Ch-Ch-Change

Why is it that all that is on at 11:45 p.m. is a Ziggy Stardust concert, Spaceballs, and Heavy Metal 2000? It's like all of the cable stations wore themselves out with Inauguration coverage. I just heard that the Obama girls are watching Bolt and High School Musical III- thank goodness for them they aren't flipping channels while their parents are out dancing the night away.

I was happy that most media outlets offered streaming online coverage, since I was BACK TO WORK today.. I know I know, I had a lot longer vacation than most, still its hard to get back. Thankfully we stopped our faculty meeting and watched it on a video projection screen. For some reason I was in charge of keeping the darn thing running, which was no small feat, given the fact that a ka-gillion people were all crowding the Internet trying to get a glimpse of history.

I could totally identify with the various students that were interviewed along the Washington Mall today. Many expressed a desire to see something of this importance for themselves. People, old and young, were giddy with excitement and anticipation. I recalled a simialr feeling in the air back in January 1993 when Bill Clinton was inaugurated. I was a second semester freshman at UT, and I watched the inauguration on a small television in the University Co-op bookstore where I had been buying books for the coming semester. People crowded around the tv and stood silent as President Clinton was sworn in. It was a defining moment and one that echoed today's air of anticipation. I had campaigned for Clinton, was working for a yellow-dog democrat at the Texas Capitol and felt totally invested in the government. Shoot- I was only 18...

While I am not sad to see him go, I did scan President Bush's face as President Obama gave his speech. I can't help but think that he never thought it would all turn out this way.I supported Bush as governor of Texas, attended both his inaugurations and even two inaugural balls. (the balls were something else- long gloves, long dress...) I interviewed Laura Bush one-on-one in her small office at the state capitol when she was first lady. She was gracious and kind and didn't rush me a bit. When he was inaugurated as President, I was hopeful for a return to Texas prominence on the national scale. But, the rest of the story, as we now know, was something quite different. Bush surrounded himself with complete idiots or worse, malicious people hoping to further their own agenda. Instead of national prominence, Texas was reduced to the butt of jokes and most of Bush's Texas confidantes left his inner circle long ago.

So it is with a happy heart that we move on into something that has promise and hope. I'm heartened to hear that the Consumer Protection Act is going to be reviewed and was chosen by Change.org as an issue with immediate importance. And I'm also excited that when I got home from work today, Reesie was excitedly pointing to the t.v saying "Barrrk, Barrrk"