First, an early morning trip back to the Grocery store: chicken breasts (and some thighs for making soup) and frozen pizzas.

Purchase: $40.55
Balance: $87.94
Club Card Savings: $31.84 (44% of purchase)

Then, onto the day. What was supposed to be an early afternoon departure down to The Mall turned into a phone call with Kenny Sss and then heading down to The Mall. KSss is also unemployed and has recently started to re-enter the resumé game so there was a lot of pointing things in the right direction and being okay with it if nothing came ’round. He’s always a good center for me and I should have talked with him sooner but sometimes things need to spiral a bit before the upswing begins. And that’s all fine.

I get a little bit of a late start to the day to head down to the inaugural concert on The Mall. I took the D6 thinking I would get off at Farragut Square and walk on down, but once downtown it was entirely gridlocked. With cars and people, it was like Times Square in New York or Chinatown in DC after a game lets out of Verizon’s MCI Center. But it was everywhere, it didn’t dissipate. So I excited at 11th St and walked on down to The Mall. People were everywhere! It was amazing.

The open part of The Mall was crowded and I could see how the actual inauguration was going to be setup with the Jumbotrons and how they were allowing access. But moving further down past the Washington Monument was where everyone was packed in, this is where the concert was happening. I was getting there a little late but still had the opportunity to hear Obama speak. Really amazing, Tuesday is going to be incredible. Of course, on the mass exiting, I get frustrated with the moronic tourists not getting out of my way, and it’s made me rethink going down on Tuesday. I’d still like to, but now I’m on the fence.

Here’s Obama’s speech from the Lincoln Memorial:

//this was written last saturday, the 10th, and i just now realize it was never posted//

Today I am doing free things.

I was up this morning and farting around: having coffee, surfing, reconnecting with EFP about last night’s videocam test and subsequent abrupt passout. A lazy morning and afternoon were in effect.

Then I get a text from Robamos who’s getting his haircut (and checking out the Marines, no doubt) down on Barracks Row. R’s offering a free take on breffus and my dilemma: be a lazy fuck all day or get my ass in gear? I decide to bolt for the shower.

I was assuming we’d do brunch somewhere on the Hill, somewhere local, but as I get into Rob’s truck he throws out options that I hadn’t considered, neighborhoods away. Such a sweetheart.

We decided on the new Busboys & Poets, which is in Rob’s ‘hood and in the same building as the new Results, which I’ve never been to. I ordered a bloody mary and eggs neptune, which is basically eggs benedict, but with crab lumps instead of ham. Delicious. Afterwards we drove around a bit and Rob showed me about the new up-and-comings in the neighborhood. It was amazing how much that area has changed in the last couple of years. Give it five more and Wow.

After coming home and napping I met up with mcG and Siri after their show at the National Theater. We were gonna go and have some drynx and catch-up, mcG said he’d buy me drynx all night. Another friend coming in strong. We were walking up and decided to cut to Green Lantern, Siri had never been and I hadn’t been there in a couple of years. Luckily, it was pretty vacant and we were able to get a wrap-around banquette where we could actually carry a conversation. It was nice to catch up with each of them. And Robamos, too, earlier in the day.

Gotta cut to the chase: I’m walking west on Mass, up to and thru Dupont Circle and I’m getting this strange feeling like this is my last trip through here. After 25 years, when first hanging out here was Smalltown Boy’s dreams, just waiting for it all to come true. Well the time is now and maybe all of those dreams have not come true. What do you to? Do you hold them tight or do you let them go?

I walked over here without listening to headphones, I’m thinking that this maybe one of my last opportunities to actually listen to DC at night and hear what it sounds like.

The bus driver, on the second-to-last bus of the evening, speeds by me knowing that there are no passengers except those losers that need to get home late at night. I have to run half a block and repeatedly whistle to get him to stop. He doesn’t seem remorseful as he opens the door and I get in, I sit in the back, as usual, and he drives fast throughout the city. I’m hoping he’s not speeding past those who don’t know how to whistle.