Not dead, just nothing exciting to report

Yes - again, I'm slacking with the blog. But mainly because there is nothing exciting to report. It is freezing cold here. We have had less than a dusting of snow - but right now it is 11 degrees outside - not factoring wind chill.

Max and I are learning how to live without a microwave and dryer. Hopefully we will get the dryer fixed next week, and hopefully I will buy a microwave soon. Until then - life continues to be trickier.

The inauguration is coming up this Tuesday. I don't remember it being such a big deal when George W. Bush was inaugurated - but this one is a biggie. In fact, I even had to take the day off work because they are closing all the bridges from Virginia into DC, which means all the beltway traffic will be horrible. I can hack 1-2 hour each way commutes - but not 4-5 hour each way commutes! Lucky for me - it means staying home, doing a LITTLE work from home, but being able to get some 'around-the-house' projects done. I need that! I just hope it warms up a LITTLE bit!

You know, as I type this - I started wondering how other people view our city. Growing up in Vegas, I didn't even blink to see the casinos, flashy lights and provocative adds everywhere. It was just - normal. Well, now it is the same here. I don't even think twice as I drive past the pentagon, the Washington Memorial, the Capitol, etc. It is a regular thing to hear about how the president's motorcade is messing up traffic patterns in DC again, etc. It is just life in the greater DC area. But this next week millions (?) of people will be descending upon our city to see the inauguration of the first black president. What do they see when they land at the airport? Are foreign journalists impressed by our monuments? Do tourists moved by the history of this city? Do we all take a look back at the founding fathers and marvel at the writing of the constitution? How men have fought and died for the freedoms we have today?

I remember the first time I visited DC - I was a high school student coming on a week trip to learn about the US Government. I was a bit of a rebellious hippy at the time - and my first look at the city (which I now know was actually Virginia) was in mockery. There was trash around the hotel, there were homeless people in the streets. I initially used this as an argument as to how poorly run our country was. But - during my week's trip - we were taken to the senate, the congress, the different monuments. We were split into teams and made to argue different court cases. But the one thing I will never forget was the day we went to the Lincoln Memorial. It was towards the end of the week - so we had grown friendly with the counselor who was in charge of our group. He was cool - he knew history, he know DC, we all idolized him by this point. So - we get outside of the Lincoln Memorial. He gathers us around, and he says:

"Well, I have to be honest with you guys. The only reason I am bringing you here is because my boss says I have to. I don't like this memorial. I don't like Abraham Lincoln, and I think it is a huge waste of space, money and something else should have been put here."

He knew that several was fight back on that one - and we did! We immediately asked why.

He went on to tell us a few things about Lincoln that were not all that great - namely that he actually owned slaves. One by one, he got us to start fighting back... We started defending Lincoln - telling our guide the great things Lincoln DID do - and the huge impact it has had on our country's great history.

By the time my week's trip in DC was over, I was a changed person. I saw that there was no 'black and white' - that you can't just fix EVERYTHING - but you have to fix what you can, and then come back and fix more the second time around. I saw the sacrifices made to get where we are now.

I am eager to watch as Obama takes the presidency this week - to see a black family move into the white house - to see a man who is intensely interested in making our country a better place to live.

I know that Bush did not want to make our country a bad place - I just think that he didn't know how to do it at times. I am hoping and praying that Obama will be able to lead us out of this recession, that he will use wisdom and good judgement in deciding how to fill his cabinet positions, and in making decisions.

OK, it is starting to get so cold that my fingers are freezing up. Time for me to hibernate under a heavy stack of blankets.