#the dc metro area is cursed

[treesah]

Trying to find a decent place to live within a reasonable commute of Pentagon City and absolutely SCRUTINIZING every aspect of each potential elementary school’s GreatSchools.org profile. It’s really helped me eliminate a lot of areas outright. Like, I’m willing to be open-minded about schools. I never went to any school with a lower rating than 7/10 but given the right mix of not-completely-terrible test scores, improvement over time, and positive parent reviews, I’m entertaining possibly living in areas with schools that have 3/10 ratings.

But like. There are so many schools where the rich white and Asian kids are testing AT LEAST an entire standard deviation BELOW the state average and a modest townhouse is still renting for $4000/month. What the fuck is happening at these schools?? How are they not absolutely slamdunking the stereotypical “set it and forget it” successful student demographics??? Why the fuck does this mediocre townhouse with shitty schools cost $4000/month???? The rental market is out of control!

And don’t get me started on buying, which I’m not going to do. $650,000 minimum for any place that has a garage AND a yard, plus the current 7% interest rate… no thank you.

All these places are so isolated too. Like I walk five minutes away from my current house and there are three playgrounds, two parks, a forest preserve, and I can also go to the pharmacy, get three kinds of takeout, have a meal at the diner, buy groceries, and get my car tuned up. Meanwhile all these townhouses are like “We have SIDEWALKS and we’re NEAR a COUNTRY CLUB!!” because you can’t get anywhere worth going without driving at least 15 minutes to get there.

Anyway I used to think “I’d be happy living anywhere! Home is a mindset and what you make of it! People are basically the same anywhere you go since we’re all so atomized and mobile now!” but the more elementary school reviews and GreatSchools profiles I read and the more obviously-flipped townhouses I see, the more I wonder if I have actually become one of those Chicago people.

[x-reader-theater]

Okey but I keep thinking about a story where the BAU reader getting r*ped and like something flips in him and he just starts killing r*posts starting by the person who r*près him and like FBI has a hard time finding the killer because they don’t expect it being someone in the BAU ...

UNSUB READER RIGHTS edited by @mystic-writes

Warnings: MAJOR PTSD AND TRAUMA, no actual rape is shown, but the aftermath is, cursing, murder, graphic images, the reader is the unsub.

Sorry this is short. I'm tired.

Gif by @tobias-hankel

You lie on the bed, shivering and shaking, pain radiating up your spine and down your legs. You want to get up, wash off your body, cry, scream, kick, plead, *anything,* but you can't move. You can't feel your legs. You can feel your mind fighting to move your body, but it's too cloudy to even send signals. Your face is flushed and you feel like your skin is on fire. You can feel his hands on you, running up and down your body, and you want to scratch at your skin, tearing it from your body. You feel dirty and used and bloody and sore all over and you just want to go home.

Home. That gets your mind working, and you stand on shaky legs, balancing yourself on the edge of the bed. Looking back, you see a small spot of blood half underneath him, and you walk silently over to your pants, grabbing your pocket knife. You walk back over, and place the knife to his throat. Before he can wake, you dig the knife in and cut, making sure the blood doesn't spray anywhere near you.

You also stab him right above where your blood spot is, so his will soak the sheets and make it impossible to identify your blood.

You take your bloody knife to the bathroom and run it under the cold water of the tap, cleaning it. You gather up your clothes, double check for any evidence, before getting dressed, and walking calmly out of his apartment.

–

"Hey, guys, we have a case," JJ says, holding up some files, before walking into the round table room. She presses a button on her remote and the screen above the table lights up, showing pictures of gutted men, lying in heaps.

"For the past month someone has been systematically murdering serial rapists in the DC Metro area," Hotch says, and you swallow, but don't show any outward signs that you know these men.

But you do, because you're the one that killed them.

[greektravelblog]

Day 3 (part 2)

The next stop was to see the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Now, in London and DC, talking isn't permitted while visiting the memorial. No one mentioned if it was or was not here, so I tried to respect that as much I could. Everyone else, however, seemed to just talk normally. I thought that the soldier who was posted to oversee the two guards would say something, but no one ever did. Still, I think the silence is fitting for the situation so I still held my tongue. The greek soldiers were amazing to watch. Their march was odd, granted, but our tour guide explained it was supposed to resemble a slow motion run to freedom. The guards wore traditional 19th century uniforms, all men in Greece wore skirts up until the twentieth century, and every bit of it held symbolism.

The red cap symbolizes the blood shed during the revolution against the Ottoman Empire, from which the Greeks reclaimed their land. The long, black tassel stood for the tears shed during the four hundred years that Greeks were enslaved. And the shoes! I know you are all wondering about the shoes. So yes, those are pom poms (or pon pons in Greece). They were a common shoe style in the 18th to 19th century because they stopped your shoes from getting wet and soggy. However, they weren't always this big. During the revolution, the Greeks weren't permitted to have guns, so they created these massive versions in order to hide razor blades beneath them in order to arm themselves. Once the revolution was won, they became a symbol of status. The bigger the pon pon, the richer the man.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was a beautiful and historically rich stop. I'll be going back on my own to pay proper respect.

My favorite stop, however, was the Roman Baths that were discovered when they were digging to put in the metro!

It was the exact same layout that my mother and I saw when we were in England in 2017! I was able to recognize it right away, and was able to inform M all about it since our tour guide was hard to hear over the traffic. The small tunnel you can see on the left was a central heating unit! Tunnels ran all throughout the house underneath the floors, and fires would be lit at the ends in order to heat the baths/floors! It's genius!

We saw the temple of Zeus, which was thought to be cursed during the Ottoman reign, and the official archway to the ancient city. If you stand directly in front of the archway, you can see the Acropolis through it!

Finally, we went to dinner. We had wonderful salad with the BEST feta cheese I've ever tasted, fries, and a build-yourself gyro! The food was delicious and the music was lively.

Once we were finished, M and I ran to a gelato place across the street and took in the views that only Athens, Greece could offer.

I'm so in love with this place. I know I'll end up going through homesickness and a rollercoaster of emotions, but I'm giddy to be in a place with so much history, life, and culture that I get to experience.

Things I've taken away from today:

Greek salads rarely contain lettuce.

Graffiti doesn't mean that the area is bad or unsafe, it's literally everywhere.

Taggers, graffiti "artists", mainly just want you to know what soccer team is the best.

Greek taggers respect the ancient buildings. Only modern ones and metal shutters are covered in graffiti. Those who try to carve their names into the UNESCO heritage sites are foreigners.

Antacids are mint here. (yuck)

Pharmacies will also smell like cigarettes.

Greeks can't build anywhere without being stopped by an archaeological find.

Churches are everywhere, even more so than the US.

You can, in fact, take one of the oranges from the trees on the street.

Souvenirs are dirt cheap.

[kpopreactionstoruinyourlife]

Song Girl - Part 21 - Sungjin Fan Fiction

Song Girl Masterlist

Part 21 - December 2014

Summary: Spending the holidays with her parents. 

“You actually made an itinerary, didn’t you?” Sungjin asked Ella as they moved into their seats on the flight.

“There’s a lot of stuff you should do when you visit the DC area and you wanted to see where I grew up and went to school. Ryan and Angela are throwing a party for our friends and I want you to go to that. Then we have stuff with my family for the holiday.” She said pulling out her bullet journal.

“It’ll be morning when we land, right?” He said and she nodded.

“My parents are going to be at work but Ryan is able to pick us up. Once we get back to my place, my car is there so if we’re up to it I can show you the neighborhood.”

“And that night is the party.”

“If we don’t sleep much on the plane, we should nap.”

“They won’t all speak Korean.”

“Angela, Ryan, and Bobby do but Bobby is on a ski trip with his fraternity brothers.”

