Saturday, January 24, 2009

A Week to Remember

This week has felt like a month.

My job often takes to me to fun, interesting and sometimes plain ol' crazy places. But this week may top them all.

Monday was a Creative Coalition cocktail party, where I interviewed Tim Robbins while simultaneously screaming incessantly to myself "Do NOT proclaim 'The Shawshank Redemption' one of the greatest movies of all time." (I did not.) Yes, Susan was there. No, I didn't talk to her. I was too busy trying not to mention "The Shawshank Redemption."

Tuesday was The Day. I started walking from my office in the direction of the Capitol at about 7:45 a.m., looking like the little kid who can't put his arms down in "A Christmas Story" with an Al Franken-like video set-up strapped to my back. I returned at 2 p.m., having been walking almost the entire time. In between, I witnessed a moment in history that many talented journalists have put into words better than I can. Suffice it to say, the sheer volume of patriotism made my heart sing.

Friday, I found myself standing on a runway at Andrews Air Force Base, with the plane that becomes Air Force One off in the distance. I myself was headed up in a fuel tanker to watch jet fighters refuel. Yes, I went to the Danger Zone. And it was awesome.

All in all, it was an exhausting week, a wild week, but most of all, a hopeful week, for so many, including me.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Mommy and Baby's Adventure

When C. went back to work, and I was first home alone with Baby, I started referring to our outings as adventures. Adventures could be anything from a simple trip to Target, or a more complex outing to a new little town on the Maryland's Eastern Shore that we had never experienced before. They were adventures in every sense of the word, definitely for Baby, but maybe just as much for Mommy, too.

Yesterday, Baby and I went on another adventure, both to give C. some peace and quiet and for us to get out, escape the cold and do something different.

Yesterday's big adventure was to Tysons Corner Mall. Laugh if you want, but anything with a 16 month old can be an adventure. You don't even have to try hard to make it so.

Our adventure included such exciting chapters as how to dress Baby on a 13 degree day so that he wouldn't freeze on the hike from the parking lot, but wouldn't be sweating once we got inside. We explored the wilds of Pottery Barn Kids, and all the toys they have in store (enjoy'em here, Baby, because unless we tap into what's left of our 401k's, they're not coming home with us right now). Baby got a chance to amuse his adoring female fans, as they gathered around him in Sephora to ogle his lovely eyelashes (no mention was made of sampling the mascara, but I think there were thoughts of it).

Then there was the venture into Tysons' version of Lord of the Flies: The kids' play area. (More on that in a separate post.) Did I mention that it was 13 degrees yesterday? Lots of cooped up, Inauration-trapped parents apparently had the same brilliant idea as me.

But perhaps the most exciting scene took place when we were just strolling through the mall. A large crowd of people usually hustling along, had all stopped around all sides of a kiosk. As I drew closer, I heard a familiar voice, and suddenly got chills: Everyone had stopped because the kiosk had flat screen monitors, which were all focused in on the words of the President Elect, as he spoke from the back of a 1930's caboose.

It was an adventure I'll remember, not just for a lovely day with my child, but for the words that stopped a crowd to unite for a moment in the hope for the future of our country.