Archive for the ‘Metastuff’ Category

Aftermath

Christmas Eve dinner

Christmas Eve dinner

The Snowpocalypse has come and gone. It lasted a week. And as of this morning, the two student offspring have come and gone, off to see their friends. They lasted a week and 10 days, respectively. We’ve reclaimed the couch and the laptop and cleaned the bathroom. We’ve gathered the belongings they left behind. Soon it will be time to go back to work and throw the Christmas tree over the balcony.

And if it’s the New Year, can the North American International Auto Show be far behind? It will be strange to be in Washington where news from the auto show will be buried in the business section and where the lead will surely be about government loans and depressed Detroit, instead of on the cars,

On the positive side, however, it was great to see the snowstorm of the decade, plus have time off to spend time exploring the national museums. Plus we made some fine food (the standing rib roast encrusted in salt was a hit), watched Avatar, V for Vendetta, Planet Earth, Gosford Park and Benjamin Button.

We hope to catch up with friends and family we missed early in 2010, and to hear some rock ‘n’ roll in the D. I wish you all a happy, prosperous, peaceful New Year.

To quote David Byrne: How did I get here?

I’ve spent 82% of my life thus far living in the Midwest, which is really a fine place to grow up and raise children. But, as you may have heard, its economy is in a shambles and its backbone, the auto industry,  is suffering major, major trauma. So suddenly things change: spouses take new jobs, kids move off to college, and you think, well, am I going to live in this lovely suburb forever?

Ha. Of course not. So here I am, in an urban loft in Capitol Hill, with husband and cat, ready to explore the District. It’s an amazing place. A co-worker gave me a ride home the other night. We drove right past the Capitol. It was spectacular. It literally took my breath away. My plan in this blog is to document my perspective on life in Washington.

I am a total newcomer to Washington (you can tell this because I don’t have all the members of Congress memorized yet), so if you’re from DC, I apologize for my observations about life here that must be obvious to you all.

As for Detroit, I care deeply about what happens there. Especially to the Tigers. And the auto industry. And, since I have so many professionally literate friends and family in Detroit, I am hoping to get regular reports and photos from Ground Zero of the recession.

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