“But you weren’t involved in Greek Life.”

“I was in an academic frat.”

“Right.” He said, nodding like it made sense.

“And you made sure to pack the gifts right?”

“Of course, I can’t go to your parents house without them.”

“Thanks.”

“I love you.” He said as he kissed her head. The plane took off and they headed to the US. Ella fell asleep on Sungjin’s shoulder and he shortly followed suit.

Once they landed, they headed to where Ryan said he was going to be and then to the home she grew up in.

“Wow.” Sungjin said when they got into the entryway of the single family home.

“My parents would be proud it got that reaction - I was about ten when we moved here. They worked so hard to be able to afford it to put me in a better school district.” She said as she patting the banister, holding onto it to take off her shoes.

“And you said you had cats?” He said just as bells tinkled through the house and two balls of fur scampered down the stairs.

“This one-” She picked up the long haired one- “is Chicky.” Chicky was already protesting getting picked up by mewing and making Sungjin laugh.

“It’s ok, she loves me.” Ella said putting her girl down. “Then we have Muji.” She picked up the shorter haired, darker one.

“He’s cute.” Sungjin said awkwardly patting Muji’s head.

“I’m a very proud mother.” Ella said kissing his head before putting him down too. “Did you want to eat?” Ella said moving through the entry hall, past the front office space and dining room to the joined  living room and kitchen.

“I could eat.” Sungjin said, standing at the end of the hall while she continued straight into the kitchen.

“After school, I’d usually have fruit or cereal, maybe crackers or ice cream.” Ella said as she explored the cabinets. “How do...apples with caramel and peanut butter sound?”

“Good.” Sungjin said. He sat in a barstool at the counter, finding himself unsure of his every move.

“Ok, gimme a minute. You can get drinks out of the fridge, just no alcohol. Doubt that’d make my parents happy.” She said as she sliced the fruit.

“I’m good here.” He said, taking a moment to look around. There were pictures on the mantel, her high school graduation and prom, and several family shots.

“This has been here for over a year.” She said tapping her acceptance letter for graduate school tacked to the fridge.

“They are proud of you.” Sungjin said, working to will himself to be comfortable in her home, with her, at least until her parents got there. But it was impossible. He viewed it as her parents home, not hers.

“Here you go.” She said passing a plate full of fruit. Then she grabbed two glasses and poured in some coke.

“Were you frequently alone here?” Sungjin asked, looking around the house.

“That’s a weird question. I mean, my parents worked but I had extracurriculars and everything...But this is my home, and I live alone now. I’m comfortable alone.” She said as she sat next to him.

“I guess it’s just weird for me to be here without your parents around.” He said and she sighed, scooting closer to him to rest her head on his shoulder.

“I think as long we don’t have sex here, the worst case scenario can be avoided.” Even though her delivery was matter of fact, he couldn’t help laughing.

“They don’t have decorations on the tree.” He observed and she shook her head.

“We’ll do that all together. Singing carols, but without your judgment.” She added poking him.

After they finished their snack, she took him up to her room, giving him a tour. He was not at all shocked to find a clean and organized study space and shelves taking up nearly a whole wall of her room.

“So how many boys have ever made it up here?” He asked, smirking.

“My cousins.” Ella answered, laughing.

“So I’m the first.” He said, his smirk spreading into a genuine smile.

“Your possessiveness is coming out again.” She said shaking her head.

“You’re possessive, too.” He teased.

“I know. Not the best part of me.” She said as she crawled onto her bed before she got back up again to block the light from the window as much as possible.

“Taking a nap?” Sungjin asked, watching as she pulled a blanket over herself without getting underneath the covers. She nodded.

“You can join me, just keep your clothes on.” She said and he chuckled before getting in behind her, the bigger spoon.

It was two hours, or more, before they woke up. She moved to sit up, stirring him.

“Your parents will be here soon.” He mumbled into the pillow.

“Yes,” She said stretching.

“Alright, I’ll go freshen up.” He said, following her directions to the bathroom.

While he did that, she changed out of leggings and into jeans, straightening her hair.

Just as they headed back down stairs, she heard her father’s car pulling into the garage.

“Mom or dad?” Sungjin asked, looking at the garage from the foyer.

“Dad, mom doesn’t park in the garage.” Ella said before turning to him. “Did my makeup survive the nap?”

“You’re still quite pretty.” He said patting her head.

“Hello kids, see you arrived safely. I should thank Ryan for going to get you.” Her father said as he came in, stepping out his shoes and coat before hugging his daughter and shaking Sungjin’s hand.

“We thanked him profusely.” Ella said, a warmth spreading through her - she was so happy to be back home with her family.

“Your mother told me she’s on the way but we can get some proper food started. What time is that party of yours?”

“Angela said to arrive at eight o’clock.” Ella said following her father into the kitchen with Sungjin.

“You’re going to be sharing your room, yes?” He said as he pulled out a pot and food from the fridge.

“If that’s ok with you.” Sungjin said stiffly.

“Times have changed since I was courting her mother.”

“Courting?”

“Keep it G Rated.” He said flicking her with water.

“Yes, sir.” Ella said laughing.

“Thank you.” Sungjin said and her father smiled.

“You brought our daughter back to us for the holiday.” Mr. Song said simply.

That night, after dinner with her parents, they headed over to Angela and Ryan’s apartment for the party after again changing into more appropriate clothes.

“You know, it’s weird. But I’m excited to show you off to my friends, especially since my last boyfriend was a piece of shit.” Ella said while she navigated the once all-too familiar neighborhood.

“Show me off?” Sungjin said, trying to eek out a laugh but he was quickly learning Northern Virginia traffic was quite different from traffic in Seoul, and somewhat more terrifying.

“You’re someone who’s important to me and you’re meeting other people that are important to me and that makes me happy, to share that with you and to assure them that you are a good egg.” She said before cursing under her breath as someone cut her off.

“How much driving are we going to have to do here?” Sungjin asked, eyes locked on the road.

“There is no more car-ridden country than the United States so… a lot.” She said and he gulped. “I know...This is something else.”

“I’ve never heard you curse this much.”

“You should see me when I’m trying to get a printer to cooperate.”

“But I can’t drive here.”

“No, you cannot.” She said as she turned down the right road.

“Promise to return me to Korea in one piece?”

“Yes, besides, when we go into DC we will take the Metro. Driving in DC is worse.”

“It’s worse??” Sungjin said.

“Tiny roads, one way roads, laid out like a wheel rather than a grid, traffic circles, which Americans are so good at driving in...It’s a terror. It’s designed not to be invaded but that also means it’s not conducive for the people who work or leave her to navigate it. Inserting an interstate system in there...oh boy. Then there’s the bike lanes, and their location changes practically every block.” She said as she parked.

“Aren’t you supposed to be an innovative country?”

“Silicon valley, here’s not so innovative. NASA might be the beginning and end of that in terms of government stuff.”

“So now you’re showing me off.” He said as they got out.

“Yes, because you are an incredible man, wonderful boyfriend, and amazingly talented.” She said leaning over to kiss him.

“Do you have a list of all the things you like about me?”

“I thought I already shared that list with you?”

“I might need reminding.”

“Sure you do.” She said, laughing as his hand slipped into hers.

That evening, he found himself enjoying her friend’s company, then he got sucked into a conversation with Ryan he wasn’t expecting.

“How’s the wedding coming?” Sungjin asked, making small talk while he got a beer in the kitchen.

“Honestly, Angela, Ella, and Amanda are the ones who are handling most of it. I don’t have that much time since law school is a beast. We’re having a long engagement, probably won’t get married for another year since we’re still trying to nail down a date at a venue we can afford.”

