Back to my old hood

It's amazing how quickly perceptions change. I lived in Leesburg for 2 years but now it seems like a really far drive. I've become one of those DC people that thinks Leesburg is out in the middle of nowhere. I haven't been back in a long time but there was a birthday party out there that I went to tonight. Afterwards, we went to check out one of the dive bars I used to love: Shenanigans. It was kinda cool to be back in my old hood again.

Inauguration

For the first time, I was truly excited about an Inauguration. This inauguration is historic; it will be something to tell my children about. Having the opportunity to attend was incredible and something I couldn't pass up.

The concert on Sunday was amazing. There were a bunch of great performers (Springsteen, Garth Brooks, U2, etc.) but the amazing part had more to do with the atmosphere. You could feel the energy and the spirit of the people there. Unbelievable. I'm not one to be easily moved but there were moments when I had to fight back the tears. Looking at the crowd, I could see the hope on the faces around me. People are ready for change in a way that I don't think has happened at any other point in my lifetime. Adding to that the historic moment of electing our first African American President was almost to much to handle. I wish I could better communicate the feeling. Hopefully all of the pictures I'm posting will help.

Crowd at the concert

Security at the concert

A group of us got tickets to the Inauguration through a friend so we were up early on Tuesday to head out to wait in the long lines. At about 9am, they shut down everything, said the area was full, and it no longer mattered that we had tickets: we weren't getting in. We actually had a pretty good view but decided that it was too cold to stand there for another couple of hours. Plus, with the craziness of the crowds, we weren't sure we would make it to the parade if we stayed. And I couldn't feel my toes- that was the deciding factor for me.

The crowd trying to get in to the Inauguration

The message is true, even if the grammar is poor.

We spent the next 2 hours trying to travel about 10 blocks; I guess you could say we took the scenic route. Many of the streets were already closed so it was difficult to get anywhere. I've never seen so many people. At one point, we actually walked through a tunnel that was blocked off; seeing people walking on major roads with no cars was bizarre. It felt like Armageddon.

We watched the parade from a friend of a friend's apartment that overlooked Pennsylvania Ave. We were right at the point where Obama and Biden got out of their cars and walked. It was a moment that I will always remember.

These few days were exhausting but completely worth it. I feel so fortunate to have been part of this historic weekend.

Many of the pics in this posting were taken by Dan Murphy (gotta give credit where it's due). The boy is talented. This is my favorite picture of the weekend. I think it encompasses the feeling of the Inauguration and everyone's hope for the change that is desperately needed in our country.

West Virginia (again)

I spent the last 2 days in Clarksburg, West Virginia to do the quality kick-off for our new project out there. It was 2 degrees. I can't comprehend 2 degrees. We got a couple inches of snow while out there too. This trip was kind of fun because a good portion of our Reston office was out there for an open house at our new office. I'm glad to be home though.

Dance Class

I went to a jazz class today (same one I've taken both of the last 2 summers). Usually when I haven't taken class for so long, I have a hard time making it through the entire 2-hour class. I think all the running I've been doing has given me some endurance and strength though. I made it through the class and it felt great. I've also lost about 12 pounds since the summer and that made a huge difference. It's hard not to feel self-conscious when in dance clothes and out of practice anyway but I remember being extra self-conscious over the summer due to the weight I had gained. I felt so much more at ease being a little lighter.

Despite the class going so well, I quickly passed out when I got home and was basically exhausted for the entire evening. I did watch the Cardinals game and am excited to see what happens next week. Is it crazy to hope that they might end up in the Superbowl???

Running in the Cold

I got a Garmin running watch for christmas to support my new running hobby. It tracks distance, time, speed, has GPS to make sure I can find my way home, etc. Even though it's freezing outside, I took a run tonight so I could try out my new gadget. The watch is great and reminds me that I tend to run way too fast when I don't have the treadmill to keep my pace. It is a little big for my tiny wrist but it will work. I wish it wasn't so cold though. My lungs were burning from the cold air. It's painful. Plus, I really don't have appropriate cold weather running gear. So my watch may not get much use for the next couple of months until it gets a little more bearable to be outside. I really like this running thing though and it makes me happy that Georgie likes it too.

Promotion

It's been unofficial for a couple months, but now that our annual review cycle is complete, I'm officially the Director of Corporate Quality for my company. I've been working towards this essentially since I graduated from college. I'm not good at bragging about myself which is what this feels like so I don't think I'll say anything more. But I am really excited about this new challenge.