Inaugural

Avi was only 4 months old in these photos, but already quite sage when it came to politics . . .

I changed the outgoing message on my voicemail before I left work today. This is Melissa Whippo, Pediatric Social Worker for Liver transplant and G.I. I will be out of the office Monday, January 19 and returning Thursday (I paused to do quick math in my head to figure out what date Thursday would be), January the 22nd. I went on to tell people whom they should call for immediate assistance and that I would return calls on the 22md. We'll see about that, but as we get ready to go to DC for the inaugueration, I can't even imagine how I will feel on the 22nd.

This is going to be an incredibly brief, but incredibly memorable trip, no matter what happens. I have already called a cab to pick us up Tuesday morning at Leeor's aunt and uncle's house in Potomac, which is about 15 miles from the capital. The cab driver brusquely told me they may have to drop us off as much as 4 miles away from the National Mall, where we hope to gather with millions of other Americans to catch a glimpse of President Obama as he is sworn in to the highest oath of office. Yes, I know, I told him, but there was a Wall Street Journal article that said that the Metro will not be able to accomodate all the people so we want to take a cab as far as we can. We went back and forth like this for awhile. I assured him I'd already downloaded and printed out all the roads and bridges that would be closed. Oh dear, I think I've gone 'round the bend.

As I write this, Leeor is watching an episode of the West Wing. We own all 7 seasons on DVD. I was not a fan before we started dating, but he lured me into the series by showing me an epsiode called "The Women of Qumar," an episode heavy on feminism and women's rights and I have been hooked ever since. I remember when we were dating as a long-distance couple; he was in his last year of law school at the University of Chicago while I was working at my first real social work job at Hospice of Pasadena. We were incredibly idealistic about how we wanted to change the world. Barack Obama was his constitutional law professor. It was 2003 and we had just entered a nasty war in Iraq.

During the primary season, when I was awaiting Avi's arrival and off work I started phone banking for the campaign. He knew Obama wouldn't win California, but I kept saying that I thought he was gonna win. Still, we turned to each other while we stared at CNN and said, If he wins the national, we'll take Avi to the inauguration. The morning after the election, we bought plane tickets.

It's going to be a quick trip. We leave Monday morning and return Wednesday afternoon. I feel anxious about too many things to list. But I know we will not regret this experience.