“Ella mentioned the average wedding in the US is $30,000.”

“And as graduate students, we don’t have that kind of money. Our families and friends are helping.” He said swigging his own drink before focusing on Sungjin.

“Yeah, I know Ella’s been pouring over websites to get information and ideas. Pinterest comes up a lot.”

“Yes, it does. Speaking of weddings, you two have been together for over a year, is Ella going to be the one catching the bouquet?” Ryan asked but Sungjin took another drink before he answered.

“That’s hard to say. Given that I’m a trainee and may debut next year, I won’t be allowed to date much less be married. And Ella keeps emphasizing that she’s so young and there’s no need to rush.”

“She’s always said she won’t get married until she’s finished her PhD, or at least all the coursework and only has the dissertation left.”

“Yeah, but being engaged is ok.” Sungjin said with a wan smile. “How’d you know Angela was the one?”

“I think the beginnings of that feeling are there since the beginning, just an unnameable quality about them. With Ange, it was a lot of how she makes me feel without doing anything. Going to bed with her is better than with anyone else, talking with her, making her smile. I knew I wanted to marry her when we started living together - coming home to our home, to her, a life we shared, was something I looked forward to everyday.”

“I knew he was the one months after he knew… But he makes me better, happier, there’s no one better and I want to share my life with him.” Angela said, a small smirk on her face as she stepped into the kitchen.

“I’m so happy for you two.” Ella said smiling broadly as she stepped in next to Sungjin.

After the party ended, they returned to her family home and went to bed. The next day was spent going to church in the morning and baking in the afternoon. The next day was spent traipsing through and dodging tourists in DC, hitting up the winter highlights including ice skating in the sculpture garden, the holiday market, some of the museums, and after it became dark, they visited the National Christmas Tree, and it’s more traditional brother, the Capitol Christmas tree.

On Tuesday, they were not so busy. The day before Christmas Eve. They met some of her friends for lunch, she showed him around the town again, then they spent the afternoon watching Christmas movies and doing puzzles.

“This pumpkin bread is going to make me fat.” Sungjin whispered as he returned to his seat next to Ella.

“That’s the point.”

“So Princess, I heard that Charles is planning to return to the country next year.” Her mother said in English.

“Yes, he is.” Ella said pointedly. Charles was one of the others on her research team - she knew her mother was trying to trick her into telling Sungjin she was leaving before she was ready.

“And are you planning on taking the GRE again?” She continued.

“Depends,”

“And you know the programs you are interested in?” She pressed.

“Yes, but I’m looking at staying in Korea, teaching English, working with schools.”

“No.” Sungjin said firmly, making Ella jump.

“We can talk later.” Ella whispered to him hurriedly.

“Nothing to talk about, the plan is for you to come back and get your PhD. And I know you’re doing this because of me.” Sungjin whispered harshly.

“You should listen to him.” Her mother said.

“All I am saying is that nothing is currently decided. I’ll keep everyone informed.” She said before angrily popping in the last piece and getting up. “I think we’re out of coke. I’m going out.”

When she came back, she found him on the porch waiting.

“I needed space.” She said as she sat beside him.

“I know.”

“I hope they didn’t treat you badly.”

“I think your parents and I are on the same page.”

“Perfect.”

“So what gives? Why are you planning on changing things?”

“I haven’t decided anything yet but I know I don’t want to leave you.”

“It’s not like I want you to leave, but I know it’s the right decision for your future.”

“Mind sharing that conviction with me?”

“I’m sorry, but I am going to be stubborn about this.”

“I know. I just… want us to stay like this, together, for so much longer.”

“I know one day things are going to change but we should just enjoy what we have now.”

She meant to speak but her throat had closed up as tears dropped into her scarf.

“Come here.” He said pulling her toward him. “I love you, and I’d want to keep you, but I know that won’t make either of us as happy as you getting to fly.”

“Just catch me if I fall.”

“I will.” He said as he kissed her cheek before he made a gagging sound. “Men from Busan aren’t supposed to be this sappy.”

“I won’t tell...” she said laughing.

“I love you, and I believe I’ll love you for as long as I live, so whatever happens we’ll just figure it out.”

“You’re my Christmas wish.”

“Is that a line from one of those movies?”

“Don’t know, but now we need to find you a bow.”

“I’ll be a pretty princess, too.”

“I love you.”

“So let’s go back.”

“Right, thanks…”

“And your parents were just awkward, not rude.”

“Ah well, it runs in the family.” Ella sighed as she slipped her hand into his, taking a moment to feel him with her.

If she’d been more honest, she would have confessed that her Christmas wish was him, but to keep him, have him around, for much longer than she believed she had left.

Christmas eve passed much more smoothly. The points of excitement were mainly going to a midnight church service. Even Christmas day was much smoother than that moment over their puzzle, everyone was on their best behavior. It wasn’t until that night, late, that her mom surprised her in the laundry room  while Sungjin was in the shower.

“I know he’s a good boy.” She started, voice cold and arms crossed.

“He’s great, almost perfect, and he makes me feel just about perfect, and he certainly makes me feel perfectly happy.” Ella replied, piling the freshly dried clothes into the hamper.

“He’s not worth throwing away the future you’ve planned. You’re so good at planning.”

“I’m not throwing it away, and plans should change with developments. Look, I will not throw my future away for him but...I don’t want to lose him.”

“You’re not Bonnie and Clyde.”

“I know, we don’t have kind of money.”

“Ella...please...Don’t throw yourself away for a boy again.”

“I didn’t!” Ella cried, louder than she’d intended.

“No, he’s a good kid. He’s good with you and for you but no one is worth losing yourself.”

“I know that.” Ella said - she’d grown tired.

“Ok, please take care of yourself.” Her mother said cupping her cheek. Ella nodded, hugging her mom before heading up to the room.

“I thought you’d beat me.” Sungjin said as he packed his bag.

“I ran into my mom.”

“Oh, everything ok?”

“Yes, but you have no idea how lucky I feel to have you.” She said as she kissed his cheek.

“I feel the same, love you, El.” He said as he kissed her temple.

She couldn’t help thinking that he’d be someone worth throwing herself away for, even he’d let her do that.

[stepscounselingconsulting]

Sometimes we work so hard to try to break the generational curse of our family that we lose sight of who we really are‼️ Don’t break yourself trying to break #generationalcurses Do what’s best for you! #sayyestocounseling #TalkTherapyToMe ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• LINK IN BIO TO ORDER “From The Girls Next Door: Taking STEPS in The Right Direction” ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️📚🤗✨ SPREAD THE WORD!!!•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• S.T.E.P.S. Counseling & Consulting provides individual therapy sessions, personal and professional development workshops. www.stepscounselingconsulting.com •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #newyork #atlanta #baltimore #newjersey #mentalhealthadvocates #mentalhealthsupport #counseling #consultant #counselorsofcolor #pride #anxiety #depressionhelp #ptsd #hbcugrad #authors #blackauthors #goodblackreads (at Washington, DC Metro area) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2mQW4cA_FM/?igshid=1102yzjz7jb25

[rhparkslope]

911 - FROM A BROOKLYN ROOFTOP

 I should be up writing but instead I’m sound asleep…

dreaming of the sun…you know…trying to lick a cold…

a phone call shakes me conscious, ”go up to the roof,” the caller tells me

my husband…something about a plane and the World Trade Center…

“You’re kidding,” I mumble and he says no…

I fumble with my clothes and turn on Channel Four…

Katie Couric is practically in tears and one of the towers is on fire…

I’m racing up the flight of stairs, throwing the door open and can’t fathom what I see.

Can you imagine  a bright blue-sky- day  and the tops of those towers engulfed in thick black smoke?                                  

