It was just too cold, and I could hardly take photos, never mind type out updates...epic liveblog fail.

But it was an amazing day, from the moment the alarm woke me up and I realized that it was finally Jan 20. Who needs sleep? Well, actually, I do...

We made our way thru the bus and subway, which took a long time because the metro was flooded with people and the train traffic was backed up...left the house at 5:15, and finally got down to the south side of the mall around 6:45. Then there was the waiting by the "Silver Gate," mentioned below. We got into our ticket area by about 8, and then there was the long, hunkered-down era, involving much bundling, blanket sharing, and wide eyed awe that it just did not seem to warm up. We stayed focused on the crowds, their happiness and their diversity, and, finally,the San Francisco Boys and Girls Choirs started singing. The huddled masses jumped up, jumped around, and cheered on the children. The light was getting brighter, even if it did not grow warmer...and everyone was just thrilling with anticipation...