Manifest Hope DC Party

Jim and I were so lucky, we got some VIP tickets to the Manifest Hope DC Inaugural Party on Monday, the 19th of January in Georgetown. So Monday morning we drove down to a Metro stop in Maryland and jumped on a train headed into the city. We didn't have a room or a place to stay, and we couldn't bring bags with us, so we had to make due with what we had on our backs.

The warmest outerwear we have are our Dickie coveralls. We made screen print for them, stuffed our pockets full of necessities, and wore them as our roaming hotel room. They worked so well! We stayed warm all the way till the end, when I have to admit, the cement felt warmer to me than the air... But it was so worth it! I would have gladly frozen some more, because this trip was by far the best experience and the most exciting day and night I have ever had.


I'm old enough to have been to plenty of places with big celebratory crowds before, but the emotional energy that was moving around DC, was like nothing like I have ever witnessed. What a gift to have been part of this energy; it was a human happening, a reach deep into the positive potential of united humanity. I am grateful Jim convinced me that watching it all happen on TV wouldn't be good enough.

Just imagine no hate, no fear, no anger, and replace all that crappy frenetic energy we are bombarded with daily, with hope, relief, celebration, with the peace that comes from people looking forward to the next day of living, to joining in and rebuilding something precious, something sacred, something created by big minds and big hearts through big sacrifice for all of us. A better tomorrow for EVERYONE! That's what's alive in DC and that's what is alive in the United States of America.

Thanks to everyone who helped to make this dream our reality! We were so fortunate to spend this night with so many of the artist activists who were moved by Barack Obama and his message to get up and participate in manifesting hope. Everyone was really friendly and genuinely happy to be together. Thanks so much for this party! Here's to our tomorrow.


Polite In Public are some of the nicest people!
(I can't figure out how to link this, but here is their url)
http://www.politeinpublic.com/event/487/manifest-hope--dc-p

Oh, and thanks for everyone who signed our coveralls! Especially, Shepard Fairey, thank you very much! I still have to take some pictures of the completed coveralls and will add those later. I already wore mine for wood chopping when I got home, but I let Jim do most of the work, (as is my typical nature) and I was careful not to get them too dirty. I guess I need a new pair to work in. I can't bear to ruin these!

After we left the party, Jim and I took a taxi to 18th Street. We were looking for the 18th Street Grill. Unfortunately, that was the wrong name of the place we were supposed to go to. So we walked up and down the street looking for a place that didn't exist. The street was packed at 3 AM. People were eating these giant slices of pizza, which looked fantastic! Later on, when I was eating rubbery fake eggs and potato slices fried in phoney something at a dive on the road home, I knew I should have grabbed one.

I was starting to freeze, everyone was sort of buzzed and talking to each other, everybody wanted to write their names and doodle on us! This really fantastic looking man, who drew Lady Liberty on my suit, told us about the 18th St. Lounge. That sounded more like it. An old Victorian mansion with couches....and good music.

So, we took a bike rikshaw ride in a pedi-cab, down to Dupont Circle headed for our Shangra-la. Duncan from Boston was the driver. He had never heard of the place and wasn't that familiar with town, but he was great fun and had a shining attitude. Turns out he loves Moby and was hoping to get to meet him. If we ever found the place, he was going to come in to get warm. Well, after much peddling on his part and more freezing on our part, no luck. Turns out this place is so cool, there's no signage. And some part of Thievery Corp. a band we LOVE, is an owner.... Whatever was going on, we missed out.

My lip got fat...from freezing in the bike basket, or perhaps an allergy to a new chapstick with a ball bearing applicator which I overused. It was about 4 am, and Jim and I decided to go down into the Metro station to get warm. It was more than crazy down there, and the gate was still locked down. We caught the first train out of the city, headed back to our car. Already, at 4 AM the trains started coming in. They were jammed. It was fun to wave at the people from the other side of the tracks. The whole train waved back! When they pulled away, hardly any people waiting had even gotten on, and the platform kept filling up. It was crazy.

In reflection, I think if we had a place to stay, catch some sleep and warm up, we would have stayed for another day. Instead, at about 5:30 or 6:00, we made it all the way back to our car, which was covered with ice, put on the defrost, and once we we stopped chattering we drove the 4 hours home to watch the inauguration on TV.

Here is how it would have looked if we stayed for the next day.







Here are the party pictures.....
Let us know if you see yourself, we can send you the pic in a larger format!
Peace and Goodwill to all of us!!