where the motorcade will drive by after leaving the Capital. Streets were blocked off, security everywhere. I had to go through a TSA tent inspection. Unlike the airport, I could keep my hot liquid drink.
Pennsylvania Avenue leads from the Capitol to the White House. It had guard rail fences along the perimeter with more security than you could count, mostly from other states. Each block was manned by a different group. North Carolina State Troopers had one block. Minnesota law enforcement had another. Connecticut still another. I spoke with two National Guard members . . . from Puerto Rico. I was surprised they had any?
In front of me was a television team from Denmark. The cameraman proudly showed me a picture of his son with the newly coronated King of Denmark. Suddenly I asked, “Don’t you own Greenland?” The reporter joked back, “I thought you’d never ask.” Some people had already been stationed along the route for hours, a small consolation prize for not getting into the arena. At one point security broke the barriers and allowed us to cross. What happened? Suddenly it was apparent that the motorcade was not coming. It had taken a different route. Pennsylvania Avenue was a decoy. Most people, even Denmark, were disappointed.
But at this point I could talk with security because we no longer presented a threat. The risk was gone. They even allowed me to take photos, totally not protocol. But this was a National Holiday. If not for the Inauguration, then Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Why not? They’re already earning double time. I assured them, “Leave your mask up for the photo. I don’t do social media." In my mind blogs didn’t count!
It’s getting colder and darker. One of the Metro stations is closed for security, so I walk a little further to another. Perfect timing for the Red Line going home. Now I can focus on what’s important. There’s a National Championship College Football game tonight - Ohio State vs. Notre Dame. On paper the Buckeyes have the superior team, but the Fighting Irish have one advantage. Their new coach makes all the players attend Mass on game day. It’s discipline and can’t hurt. It just won’t make you more physical in the trenches.
Arriving near home it’s still cold. Perfect excuse for some Thai Tom Kha soup before kickoff. And you thought I would talk about the Inauguration. There’s plenty of sites for that. But none of them will tell you about the places and people I met today. Tomorrow I have a date for a tour of the Capitol. Maybe I’ll stand in the same spot where the swearing in took place. A day late. But I can say I was there. Where history was made.
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