A new day

It happened. Former Occupant has fled back to Texas and President Obama is now in charge. Doesn't that have a lovely ring? Especially since he's using his bully pulpit to change some stuff that cried out for change. And, not surprisingly, he's being smart. He knows that he doesn't have a long honeymoon period, so he's using it now.

While all the preparations for his inauguration were underway, OLGS, Joe College and Joe High School and I journeyed to Los Angeles. It was -22 when we left Minneapolis and 80 when we arrived in LA. That was the good bit. Then it took us two hours to reach our hotel in Pasadena. The traffic and the smog were unbelievelable. I do not know how people live like this. But clearly they do, perhaps mesmerized by the beautiful weather.

In addition to visiting Joe College Grad at his house in East LA (the only non-Spanish speaking person within 10 miles, I suspect), we did a number of touristy things. Visits to the Getty Museum and the Huntington Library reinforced my belief that the desire to construct a monument with your name on it is one of the benefits of unrestricted capitalism. These are amazing collections and amazing places.

And then we returned on the red-eye, in time for the swearing-in of President Obamna. As such ceremonies go, it wasn't that grand an occasion. That's good, as what's important is the work of rebuilding.

The Joes at the Getty Museum, January 2009