Inauguration Station

Prior to the election, my dear husband had mentioned that, should Obama get elected, he would want to go to DC for the inauguration. Why not? It is only about an hour's drive from our house. I briefly considered the idea and then remembered a few things:

1) DC in January is cold
2) I don't like cold
3) There would probably be quite a few people there
4) I don't like a few people, let alone a LOT of people

So I told Mike that if he wanted to be a crazy person, he could do it solo. I would watch the inauguration in the cozy warmth of the inside.

As time went by (and Obama actually got elected), Michael came to his senses and decided he was going to stay home too. I was originally supposed to work on Tuesday, but quit my old job. I was supposed to work on Tuesday for my new job, but my lovely school board granted us the day off. So I found myself with some time to kill Tuesday morning prior to the swearing in and decided to go the gym.

Maybe it was the physical exertion, the extreme difference between the cold outside and the warmth inside or just plain craziness but, it seemed to me, as I was sweating away on the elliptical and lifting weights for an hour and a half, that there was an unusual uncanniness between the music playing on my Shuffle and the inauguration festivities taking place. For example:

Song: "Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson
Image: The Bush "dynasty" entering their cars.
Analysis/Relevant lines"The beautiful people, the beautiful people,
It's all relative to the size of your steeple,
You can't see the forest, for the trees"
Plus, I get so angry when I dwell on the past eight years, I might as well dye my hair black and call myself Marilyn Manson

Song: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day
Image: Bush (and Obama) driving down Penn Ave.
Anaylsis: Need I say more?

Song: "Numb"/"Encore" by Jay-Z/Linkin Park
Image: Obama
Analysis/Relevant lines: "Don't know what you're expecting of me...put under the pressure of walking in your shoes"

Song: "Steady as She Goes" by the Raconteurs
Image: Hillary Clinton
Analysis: 'Nuff said

Song: "Take on Me" by Aha
Image: Jimmy Carter (is he prancing?!?) down the red carpet.
Analysis: Actually, this one's just weird. Sorry. But man, he's spry.

Song: "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)" by James
Image: Bush family again
Analysis: Pretty self-explanatory I think

Song: "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers
Image: Joe Biden
Analysis: I actually don't know what this song is really about, but it did seem fitting-does that man EVER stop smiling?

Song: "Superman" by Laslo Bane
Image: Michelle Obama and children
Analysis/Relevant lines: "I can't do this all on my own...I'm no Superman." All I can say is damn right. I think my work schedule is tough on my daughter-bless that woman for trying to keep things normal for her children.

Song: "Sunny Side of the Street" by The Pogues
Image: Obama
Analysis: Seriously-it just started playing when they flashed his face on the screen. Not making it up.

Song: "I Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue
Image: Rick Warren
Analysis: Not sure there is any relevancy? Another perplexing one....

and finally I turned off the Shuffle. For one, the great Aretha Franklin came on and I knew she would be the only commentary/song analysis I would need. Second, I had to finish up on that cursed ellipitical so I could hurry home and watch the swearing in of Barack Obama, our 44th President, with my family.

And finally, there was one last song to cap the day. It consisted of Tilda singing, at the top of her lungs:

We gotta a new President!
His name's Bok Obama (sorry, she can't pronounce it yet-give her time)
We gotta a new President!

Rinse and repeat a coupla hundred times (as usual). But my, on this occasion? What a beautiful chorus it was...