Ryan from downstairs comes bursting through the door and says something like “holy shit”…

I’m feeling weak in the knees and curse those fucking Arabs or perhaps Palestinians was what I said

…sorry…but with all the inundating news lately of suicide bombings and tension on the Gaza Strip

it was the first thing that came to mind…besides wanting to scream “No. Please God,  no….”

Ryan’s stare makes me feel guilty…but I don’t have words to apologize for something like this

Instead, I ask him…“Where is Shannon.”

“She’s in Central Park, filming a commercial.”

“Can you reach her on her cell to make sure she’s alright?”                                                               

On our way back downstairs another plane has attacked us…

 Live on camera a stick figure flails its arms and legs then plunges out of view

I gaze past the television at the rumpled sheets on my still sun-drenched bed…

Please let me be  dreaming this…

The network switches to replaying the moments of impact…

But don’t I always have reoccurring  nightmares of planes colliding…and  crashing?

I realize that no I am on my knees and wide awake…

and I haven’t  had my morning coffee… Before I can make it the first tower crumbles…                                                                      

  My son…I’ve just got to talk to my son…

this is Eric’s first semester studying journalism up at Plattsburgh State

“Do you see this shit that’s going on” he asks, and then, “is everyone okay?”

I try to say reassuring things but am disconnected…

call back except the lines are all messed up…

as I compose an e-mail to him the other tower falls apart… When I return to the roof there is only the gray smoke this time…                                    

Back in the relative safety of my living room…

I still haven’t made that coffee have I? every channel is replaying those moments of impact and collapse… and all the people running...running...running for their lives…

then suddenly the news gets even worse…

Linda calls, Jeff is in DC staying just blocks from the Pentagon

We stay on the phone with each other for a while then she has to get back to work

I call Elaine at the midtown-advertising agency where she is an art director

“How will you get home tonight?” “Hopefully Metro North will be running later.” “Please be careful at Grand Central Station.”  

   Next I try Ken who sells real estate in the Bay area of California

“Stay off the Golden Gate Bridge,” I warn him.

He asks if I’m okay and I tell him “no, I’m scared to death.”

After we hang up I try to reach Eric again but the phone is dead

I feel weak as if I might crumble …and my bell is ringing,…

it’s Wylie – who used to live next door…he’s wearing a white shirt

he just made it across the Brooklyn Bridge when the first tower came down

“Is it okay if I call my wife? She’s down in Texas visiting family...”

I try connecting a phone to the Internet line and somehow that works.                                                            

  At one o’clock I finally brew that coffee and go fetch Stimpy cat from the hall

Matthew, is coming up the stairs, he’s living with my next door neighbor America now

I’m not  kidding that’s what  her Mexican family named her back in nineteen-seventy something

like Wylie, Matt saw it all but from the steps of the New York Stock Exchange

The flames…the second impact…people toppling…and from the Brooklyn Bridge

the collapse… then clouds and clouds of dust and…and ashes and ashes and ashes

of all those poor souls trying to figure out what the hell just happened                      

I am envisioning how come tomorrow and in the days ahead we will begin to learn their names…

 Joe gets through from his Montefiore Medical Center office on Fordham Road

Didn’t you always go to those info tech breakfasts at Windows on the World?

He’s been monitoring this all on the World Wide Web and has just learned about the Pentagon

I tell him about the other plane…there is no cable at his office and no reception from regular TV

Of course Tower One housed that network antenna…or was it Tower Two? “Think you’ll be able to take the Tri-borough Bridge later?”

“I’ll see what happens, but don’t worry, I’ll make it home eventually.”

Before I can say I love you he’s already hung up…

I go to check on Matthew - his eyes are still stinging…his nose and throat itchy…

“Who could have done this?” I ask him, and he mentions Bin Laden…

I have no idea who that is. ”What about America…is she okay?”

“Yes,” he says, she’s still at work but she’s alright.”

Her friend David, a musician from Windsor Terrace stops by…

and tells us how his street and yard are littered with bits of paper…

and other things blown east by south east across the river…

When he hugs me I don’t know how to act…                                                               As the years pass and I reflect on all of our reactions to this day… recalling it…reliving…revisiting it all from that same Park Slope rooftop…

 it happens every time I come up here and stare into a space for Two Twin towers…

didn’t I always take you guys for granted…only to be so impressed by that antenna for some reason…

it’s Lady Liberty standing in her harbor…lit or unlit…

which I marvel at…time and time and time again…

and thank God for…not to mention France…and all the powers that be…

giving thanks for this gift from our ally and all she’d been meant to signify

Watch over that, I implore…keep a close and cautious watch over it…

[topicprinter]

Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Ellie of Money Therapy , a business that does financial consulting.Some stats:Product: Financial consulting.Revenue/mo: $5,000Started: December 2017Location: Washington, DCFounders: 1Employees: 1Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?Hi! I’m Ellie and I’m the founder of Money Therapy Consulting. Money Therapy Consulting is an online consulting company that educates individuals and founders about their finances. In addition to the consulting, I host seminars, write informative articles, and curate personalized financial plans for businesses and individualsSo, what does Money Therapy really do? Money Therapy sells peace, not financial advice. When someone leaves the conversation, they feel assured they are taking the appropriate steps with their money.My main service is my one-on-one sessions. During those sessions, we speak about what you are really struggling with financially. Or, if you don’t know where to even start (which is ok!), I will guide you with a list of questions. What I love about the one-on-one sessions is that there is always a plan. I leave you with a to-do list and we set goals before our next meeting. My clients never feel like they are going at it alone.Today, I am doing anywhere between 10-20 sessions a month. I’ve actually had to scale back due to the fact that Money Therapy is a side business. I work with people who are really struggling and ready to make a change. Money Therapy isn’t about convincing you to make a change in your financial life, it is ready to help when you are.Money Therapy generates about $5,000 per month and I’m incredibly happy with that number. I could sell more sessions but the quality would not be there for my clients if I did. What I love about Money Therapy is that it proves that if you have a skill, some time, and a will, you can start a business with your talents. Everyone has a way of making money with what they already have in their toolbox.What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?I started Money Therapy as an accident!My background was in finance. I worked for a top financial company and then moved to DC working for a finance startup.My ultimate goal was to start a company. So, when I quit my job in finance and started a company called Venyou, I realized the financial skills I had acquired during my finance years were invaluable. Instead of guestimating my monthly expenses, I knew what they were going to be down to the penny. Instead of spending money I didn’t have, I created a barter system with friends to keep costs down. Instead of being anxious in investor meetings, I was able to walk in with confidence and discuss how my company was going to seek profitability in a specific time frame and how much money was needed to do that. In fact, my finance skills kept my company afloat where others may have failed.There are so many brilliant ideas and talented founders but if you don’t know anything about money, your chances of your business failing are nearly 100%.Other founders heard about my finance background and were approaching me about how to best manage their money. They would ask me questions like; “What insurance can I afford? What business systems do I need to pay for? How do I pay my rent and my developers? Should I be investing and how much?”I did this pretty regularly for free but once I gave a speech on finance for founders during startup week, the inquiries exploded. Startup week, for those who are not aware, is a week long event where founders and those supporting the startup ecosystem give speeches and network with each other. I highly recommend attending if you aren’t quite sure what you want to start/aren’t aware how you are going to do it.After my speech, I no longer could sit with people for free, I knew I had to make Money Therapy a real business.At first, Money Therapy was just word of mouth. One founder would recommend another founder and then those individuals would recommend their friends in normal 9-5 jobs. I expanded my services to include everything under the sun. If you had a financial question about it, I could answer it.Now, I’m in such a cool space with the business. My clients range from 19-55 and I have helped them invest over $500,000 and pay down over $200,000 worth of debt. Those numbers motivate me.Take us through the process of getting started.Money Therapy started organically and it changed organically. Before I charged for my time, I was answering one-off financial questions. I would get calls, emails, requests for coffee, you name it, just to pick my brain about money. The fun part was that I didn’t know what type of questions I was going to get. I loved that variety but it was also mentally taxing. If I didn’t have the answer to their question I would have to look it up and get back to them or decipher something for them, which ate into time for myself and my other business. I knew I needed to put structure around my time.I started putting my clients in silos; founders, employees, advisors, etc. This way, I could prepare for the types of questions they most likely had. I would “group” these people into one day. Instead of taking 3 meetings about various topics, I would hold 3 meetings in one day about similar types of questions. This way, it was less taxing on me and more beneficial to my clients.I also had to do my due diligence and tell them what I was legally able to advise them on and what I could not advise them on. Finance is a heavily regulated business and if you make a misstep you could be in serious trouble. I can give you my opinion on your finances and options that I think might be appropriate for you but I can’t move the money for you. This is a blessing instead of a curse because it forces my clients to truly understand how to manage their own financial life.Today, I have a very easy but manageable process for my clients. They have to sign up on a great app called Personal Capital. I have to look at it before we meet to determine where I think you may have gaps in your financial life. We set goals on what you would like to get out of the session and then we meet. Easy!Describe the process of launching the business.I was hesitant to formally launch the business because things had been going so well without any online presence. However, one of my clients moved and still wanted to interact with me. So, instead of doing our normal one-on-one meetings in person, we moved to Zoom. This was not an isolated incident. I started getting referrals outside the DC metro area and knew I couldn’t keep it offline.So, during the spring of last year I launched moneytherapy.co and offered online signups via calendly and payment via square. I worked with a squarespace template and did everything under $100.If you have a good business model that people are willing to pay for, you don’t have to spend a ton of money acquiring clients or on your website contrary to popular belief. I sent out a quick facebook blast on my personal page, set up a pinterest account, and Money Therapy was launched!It was a rough go at first because I immediately wanted to do everything online. I got frustrated balancing online clients with my in-person ones and screwed up my calendar a few times. I felt like I had put too much on my plate and didn’t know if the business was ever going to regulate itself. However, I stuck to my system, made my offline clients schedule time with me on one portal so I wouldn’t get my calendar confused, only took on clients who were serious about working with me and eventually everything streamlined.Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?Since launch, what has worked and still works is word of mouth. Everyone talks! If you did a great job your clients will tell other people. This my preferred way of attracting new customers. After all, Money Therapy still is a service business.In addition, I have also gotten passionate about writing blogs. This is a huge attraction to potential new clients. If someone has a quick question, I direct them to one of my blog articles. This saves them money and saves me time. If they have a deeper question, we schedule a session.Another unforeseen method of attracting clients is Pinterest! Never in my wildest dreams would I think Money Therapy’s pinterest would have over 1 million views per month but it does and has been one of the main generators to my site. Pinterest has connected me with clients over the country. How did I learn pinterest was such a great marketing strategy? Youtube. If you don’t know it, youtube it. Hint: Tailwind is the ticket to this growth as well as consistent creation of new pins. At least 2 new pins a week.imageNone of these would work without a system. You have to have a system for attracting and retaining new clients. Here’s exactly what I do:First, I set a time at the beginning of every month and come up with topics that I will write about for my blog. I record the subject, date, and if I stuck to the pubished date or not. I try to have the article written a few days before to I can edit it, add pictures, and think about how I will market it. The tabs below refer to the month so I can see where I am slacking and where I’m doing well. I try for at least one article a week.imageNext, I look at HARO everyday. HARO stands for help a reporter out and it has helped me get into publications like Forbes, NBC News, TheStreet, Girbloss, Bustle, you get the idea. Writers are always looking for help with articles and if you fit the bill they will feature you in publications. This has helped me legitimize my brand.Finally, I create assets like pinterest pins to help aid in my new article and market it. I use canva to do this and upload it directly to pinterest. I also use a service called tailwind so that it can automatically repin it.Lastly, I follow up with my clients! I send them emails to see where they are on their goals and if they are ready to meet again. That’s it.One piece of advice I have is understand where your brand shines. For me, it’s pinterest. I’m not going to spread myself thin trying to go after facebook ads or be the most followed on instagram. That is not where my brand does best. Realize that not all brands NEED to be everywhere. Find out where you perform best and stick to it.How are you doing today and what does the future look like?Today, I’m in a good, consistent place with my business. It costs me almost nothing to run my business. Squarespace renews at about $200 every year and I don’t pay for any advertising or ads. The only thing I truly have invested is my time which is the most valuable of all. So, my $5,000 per month is almost pure profit.I would like to stay at this level. It is manageable while I run my other business. However, what keeps me up at night is the people I’m not able to serve. My goal is to create an online course for different sectors; creatives, founders, employees, and college-aged individuals. I find the most similarities financially are within similar life cycles and goals. All though circumstances may be different for all, concerns are usually the same. With an online course I can serve so many more people. Scalability is always a concern with service-based businesses and I’d like the course to solve that.Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?The list would be too long to include everything helpful and advantageous I have learned but a few key things come to mind; consistency, reliability, and relationships. If you have these 3 things you have a very high likelihood that your business will be successful.On consistency, it is important to not only be consistent with your business but also consistent with yourself. If you have an internal deadline that no one knows about, keep it. The most important person you should be consistent with is you. If you are consistent with yourself you will be consistent with your business. If you are consistent with your business you will be consistent with your messaging in your business. Consistency is the key to long-standing clients and customers.On reliability, it is important you keep your word. If you said you will be somewhere or do something, be there and do it. If people know you are reliable, opportunities and doors will open up for you. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I was invited somewhere or asked to speak at an event because someone else was not reliable. Be the reliable person and watch your business flourish.On relationships, they are the building blocks of all things. Treat everyone as you wish to be treated and remember that the customer really is always right. Network with people you actually care about getting to know. Ask people you aspire to be like to get coffee. Keep people in your circle that you trust and will give you honest advice. If you have good relationships, you have everything.What platform/tools do you use for your business?Anything that you can do to automate your business that will make your life easier, do it. I try to do as few things possible in a day which means I use a lot of tools to make it happen.Squarespace - A website, especially if you are providing a service, should be beautiful and simple. With website builders today, you should be able to get a website up and running in a half hour. Squarespace is pretty, it’s user-friendly, and it’s reasonably priced. I highly recommend using it. They also added a new feature to send emails so I stopped using mailchimp and started using their service.Square - I use this for all my invoicing. It has a simple dashboard and I use the chip reader if I have a face-to-face consulting meeting.Calend.ly - I use this for new inquiries and bookings - it is free!Tailwind - I use this to automate and repin my pinterest pins. This has been my #1 growth tool this past year.Combin - I use this to auto-like and follow ideal instagram accountsCanva - I use this to create marketing materials and pinterest posts. Also free!Go check out my post - it is appropriately titled “Everything I Use to Run My Business”What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?My influences have changed over time. At the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey, I wanted to attack and attack quickly!I read all the old faithfuls like the Lean Startup, Zero to One, #askgaryvee, and the $100 startup. I listened to podcasts about founders and joined facebook groups. They were informative and necessary at the time. However, you can’t live your life at that pace. That energy is needed at the beginning of your venture but you can’t sustain a life at that pace.Today, I have a more holistic view of what I feed my brain because quite frankly, I got burned out.Now, I listen to mainly financial news such as Jim Cramer and WSJ. Financial news gives you all the information you need to know without all the drama. If I need a kick in the ass I listen to Eric Thomas on Youtube. If I need to calm down I go to church. If I need to cry about business I go to my mom. If I need to get through a problem I go to work. Keep your influences simple.Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?My advice would be that it is okay if your journey doesn’t mimic someone else’s journey. Just as people are individuals, so are businesses. Listen to your intuition with your business, it will guide you down the right road. Lastly, only take advice from people you want to be like.Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?I am always looking for partnership opportunities and contractors. I purposely keep my business employee-free. I want the people I work with to have their own businesses!At the moment, I don’t need any new contractors but if you have a talent in video editing, illustration, or course-making please reach out at hello@moneytherapy.coWhere can we go to learn more?Visit Money Therapy everywhere @moneytherapyco! Reach out directly hello@moneytherapy.coIf you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.For more interviews, check out r/starter_story - I post new stories there daily.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM

[baggecrockett82-blog]

Lego Marvel Super Heroes Walkthrough.

