Inauguration Day Part II

Standing at the feet of Abraham Lincoln, we receive our instructions. As the late, great Ricardo Montalban said, "Smiles, everyone! Smiles!" We get lots of hotties to give our team members -- and we needed them. A map. Our general location. 

So we string out along the north side of the (frozen) Reflecting Pool, holding signs announcing our team numbers. Everyone gets phone calls from volunteers trapped on Metros and running late, and some from the outer suburbs lost because they're not familiar with the Metro or the Mall.

As dawn gleams pink at the distant Capitol, our teams gather. I have an enthusiastic bunch, and one woman shows a talent for leading us in cheers and song. One I especially liked because it kept us warm: choo-choo,choo,choo,choo, rotating arms like a train. "Get oooooon the Oooo- Bama Train!"

We also sang "When the saints go marching in," with refrains like: "When Obama takes that oath, oh, I want to be in that number, when Obama takes his oath." Clearly Paula is a church choir member. She should be director if she's not already.

So finally at 6 a.m. we move to our positions. My toes, despite being clad in wool hiking socks and fleece-lined boots, are completely numb. I almost stagger over the small rise we must climb to pass the Vietnam Memorial and reach Constitution Avenue.

Most of my team end up at 18th Street because the crowds are already pouring down the hill from Farragut North and West metro stations toward the Mall. Paula leads some cheers while I go to station more volunteers.

Most of the time we spent greeting the crowds, smiling and offering to help. Some take us up on our offer and I'm surprised how many have Silver tickets, a mile and a half from our location. (the tales we hear over the next few days explain why).

One of our team discovers a warming tent near our location. Yay! Better yet, another works in a government office nearby, so we don't have to use the frigid Port-a-Johns. Even better.  The security guards are a bit bemused by our visit (we have to show ID, go through X-ray machines, the works) but it was worth it.

Finally, at 11 a.m., the shift is over. I wander by the Lincoln Memorial and debate weaving through the barricades to join the huge crowd there. I gape at the sea of people off in the distance, clustered at the base of the Washington Monument and beyond, a pixilated sea of humanity. There's only a smaller crowd clustered at a Jumbotron near the Reflecting Pool and I amble over there. I'm really close. In fact, almost too close -- the screen is a little blurry. The sun is in my eyes.

Then we listen to the stentorian announcements of various powers-that-be arriving. Cheney is in a wheelchair. Actually, the crowd I'm in is polite. There is little booing.

And finally, Barack Obama appears. The cheers go up. The oath seems awkward. Obama gives Roberts a smile and I wonder what happened. We all learned later -- Roberts has a hatred of split infinitives. He really needs to read up on the history of English grammar. Some idiot monk tried to impose Latin rules on English. In Latin you can't have a split infinitive. That's because the infinitive is one word in Latin. Duh.

Then we listen to Obama's speech. There are few cheering points, but elegant turns of phrase, I thought. No one was chatting, everyone was listening. 

And it's over! We have a new president, at long last.

 

Tuesday Part I

I was up before the dawn. Hours before the dawn. I was drafted as a last minute sub for a volunteer captain who had left the job. So here I was, the alarm going off at 2:45, out the door at 3:15 a.m. , baby. It was cold, very cold. My husband was a warm lump, still huddled under the comforter. He had to be at his assignment at a late-ish 5:30 a.m.

I was slightly nervous at trudging the deserted streets of Washington, DC alone at that time of night. Not to worry. Only a block away on Maryland Avenue were five soldiers in camouflage, their faces covered by olive scarves. Good morning! I said cheerily, teeth not even chattering. Did I say it was cold? It was. Good morning came the muffled replies. Are you cold? I asked. We're freezing! was the reply.

So off I was on my trek down Constitution Ave. The PIC text warned us the north side would be closed because of the parade, and I debated veering south. But then Constitution seemed open so I plunged down Capitol Hill.

At the confluence of Constitution and Pennsylvania, I ran into my first hurdle. Uh oh.  I found myself having to drift down Penn Ave. Was I going to have to keep on it until the White House? That would put many blocks and probably 20 minutes off schedule. And I was already running late. My pace was definitely too slow.

There was a group of either secret service in civvies, or parade planners in the middle of street. I asked if I could cut across Pennsylvania since I was heading to the Lincoln Memorial. They glanced at each other, looked at the barren road. One asked if I was crossing the street and hanging a right. Yes, I said. OK. So I scooted one of the barricades open and scurried through.

The stream of people heading to find their spots in the darkness on the Mall started grow. A few more fences and hurdles later, I was climbing the hill toward the Washington Monument as more and more people were heading in the other direction. Because of the dark and the empty streets, it felt almost post-apocalyptic. 

Finally, along the ice covered Reflecting Pool I met my fellow captains. 

