First thing: As my morning train to campus pulled out of Metro Center, a man’s voice reached us from the platform. GO TRUMP!
Walking to my first class: A middle-aged couple in full Trump regalia (enormous Trump hats, red white and blue clothing with Trump written on it) strides by, excited and happy.
Walking from my second class: At one of the campus intersections, a green vintage car rolls slowly along with Trump’s name in big letters on most of its surfaces. It is softly tooting its horn.
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I’m a little early for my second class, so Ashley (Fulbright student from China) and I sit on a bench and chat. One of my colleagues comes by and says with dread What are you doing tomorrow?
Staying home in Garrett Park. I’m thinking of taking up knitting.
I feel as though I should be there, at an opposition rally or whatever… I asked [another colleague of ours] what he’s doing tomorrow. He said Hiding under the bed.
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Gatherings up and down the Foggy Bottom Metro platform that evening of Bikers for Trump — skinny sunburned guys with long blond hair and arm tattoos and skinny jeans with key chains and handkerchiefs spilling out of them. Mucho legible clothing with gun, patriotic, and Trump-love messages.
January 20th, 2017 at 8:33AM
I pulled Joyce Rupp’s “Praying Our Goodbyes” off my bookshelf this morning, and plan to spend 10-15 minutes at noon time praying for my country. Oh, and knitting – because making opposes destruction.
January 20th, 2017 at 9:28AM
Elizabeth: I don’t know the Rupp book – I’ll look it up. The main thing here is that after turning on the radio with breakfast I’ve decided turning on the radio for the rest of the day is a no-no.
January 20th, 2017 at 3:58PM
No evening news for a long time. Trump talk on a rheostat in friends control — if they need to talk about it I’ll help them –when they come to visit.
At this point, I’d be happy to settle for a four year clown soufflé with theft sauce. Hope that’s it.
Perhaps I’ll try knitting. You might try hypnotherapy tapes at night. Not woks of genius or profundity, something like good physical therapy, but for the brain, and through it, the body. Try these if you are stressed, particularly at night:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jciE4nNAOLw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLF8MswWO0c
January 20th, 2017 at 6:10PM
Greg: Amazingly, back in grad school, I worked for one of the most eminent hypnotherapists, Erika Fromm.
I used to hear her sessions with patients through the very thin wall that separated us. (I was her admin ass’t while I was at U Chicago.)
During a visit to her apartment once, I spied a piece of paper on which she’d written comments about me after my job interview with her. What stood out was this one:
Of course I loved this and have – during various battles of will with Mr. UD – shouted it out by way of reminder. “V STRONG EGO!”
January 20th, 2017 at 7:31PM
That’s a major honor. An interesting tactic in the inevitable gentle spouse-wars. But after what I assume are all of those years (in my case it would be 43 very good ones), is that really a necessary reminder?
Then, to take vast digressive liberties, there are two beautiful Poussin paintings — even for those who don’t much like Nick P. — Et in Arcadia Ego, discussed famously by Panofsky.
http://www.parnasse.com/etpnt.htm
Then two wise guys did a web thing on that and toaster waffles: Leggo my Et in Arcadia Ego.
I’ve always (well not quite always) wanted occasion to interject: “cogito ergo sumo.” But I wrestle with its letter-imperfections..
Anyway that’s five more minutes diverted from today’s events.