January Randomness

House.

OK S L O W down already.  All the subcontractors are in a hurry to get done with this house. Maybe its the economy and they'd like to get paid. I personally need them to stay on schedule so I can succeed in my last ditch efforts to put as many pennies in the bank as I can.  In the last week, the house has been roofed, wired, windowed, insulated and drywalled.  I don't know if Ben was giving us a hint, but when he asked if we had been in lately-- we did just that to find that the drywall guys were planning to work into the night and all day Saturday.  That started the mad dash to Home Depot for insulation.  Jeff was up before the sun and spent about three hours insulating the bathroom walls- "all the better not to hear you my dear!"  Things are moving along so fast that I wonder if they will move our close date up again.  

My Friday Night Date.

Lisa, Lisa, Lisa-- my brave friend.  Carrie and I went to cheer Lisa on in her racquetball tournement.  She is so tough to compete and not get totally rattled mentally.  I have resolved not to go near tourney play for a very long time-- at least until Lisa is firmly settled as a C Level player.  I will honestly say that Lisa played the best I have ever seen.  Maybe Jeff's old racquetball comment to me is really true... "I only play as hard as I have to, to beat you." (and I am not that hard to beat).  We had a great time cheering, hearing Coach Paul's advice and asking all our deep rball questions, and sipping the sweet nectars that Jamba whipped up.  However, we did not enjoy the sweaty stench eminating from one really ripe Superman.  Enough said.

Inauguration.

Good thing that the whole elementary school watched the ceremony live so Noah didn't have to tell his teacher all about in-auger- ation.  Benjamin and Noah were both so pleased because they voted for Obama and feel invested in his win.  Of course, Ben did vote SuperDell for governor, so I can't really say he's politically savvy yet.  

I listened to the radio beforehand and loved the different things that the people interviewed wanted Obama to say or address in his speech.  It reminds me that there are as many opinions and passions out there as there were people on the mall.  It's a heavy responsiblity to make sense of all the choices and direct a country's actions.  Obama seemed humble and burdened on Tuesday...  I'm glad to know that he feels the weight of his responsibility.  I also enjoyed all the random factoids that the commentators added between the entrances of various American "nobility."  Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was sworn in by the man that authored the Dred Scot Decision (to keep slavery)?  I probablly will have that filed in the land of randomness section of my brain forever!

Highlights:    Aretha Franklin can still really belt it out.   John Williams' arrangement was phenomenal and really what an all-star quartet.  I loved Yo Yo Ma's face.  He was completely exultant and I couldn't wipe the smile or the tears off my face.   The speech was great.  It really covered a lot of ground without being too alienating to any group.  I even heard traces of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech interspersed through it.  (It helps that FHE last week was watching the footage of the whole thing).  Here are a few more of my favorites:

Hilarious Moment:  Diane Feinstein presenting John Roberts to administer the "oaf of office." Ouch.  While I think that it was funny, Jay Leno must have missed it because there was NO late night comedy on this issue.  

Come On Now Moment:  Maybe this very televised and official ceremony should be practiced or memorized.  The presidental oaf of office was like dominoes, one topple taking down the next in line until the oath was well, "oaf-ish."  

UMmmmmm, next time moment-- National Anthem-- MOTAB all the way.  The choir was a little weak for a moment that really demanded a cresendo.  Let the MOTABS get in there and do it right.

What a Great Job.

Although I sometimes sigh heavily when Jeff spends extra time helping students, listening to their problems and generally handing out life advice; I will admit that it has its benefits.  Every experience is a new challenge which he shares with me.  I love to laugh riotously at the various antics, gasp audibly at the audacity and even cry over their losses.  Its really an easy catharsis because like characters in a book, I don't really know them but I know their stories.  There are a lot of idiots, know-it-alls and spoiled brats, but more often amazing heros and heroines that give me something to think about and blog about for that matter.