Frak

I forgot how good Battlestar Galactica is. and the best moment wasn't the revelations, like Starbuck finding her own corpse or even finding out the last cylon. It was the gut-wrenching moment when Dee holds the gun to her head after tenderly putting away her wedding ring, hummingly happily. Second best was the confrontation between Adama and Tigh. I love Michael Hogan and his ability to act and convey emotion with one eye. And it's the little things like the "frak earth" graffitti and the dandelion weed Laura treasures.

Chef 5.4

Well, dang, my blog post got lost and I haven't felt like redoing it. It got lost because I commented on our other computer on my little sister's blog. And I guess you can't be logged in to two places at once. Plus the frigging blogger program won't let you copy and paste directly into the window. Why is that?

So anyway, week before last, Thanksgiving just got in the way. Turkey just made me lazy. But Foo Fighters, yay! Though I agree with Tom that the decision probably should be made on the entrees (or protein) and not the desserts. Making a turkey well in a toaster oven is pretty impressive. As Eugene did, she apparently rigged her contraption to be more of an oven.

Rocco is back. Breakfast amuse bouche. The chefs aren't very original, doing variations of toast, eggs and bacon. I voted for Stefan because he did huevos rancheros in a cool way.  And it is huevos rancheros. mmm....even if Stefan was suddenly from California and not Finland. Having had airport food in Helsinki on the way to St. Petersburg, yeah, guy, suddenly I'd be from California too.

The elimination competition was a great idea in theory. Chefs do do a lot of promotions on morning shows, cooking demos, because it is free publicity for their restaurants. So I thought the vapors, wrist on forehead, clutching pearls reaction from these television contestants was pretty amusing.

But it was a boring episode. Why? Too many chefs!

One other comment. Kathy Lee does not have permission to be on my tv. She's a morning personality. I am not a morning person. I watch tv at night. I do not want her obnoxious rude self on my tv any more, do you hear me, Top Chef?

Top Chef 5.2

This week of Top Chef was pretty funny with some great lines.  "Eeeet doeza notta matter how many dragooons you keel but if you-a bring te princess home." Fabio's accent is sooo cliche you just wonder if he's pretending. 

But many lessons to be learned for future cheftestants.

1. Don't use an ingredient if you've never worked with it before -- unless you have to.

2. Don't make quiche. They never win and they often lose.

3. Don't use a canned (or frozen) version of a protein if you can't get it fresh. Hello, Hosea! Did you not watch the saga of Spike and the frozen scallops last season.

4. Have a plan B.

5. Trust your instincts and don't trust your fellow cheftestants. If you think you should start from scratch, you probably should.

Good-bye Jill, one of our hometown girls. You seemed like you'd eventually show a quirky sense of humor, but sorry that was the lamest defense of a dish I've ever seen.

Personally, I would have picked Jamie's dish. But I'm not tasting things only watching.

PS Ariane needs a self-esteem course or something. Every season there's some self-doubting female. She either is going to be the person hanging on by the skin of her teeth week after week after week, or she's gone pretty soon.

PPS Last week I kind of liked Hosea but he lost some points this week. Wazzup with that weird flirtation with Leah?

Random thoughts on last week's Top Chef

Since I was too lazy last week, some random thoughts:

-- Poor Lauren. That has to suck. Apples. I'm betting that not only is her hubby in the military but she has some military background too. She was striking military poses, standing legs spread, arms behind back.

-- Poor Patrick. He was a cutie pie but way green and it showed. Even I know you steep Asian noodles, not boil them like spaghetti. Geez, hasn't this guy ever had ramen noodles as a poor college student? 

-- I'm kind of rooting for Gene despite the tats. He worked his way up from dishwasher. And he tasted food in the India market and worked on replicating the taste. Shows he has a great palate. Thought Padma was going to swoon. Something I'm sure S is rooting for.

-- Stefan and Fabio are the Euro-douche Duo! Stefan has that "I'm smug and superior" attitude that can be very irritating. Fabio is a me-too.

-- Then again Dan seems like one of those types you wish the State Department would discourage from visiting other countries. He looks way older than 25.

-- Radhika seems a bit annoying. And sickly.

-- Others don't like Carla. She seems spirited and maybe fun to me. 'Course I might be prejudiced cuz she's repping DC.

-- Jeff is the smarmy good looking guy you always hated in high school.

-- Stefan was the early leader but I'm betting on Hosea as a serious contender.

-- How can someone not know Italian?  And for all her "country mouse" protestations, Melissa is actually from the Baltimore area and Baltimore has its own Little Italy. Even if she lives in Colorado now and is into horses. 

-- Same with middle-eastern food. If you live on the mid-Atlantic coast, how could you not have not had middle-eastern food? I actually get tired of it because it's one of the less expensive lunch options. Hummus, up there with peanut butter as a staple. The cookbook remark was a baaad mistake. Colicchio's eyes shot laser beams. Jean-Georges pursed his lips disapprovingly.

Oh well rambled on and the new ep is on soon.

President Obama

I am crying right now. The immensity of this moment is too intense.