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far away from home without laptop access...just me & my Treo...will this really post?

Gotta get going.

We are like little kids: Glued to the TV. Mesmerized by the new President:  The 1000 watt smile. The throaty chuckle. The eagerness to meet and greet the crowd.

I recommend Peggy Noonan's column in today's Wall Street Journal where she says: "It's good to put [previous disappointments] aside for a few days, to remove yourself from politics, partisanship and faction, to suspend your disbelief, to be grateful that the signs and symbols endure, as does the republic, and raise a toast: "To the president of the United States."   Imagine me quoting Peggy Noonan!

About an hour ago, we decided that instead of leaving in the morning, we'd leave tonight... can't wait to get to the party!

So, after this evening's date with some friends, we'll pack the car and drive to DC! 

It's going to be amazing --- starting with sunrise over the Potomac!

Invites and Tickets

Just in case you wanted a peek, here is my Official Inauguration Invitation. Ok. Full disclosure: This is my commemorative invitation but it is engraved and it is cool! and I received TWO of them! 

Lots of flurry now around tickets. Today I received a message from the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) stating that if you were planning on picking up your Inaugural Ball tickets today, please don't. That due to overwhelming ticket demand and a printing problem, today's scheduled ticket pick-up at the Washington Convention Center has been postponed 'til tomorrow...like you are already in the endless line waiting to pick-up your treasured and precious and $$$ tickets, and you get the email saying "don't come today"....OMG

For my long time readers, you know I I hate those endless lines.....and this time: no "delegate passes" to jump the line. 

And what could have happened to have a PRINTING PROBLEM??? Yikes....is the Government so busy printing the the bailout money that the printing presses couldn't accommodate the printing of Inaugural Ball tickets?!! Hmmmm.....

Weather note: For my warm weather readers, today in Cleveland the current temperature 1 (feels like -19). Really.

Serious Planning. Serious GuanXi

You may recall from an earlier post the term "GuanXi"-the Chinese term for "relationship". Well, we may not be Chinese, but in many of our daily lives, we all depend and cultivate "GuanXi" (google GuanXi and you'll get the full definition-then decide if you do or not have your own "GuanXi" strategies!

So as I plan my Inaugural Adventure, I certainly am depending on GuanXi to smooth the way--more on this in a later post.

A big factor in keeping this adventure in the manageable category is 1) the weather and 2) being able to walk to my destination. 

1) THE WEATHER: Forecast, so  far, is glorious! 

2) LOCATION LOCATION: Our hotel is at Dupont Circle. Not short - but a doable walk to Senator Sherrod Brown's Office at the Russell Senate Office Building where will go to pick up (with my photo ID) my two standing Swearing-in Tickets). Also, the hotel is walkable to Capitol Hill where, obviously, The Swearing-In will occur. If you want to read all the pieces and parts of the Inaugural do's and don'ts, I refer you to the fascinating (Check out the maps) and detailed government website: http://inaugural.senate.gov/

Now for the SERIOUS Stuff

What to wear? The big concern-as mentioned above-is the walking and walking and walking. So while I'd love to be glamourous in a pair if wicked heels, I don't think it's reasonable. Some people are suggesting that we wear flat shoes and carry the nice shoes, but I think the parties are going to be CROWDED with lots of security check-points so carrying anything extra may be a big hassle. So... flat shoes it is.If I change my mind, I'll be sure to tell you! 

As for the dress?  Just between you and me: I have a dress from a long time ago and I am thrilled to report that it is still fashionable and more important: STILL fits :)  (thank you Terri Bahr!) If Vanity Fair interviews me about my gown, I will be proud to say I am respecting the current economic situation.

BONUS stuff: Howard will be joining me on this adventure-as will Rebecca and Aaron. And as you may know, Howard and Aaron are avid photographers and what a photo-op this will be. So I am excited to soon be able to share some great photos with you.

Mrs. Levine goes to Washington

It's Official! I'm going to The Inauguration. Or as it's called at our house: the BIG DAY!

I thought I could stay away. With the news media's best hype and scare tactics: 3 million people in DC. No bridge traffic. High security. No hotel rooms. All those "nos" and yet..as December turned into January, my aversion turned into affection; my phobia turned into love. While I adventured in Denver with my pal Lana, this adventure I'll have Howard and Rebecca and Aaron-who will be freshly returned to the USA from 10 months in Shangai, China. 

So ....stay tuned.

Post Election Void and on to Euphoria

Happy New Year to all my faithful blog readers. 

To fill the post-election void, Howard and I traveled to China and SE Asia. From the Great Wall

To the Beijing Opera:

To the Olympic Village Birdnest

It was a wonderful escape from USA politics plus an extraordinary "look" into our daughter and  son-in-law's Shanghai lifestyle (you may remember Rebecca and Aaron have been living and working in Shanghai since April, 2008). 

We visited Beiijin, Xian, Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. 

Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur

There is nothing like world travel to open your eyes to the bigness and smallness of the world! Once again, Happy New Year to all! 

The Victory and The Void

The MORNING AFTER

Surely everyone has witnessed not only Barack Obama's elegant victory and but also his exquisite victory speech. I didn't want him to stop talking. After 8 loooong years of you-know-who-it was heavenly to listen to an American leader sounding so smart and speaking with such grace, intellect and compassion.

The VOID

But today, while nursing my victory "hangover", I have to admit I feel a void. I have been 100% focused on this endless campaign: raising money, raising awareness, and of course, raising my voice for a new American policy direction.

What am I going to do? Will the TV Talking heads still hold my attention. Will I watch these TV shows everyday with with same intense attention? Will I surf the internet for the latest update? Will I now have to use my time for accomplishing long-overdue tasks like: cleaning my closet?! 

I suspect I'll do a few "catch-up" jobs but mostly, knowing me, I'll stay  in "worry mode". Before today, I worried about the election.

Now, I'll worry about:

Who is John Stewart and Stephen Colbert going to make of now?

Who is Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman and Rachel Maddow going to exhort?

What will Chuck Todd analyze?

And, most worrisome: how much more vitriol will be spewed from Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, and the other right winger radio/TV talkers.

Random thought:

Maybe it's time to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine-abolished during Ronald Reagan's administration allowing all the partisan broadcasting we experience today. Maybe this reversal was not a good thing--For anyone. Some of the talking heads -on both sides-have been-and I fear will continue to be-brutal. 

THE NEW PRESIDENT 

Barack Obama is a unique candidate. Although all the talking heads and news journalists keep going on and on about Barack's blackness, President-Elect Obama is not a traditional "black candidate". His candidacy was not a "black grievance" campaign. Rather his campaign and now his presidency will be of "possibilities"...what we can achieve together; he wants us to be a team. I think he'll be able to count on us.

Obama appealed to the basic fabric of American life...what we all want for our families...and in the end, when people voted, people realized we are all in this big American boat TOGETHER. And when you're in leaky boat, it does not matter the captain's skin color, you want the captain to save the ship so all don't drown!

GIVING UP POWER

The most hard-to-win-cohort was the white male over 50 years. Since the founding of this country, the Older White Male has reigned supreme and no one likes to relinquish power. But the changing fabric of the American "melting pot" has brought a multitude of shades and beliefs to the political table. And while-in the end-this is a good thing-in the short term, it won't be easy.  There is no going back. This is a country based on merit and diversity is here to stay. And the broader the diversity, the better. 

GOBAMA!!