For many of our team, trios are actually the kind of sexploits that just take place in the motion pictures. Moderate (1 alcoholic beverage daily for women, 2 for males) is likewise associated with small digestive tract bacterial overgrowth, an usual source of intestinal issues like bloating, fuel, discomfort, diarrhea, and bowel problems. I consume heated bone soup by itself - as you say, that feels like a consomme - as well as sometimes I just take a spoon to the solutioned components of the bottle in the refrigerator. Off the previous photos, it's apparent what does it cost? of http://delicious-slimming.info can easily have on our bodies. However, they adored the Gathering and every thing associated with that. The tunes, the successions, the ensigns, the hiking, the exploration along with fake rifles, the yelling from mottos, the praise of Foreman-- it was actually all a sort of memorable game to all of them. TeamSugar is a social networking internet site for the young women where they could discuss the current gossip, participate in games, and also allotment suggestions on purchasing, fashion, appeal tricks, recipes, photographes, video recordings, book marks, blogging sites, and also extra. At $40 per ticket, that's merely about $140,000 for remittances to help pregnant females until now, creating that a remarkably cost-effective service. The movie uncovered chilling video footage from IS promoters dancing in the roads of Antep after news of the Paris assaults last month. I right now have lithium and also the MAOI Parnate - both quite traditional" medications that work extremely well for me. I have certainly never been more pleased in my life at grow older 45. I have actually been actually wed to the exact same person for 17 years and also our experts possess a solid, nurturing marital relationship. How you can unlock: To start with you must do an objective in Nyc Metropolitan area to get a pizza personal mobility scooter (environment-friendly, reddish and also white colored motorbike, in a metro.) In the train, Blade will definitely ask you for a nationality, at that point grab the cars and truck as well as outdistance. And also the women from the nation remain to be actually socially knowledgeable and extremely organised; an amazing one- third of Iceland's females are actually participants of a Facebook team - actually called Beauty Tips - in which they definitely discuss sex problems. That's a relief, provided the amount of latest video games have released in bad shape on Personal Computer. Prey runs perfectly on my (pretty beefy) PC, as well as off exactly what I have actually found around the World wide web, that seems like it is actually managing well all the way down the line to mid-level GPUs. There is actually much range to amend and boost the experiences from 1000s of women in the UK which lose their projects after maternity or even are actually spent much less per hour in comparison to their permanent coworkers to do specifically the same work yet far fewer days a week. I have actually teamed up with an amount of guys that've been ripped off on by the females in their everyday lives. In a 2008 study in which participants were attached to a maker that spots arousal, heterosexual girls possessed a more powerful sexual action to pictures of nude ladies in particular poses in comparison to nude guys. Although results are vague, that terrifies me that a beverage could increase the possibilities from breast cancer. The graduation from joining a houseparty to a supper celebration on New Year's Eve may certainly not be actually one thing you're delighted about, yet it performs at the very least manage you the affair to dress like you've helped make something of your lifestyle. In that, almost all the females worldwide immediately create the electrical power to fry individuals at will (they could fry females in addition to guys; also creatures as well as non-living things - I based it on what electric eels do). You would certainly get out of bed at 3am everyday sqeeze fifty percent of a lemon in cool water regarding 12 oz. and also consume all of it. Referred to as the Metropolitan area of Crafts as well as Sciences, Valencia's eponymous regional principal city is a social and also mental center. That was actually such a necessary website pro tempore that Royal prince Henry the Navigator (1377-1440), that kick-started Portugal's age from discovery, founded his college from navigation below. Militants collect in Liberty Plaza before a march to the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC on Saturday, Dec It likewise discovered that 36 percent from the females questioned mentioned their stress levels had climbed in the wake of the activities from 2016, featuring Brexit, Trump's political election and also monetary stress. If you know you are actually mosting likely to an event, a snack bar, or even a large supper and don't desire to absolutely bust your diet, eat one to pair of cups of raw veggies ahead of time to provide your tummy a bit of a running start. http://delicious-slimming.info illustrated past of the last 75 years from guys's fashion off double-breasted satisfies to present day official wear. Theres's nothing at all wrong with a couple of beverages once in a while, but exaggerating this on the regular may bring about a host from health problems, including (yet certainly not restricted to) sleeplessness, weight gain, as well as-- baseding on some documents-- a heightened threat of breast cancer. I have actually must resolve some internalized homophobia, since for a while, I form of felt ladies weren't capable to become highly enticed to corespondents, however this was actually confirmed incorrect by many of my very own quite tough, very same sexual activity destinations. So a sporting activities drink along with high levels of caffeine would work definitely well for you the very first time you used this, not also the 2nd opportunity, and so on Prices gradually went up back up the moment females reach their Fifties, which is actually likely because of menopause as well as hormone adjustments later on in live. Some activities were simply wonderful to participate in and a massive part of the take in of possessing an Atari pc, even though there were actually ports on call on other systems. Treebranch Smackdown: Packages a sizable quantity from damage to a solitary target in the frontline, taking them back one position; Complication Spores: Packages a low quantity from damages that can easily additionally shuffle the celebration; Toxin Spores: Deals a reduced amount of damage that can handle curse. At that point, the man can easily get in the woman ahead doggy type while the ladies touch one another. Inevitably, Skirt Nightclub is excellent for ladies which intend to push the envelope on their sexuality and are aiming to practice in an entirely private, secure space. They care about stability in the EU as well as obtaining that concern off their agenda, exactly like in Turin folks performed not love folks in Sicily. Nonetheless, what is actually unusual is exactly what they point out to me will definitely be actually better in comparison to what males mention to me. I dated a man that informed me he will pour me if I put on 10 extra pounds; I cannot envision a ladies ever before stating that. An unique with the help of Rusbel that helped determine these bugs before they became a larger concern for everybody else! Yet Hillary's crowning is actually likewise evidence that the issues in the Democratic Gathering run much deeper than just one applicant. Removaling off The second world war with NASA's golden age, touching on the civil liberties time, the Space Nationality, the Rivalry, and the ladies's rights motion, Hidden Figures links a rich record of clinical achievement and technological innovation with the informal accounts of five women whose job permanently changed the world -- and who everyday lives show how away from one of The United States's most excruciating backgrounds came one of its own proudest minutes. That was actually hard adequate to be a woman in the business at that time, yet the dark girls who worked at Langley likewise needed to be actually solid, sharp, as well as completely confident to become able to examine their superiors-- and also is only what they performed. I presume all these folks mistake concerning this gatorade topic i think gatorade is good for you it may have more glucose in comparison to water yet that possesses less glucose than soft drinks.

