Thursday, January 22, 2009

So about that little shindig

I will write more later, but here are the important stats.
  • Predicted high temperature: 35 degrees F.
  • Actual high temperature: 27 degrees F.
  • Clothing summary: Boots, hiking (1 pair). Socks, thermal (1 pair). Heaters, chemical, for the feetie regions (1 pair). Heaters, chemical, for the chilly paws (1 pair). Long johns (2 pair). Jeans (1 pair). Cashmere sweaters (3). Fleece pullovers (1). Wool camping shirts, likely bulletproof (1). Down vest (1). Windbreaker (1). Fingerless glubs (1 pair). Fingeréd gloves (1 pair). Knit hat (1). Enormous long wool scarf (1).
  • Time spent waiting for bus: 4 minutes.
  • Approximate period from disembarkation to severe shivering: 3 hours.
  • Time from departure of Mall to arrival at local pub for restorative protein and pints: 2.5 hours.
  • Regrets: 0.*

Yay! We're still warm!
*Well, okay, one regret: I chatted up an adorable Torontan on the bus into town and yet failed to get his digits. "Next time we make history, let's do it someplace warm, like Miami, okay?" quoth the feller. D'accord, mon ami; I'll be the one who looks 30 pounds of puffy clothing lighter.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

la mere?

3pennyjane said...

Yeah, she's somewhere under her own pile of layers in that pic.

Unknown said...

That shindig was AWESOME. We were especially blessed, but no small part of me wished that I could be out on the mall just to feel the energy of so many people.

We sat on the plane with a nice lady from Greensboro. She had a Silver ticket to the Inauguration, but was one of many who did not get in to see it. She was pretty calm about it. "It was still a beautiful moment." Her one irritation was with a taxi driver who said, "This is a great day for black people." She replied, "Black people?! This is a great day for EVERYONE." Amen to that.

3pennyjane said...

The idea of a warm building did become tempting, but I'm pleased I went despite the cold. I've heard a lot about the Silver ticket farrago and the issues with the Purple tunnel, and we got caught in a slightly scary squish as we left (turns out that one of the entry paths was not open for departing throngs), but people were incredibly gentle with one another; statistically speaking, it was a perfect storm of politesse.

I'm still jealous you guys got to see Mr. and Mrs. P and VP! What a great start to the next four years.

Flying Lily said...

You own THREE cashmere sweaters??!!

Class war, commence.

3pennyjane said...

Pah, sweaters (and one of mine has been well nibbled by the moths in its 20 years) were as nothing to the full-length furs worn by some attendees. I'm not usually a fur person, but they did look like a wise option.