give me a moment to gloat

NATIONAL DAY OF RENEWAL AND RECONCILIATION, 2009

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As I take the sacred oath of the highest office in the land, I am humbled by the responsibility placed upon my shoulders, renewed by the courage and decency of the American people, and fortified by my faith in an awesome God.

We are in the midst of a season of trial. Our Nation is being tested, and our people know great uncertainty. Yet the story of America is one of renewal in the face of adversity, reconciliation in a time of discord, and we know that there is a purpose for everything under heaven.

On this Inauguration Day, we are reminded that we are heirs to over two centuries of American democracy, and that this legacy is not simply a birthright -- it is a glorious burden. Now it falls to us to come together as a people to carry it forward once more.

So in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, let us remember that: "The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 20, 2009, a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and call upon all of our citizens to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

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Also, further proof that DC's subways are nicer than our own.

The link and photo above were pulled from the 2009 Inauguration Flickr feed. It'll be interesting to see what gets loaded in the next day or two.

It's not a secret that I've had a long standing love affair with my television set. How else am I going to see Michael Phelps half naked in my living room? Short of developing some serious swimming skills and landing myself in the 2012 Olympics, it's just not going to happen. So to all you haters, who don't understand the fascination, I give you this, Taylor Kitsch of Friday Night Lights:

hells. yes.

hypocritical me.

New Yorkers are sort of babies when it comes to the weather. Granted, we spend more time in it than most people since we're not moving from place to place in our SUVs with heated seats. Still, it's a little ridiculous when the weather forecasters act as though temperatures below 35-degrees constitutes an Ice Age of sorts. On days like these their segments are essentially "Today it's going to be cold and windy and ZOMG COOOOLD!"

A few weeks ago, we had a snowstorm that amounted to a few inches of accumulation on the ground. At about 10am, the owner of our company walked from desk to desk telling people that if they needed to leave early, due to the horrible conditions outside, they could do so. The whole place, with the exception of a handful of people, was cleared out by 1PM. I thought this was hilarious. For one thing, I used to drive to and from work in white-out conditions. In Michigan, you can pretty much expect as much between the months of December and April. But in New York, we have subways. Subways that only stop running when there's construction or massive flooding. Weather doesn't really have anything to do with my commute. Therefore, when it comes to inclement conditions, I tend to glance around at all those who are whining about how crappy it is outside and think to myself "friggin' pansies."

It turns out though, I'm one of the biggest babies of them all. Because in spite of mocking the weather forecasters and their fatalistic reports, I still thought on the way in this morning "I need a new coat. A long puffy coat. A long puffy coat with fur around the collar."

Don't judge. It's cold.

It's safe to say that I take after my Dad.

Well, OK.

If you were to ask the question, and I were to answer honestly, then I’d have to admit that yes, I may be slightly obsessed with the new vacuum. After cleaning the carpets umpteen times last week, I realized that I was missing the satisfaction of the clink-cluck-ger’fliunk-sound of stuff being pulled up by the mighty, mighty power of the Kenmore Magic Blue Canister Vacuum.

I would not go unsatisfied.

Why else would I plunk down $100 for my shiny new toy, if not to be entertained by it?

This might explain how everything in one closet, curiously found its way to my bedroom floor this past weekend. The floor in that particular room now looks like a war zone of cotton vs. wool. Several innocent polyester blends appear to be fighting a losing battle by running interference between the two. It's a ridiculous, completely unnecessary mess. But oh, it was so totally worth it. That closet is spotless.

because all the cool kids are doing it...

I suspect that 2008 was God's way of giving me a break from the year that was 2007. In 2007, I spent a few solid months crying into a pillow until finally, I managed to dust myself off and move across the country. In retrospect 2007 was good for me. I was forced to change, grow as a person, etc. etc. but oh, it was just so exhausting. After all that, having a year (a WHOLE year!), where I got to be blissfully happy, was great. I needed that year to recover and to figure out that I wasn't an unhappy person, I was at the time, just a person who was unhappy with the circumstances life had handed them. Beyond that, there's not much I can say about 2008. I got to find my feet again, and for that, I am grateful.

So far 2009 is looking pretty effin' fantastic. It started with massive amounts of sushi and today, I found out that The Powers That Be have decided it should be a half day. Mmm yeah, I'm not about to protest that decision. In fact, in honor of said decision, I'm going to buy myself a new vacuum... it's safe to say that in '09, I plan on living life on the edge.

Xxes and Oh's, friends. I hope your holidays were lovely.

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EDIT: The photo, in case you were wondering, is of yours truly and the baby sister who is not actually a baby anymore. This small fact still manages to dumbfound us all. Anyway, the story behind the photo is that Mel and I were standing in separate dressing rooms when I started giggling. Without any hesitation a voice crept over the wall, "We look like Power Rangers." Pajamas were, for obvious reasons, purchased.