[powertogovern-blog]

Obama’s 2009 Inauguration Pt 1

A Day in DC Or, The Most Beautiful Event I Will Ever Witness

Act One: My planned wake-up time of 5:00 AM was not to be. The hotel room alarm didn’t work and I awoke with a start at 5:41 AM. The word on the street the night before was that folks would start arriving at the Capitol Mall around 4:00 AM, and security would close the Mall when the crowd reached 350,000…not a good sign since the estimated number of visitors in DC for the inauguration of Barack Obama was over 3 million. I flung myself into the shower and somehow got out the door at 6:02 AM. I felt prepared for the weather; I had worn lots of layers and taken Mike’s many emphatic admonishments about keeping my feet warm seriously.

Act Two: Union station I took the Metro to Union Station first because Michael had purchased an event ticket for me that needed to be picked up that day (more on that ticket later). My Metro experience was the first indication of the day to come: no matter how crowded each train was, people moved away from the doors to allow more people on. Everyone was covered with Obama buttons and pins and flags and the festive mood was palpable. You could discern dialects from all across the states in the many happy conversations humming through the trains.

Union Station was more of the same. As I wandered the station trying to locate the Great Tickets outlet, every brief conversation in the huge crowd was conducted with an emotion that’s hard to describe – but let’s call it Christmas meets a baby’s healthy birth plus winning the lottery. Every single human being there was in this amazing time and place to witness and share in this piece of history that will become an important piece of our country’s fabric. The election of our nation’s first African-American President was being shared by people from all walks of life, from many nations.

Many people were electing to stay in the warmth of Union Station until the mast minute. I had to assume they were operating under the official information that as long as they got to the Mall by 8:00 AM they would be able to get in…not believing that myself, I pushed on as soon as I could and joined the crowds walking towards the Capitol Mall.  

Act Three: 6:40 AM Arrival at the Mall The areas reserved for ticketed guests were well-signed and identified. Purple – go left! Silver – straight through! The rest of us relied on the many, many volunteers in red caps to direct us. The volunteers were cheery – well, in truth, they were about the happiest people you have ever met – and they knew just how to direct the streams of tens of thousands of people already at the Mall. I joined a splinter crowd headed into the Third Street tunnel to walk under the Mall and come out on the south end. (Splinter = thousands of people)

Having been to a ba-zillion rock concerts in my younger days, I was prepared for the crowds. But you cannot make an accurate comparison of this crowd to any crowd you’ve ever been in. The air was electric; there was a shared mixture of gratitude, relief, and happy release that’s indescribable.  The crowd’s mood was festive yet constrained.  The weight and import of the day was not lost on the attendees.

Act Four: First Stop light-post So, let’s call that about 2 miles of walking so far. There were no short-cuts; for security reasons everyone was herded onto specific controlled streets that seemed to go 4 or 5 city blocks further than the direct routes would have been. Still, walking was in itself a form of entertainment. I either engaged in direct conversations with strangers or eavesdropped onto theirs; the long walk and time went past quickly. At this point it was much colder than it had been at 6:00 AM. With the wind chill factored in, the weather was about 15*.  Once at the Mall, I crossed to the North side and found a light pole that I could lean against and take advantage of the pedestal for increased height.

On either side of the Mall, from the Capitol to the Lincoln memorial, event coordinators had installed very large jumbotron screens with huge speakers. Later, we would witness the inaugural events on those screens, but now the crowd was entertained by a re-run of the Sunday concert. Bruce Springsteen! Bono! John Mellencamp! And on and on. But few were paying attention to the electronic entertainment. We were happy, by the hundreds of thousands, to strike up conversations with the people standing next to us and learn their stories. The family I was nearest to was from the San Diego area and had brought their early-teen children with them. All around, small blankets were spread, buttons, badges and t-shirts were being bought, and cameras were clicking away furiously.

Act Five: On A Pedestal It wasn’t long after I staked out my light post territory that I felt I could upgrade. I made my way east towards the Capitol and saw that Madison Ave., bordering the Mall on the north, was open. I hopped up the stairs to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, climbed onto a pedestal on the east end of the stairs, and split my time standing (hopping, dancing) next to, or sitting on a large piece of petrified wood that sat atop the pedestal. I was soon joined by Beth from Alexandria and her college-aged daughter, and for a time by a group of 5 college kids. Other short-term visitors to the perch included a French journalist, 5 French college students, 2 guys from Alabama…

(There were a LOT of French people at the Inauguration. Apparently we’ve been forgiven our “freedom fries” gaff.)

Have I mentioned the clothes? I have NEVER seen so many fur coats in my life. At times I was sorely tempted to beg entry into some older woman’s arms just to warm up…lynx, minks, fox – it was as though the stuffed animals inside the museum had been let loose on the Mall. Still, there were times I cursed myself for not dragging Ruth Frishman’s lynx with me to DC. Those women looked COZY. Did I mention the 15* weather? Yes? Well, let me just say again it was freaking COLD! When the sun popped out it was better, but when the wind blew…OMG, I have never been that cold, even on a stalled chair lift in a storm at Alpine Meadows.

My hat’s off to the Smithsonian. Most if not all of their museums were open during the event, allowing the crowds access to the classiest “warming huts” I’ve ever seen. The museum cafes and restroom were open so hot chocolate and coffee were available to anyone braving the hour-long lines. But back to the inauguration…

Act Six: In Which Barack Obama is Sworn In The actual inaugural ceremonies were mercifully quick. I am certain anyone reading this will have witnessed the ceremony on CNN or elsewhere. But the applause you heard on the TV did not correspond with the crowd’s applause at all. Reader, you were treated to the applause of those closest to the actual ceremony, so the polite and politically correct VIPs applauded everyone that appeared. In the crowd, though, the story was different. When Bush (W) appeared, the crowd went so quiet that for a moment I thought my ear drums had finally frozen and I simply had gone deaf. But then a low murmur of boos could be heard…no large crescendo of anger, no significant outcry, just the sort of noise my cat makes when she’s unhappy but not really about to strike. In the main, I guess everyone wanted to rise above it and get on to the next administration as quickly as possible. But Bush was not to be applauded on January 20.

IMHO observations: I was very proud of my homegirl Dianne Feinstein. She represented! She spoke eloquently and was not self-indulgent. The invocation was not delivered by a person of faith I would have selected but when all was said and done, I thought he did a good job and set a fair and inclusionary tone. Yeah, I cried and sang and danced when Aretha sang.

How do I explain what happened when Obama took the stage to take the oath of office? I am struggling a mere 24 hours later to capture in words the feelings we were experiencing. I grew up in San Francisco in the 60’s. I rode on my dad’s shoulders in the S.F. Vietnam Peace March. I watched my father and mother spend a lifetime in politics and I share my family’s values of inclusion for all Americans, non-violent resolutions, informed and intelligent decision-making, participation in the process, supporting the nation’s social structure…this inauguration meant that a hurdle once thought insurmountable in my lifetime had been overcome. I was sharing that moment live with hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom had a common experience to mine, many more whose experience as black Americans had just seen a significant shift and all of whom whose lives would be forever lifted by this moment. Hope and change have been central themes throughout Obama’s candidacy and election, but here, on the Mall at this moment, hope and change were real, tangible, and a promise we all believed in.

Beth, my petrified-wood-on-a-pedestal mate, is about my same age. We cried together during the oath of office along with most everyone on the Mall. When Obama said “so help me God” the crowd erupted into the most joyous applause you can imagine. A sea of red, white and blue rippled across the top of the crowd as everyone waved their small American flags and chanted “Obama, Obama…”

(I am seeing on the news now that Obama missed or stumbled on a line during the oath. From the audience’s perspective it was a non-event – we simply didn’t notice and I doubt anyone there would have cared)

Act Seven: Departure, or You Can’t Get There from Here I was surprised at the number of people streaming out of the Mall after the oath of office and during Obama’s first speech as President. But then again, it was very cold, we had been on the Mall and on our feet for 6 – 8 hours, and most everyone was cold, tired from the emotional expenditure and hungry too. I stayed through his speech, crying and applauding with my new friend Beth.

