My Daughter's Trip to the Inauguration

[kitkatz]

My daughter Maria is now in Washington D.C. to attend the inauguration and a college conference. They invited her to be a part of this event.  She will be attending an inaugural ball, too.  I wish I was there with her.  She says she will Facebook pics to me as she goes along, but she is going to be real busy. So check my Facebook area for news.   This is information on the conference she was invited to in Washington: http://www.inauguralscholar.org/events.cfm





EDITED:Changed title-not a political thread-kitkatz-Moderator

[David13]

That is so cool, Kit!   

I am sure this is an experience your daughter will never forget! 

[kitkatz]

Maria's school Milwaukee School of Engineering had a few people help her out with the tuition to the conference.  They came up with over 1,000 dollars for her.  Hurray for them!  

Can you tell a proud Mama is loose on the internet!

[okarol]

  Yay for proud mama! 
  You did a good job!

[monrein]

What a great experience for her, you, and vicariously for us, KK. 

[Bill Peckham]

Hope she stays warm. I think it would be awesome to be there on the historic day.

Is anyone going to watch the innaugeration on TV? I'm going to have breakfast at a friend's viewing party - Obama omelets (we can have french sounding food again right?) and coffee. I think it starts at 11:30 (8:30 out here) with the actual swearing in at noon.

[paris]

Good for your daughter, Kitkatz.  Wish I was there too.  My girls were going. Melissa is good friends with Katie Helmes (Jessie Helmes  granddaughter) and Katie invited them to come and stay with her.  AlohaBeth sensibly decided not to go since she is leaving for Paris in two weeks.  $$$ !

Bill, my day will be planned around watching this historic event. I usually watch the inaugrations. but especially want to watch so I can say "I remember the day".   My extreme Republican husband will be watching also.  He may not have voted but he recognizes the importance of this day in history.

Kitkatz, I will keep checking your facebook. I don't want to miss a thing!

[kimcanada]

Awesome for her Kit, I will be like Paris, waiting patiently for pics in FB

[pelagia]

That is really fantastic for your daughter!  She must be something special, Kit. 

I too am planning my day around the inauguration.  I will be attending a celebration party on Tuesday night, but no inaugural balls for me.  We were way too far down in the campaign volunteer hierarchy to get tickets.  We did get a special commemorative announcement that is suitable for framing 

The Obama's have called for a national day of service on Monday.  I want to do something to participate, but I have to wait until I come back from my trip overseas.  There isn't enough time before that for me to do something meaningful.

[G-Ma]

 

[kimcanada]

I am getting very excited, and I am not even American!!

[Rerun]

I am glad for you Kit because it is a HUGE party.  But costing tax payers over 100 Million Dollars makes me sick considering the current economy.  The news says..... and they are slobbering over this.... The 100 Million will come out of our pockets and 50 Million are donations from Hollywood! A total of 150 Million.  The State of California is broke and State workers will be taking off 2 Fridays each month starting in February so that the state can survive and 50Million dollars goes to a HUGE party in Washington D.C. from its citizens. 

The Bush Inauguration was 40 Million.  Just to put things in prospective.  No.. the TV will be off Monday and Tuesday!

Sorry to rain on the Parade!     

[pelagia]

Well, I can't be there, but I donated money to help with the costs.  Did they have my name in the report of donors?!

[Rerun]

I think the best thing he could have done would to have told Americans to STAY HOME and party in their community.  Go buy pop, beer, whatever at their local grocery store.  He could have really keyed things down and saved Millions on security and set up crews and clean up crews.  President Bush has already put in a State of Emergency for the District of Columbia for the extra cost for that city. 

                       

[pelagia]

wish I could be there 

[Rerun]

"Change We Need"

Did this mean nothing?       Oh, yeah, the campaign is over!

