The vendors

U Street is lined with eager entrepreneurs who are selling all types of Obama memorabilia. I bought several hats and a scarf. Mark bought a Michelle Obama button because today is her birthday. You might get a kick out of the pictures and video showing you many of the items you can buy.

Saturday Night

My friends live in Obamarama central on the historic U Street corridor.

They live next to the National Theater and Ben's Chili Bowl. You will recognize it as the popular D.C. restaurant where Obama had a hot dog. It has become a HUGE tourist attraction. Next door, the National Theater was hosting a celebrity packed event for the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Saturday Preparations

Here's a look at what's happening around the city today. The folks at the house have put the American Flag.

Mark and his sister Blair took some pictures outside the Capital where the stage is almost set. The temperature is much warmer today compared to yesterday.

10 Things I Need to Find While I Am Here

1. Obama cookies
2. The new downtown D.C. TD Bank
3. Beyonce
4. Inauguration Ball Tickets
5. Obama sushi
6. Condoleeza Rice
7. Hand Warmers
8. Oprah
9. A gadget that gives you unlimited access to the internet anywhere in the world.
10. An instruction manual for Twitter

Any other suggestions?

Breakfast and Beer

We strolled into Annie's with our free 12-packs of Budweiser. Of course the manager flipped until we told the story of how this was official "inauguration beer." He asked us kindly to hide the beer under the table and not to open them. Fortunately for him we are Bud-Lite drinkers.

Mark's sister Blair and her kids Norris, Kit, Greer who live in Virginia joined us. They are in town to tour the major historic and museums. She said even though they don't have tickets, they are coming back to town on Tuesday just be a part of the momentous occasion.

Thank you, Anheuser Busch!

On our way to breakfast we passed by several stores preparing for Tuesday's inauguration. The first photo is the Everything Obama store. Next door is a convienence store that had a huge sign saying "Official Inauguration Headquarters." We laughed and joked with the beer distributor when we walked out. He said it's not a joke and then asked if we like beer (duh). He then proceeded to hand us all a free 12-pack of beer and an official Budweiser inauguration button. With our jaws still on the ground, he asked us to take pictures with him. Here they are.

1968 Riots

Today our hosts we took a walk to a restaurant called Annie's. Along the way, we walked through the area where the 1968 riots occurred in Washington, D.C. The Washington, D.C. riots of April 4–8, 1968 erupted with the April 4, 1968 assassination of Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

You can learn more here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Washington,_D.C._riots

To show how times have changed, Ed and John told us joyous residents flooded the streets for peaceful celebrations when Obama was declared the winner on election night.



Here's video and a photo of Mark and me outside the Marion Barry Center on the corner.