Today I'm not so sure. The ball is definitely out. Not that there aren't a plethora of inaugural balls to choose from, but I don't really feel like spending upwards of $200 to just dress up and pretend like I'm someone important. I can dress up in an evening gown in my home, strap on my Manolos, and pretend the exact same thing. Without paying $200 (especially since it seems the balls aren't really that fun). So, I nixed the whole ball idea.
Now I'm starting to question my resolve to actually head out into the craziness in two weeks. This is mainly for two reasons: 1) I don't know if I want to deal with the millions who are expected to converge on DC that day, and 2) I don't know if I want to freeze to death trying to catch a glimpse of the new president on a Jumbotron (this kind of plays into reason #1).
I couldn't snag actual tickets to the swearing in (thanks a lot, Tom Price! A lot of good voting for you did), so I'll have to brave the Mall with an estimated 1.5 to 3 million others. Which means I'll have to get up at the crack of dawn (likely even before that, given that it's January), brave the Metro, deal with the crowds, and hang out on the Mall with millions of other people hoping to catch a glimpse of history. Oh yeah, and there won't be enough bathrooms. Apparently, there will be one bathroom for every 6,849 people. The odds won't be in my favor.
And that's not all. According to an article the Post ran on Sunday, all those millions of people won't be screened through any sort of security checkpoint. Now, I'm not expecting someone to try to blow something up, but it's a little disconcerting to know that there will be 1.5 to 3 million people around me at a meaningful and historic event in Washington, DC who haven't had their bags checked. I'm just sayin.' I mean, it's really great to know that there will be prerecorded messages that will play over brand-new speakers in the case of some sort of emergency (in the hopes of keeping people from trampling each other), and I'm really happy that security's going to be super strict around the president and the important people who actually scored ticketed seats, but I'm not so sure I want to be with all the unscreened masses.
To top it all off, forecasters are predicting temperatures in the 30s with precipitation likely. I could maybe handle the cold. I've got plenty of scarves and a warm coat. I could even bring a blanket (since I won't be getting screened and all). But I don't know if I can deal with temperatures in the 30s and rain. I'm not a fan of rain—especially when it's hovering around freezing outside. Besides, what am I really going to be able to see on a Jumbotron if there are 3 million people around me with umbrellas out?
On the other hand, I live in DC, and this is going to be a historic day (I don't care who you voted for—you have to acknowledge that it's historic). It'll be kind of pathetic if I can't suck it up and be a part of that history.
But it would be awfully nice to sleep in and enjoy the holiday from home.
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