[BigSky]

I am glad for you Kit because it is a HUGE party.  But costing tax payers over 100 Million Dollars makes me sick considering the current economy.  The news says..... and they are slobbering over this.... The 100 Million will come out of our pockets and 50 Million are donations from Hollywood! A total of 150 Million.  The State of California is broke and State workers will be taking off 2 Fridays each month starting in February so that the state can survive and 50Million dollars goes to a HUGE party in Washington D.C. from its citizens. 

The Bush Inauguration was 40 Million.  Just to put things in prospective.  No.. the TV will be off Monday and Tuesday!

Sorry to rain on the Parade!     

No raining at all.

The left screamed about the 40 million spent on the Bush Inauguration saying the money should spent on the troops for equipment. 

The fact the left is spending more than 3 times as much and none of it towards the troops shows they are the party of hypocrites and they never cared about the troops but were just trying to use them for their own political gains when they brought up the amount spent on the Bush Inauguration.

[monrein]

This is an area of ENORMOUS cultural difference between our two countries.  When we have an election we usually spend about a month or so on it.  We know our results immediately, well within about 4 hours, and all votes are hand counted by employing large numbers of people to facilitate the process.  Then the newly elected prime minister who is only voted for directly by the folks in his/her riding, not by all citizens since we vote for the individuals representing each party in our own geographical ridings, just starts work.  No inauguration, no hoopla, no nothing much except of course they move into 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa and some redecorating usually happens.  Celebrations tend to be more private affairs organized by campaign workers I suppose or people particularly involved in political life.

We also seem, for the most part, to focus way way less on issues like the religion of our leaders or their personal lives.  People I talk to are generally suspicious of politicians who like to trot out their families for public consumption and who hold themselves up as vastly morally superior due to their proximity to God or their religious leaders. 

U.S. hype around political figures and inauguration day of any and every president often seems to me like a coronation of sorts (lots of cheap souvenirs and an overabundance of cheap sentiment too) and I never quite get it. 

I also find it rather curious how the "left" and the "right" are talked about as monolithic, homogeneous groups when obviously that is silly in the extreme and applies to neither side of the political spectrum.

[kitkatz]

Now my daughter was not involved in any of the hype, so please keep this thread about her visit to the inauguration. If you want to argue politics go somewhere else, please!


Kitkatz

[kitkatz]

Maria called today. Colin Powell spoke to them this morning and they are off to another thing this afternoon. She says she will Facebook some pics when she gets time today.

[rose1999]

Kit you must be so proud of her, what a lucky lady to be at such a historic occasion.  Here in the UK our elections are much like Monrein described, we generally don't much care who gets in because "they are all as bad as one another" seems to be the general feeling and they just come into Number 10 relatively quietly.  I'm envious that US citizens care so much about politics.  Wish her a wonderful day!!

[kitkatz]

Most Americans are not voting. This election stirred up some of them to the polls.  I am very happy she is there.  She calls me periodically.  THey were up at 4:45a.m. this morning to eat breakfast and be on a bus by six. I told her you all want pictures on Facebook. She said she will try to get some up tonight. I bought her the professional pictures they are having done at the event.

[monrein]

Kitkatz, I apologize if anything I said in my post was offensive to you and in fact I probably had forgotten in my haste that this was the "Maria goes to the Inauguration" thread.  I'd like to say that I would go too if I were invited and I'd have gone to Bush's also if I'd been invited and I'm happy to attend the next coronation in Britain too, if I'm invited.

My comments were clearly inappropriate for this thread and I remain excited that Maria will be there at the inauguration.  I look forward to the photos and I hope she  "has a ball".  

[Bill Peckham]

Kit what details can you give us? How many scholars are there with her? Which hotel is she at (walking distance or farther out?) - those are some big gun speakers - Powell and Gore. What an honor. Has the weather been an issue? I've heard that there is a concern about not having enough porta potties - they should have invited more dialyzors.

[paris]

I would love to meet Powell.  This is truly a once in a lifetime experience and I am jealous!  It sounds like she is appreciating this opportunity.  Can't wait to see pictures     Tell her we are living vicariously through her.