The logistical information available to visitors before the inauguration was copious. You had to choose to avoid the information if you didn’t want to know how to access the Metro, which streets would be closed, what the security protocol was, which areas would be cordoned off, where first aid was, and more. The level of detail in the planning was extraordinary. We didn’t anticipate the many spontaneous decisions and changes that would occur at the event:

The event maps all showed several exits on the north and south sides of the mall. The crowds, cold and tired but still happy, easily followed instructions towards the exit streets. But while the entry to the Mall that morning of hundreds of thousands of people over a few hours was well-organized and orderly, the exit was not. Seemingly at random and arbitrarily, DC police and other law enforcement closed or never opened various exits on the north. The crowds on the north side of the mall found that no matter which direction they went, there were no exits on their side of the Mall. The volunteers had all evaporated and the police that remained gave conflicting direction and information, sending tens of thousands first in one direction, then another. Finally it became clear the only way out was on the south side, away from the parade and onto Independence Ave.

Act Eight: A Clusterf#@&k of Epic Proportions Once on Independence you had a few choices, or at least that was the plan. South was easy, though few people were headed that way. You could walk west past the Lincoln Memorial and cut back up to the north to see the parade or into N/W DC if that’s where you were heading. You could walk east along Independence towards the Capitol and do the same, or you could hop onto the Metro. Of course, anyone with half a brain would anticipate that the L’Enfants Plaza Metro, the first station the crowds would come to, would be packed. Apparently, the DC Police don’t have half a brain.

I have spent 47 years in awe and respectful of law enforcement. I believe anyone who puts their life on the line for the rest of us deserves to be cut some major slack. So, when I say that the DC police need to be dismissed en masse, from the Chief on down to the newest recruit, then there may be something terribly wrong with the system.

Act Nine: T-shirts, $20. Oxygen, Priceless. By then end of Obama’s speech, everyone on the mall (how many people were there? 3,000,000?) had to exit on the south side only. This funneled a huge crowd of people onto one street, Independence Ave. At first, everyone was walking along smoothly and there were no problems. But very suddenly, as though I had fallen into it, I was in a crowd of people standing still and tens of thousands of people pushing in from three sides towards the epicenter – ground zero – of a major catastrophe in the making. This was the place where the Metro station at L’Enfants plaza met Independence Street. Of course, the Metro station closed right away when it was overwhelmed by the crowds, so the intersection was being filled by attendees from four directions (south from their failed attempt to get onto the Metro, east, west and North from the Mall) all colliding into the center.

When the crowd stopped I was alongside a tour bus parked on Independence. I could see a DC police officer standing in the doorway of the bus, and many more officers inside the bus so I squeezed my way alongside the bus to get closer to the cops and, I thought, safety. Boy was I ever wrong. As I got closer to the door of the bus I was pushed past the door and towards the front of the bus. I pressed my back to the front of the bus windshield as the crowd grew denser. People were shouting at the police to do something, anything, to break the crowd. The officers all said “we can’t do anything, there’s too many of you.” The crowd, now concerned for their lives and safety, were begging the police to get on top of the bus and see what was happening. They implored the cops to get on their radios and ask for help or use their bullhorns to direct people to safety. They shouted to the officers that there were injuries in the crowd and to please get help. There were three or four officers off the bus and in the crowd (but staying close to the bus door), each of whom gave a completely lame response like “my sergeant isn’t here and I can’t do anything” or “there’s three million of you and only 20 of us…” Not one officer on the bus or off did anything to assess the situation and direct the crowd.

At 4’10”, I am usually the last person to see what’s happening in a crowd. Now, all I could see was the fibers of the coat of the person smashed into me, and I was hoping it wasn’t wool because the last thing I wanted was to have an asthmatic allergic reaction at that moment. Then a few feet away from me a woman fainted. She didn’t fall, though, because the crowd was so pressed in that she had nowhere to fall. Screams to the police finally encouraged two officers to make their way to her. However, this meant that two police officers with their backs towards me (and mine against the bus) now smashed against me in an effort to get to her. With a 200lb, 6 foot man wearing a bullet proof vest crushing against me, the windshield wiper of the bus pressing into the back of my head, I could not breathe. Up, I told myself, get UP. I grabbed the windshield wiper behind me and pulled and as I did, I lifted myself up onto the (very flat and slippery) bumper. Finally, I rose slightly above the crowd and got air. It was then that I could see that about 100 yards ahead, the crowd was less dense and that if everyone just moved east towards the capitol we could break the logjam and move. Just as I saw this, I heard pounding from inside the bus. Yes, the police on the bus were yelling at me to get off the bus bumper and back on the ground. I tried to tell them I couldn’t; I had nowhere to go, but they persisted. Still, I disobeyed and held my tenuous purchase on the windshield wiper because it was clear that 1) I could not survive on the asphalt and 2) even if any of those police wanted to get off the bus and remove me, they couldn’t. There simply was no way for them to make the 5 foot trip from the door of the bus to the front of the bus.

My take-charge gene kicked in with a fury. I was fearful for my safety, angry with the impotent police, and I knew this crowd needed to disperse before something really ugly or tragic, or both, happened. From my perch on the bumper, just slightly above the tallest men’s heads, I started yelling at the crowd to move towards the Capitol, to move east, that it was the only way out. At first I had a hard time getting heard but a few tall men closest to me heard me and started yelling with me. Soon we had a small wave of people pointing above their heads towards the east and saying “GO EAST” or “WALK TOWARDS THE CAPITOL”.

It took a few minutes for the wave of yelling to synchronize into a consistent message. But soon enough, the entire crowd was pointing east above their heads and relaying the message to move east. It was at that moment I became aware of a gentle arm holding my leg against the bus to help me stay on the bumper. I looked down and saw a pretty young woman defending my post and helping me. It occurred to me at that moment that there really are angels on earth.

The crowd was going to take a long time to break up. My hold on the windshield was failing and just as I slipped towards the pavement my angel, who stands a good foot taller than me, asked “Do you want to push our way through?” Choosing between dangers, I nodded yes, she took my hand and somehow she blazed a trail through the crowd towards the Capitol. We broke through into free air and it was at that moment of relief that I realized our lives had truly been in danger.

Act Ten: Walking with Amanda It turns out my savior is a journalism student named Amanda. She and I struck up an easy conversation as we tried to find our way out of the event perimeter. This was to be no easy task; we covered the length of the Mall to the east in vain then turned back and walked west back to the Lincoln Memorial after a few failed attempts at going south. By this time, the crowds were breaking and we could move freely. But we were also very cold and tired, with a mutual hankering for a cup of hot cocoa.

It’s worth noting that for the many miles we walked, we were always in the company of other Inauguration guests. The great vibe of the morning was not diminished by the lack of organized exit, and everyone on the street shared greetings from a happy “hello” to “what a great day!”

Because of the difficulty in egress, Amanda and I ended up walking together for several hours. Our conversation was easy and delightful; she is a bright gal with a huge curiosity and a good sense of humor. It was probably three hours into our walk that I realized she was still holding my hand! We share a love for chocolate and she spoke in passionate words about her favorite place for hot cocoa, explaining in vivid detail the “Marilyn Monroe” hot cocoa with berries and whipped cream. It wasn’t until we were nearly at the cocoa place that I realized it was the same fabulous chocolate place Mike’s nephew Sean and his wife Amy took us on our last trip to DC.

Amanda and I had our hot chocolates and traded email addresses and promises to stay in touch. I will always remember her as the woman who saved my life – I don’t believe I’m being overly dramatic – and I am happy that I will remember the best parts of the day with greater clarity than the worst.

Next: The Ball!