Miles From...Everywhere, Really

Boy, did we walk tonight. My left foot is either really swollen, or is growing a new foot.

As noted earlier, we touched down at my brother-in-law's around 5:30 PM, EST. By about 6, we had showered and were off to eat. A walk was a welcome treat after far too many hours behind the wheel since last night.

Anyway, the scene thus far here in DC has been electric. There are street vendors everywhere, selling everything from Obama hats and t-shirts, to purses and jewelry. The jumbo-sized TV screens have been delivered to the National Mall, and are being set up for the crowds gathered on the day of the ceremony. Countless people were milling about getting pictures, scoping out the portable news station studios, or just simply taking it all in. Restaurants are packed, and the Metro (the underground, public railroad transport) is rocking with travelers galore.

Tomorrow morning we will set out early to head to Senator Harkin's office to pick up our tickets for the ceremony. Other than that, I plan to not drive, not go to rest stops off Interstate 80, not consume five times the recommended daily amount of coffee, and to, unfortunately, once again not see Bruce Springsteen live. Some things I will do:

• Drink another almond and coconut hot chocolate from ACKC in downtown DC
• Eat a chili dog from Ben's Chili Bowl (the line tonight stretched an entire block just to order)
• Walk enough miles throughout the day to justify our dinner at the Iron Gate Inn
• Not get mauled by my brother-in-law's cat, Ricky, who hates me for reasons I'll never understand (an explanation for this deserves an entirely separate post, which I will provide this week...for now, let's just say I'll be sleeping with both eyes open)

Without further ado, my first mileage update. Tonight, we logged 2.25 miles, so the total is off to a good start. Thanks for all those who have already voted. The rest of you can continue to do so on the top left of this page. I will update the total tomorrow evening after another day of logging my mileage. I will also provide frequent updates throughout our first full day in DC about, among other topics, how things are looking and feeling on Inauguration Eve.