Day: January 20, 2009

Some one was sending off firecrackers in the direction of Bloomingdale or Eckington. I totally understand your excitement, however, I’m going to bet those fireworks are illegal. I could see them from my 2nd floor window, so more than likely illegal. Now, setting off illegal fireworks while nearby parts are under lockdown, with something in the air flying around and troops on the ground, not smart. Celebrate sans explosives.

Just got a call (that later fell, silly weak cellular service) from the Aunt. She is cold, tired and disgusted. She called from the orange line to tell me she caught the tail end of the benediction. Every street she and her party went to was closed, closed, closed. Closed. The Aunt is of retirement age and doesn’t care to walk beyond a treadmill. Also there were reports of confusion for people trying to find the appropriate entrance. Well at least they could say they were down and around there for the inauguration. But then again, I can also say I was in Washington DC for the inauguration. But then again, I never left Shaw.
Face it, if you weren’t down there super early, then you probably didn’t get on the mall. I look forward to hearing the estimated numbers that filled the Mall and Penn Quarter.

It’s about 1:30PM
There are still National Guard personnel on the corners. I don’t know how well they are or if they still are blocking New Jersey Avenue because I still see private vehicles going north and south. Not many mind you, sort of light Saturday dawn traffic. The foot traffic on New Jersey is heavier.

OK this is in another part of Shaw. But anyway….
Over on O Street NW between 6th and 7th Street NW there are signs saying No Parking for the inaugural period. The signs are for the whole block. Notice the cars parked down the street, same signs apply. I ran into Daddy 5-O and his partner on my way back from the Giant*. He was concerned about the parking restrictions earlier, concerned about where they’d park the car.
One of the reasons why I’m documenting this is for the next inauguration. Seriously, the powers that be need to understand how their decisions touch and impact those of us in residential areas. And for residents, we need to know what to demand of our government and tell them how far they should and can go.

*I was wrong in my prediction. The milk was on the shelf, it didn’t look like a snow day. Go shopping, it’s ok.

It’s early today, so this is the view of the inauguration from the POV of the TC.
I find it totally hilarious that there are National Guardsmen hanging out exactly where we had drug dealers only a few years ago. There are guardsmen at the mouth of my alley. There are guardsmen hanging out at the fence where the dealers would lean and the difference appears that the guardsmen have a bigger trash bag. I’m guessing the New Jersey Avenue Dunkin Donuts is the most secure place in the TC.
The crowds are walking down New Jersey Avenue and they are sticking to the sidewalks. They are friendly groups waving or saying hello to the guardsmen, and seriously there are a lot, A LOT, of guardsmen. There is parking on the 1600 and 1700 block of New Jersey Avenue. It appears the No Parking signs were removed. Good. These are residences and it’s stupid that the zone came this far north. The 1500 and lower numbered blocks on New Jersey Avenue are free of parked cars, as far as I can see. I did see a few cars (very few) travel north on NJ Ave. Despite the No Buses signs and the National Guard on R Street, I did see a few cars traveling west on R.
I have some of the most boring inauguration parking related photographs on the web in a Flickr set here. Also in the set are some photographs of the Dunbar High School band practicing on the street.

This is from yesterday. I captured a National Guardsmen on the sidewalk taking a look at the Dunbar High School band getting a practice in before the big day.