Sunday!
I went with Yerbs and some of her friends to the concert on the Mall. We walked from her place--I have never seen so many people walking towards the same place. It was very cool! We stood in line for a while, but our gate closed and we weren't able to get in. We went down the mall a bit and were able to watch on the "Jumbotron" for a while and then (by sneaking through the crowd) actually see the stage (in the far, far distance- but we saw it, so there!). Being there was incredibly amazing, even if I couldn't get in.
Monday!
My dad and I got up at 6:30am and Metro-ed into the city. We walked to the Kennedy center where the free concert (ARETHA!) was to be held. Also, Oprah was to film there that day. My dad and I were among the first 150 ppl in the outdoor/only Aretha line, so we were psyched because we would get a good seat. During the first 30mins, I got a standby ticket for Oprah- #58. After a couple hours, Kennedy center people gave us an orange ticket, allowing us to get a seat at the Aretha thing and allowing us to leave the line. They told us, however, that if we left the line, we would lose our spot. So we waited there in line until I found out that there was a good chance that I would actually get into Oprah!! So I left my Dad in line and went to wait in the Oprah line! It was a very exciting time! They moved the first 150 to another, better line. Then, a woman came up to me and told me she was from the Ellen show. She asked if I would play frisbee. DUH! So I played frisbee (very poorly) but I might end up on Ellen! And I got a frisbee with Ellen and Obama's faces on them! YAY! So back to the Oprah line-- they decided to take inside the first 30ppl. Then they took the next 30 in!! So I went through security. Oh, btw, we saw some very cool ppl/celebrities while waiting in line! Okay, so I was inside and in another line for Oprah. After waiting there for a while, they only took the first 37 in.... SAD! So I almost saw Oprah. But have no fear, I saw Oprah on the "Jumbotron" the next day--just as good, right?
I reunited with my father in the Aretha line, having left him for 3 hours. The Aretha line had moved inside- joy! The "people" made the line into a snake, which was a horrible idea. So the people facing the wrong way to get in just turned around and we became a mass not a line. Those in the front (including us) were pissed because we had been there since 8:30am and ppl who got there hours later were now ahead of us in line. The Kennedy center people did a HORRIBLE job and I'm going to write them a letter. On the up-side, more celebrities came by and that was fun!
So we waited another few hours (they gave tickets out at 4pm) until they opened 1 door. It was a mess! People were pushing and old people almost got hurt. Even though my dad and I were some of the first in line, we got cut. Then, the Kennedy center people gave out tickets at random. So even if we had been in the front, we wouldn't have necessarily gotten good tickets. What a scam! So we could have left when we got the orange ticket. The line didn't mean anything!
Okay, so we got tickets on the 1st tier and we could see, which was cool. The concert was awesome!! Aretha didn't sing Respect, which I found surprising since it was a concert honoring Dr. MLK Jr.. But it was an amazing concert!
TUESDAY!
I attended the inauguration!! My friend Katie got tickets in one of the lotteries and she decided to take me with her! We spent the night at my dad's office in DC so that we wouldn't have to deal with the crazy Metro crowds. Katie and I (along with Katie's aunt, brother, and cousin- they didn't have tickets) woke up at 4:30am to brave the cold and the crowds. We took the Metro 3 stops to avoid having to walk across the Mall (practically impossible! A vehicle tunnel was transformed into pedestrian gridlock, trapping people for 4 hours and causing them to miss the whole event!--I guess the Metro was a good idea!) 
When we got to the gate for Silver ticket holders, we joined the line/mass of bodies.
After waiting there for an hour or so, "they" (ie: those in charge) moved us inside the gate and into another line so that we would no longer block traffic. We staying in that line for a few hours.
They finally let us in at around 7:45am. Though Katie and I were bundled up, standing outside in blistering 11F was not what I call warm and fuzzy. The rest of the day, however, more than made up for the temperature!
Once getting inside, we sat ourselves in front of a "Jumbotron" and attempted to sleep a little. After two hours, the festivities began. Marching in place to keep warm (and taking random "we're cold, let's take pictures" pictures), Katie and I eagerly awaited the beginning of the ceremony.
Finally the "bigwigs" started to show up. This made everything more exciting because the crowd would react as pictures of important people came up on the "Jumbotron." My favorite reaction was when "W" came onto the screen:
Of course, the most exciting part of the arrivals was when the Obamas showed up! The crowd erupted! It was fantastic! So the ceremony finally started! Aretha did her Queen thang and sang--it was awesome! And I really liked her hat- so there! Then Biden got sworn in!! AND THEN OBAMA GOT SWORN IN!!! (for the first time...) I thought his speech was very good! I am so excited to have a President who can speak eloquently!
Then Katie, the masses, and I tried to leave. It was a mad house! The lines to get into the Metro stations were mind-blowing!
Katie and I wandered for a bit, then decided to re-cross the Mall and just try to walk out of DC. It took us a while, but we finally got to a place where there weren't thousands of people. It had been over 2 hrs since the end of the inauguration by that time and we decided to try to brave the Foggy Bottom Metro stop. We got in line (with the help of some street venders, a table, and trickery) and -GASP- got 2 seats on the Metro before it filled up. We got back home by 3:30pm.
Katie and I were a part of history (as well as the largest gathering of Americans ever)!
So that's what's been going on in my life. Now I have to keep making progress on my massive pre-departure list! I hope everyone is doing well and I love reading your posts about your abroad adventures-keep them coming!
MWAH!
That is amazing! I am glad you had the chance to go to the inauguration of President Obama. Have fun in Russia (where it will be a lot colder than 11F)!
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